Puppy Perception
by Origo
Summary: The Shire Through The Eyes Of A Puppy... Post War Of The Ring... Follow Diamond, Pippin, Merry, Estella And All The Other Hobbits In Their Day To Day Lives... Follow Them Though Their Struggles And Elations, Births And Deaths... Expect The Unexpected..
1. Day One, Part One

The night was cold. Hobbits were sleeping in their beds.

All apart from two.

Merry Brandybuck and Peregrin Took.

Both had beer and tobacco.

"Shush, shush, she'll hear us" giggled Pippin.

He was a little red in the face. The beer was taking effect. Merry giggled quietly as well. The smoke from Pippin's pipe swirled up and away. A small fire burned in the fire place.

But something was about to happen. A door opened. A young woman came out. The candles on the wall of their hobbit hole were still burning. She could smell a bit of tobacco.

"What is he doing?" she asked herself as she walked towards the kitchen.

There was a large door leading to the kitchen, it had been left ajar. She walked around the corner and pushed it open. But she did not walk in. Instead, she just stood there stood there. She could see Merry and Pippin smoking and drinking.

"Peregrin Took!" said Diamond.

Her voice was loud and angry. Merry jumped, knocking his beer over. The glass smashed on the table. The beer started to run off of the table.

Diamond walked over to Pippin.

"Clean that up!" she said.

But Pippin smiled.

"Make me you wee hobbit" he said.

Diamond looked angrily at her husband.

"You are drunk and I am having a baby, I need my sleep, why can't you just for once think about me?" she asked.

Pippin looked up at her.

"Oh, you having a baby?" he asked.

He looked shocked.

"How did that happen?"

Merry snorted as he took a drink from Pippin's glass. Pippin looked around.

"Ah!" he shouted.

"That's my drink!"

He then snatched it away from Merry. Merry continued to giggle.

"I think it is time for bed" Diamond said.

She snatched the beer away from him. She hated Pippin when he was drunk.

"Whoa…?" Pippin said.

"Look Merry, it's floating again" Pippin said.

He tried to grab it, but missed.

"Merry, go home" Diamond said.

But Merry remained seated. Diamond took a deep breath.

"Now, Merry!"

Merry smiled and got up. Pippin yawned and mumbled a good-bye to his friend. Merry walked towards the kitchen door and out onto the passage.

"Right, mister, you need to go to bed" Diamond said.

Pippin shook his head.

"I ain't tired" he said.

Diamond looked down.

"Listen, you've been drinking all night, please come to bed" Diamond said.

Pippin yawned again.

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on"

The hobbit's speech was splurged. It always was when he was drunk. The hobbit walked past Diamond. She could smell the beer on him.

"Why do I let him drink?" she asked herself.

She then felt tired again. So, she turned around, leaving the fire crackling happily in the fireplace.

Merry, who had gone a few minutes before, had left the door open. The night outside was calm. Stars could be seen among the clouds. They twinkled since time had started. Trees blew in the cool wind. Winter was now upon them. The cold blew across the land. Small animals hibernated in their burrows.

But, there was one creature that was not asleep. This was a small, four legged creature. The creature sniffed around. He could hear crickets singing. But he couldn't see them. The creature trotted along the road. He then came to a hobbit hole. He could see the window with light coming out of it.

A figure came out. It was Merry. The four legged creature stopped. He could hear Merry come down the path. Merry slowly opened the gate. He could be heard Merry still laughing by himself. The creature, who was quite small, slipped into the shadows. Merry walked pasted right back the creature. The animal watched him walking away. Merry stumbled a few times and went out of view.

The animal slipped though the open gate. Careful it was not to be seen. He could hear Diamond and Pippin talking. The light poured out of the house.

"Should I?" he asked himself.

The creature looked back. He only had one chance to get in. So, the creature ran inside the hole. He stopped at the door. He could hear talking. He then slipped in and walked away.

The creature heard someone coming.

"Left the door opened again!" said a voice.

To the creature, it was all babble. He hid around the corner and watched. There was a big person coming towards him. This person looked friendly.

But should he take the chance?

Not yet.

Diamond, who was going back to bed, didn't notice the small creature looking at her. She opened the door and went to her side of the bed. Pippin came around the corner as well. He had his hands over his eyes.

Pippin too didn't notice the creature. He went into the bedroom. The hobbit left the door open. Pippin was so tired that he didn't change or wash.

Diamond pulled the covers over. Pippin did the same a minute later. The room was dark and warm. Just right for the creature.

He came to the door and poked his head around the corner. He sniffed the floor. He could smell both of their senses.

He wondered if it would be safe to go to them. Pippin shuffled in his bed. Diamond had closed her eyes already.

The creature came slowly into the room. Stopping for a few seconds. There was no sound in the house. Pippin had fallen asleep quite quickly. So, the small creature walked and stopped besides Diamond's half of the bed.

He looked up, then to the sides. He then stood up and walked down to the end of the bed. There, there was a lower storage box there. The creature then jumped onto it. He looked back down, then back at the bed. In front of him was a big duvet.

So, he leaped over the end of the bed onto the soft duvet. Neither of the two hobbits woke up. So, the creature started to walk towards them.

The creature knew which hobbit looked the friendliest. So, he walked up on top of Diamond. She was laying on her side. He got to the top. And then he realised. He was stuck there. He couldn't see the other side.

"Oh no" he thought.

The creature looked back. He needed to get back down. And then it happened. Diamond started to turn over. The creature was stuck on top of her. But he didn't fall off. Diamond then stopped rolling over and continued to sleep. The creature yawned as well. He was sleepy too.

"This is nice" he thought.

The creature then snuggled down and closed his eyes.

The creature wasn't asleep long when he was woken up. Diamond had woken up.

"Oh my!" Diamond said as she sat up.

She was shocked to see a small puppy on her. The puppy whined and jumped back. Diamond instantly stood up. The puppy started to shake. Diamond tilted her head.

"How did you get in here?" she asked.

The puppy whimpered. Pippin was still asleep. Diamond looked at him. She then raised her hand out.

"I won't hurt you" she said as she walked closer.

She could see the puppy shaking. But he didn't run away. He started to sniff her hand.

"She seems nice. But what if it's a trap?" the puppy thought.

"Do you have an owner?" Diamond asked.

The puppy shook his head, making his ears flop. Diamond looked confused.

"Are you lost?" she asked.

The puppy shook his head again.

"Hmmm"

"Then where did you come from?" she asked.

The puppy then started to whimper. Diamond suddenly realised what that meant.

"Awwww, come here" she said, picking him up.

His fur was nice and soft and warm. The puppy continued to whimper.

"Are you hungry?" Diamond asked.

The day was steadily lighter as the sun rose. The puppy nodded and rested his head on Diamond.

The two of them felt a connection between one another. Neither of them knew why, but it happened. Diamond realised the she now had a new puppy to look after.

"I hope your not as much trouble as Pip is" she said.

The puppy looked around the hole. It was a nice place, bright and airy with lots of rooms. The puppy sniffed the air. He couldn't smell anyone else in the house.

He looked up at Diamond. He then gave her a small lick. Her hands were warm and gentle. The puppy took a deep breath as they reached the kitchen.

"Right, so what do you want?" she asked.

The puppy looked around. Diamond opened up the cupboard. The pup looked around. He shook his head.

"No?" Diamond asked.

She smiled and stood up.

"What if I go into the cellar?" she asked.

The puppy nodded.

"Maybe there's some in there" he thought.

So, Diamond placed him on the floor and walked over to a door that led off of the kitchen. This door led to the cellar. The puppy watched her open the door. He sat down on the floor and waited.

Diamond came back a few minutes later. She was holding a few packets of meats.

"Right then, we have…"

Diamond sat down on the floor and placed three packets down.

"Bacon" she said, pointing to the first one.

"Chicken" she said.

"And turkey"

The puppy looked at each one. He sniffed the bacon. He whined and then sniffed the chicken.

"Hmmm" he thought.

And then, he sniffed the turkey.

"Ah ha!"

The puppy started barking and trying to get at him.

"Whoa!" said Diamond.

Pippin, who had been sleeping, was woken up by the barks.

"Argh, it's too early" he said to himself.

He turned over and smiled.

"Morning hon…"

But Diamond wasn't there. Pippin lifted his head.

"Diamond?" he asked.

The hobbit then got out of bed and into his dressing gown. Pippin yawned and walked out of the room. He yawned again. Pippin then walked into the kitchen. He suddenly stopped.

Diamond was standing there, smiling as a puppy ran around her feet.

"Oh Pippin, isn't he just the cutest?" asked Diamond.

Pippin didn't know what to say.

Should he be angry?

Should he be happy?

It was then that he saw it.

"Diamond!" he said, running towards the empty packet.

"Diamond that was my turkey!" he said.

He exhaled loudly.

"Now what am I going to have to eat?" he asked.

Diamond scowled at him.

"Pippin, we don't know where he came from, he was hungry"

"But that doesn't mean he can eat my turkey!" argued Pippin.

Diamond shook her head in disbelief.

"You always think about yourself don't you? Why, for once in your life Peregrin Took, why cant you think of someone else?" asked Diamond.

The puppy had stopped and looked at Pippin.

"It's a dog, Diamond, a mutt!" answered Pippin.

Diamond didn't understand.

"Is this about farmer maggot's dogs?" she asked.

"Is that why you won't let us get one?"

Pippin looked down. He knew that Diamond knew he was scared of dogs.

"Aye" Pippin answered.

He took a deep breath. The puppy was looking from Diamond to Pippin. The puppy then yawned and laid down, but continued watching.

"Oh, Pip, please can we keep him?" Diamond asked.

She had wanted a puppy ever since she was little. She knew Pippin was afraid of dogs.

"I don't know" he answered.

Diamond looked down.

"Can we at least try to like him?" asked Diamond.

Pippin looked at the dog looking at him. The hobbits mind was working.

Saying "Yes" would please Diamond, which is what he wanted.

Saying "No" would mean upsetting Diamond.

"Pippin?" Diamond asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Alright, alright we can keep him for a few days. But if he misbehaves or wakes me up, he's out of here" he said.

Diamond smiled. She now had a new puppy.

"Now, what's for lunch?" Pippin asked.

Diamond smiled.

"Bacon sandwich alright?" she asked.

Pippin smiled.

"Sure" he said.

Diamond smiled and walked over to the cellar. She opened the door. She could feel the coldness of the cellar around her.

Back in the kitchen, Pippin was looking at the puppy now sitting in front of him.

"Now listen here, pup, if you wake me up or rip up my papers, you're out of here. Do you understand?" Pippin asked.

The puppy stuck out his tongue and barked. Pippin took a deep breath. Diamond then came back with a paper bag full of bacon in one hand and a fresh loaf of bread in the other.

"Could you set the table, Pip?" Diamond asked.

Pippin nodded and walked towards the draws. He opened one up and took out the knives and forks. The puppy watched. He started to get hungry again.

"Hey, I'm hungry!" he barked.

Diamond looked around.

"Awwww, are you hungry again. Mummy will get you some food in a minute" she said.

Diamond hummed happily. She started to cut the bread. The puppy sat patiently. He looked around. Pippin was setting places. He looked down at the dog a few times.

"Maybe he won't hurt us" he thought.

He placed the two knives and folks down and went for some table mats. The puppy then laid down again, waiting for his food. Diamond placed the slices of bread onto a plate and went to the table. She saw that there were no table mats.

"There you are" she said.

The puppy came up besides her. She looked down.

"Are you hungry again?" Diamond asked.

The puppy nodded. Diamond smiled.

"You're not feeding him any more of my turkey" said Pippin.

Diamond, who had been walking to the cellar, stopped.

"Oh Pippin, we don't how long he's been hungry, it will only be for today" Diamond said.

Pippin couldn't argue with that. He knew what it felt like to be hungry.

"But why turkey? Feed him something else"

Diamond looked down at the puppy, he had followed her there.

"Fine, I'll get him something else" she answered.

She took a deep breath. It was too early in the morning to argue. The hobbit walked into the cellar and looked around.

"Now, what should I get a puppy to eat?" she asked.

Chilli, pickles, tomatoes, potatoes, apples. But nothing for a puppy. The puppy had come to the cellar door. He sat down and waited for Diamond to come back. Pippin was watching the dog sitting there.

There was a block of soft butter on the table. A jar of jam was also resting on the table. The butter soaked into fresh bread. Pippin then got a large dollop onto the white bread.

Diamond then came back.

"Diamond, have you even given him a name yet?" Pippin asked.

The woman, who was coming back with a large turkey, placed it on the clean worktop.

"No, I haven't yet" she answered, looking down at the pup.

She bent down and picked him up.

"Well now, what name shall we give you?" she asked the puppy.

The puppy licked Diamond. She smiled.

"What about, Bingo?" she asked.

The puppy shook his head.

"Umm, Sammy?"

Yet again, the puppy didn't like it.

"Origo?" she asked.

She knew it was a silly name. But the puppy didn't think so. He nodded. Pippin was looking as well.

"I think he likes it" he said.

Diamond smiled.

"I think so too" she said.

So, she placed Origo on the floor. Pippin went back to eating. Origo shook himself and then panted. The puppy turned and looked up at the worktop.

He could see it. It was there.

Turkey.

But how to get to it?

Origo started whimpering. He knew exactly how to get it. Diamond, who had been busy getting the turkey ready, looked around.

"Oh, Origo, I know you're hungry" she said.

Pippin rolled his eyes. He ate the last bit of his bread and drank his water.

"Well, I'm off out to Merry's. I'll be back for lunch" he said.

The hobbit walked up to Diamond and pecked her on the cheek.

"Love you" he said.

Diamond laughed.

"Love you too, Pip" she said.

They smiled and Pippin walked out. Origo watched him. The puppy had sat down again. Diamond began to hum to herself as she unwrapped the turkey

"We need to get you nice and fed, then we can go and explore the market" she said.

Origo barked. Diamond took this as an agreement.

"It should be ready soon, all I have to do it reheat it" she said.

Origo tilted his head, wondering what she had said to him.

He could see the woman doing something. But she was in the way. So, Origo got up and walked over to see what she was doing. The pup suddenly stopped. The heat was too much for him. Diamond placed the turkey in the warm oven and closed the door. She turned around and saw that Origo had come closer.

"This is not for puppies" she said.

Origo looked from Diamond, to the oven.

"You want to explore the hole?" Diamond asked.

Origo tilted his head and then nodded. Diamond then picked him up and walked out of the kitchen. There were lots of rooms in the hole. Most of them were facing the outside of the hill. These were the ones with windows.

"As you know, this is my room. Pippin shares the bed most of the time"

She smiled, letting Origo look around. He then looked back up at Diamond. So, she turned around and walked out. The next room looked different.

"This is the study; I don't think you'll spend much time in here. Pippin always does. He likes maps" Diamond told the puppy.

The hobbit took a deep breath and walked out again. Origo looked around as Diamond walked to the next room. Diamond opened the door and took a deep breath.

"This is Pippin's" she said at the mess.

There were cloths on the floor. The woman shook her head.

"I hope he doesn't get too drunk. I need him to clean this us" she said.

Origo looked at them.

"They look warm" he barked.

"I know, he never cleans up"

Diamond closed the door and took a deep breath. She then walked towards the next door. Origo was resting his head on Diamond as she came to the next door. This was the same as the last door. Wooden with a handle. There was a candle giving off light and a small bit heat.

The hobbit opened up the cupboard.

"And this is mine, much cleaner and how it should be" she said.

Origo didn't understand why he had to see it. He wanted to explore. So, he looked down at the ground. Diamond smiled and looked at the puppy.

"Do you want to go and play?" Diamond asked.

Origo looked at her and barked.

"Alright, alright"

The hobbit put the puppy on the floor.

"I'll go and get your turkey cut" said Diamond.

She smiled and walked away towards the kitchen. Origo now had the house to explore. There were a few rooms left to see.

The lounge, the large dining room only made for parties and a spare room for long lost cousins and friends.

Origo came to an open door. It was round, just like all other doors in the hole. He stuck his head around the door. Origo sniffed the air. There was a different smell in the air. One that he didn't know and didn't like.

This was the spare room.

Pippin and Diamond had many friends and family over. But lately, Diamond had got a nanny. The hobbit couldn't do as much work as she would have liked. She hated not working. Working was her way of life.

Origo looked around and sniffed the floor. He went further into the hole. Another, unknown room to him. So, the puppy walked towards it. The door, like the last, was open. Origo pushed it with his head; it was a bit heavy, but not too heavy.

The room was dark and cold. There was a small window there, letting in some light. Candles were hanging from the wall, but they were not lit. Origo walked in and looked up at the chairs.

He went under the table.

"What is this for?" he wondered.

There was a cabinet full of bottles of old beer and wine.

Wineyard.

Bilbo had given him two of them before he left.

"Pippin my lad, take care of these. But one thing"

Bilbo started to whisper.

"Do not drink them"

And from that day on, he had never touched them. Sometimes, he forgot about them being there. And sometimes, he would get one of them out and look at it. All the memories came flooding back.

At times, he would just sit there over night and replayed what had happened to him and his friends. Pippin, deep down, wished he could have been there with Frodo.

Origo pawed the cupboard door. But it didn't open. He looked around; he knew that he shouldn't be in here. So, being a good puppy, he walked out. Origo could hear Diamond working in the kitchen.

Diamond was just about to get the turkey out of the oven. Origo slowly walked back to the kitchen. He got to the door and sat down in the thresh hold. Diamond was humming again. She heaved the turkey onto the work top and poked it. She smiled.

"Perfect" she said.

The turkey was now brown and warm. The smell spread though out the whole room. Origo continued to sit there. He sniffed the air and wags his small tail. But he didn't move. He waited.

"Origo?" asked Diamond without looking back.

She got out a small bowl and started to slice the meat. She continued to hum. She had two cutting knives in her hands. Diamond placed a few slices into the bowl and turned around.

"Oh, there you are" she said happily.

She placed the bowl on the ground. Origo stuck his tongue out and walked forward. He walked up to the bowl and sniffed it. After a second, he began to eat. Diamond watched him. She couldn't believe how fast he was eating.

"You seem to be one hungry puppy" she said.

Less then a minute later, Origo had finished. The bowl was empty. Even the small bits of turkey had been taken. Diamond shook her head.

"Would you like some more?" she asked.

Origo nodded his head.

"You'll get fat you know" Diamond said.

Origo shook his head as Diamond turned around.

"I suppose one more slice wont hurt" she said.

She picked up the two knives and started to cut another piece off. She placed the two knives down and took the slice. She turned around and walked over to him bowl.

"There you go" she said, placing it in the bowl.

Origo started to eat the last bit.

"That's your lot for now, OK?" Diamond asked.

Origo whined, but it didn't work on Diamond.

"I'm going down the market in an hour, do you want to come?" Diamond asked.

The puppy nodded. He wanted to see what the rest of the town. The puppy stood there for a minute. Diamond had gone back to clearing up. Origo had begun to feel sleepy. He yawned and looked around.

"I'm sleepy" he whined.

But Diamond didn't look around. He then started to walk out of the room.

"I know where to sleep" he thought.

The puppy made his way back to Diamond and Pippin's bed room. The puppy walked in and looked back. Diamond was still busy. So, Origo continued on.

The room was bright and airy. The window was open a crack, the breeze from outside made the curtain flutter. Origo looked at the bed. He jumped onto the small box at the end of the bed like he did the night before. He looked back. Origo couldn't hear what Diamond was doing.

The duvet was bigger then he remembered. The puppy jumped over the small wooden plank and onto the soft bed. He sniffed it, and then walked over the bed. The bed was still unmade. Diamond still hadn't gotten around to making it yet.

The puppy was black with only a few brown patches above his eyes and on his paws. His ears were long and fluffy. He was just the right size for a hobbit to carry.

Origo yawned and looked down.

"This one" he thought.

He then yawned again and lied down. The duvet was nice and warm. The puppy nestled himself into the duvet. Origo took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. The puppy was snuggled down in a semi-circle.

Diamond took a deep breath and walked back to the cellar. She was getting more tired each day. The baby was getting bigger and it was harder to lift things up off of the ground.

She had just come back from the cellar.

"Oh, I need to go to the market" she said.

The hobbit was still in her dressing gown. So, she started to walk back to her room. The door was still open. The bed was still unmade, but that didn't bother her. There was a small black dot on the bed.

Diamond knew what it was. She smiled as she quietly went out of the room. She went to her cupboard full of hobbit cloths. She picked out a dress and a coat.

Winter was only a month away. Snow had already fallen on the horizon. But it hadn't reached then to the disappointment of the hobbit children.

Diamond walked back to her room and got changed. She smiled as she looked at the snoozing pup.

"I'll be back soon" she whispered, kissing him on the head.

Origo whined, but didn't wake up. Diamond could see his little chest rising and dropping as he slept.

The hobbit then walked out. She went back to the kitchen and picked up her basket. Her coat was still draped over her arm. She walked towards the front door. She opened it and smiled.

The cool wind blew her curly. She placed the basket down and threw her coat on. She put the hood up and looked down. Diamond picked up the basket and closed the door quietly. She then walked down the small path to the road.

There was a small wooden gate at the bottom; it was swinging in the wind. Diamond closed it and walked away from her house. There were green fields as far as the eye can see. Hobbit children were playing down by the lake.

Older hobbits were smoking in their gardens. They had a few friends around. There were mugs of beer.

The market came into view. There were a few stores there. The market place had not changed for hundreds of years. A pig grazed. Diamond could see hobbit children teasing it. But she didn't say anything.

A few of the older hobbit children were walking towards the lake. They were going to the river that was not too far away. They had packs on full of worms and maggots.

"Diamond!" shouted a voice.

It was the voice of one of Diamond's closet friends.

Estella Brandybuck, wife of Merry. She was walking towards Diamond.

"How are you?" Estella asked, hugging Diamond.

"I'm good, thank you" Diamond replied happily.

Estella looked at Diamond's stomach.

"Not long now" she said.

Estella was more excited then Diamond was.

"I know" Diamond answered.

She then thought about Origo who was still sleeping.

"Oh, Estella, will you come around later, I have something I need to show you" Diamond said.

Estella didn't understand.

"Show me something?" she asked.

Diamond smiled and nodded.

"You'll like it" she said.

Estella smiled.

"Will I?" she asked.

"I'll be around for lunch" she told her.

Diamond nodded.

"Well, I have to go and get some food" Diamond said.

The two hugged and Estella walked away.

Diamond was in a very good mood. She walked up to one of the stalls that were placed in the market place. It was full of fish in a sea of salt. Diamond poked one of them and thought. She then looked around the rest of the fish. But she took nothing. She looked at the next stall.

This one had meat hanging down from hooks on the wood that it was made out of. There was a young looking hobbit there. He had an apron on. He looked at Diamond.

"Afternoon" he said.

Diamond nodded and smiled. But didn't say a thing. The hobbit had a butcher's knife in his hand. He was cutting fresh meat. Diamond knew that Pippin and Estella would like pork chops. Diamond knew that Origo had enough to eat.

"Excuse me, could I take a few chops please?" Diamond asked.

The male hobbit nodded.

"Of course, how many?" he asked.

Diamond thought for a second.

"Twelve please" she said.

She knew that Pippin liked his pork chops. So, the hobbit butcher started to cut the meat.

One, two, three, four, all the way to twelve.

He smiled and piled them up on a piece of paper. He sprinkled salt on it and wrapped it up. He used a few sheets of paper.

"There you go" he said, handing it to Diamond.

Diamond smiled and took it.

"Thank you" she said.

The hobbit put the meat into her wicker basket and took out a small purse.

"Three coins" said the butcher.

Diamond picked out three coins and handed it to the other hobbit. She then placed it back and walked away.

"Now, what else do I need?" she asked herself.

She stopped for a minute. The clouds that had gathered on the horizon were now only a mile away. Snow was still falling to earth in vast waves. The flakes hit the ground. The first few flakes melted instantly. But there were trillions up on trillions of flakes heading for the forested ground.

Deer were roaming the forest in small groups. They looked up as the first flakes hit. They could feel a change in the weather. Their ancestors who lived thousands of years before felt the change as well.

In Hobbiton, the wind was getting colder. The lake, which was once calm, was now stirring.

"I should get in" thought Diamond.

She pulled her coat on and walked away. The hobbit had spices and meat in her basket. A few flakes started to fall from the sky. Diamond was heading home. A few of the hobbit children were heading home as well. They had come from the small lake in the middle of the town.

Diamond got her gate and walked up to the hole. She opened the door. The house was quiet. There was a cluttering coming from the kitchen.

It was Pippin.

He was cutting a bit of Origo's turkey and eating it. Diamond walked to the kitchen and closed the door. She stood at the door. Pippin was busy cutting some more of the meat from the cooked bird.

"Pippin Took, what did I tell you?" Diamond asked.

Her voice was stern and to the point. Pippin turned around. He let go of the knives which were stuck deep into the turkey.

"I'm hungry!" he said.

Diamond was angry at him. Her emotions were running wild.

"Eat something else, lunch is in a minute!"

Pippin looked back at the Turkey. He couldn't understand why Diamond was keeping the turkey for a puppy.

"Diamond, he's a puppy. He doesn't care what you give him!" Pippin argued.

Diamond walked over to the table and placed the basket on the table. She didn't want to argue with him. Pippin stood there, looking at her.

He was taller then Diamond. Ever since he had come back with Frodo, Sam and Merry, Pippin had changed. Diamond knew Pippin before he had gone, but she never thought to get to know him.

Life went on normally in the Shire. Yet there were words. Evil words that hobbits did not like to speak of.

But now, everything was the same as it had been. Deer and animals roamed the lands instead of orcs and trolls.

"Pippin, I don't want to argue with you. Just leave it, please?"

Pippin looked down. He knew that Diamond wanted a puppy. To be honest, Pippin was jealous. He liked Origo too, but, he was too embarrassed to admit it.

"Alright" he said.

"Alright"

He smiled at Diamond, knowing that he upset her.

"Is that lunch?" Pippin asked, coming over to table and peering into basket.

Diamond nodded.

"Yes, I thought pork chops with my special recipe. What do you think?" she asked.

Pippin smiled and hugged Diamond with one arm.

"You always know what I like" he answered.

He pecked her on the forehead.

"And Estella is coming around and well" Diamond said after Pippin walked away.

"Alright" Pippin said.

So, Diamond took out the meat that was wrapped in paper. She walked over to the work top and placed it down. She then walked back to her basket. There were a few small glass jars. Spices. She took them and placed them on the work top.

The hobbit then opened up a cupboard. She looked in and took out a metal tray for the meat. She put it on the work top and went to the meat. She unwrapped it and took out the first peace. She placed it onto the tray.

Diamond placed the rest of them on the tray. She then got a bowl out.

"Now, where is it?" she asked.

There were books and books full of recipes. Diamond took one out. She opened up the first page.

"Ah ha" she said.

She then turned to the right page. On top of the page was the title of the recipe: Pork Cops with Sage. Diamond read the first couple of lines.

"2 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp dried" she said.

So, Diamond got out a small bowl and placed it on the work top.

At the same time, Origo was waking up. The puppy shuffled and tried to get comfortable again. But he couldn't get back to sleep. He whined and yawned. But the puppy was well awake. The puppy was hungry again.

So, he slowly got up. Origo yawned as he made his way to the end of the bed. He jumped over that small plank that he did before and off of the small chest. He walked out of the room and stopped.

He could hear Diamond in the kitchen. His ears were sharp. So, he made his way to the kitchen. He could hear Diamond talking to herself.

He got to the door and walked in. Diamond was busy getting the stakes ready. Origo took a deep breath and sniffed the floor. He knew that only Pippin and Diamond had been in the house.

Origo looked at Diamond. He tilted his head and barked. Diamond looked around.

"Hey Origo" she said.

Origo came closer and looked up. His puppy eyes looked deep into Diamond. Diamond looked back and saw the puppy looking back.

"I'll get your turkey in a minute" Diamond said.

Origo whined. He was hungry. But Diamond wasn't listening. She was now humming to herself. Origo looked down.

"Really hungry" he thought.

The puppy then walked away. He was going back to Diamond's bed.

Just then, Pippin arrived back home. He had been drinking again. But he didn't have too much.

"Hello Diamond" he said as he walked in.

Diamond smiled, but she smelt the bear and tobacco on him.

"Hello sweetie" she said back.

Pippin kissed Diamond.

"Wow, they look fantastic" Pippin said looking down at the cuts of meat.

Diamond had her hands in the bowl. She had added salt, pepper, a bit of sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of oil.

"How long will it be?" asked Pippin.

"About an hour, the stove if still warming up" Diamond answered.

Pippin smiled.

"Alright, I'll be in the study" he said.

So, Pippin walked out. Diamond knew why he was going there. He was going to read Bilbo's book again. Diamond sighed.

"I need to get Origo" she said.

She then left the meat and walked out of the kitchen. Origo, who had woken up a few minutes before, was now snuggled up again. Diamond knew that he was hungry.

"Origo?" she asked as she walked around the house.

She came across her room. In the middle of the bed was a small fluffy puppy snoozing. Diamond stopped. She knew that Origo was tired.

But then, he had woken up.

The hobbit walked up to the bed and slowly scooped the puppy up. Origo whined and opened his eyes. He yawned.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said.

She held Origo close to her and walked out of the room. The two of them went into the kitchen. Origo whined again.

"Oh, I know you're hungry" she said.

Origo yawned and snuggled down. He liked the warmness radiating off of her. Diamond then placed him down of the ground.

"I just have to get the chops on and then we'll get you something to eat" Diamond said happily.

Origo started to whimper. Diamond, who had turned around, was now placing the chops into the mixture. She placed them on the tray.

She was going to cook them in a bit. She then looked around at Origo. The puppy was sitting down.

"Right, now lets get you something to eat" Diamond said happily.

Origo looked up and started to wag. Diamond then went over to the turkey that had been sitting there. The two cutting knives were still embedded into the turkey. She held them and started cutting. Origo came up to her feet and looked up. Diamond felt his fur on her foot.

She looked down and smiled.

"It'll be ready in a minute" she said.

She could hear him whining. Diamond cut a few pieces off of the turkey and picked it up. Origo tilted his head as she walked over to a cupboard and got out a bowl.

"There you go" she said, putting the turkey in and placing it on the floor.

She had barely taken her hand away when Origo started to eat as fast as he can. Diamond looked at him in shock.

"Origo, why do you eat so fast?" she asked.

But Origo didn't look up. There were small bits of turkey flying everywhere. The bowl was being attack so hard that it started to move. Origo moved with the bowl. Less then a minute later, the puppy had finished. He had cleaned the bowl of any turkey that he could see.

Diamond stood there.

"I guess you want more" Diamond sighed.

Origo nodded and looked around. Diamond was getting tired. Just then, there were three knocks at the front door.

Knock, Knock, Knock.

Diamond and Origo looked around.

"That must be Estella" Diamond said.

Origo looked at Diamond. The hobbit come up to Origo and picked him up. The puppy whined. He was propped up to her shoulder. He looked forward as she started to walk. Then, he looked up Diamond. But she didn't look at him. The two of them went though the hall to the front door.

Diamond opened the door with her free hand. On the other side was Estella. She instantly saw Origo. She took a deep breath in shock.

"Diamond!" she said, looking at Origo.

"Is that what you wanted to show me?" she asked.

Estella was excited. She loved animals more then Diamond did. Estella was wearing a green and yellow dress. She instantly took Origo off of Diamond. Estella lifted the pup to her face.

"Oh, he's so warm, when and where did you get him?" she asked.

Diamond smiled.

"Well, I don't exactly know when he got into the house. Probably when Merry left last night" she answered.

Estella looked at Diamond with her green eyes.

"Merry was here?" she asked.

A small smile came over Estella's lips. Origo looked up at her.

"Who is she?" he asked himself.

The puppy then started to whine, directing the attention back to him. Estella smiled and looked down at him.

"Has he got a name yet?" Estella asked.

Diamond smiled.

"His name is Origo" she answered.

Estella came in and Diamond shut the door. Pippin came into the hall way.

"Hey Estie" he said happily.

Estella smiled.

"Hello Pipsqueak" Estella said.

The two of them smiled.

"I have lunch waiting to be cooked, it should be done in an hour" Diamond said.


	2. Day One, Part Two

Pippin smiled.

"I hope Estie likes her chops" Pippin said.

Estella smiled.

"I was thinking about going to see Pimpernel later, would you like to come?" Estella asked.

Pippin looked over at Diamond.

"Go on, I need to clean up" Diamond said.

"Oh, Diamond, you can come too" said Estella.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"Well, Origo can come too" Estella said, kissing Origo on the head.

Diamond smiled.

"I'm sure that Pimpernel would like to see him" Diamond said.

The puppy whined again and looked down at the floor.

"Do you want to go on the floor sweetie?" asked Estella.

Origo nodded and looked at her. Estella smiled and placed him on the floor. The three hobbits then walked into the kitchen. Origo looked at them go around the corner.

"Hey!" he barked.

"Hey, I want to go and play!"

Just then, Diamond looked around.

"Ori, come on!" she said and smiled.

But the puppy stood there. He barked again and looked at the door behind him. Diamond looked back; she could see him looking at the door.

"Do you want to go outside?" she asked.

Origo nodded. The snow outside was getting heavier. Diamond walked up to him and went to the door. She opened it. The snow started to blow inside. The hobbit quickly closed it again.

"I don't think that you want to go out there" she said.

Origo shivered. He didn't like the cold.

"Shall we go and put the food on?" asked Diamond.

Origo nodded and looked down the hall. Diamond started to walk and the puppy followed. They walked into the kitchen to find Pippin and Estella was sitting down already.

Diamond smiled at Estella and walked over to the chops. The hobbit the got out a pan and placed it on the cooker.

Pippin got up and walked towards the cupboard. He opened it and got out three mugs.

"Right, who wants a drink?" he asked.

A smile came over his face.

"Not for me Pip" said Diamond.

"I'll have a small one" said Estella.

Pippin nodded and put one of the mugs back. He closed the door with a bang. The hobbit then walked over to another cupboard. He opened it and looked inside. There were many bottles of liquid. So more precious then others. Some older then others. Pippin placed the mugs on the table and popped open the bottle of beer. He poured a small bit into Estella's mug.

"Thank you" she said.

The sound of frying meat started to fill the room. Diamond had placed two pieces in the hot pan. There was a bit of oil resting in the pan. Origo was sitting down and looking around. He started to get hungry again. The puppy then lay down on the floor. Estella smiled and looked down at Origo. He was yawning and resting his head on his fluffy paws.

"So, when are you going to see Pimpernel?" Estella asked.

"We can go after lunch" answered Diamond.

Estella nodded.

"I'm sorry, but I can't be able to come, I have to clean the hole" Estella told them.

"Oh, well you can come next time" Diamond said.

She then flipped the two pieces with a metal spatula. The fizzling strengthened again then died off. Diamond placed the spatula on the side and went to the cupboards. She got out a large plate and placed it down. The hobbit then picked up the spatula and scooped up the cooked meat and placed it on the plate.

After a few more minutes, all of the pork chops were ready. It was usual for hobbits to have meat and no vegetables. Diamond placed the three plates down and sat down.

"Thank you Diamond" said Pippin happily.

Diamond smiled. Estella nodded as she took her first piece and ate it. Her face lit up.

"Oh Diamond!" she said.

"You have to write down the recipe for me" Estella said.

The hobbit then started cutting into the meat again. Diamond smiled.

"I'll tell you after we've been to Pimpernel" she answered.

For the rest of the meal, they ate in silence. Pippin was the first to finish, closely followed by Estella. Diamond wasn't feeling that well. Pippin was drinking from his mug again.

"I need more" he said, looking into the small drop resting in the bottom.

"No you don't Pippin!" said Diamond.

Pippin was half sitting, half standing as Diamond said that. He looked at her strangely.

"Why not?" he asked.

Diamond shook her head.

"Because when you say "I need more" You really mean "I need to get drunk!""

Estella was sitting in the middle of it. Diamond was angry, Pippin knew this.

"It's not like that" Pippin said.

Origo, who had been lying down, was now standing up and looking at them.

"So, what is it like Pippin? Are you going to stay up until three in the morning again?"

Pippin was now standing up, so was Diamond.

"I… I… I…"

But Pippin couldn't argue. Diamond was crying now. Tears ran down her face. It was then that Pippin knew he needed help. Ever since Pippin had got back from his journey, he hadn't been the same.

Origo looked from Pippin to Diamond. Estella was stuck in the middle. She sat there, not wanting to get involved. The small puppy then barked.

"I think… I should go now" said Estella slowly getting up.

She got up and walked towards the door. She opened it and walked out. Diamond was beginning to get really upset. She watched Estella walk out.

"Diamond, please can we sort this out?" Pippin asked.

Diamond shook her head.

"I don't know" she said.

Diamond couldn't take it; she suddenly walked out of the kitchen. Pippin was now feeling really guilty now. He heard his wife go to the bed room. Origo was still in the kitchen. He looked up at Pippin and then to the door. The pup then ran out, leaving Pippin by himself.

Origo trotted to the bed room. He looked in. The room was dark, but warm. Origo could see Diamond's feet on the bed. He slowly walked in and looked up at her. He barked to get her attention. But it didn't work.

"Hey!" he barked again.

He wanted to find out what was wrong with his Diamond. So, he ran towards the small chest at the bottom of the bed. He jumped onto it and then onto the bed. There was a wooden plank at the bottom. Origo had no problem getting onto the bed. He stopped and looked at the hobbit lying down.

He barked. But still, Diamond did nothing. The pup then started to walk on the soft duvet. He stopped and pawed one of Diamond's feet.

Origo then climbed on them. Diamond looked down. She was too upset to talk. Origo slowly walked along her legs. But he slipped off.

He growled and continued to walk towards Diamond. The hobbit looked down to see the puppy coming up to her. She took a deep breath.

"Come here, Ori" she said glumly.

Origo whined and came up to her. Diamond held him and cuddled him.

"I think Pippin's going to leave me" she said.

There was sadness in her voice. She wished that it didn't come to this. Ever since she had met Pip, she liked him. But now, she was sure that they were drifting apart.

Origo licked Diamond's hand. The hobbit was brought back to reality. She started to stroke Origo's fluffy head. Diamond took a deep breath.

"I wish you could understand me" Diamond said.

Origo whined.

"But I can" he barked.

"You cutie" Diamond said.

She kissed the puppy on the head. As soon as her lips left the pup, she felt extremely tired. She couldn't help but yawn. Origo was feeling tired as well. Both Diamond and Origo were falling asleep.

Outside, the snow outside was deepening. The wind blew each unique snowflake to the ground. All of the markets had packed up and moved on. Only a few of the older hobbit children were out in the snow. Their coats were blowing in the wind as they ran along the path. They laughed as they caught the snowflakes on the tongue.

Back in the hobbit hole, Diamond was in deep sleep. But there was life stirring in the hole. There were two hobbits sitting at the kitchen table.

Merry Brandybuck and Peregrin Took were sitting exactly where they were the night before. But this time, they were not as drunk.

"She fancies you" Pippin said as he laughed.

Merry laughed as well. Pippin was getting two mugs out and two plates. He placed them on the table.

"Won't Diamond be asleep?" asked Merry.

Pippin didn't like to talk about. He looked at Merry, then away. Pip then walked to the cellar and opened the door. He could feel the coldness hit him as he walked in.

In the bed room, Origo was waking. He whimpered sadly. Diamond was still holding him. The pup was resting his head on his paws. Another louder noise came from the kitchen. This one woke Diamond up. Origo yawned.

The hobbit groaned. She was having a nice sleep. She opened her eyes. The darkness made her confused.

"I must have… have fallen asleep" she said, yawning midway though the sentence.

Origo whined and snuggled back down. But it was useless; he was not tired any more. Diamond looked down. She smiled.

"Are you hungry, pup?" she asked.

Origo nodded and yawned again. Diamond smiled.

"Come on then" she said, sitting up.

Origo was the scooped up and placed on the floor. The pup shook himself and looked up at Diamond. She slowly got up and stretched. Diamond then walked to the door. The pup followed close behind.

The two of them walked out to the corridor and down to the kitchen. Merry and Pippin were still sitting down. Diamond came to the door. Pippin, who was facing away from the door, looked around.

"Let's go to the study" he said, getting up.

Merry nodded and drained his mug and picked up the small bit of bread. Diamond moved out of way and looked down. Both of the hobbits walked out without a word. Diamond looked back, wanting Pippin to say something. Diamond closed the door. It was a few seconds before she remembered why she had come into the kitchen.

"Right" she said, looking down at Origo.

"Turkey?" she asked.

Origo nodded ecstatically. Diamond smiled and walked towards the cellar. She was followed by the pup. He saw Diamond open the door and disappear from sight. Origo stopped and sat there. He wondered what she was doing.

Just as he was about to play under the table, Diamond reappeared. She was carrying a large turkey. Origo started to wag his tail as he saw the turkey.

Diamond smiled as she placed the turkey on the worktop.

"How much do you want?" Diamond asked.

Origo barked once.

"Lots?" Diamond laughed.

Diamond then went to get two cutting knives. She closed the draw. Diamond then walked back to the turkey. Origo was now sitting patiently on the floor.

Just then, the door creaked open. But it was not due to wind. Pippin was standing there.

"Diamond?" asked Pip.

Diamond stopped cutting. She took a quick glance around, but didn't answer back. Merry had gone back home. The hobbit was standing there with two empty mugs in one hand. Origo looked around and up at Pip. The hobbit looked down at the pup. Pip scowled at the dog that was sitting there.

"Diamond?" Pip asked again.

She had gone back to cutting the meat. Pippin looked down and then started to walk into the room.

"Stop" Diamond ordered.

She slowly turned around.

"I know what you're going to say" she said.

Origo was looking at the two hobbits.

"Please?" Pippin asked.

Diamond shook her head.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Pippin looked down. He knew that she would not believe him, but he needed to tell her.

"Diamond, I love you. But… but I'm just going though a really tough time right now" he answered.

Diamond was looking at him. Pippin could feel her eyes on him. He looked back. Pippin suddenly realised why he had fallen in love with her. Her striking blue eyes were as precious as they had been the day they met. A huge wave of guilt rushed over Pippin.

"Diamond, I need to figure this out" Pippin told her.

There was a moment of silence.

"What are you saying?"

Pip took a deep breath.

"I need to get away from here for a while" he answered.

A single tear ran down Diamond's face.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" she asked.

She spun around and placed her had over her mouth.

"No, no, no, we can get out of together!"

Diamond started to look back slowly.

"And where shall we go?" she asked.

Pippin was now put on the spot. He hadn't thought about it.

"Err… Rivendell" he answered.

"Rivendell?" Diamond asked.

Pippin nodded. Origo was still sitting there, waiting for his turkey.

"We can stay there until he's born" Pippin told her, looking at Diamonds bump.

Diamond thought about it for a few seconds.

"Him?" she asked.

"It could be a her"

Pippin smiled. He then looked back and saw Origo still sitting there.

"You alright there pup?" he asked.

Origo tilted his head. Pippin smiled and looked away.

Diamond had gone back to cutting the rest of the turkey. Pippin yawned and headed towards the cellar. The door had been left ajar. Origo yawned and lay down. He rested his head on his fluffy paws and waited.

After a few moments, Diamond finished cutting the turkey. She had cut more then she wanted, knowing Origo would be upset if he didn't get as much as he wanted.

Pippin came out from the cellar holding a bag.

"I thought we could have these for dinner" he said, holding the bag up.

Diamond looked over at him. She knew exactly what was in the bag.

"Sure" she agreed.

So, Diamond cut the last slice of turkey and got out a bowl. Origo was now sitting up, his little tail wagged with excitement. Diamond went to the cupboard and got out a bowl. She looked around at the pup and smiled. She knew that he was waiting for his turkey.

"Right then" she said.

She placed the turkey in the bowl and walked over to Ori. The puppy stood up. As soon as Diamond's hand let go of the bowl, Origo started eating.

Pippin, meanwhile, had gotten the jar of cookies down from the shelf. He smiled as he looked around at Diamond.

"Cookie?" he asked.

He held one up.

"Thank you" Diamond said.

She took the cookie from him. Pippin then placed the lid back on the jar and put it back. Diamond's hand was rubbing her large stomach. She yawned. She was still tired from her nap earlier. Pippin was looking at her. He walked around the table and pulled out the chair.

"What's all this?" Diamond asked.

"Well, you've always been my princess, so why not?" Pippin asked.

Diamond smiled.

But, over in the corner, there was a sound that distracted them. Origo was franticly eating the last of his turkey. Both of the hobbits looked over at him. Diamond smiled.

"He gives you a run for your money" she said.

Pippin smiled and shook his head.

"But, does he only eat turkey?" Pip asked.

He broke a bit off of his cookie and walked towards Origo.

"He won't take it" Diamond told him.

But Pippin didn't stop.

"Hey pup" he said.

Origo looked up; he still had a bit of turkey hanging from his mouth. His little eyes darted from Pippin, then to Diamond and finally to Pippin's hand.

"Good doggy, do you want some cookie?" Pip asked.

He threw the small piece onto the floor in front of Origo. The puppy looked at it.

"What's this?" he thought to himself.

Origo sniffed it.

"Yuk!" he whined.

He backed away, not wanting to go near the thing on the floor.

"I told you" Diamond said.

Pippin shook his head. He got up and walked towards the table.

"Didn't you want to go to Pimpernel's?" he asked.

Diamond nodded.

"Bit it's too late now" she told him.

"Too late?" asked Pippin.

Diamond took another bite of her cookie. Origo was still looking at the bit on the floor. He barked at it. Diamond looked around.

"See Pip, he hasn't touched it"

Diamond picked up the bit of cookie. Origo the looked around and saw the last bit of turkey in his bowl. He then went to it and ate the last of it.

"I thought dogs were meant to eat everything" Pippin said.

Diamond laughed.

"Well, maybe he's not an ordinary pup" Diamond told him.

Pippin took another bite of his cookie. Diamond looked at Origo. Their eyes met. Something strange happened between them. Diamond felt like she had known the puppy long ago.

But where?

Origo tilted his head. The hobbit then walked towards him.

"Are you still hungry Ori?" Diamond asked.

Origo looked back at his bowl for a second, then back to Diamond. He shook his head. Diamond smiled.

"Right, we can clean up and visit Pimpernel" she said.

Pippin nodded as he rubbed his hands together. Diamond picked the puppy up and kissed him on his fluffy head.

"I was thinking about going for a walk tomorrow, would you like to come?" Pippin asked.

He was holding a small saucer in his hand.

"Sure" Diamond answered.

The sun was going down now as the snow continued falling.

"Do you want dinner?" Pip asked.

Diamond looked surprised, her mouth hung open.

"Well?" Pippin asked.

"I…" Diamond started.

But she couldn't find the words.

"So?"

"Yes, yes of course" Diamond said.

She had never been asked if she wanted dinner by Pippin before.

"And Origo can have his turkey"

The pup barked.

"What do you want?" Pippin asked.

"Well, we have mushrooms. But we can have…"

Diamond thought, but didn't know what to have.

"What about chicken wrapped in bacon?" she asked after a few minutes.

Pippin smiled and nodded.

"You're favourite" he said.

Diamond smiled too. She looked down at the small fluffy bundle in her arms. She loved dogs ever since she was just a small hobbit. She had loved them but, because she was smaller then the rest of her family, she was not allowed.

"I'll just go and get it ready then" Pippin told her.

Diamond nodded as Pippin walked back to the cellar. Diamond then looked down at Origo. He had fallen asleep in her arms.

"I'm just going to put Ori on the bed" Diamond told Pippin.

She looked down at the snoozing pup in her arms. So, Diamond walked out of the kitchen and along the corridor. Origo's eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and peaceful.

Diamond opened the door to their room. The hobbit walked to the bed and placed Origo on it. Origo whined as he was put down on the bed.

"It's OK, it's alright" she told Origo.

The pup whined and curled up. Diamond smiled and waited until he had settled down. A few minutes later, she got up and walked out of the room.

Diamond walked back to the kitchen. Pippin was pouring some oil into the pan. There were two large pieces of chicken sitting on the worktop. Close by were rashers of bacon.

Pippin looked around. He smiled as he took the first piece of bacon and wrapped the uncooked chicken. After a few more slices, he placed it on the pan. The meat started to sizzle. There was a pepper grinder on the worktop. Pip reached over and grabbed it. He twisted it so that small black bits of pepper fell onto the meat.

Diamond liked watching Pippin cook. It was the concentration on his face. The cracking of the pepper grinder filled the room again.

"I hope there's snow tomorrow" Pippin said.

Diamond smiled, she was a bit confused.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Well, we can make snow elves" Pippin said happily.

Diamond laughed. Every time that it snowed, Pippin and Diamond had made snow elves.

"Sure, honey" Diamond said.

Pippin then placed the second piece of chicken into the pan. He moved the first piece around with the spatula.

"I'm going to do some baked potatoes" Pippin told Diamond.

So, he headed back to the cellar.

"And some bread as well" Diamond shouted after him.

Pippin smiled as he walked into the cellar. He came up to the potatoes and stopped. In the cellar, there were red, green and yellow peppers, orange carrots. Green cabbage, red and green apples and lastly, potatoes. Pippin picked two of the biggest potatoes. He held them in one hand as he walked to the bread. He picked one up and placed it under his arm. He smiled and walked out.

Diamond was standing at the stove, spatula in hand, moving the chicken around in the pan.

"Oh Diamond! Pippin said.

"I'm sorry, Pip. It just doesn't feel right that I'm not going anything" she answered.

Pippin put the bread and potatoes down and walked over to her.

"Diamond, Please just let me cook for you" he said.

They looked at each other. Diamond was struggling to say "Yes", but she knew that Pip was only trying to help.

"Just go and sit down and I'll cook for you"

Diamond took a deep breath.

"Get the potatoes in" she said and laughed.

She walked back to her seat. She yawned and rubbed her tummy.

"Not long now" she thought.

Meanwhile, Pippin took the potatoes and opened a small door. It was the door to the oven. He placed them on the trey inside. He then shut the door.

Pippin then looked back at his wife.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Diamond was looking very tired.

"Yes" she yawned.

"Yes, I'm fine"

Her hand was still rubbing her large stomach. Pippin walked over to her.

"You're pale" he said.

He knelt down and took her hand.

"It's cold"

Diamond didn't look at all well.

"I think… I think I should go to bed now" she said.

Pippin was worried.

"Should I get Dolly?" he asked.

"No, no leave her" Diamond answered.

"We need a doctor at least" Pippin told her.

He was starting to worry now. Not only for Diamond, but for their unborn child.

"Let me go and get a doctor" Pip said.

So, he heaved Diamond up. She has deteriorated quite quickly. The two of them waddle towards the door. Pippin kicked it open.

"Come on Diamond" he said.

They headed towards their bedroom. Origo was still sleeping on the bed. The two of them came into the room. Pippin made Diamond sit on the bed. Origo continued to sleep. But not for long.

Pippin went over to him and picked him up. Pip then placed the pup on the floor. Origo suddenly woke up and started to whimper.

"Not now, Ori" Pippin said.

He was sweating. It was pouring off his nose.

"Stay with her" Pippin said to Origo.

The hobbit then turned back.

"Diamond, I'll be back soon"

Pippin then kissed her forehead and rushed out of the room.

Diamond heard the front door shut. The noise was ten times louder then normal. Diamond massaged her head and closed her eyes.

Origo looked up at the bed and barked.

"Ori, I'm here" Diamond said.

The pup suddenly ran to the end of the bed. A few seconds later, he was on the duvet. Diamond had her hands over her eyes. Origo walked towards Diamond as fast as he could. The hobbit could hear the pup whimpering near by.

"Ori, I'm alright, I just don't feel well"

Diamond was pale, her hand then rested on the puppy. The warmness spread up Diamond's arm. But it was not enough.

A few moments later, the door opened again.

"She's though here" Pippin said.

A moment later, two hobbits came into the room. Pippin was followed by an old looking hobbit. It was a woman.

Her name was Dolly.

"Diamond, Dolly is here" Pippin said.

Dolly was an old looking hobbit, very stern, yet very gentle.

"How long has she been like this?" Dolly asked.

She knelt down next to her.

"About ten minutes" Pippin answered.

Origo was looking around; Diamond's hand was still on his head.

"Get this puppy away"

Diamond raised her hand an inch. Pippin then took Origo out of the room.

"Origo, stay" he said, placing the puppy on the ground.

Without another word, Pippin stood up and walked towards the door. Origo whined as Pip closed it behind him.

"What's going on?" Origo barked.

But no one answered.

The pup looked down sadly.

"Maybe they don't love me" he thought.

He whimpered and looked down the corridor. He then looked back at the door. A few seconds later, he started to walk away.

Origo knew that they didn't love him. For a while, he did. But not anymore. Origo came to the big round door that lead outside. He looked at it.

"How am I going to get out?" he asked himself.

He yawned. Origo knew it late, but he needed to get out. So, he walked to the door and pawed it.

The wooden door didn't move an inch. The pup looked down. He wished he could get out.

Back in the room, Diamond now had her eyes closed.

"We need some Elven help" Dolly told Pip.

There was fear in her voice.

"But Rivendell is weeks away, they wont be able to get to here" Pippin told her.

He was more worried then dolly. He looked down at his wife.

"There must be a way" Dolly said to herself.

"Even if there was, the snow is too deep now"

Dolly's hands were shaking.

"This is all I can do for now" she said.

In her hand was a bottle of medicine. Pippin looked at it.

"Elrond will save her, he saved Frodo once"

Pippin stopped suddenly. He remembered what had happened that night. He could hear and see the Nazgûl.

"But that doesn't mean he can save Diamond" Dolly told him.

Pippin snapped out of his day dream.

"What?" he asked.

Dolly stood up.

"Frodo was special. He had been stabbed. Pippin, you were there, he might not save her"

Pippin couldn't believe what Dolly was saying.

"This is exactly the same!" Pippin snapped.

Pippin then had an aide.

"We're going to Rivendell in a cart" Pippin said.

Dolly didn't understand.

"Pippin, if you do that both of them will die, it's too cold!"

But Pippin wasn't listening. He walked around to the end of the bed. He opened the large storage box. Inside were lots of coats and woolly blankets. Pip started to empty out the blankets.

"You're really going to go, aren't you?" Dolly asked.

The look in Pippin's eye was enough for Dolly.

"Yes" he answered.

Dolly looked back at Diamond. She was still looking pale. There was nothing that she could do now. Deep down, Dolly knew that Pippin was right.

"Pippin, I'm coming with you" Dolly told him.

Pip looked up. He had a few blankets over his arm.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Dolly nodded.

"Good, take these"

Pip handed the blankets to Dolly. She took them and Pip walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Dolly asked.

Pippin looked around.

"To get the cart ready" he answered as he pulled the door open.

Dolly watched him disappear around the wall. Suddenly, Origo ran in. Dolly looked down at him.

"I thought I told you to stay out" Dolly said.

But Origo barked and looked up at Diamond.

"Do you know Diamond?" Dolly asked.

Origo nodded and whined. Dolly looked at the door. A cold draft came though the home. This meant that Pippin was now in the snow.

"We're going to the elves, you'll have to go back to your owner" Dolly told the pup.

Origo tilted his head. Dolly smiled and put the blankets on the bed. She then picked Origo up.

"Right, let's see where you live" Dolly said.

She looked in Ori's fur. But he didn't have a collar.

"Hmm" said Dolly.

"You haven't got one"

Dolly looked back at Diamond. She hated seeing that way. The front door then opened again. Dolly heard Pip come back in. There was another blast of cold air as Pippin rushed in.

"Come on, the cart is ready" he said.

Dolly was still holding Origo.

"Bring him" Pippin said.

Dolly was looking at the pup and then to Pip. He was now trying to lift Diamond by himself.

"Dolly, put him down and help me"

Dolly then pup Ori on the floor and helped Pippin. Origo watched them helping Diamond up. They heaved Diamond up.

"Origo, come on!"

They were heading slowly towards the door. Origo rushed after them. He could feel the coldness rushing though the house.

"Come on!" Pippin half shouted as they reached the door.

Origo was now on their heals. Pip closed the door behind the three of them and Origo. But, in the chaos, the potatoes had been left in the oven.

Pip and Dolly had reached the gate. Snowflakes were melting in their hair. The cart was parked just outside of the gate. Pippin got into the cart leaving Dolly holding Diamond up.

"Pass her here" he said.

He held out his hand. After a moments struggle, Pippin and Dolly started to lift Diamond onto the cart. Origo was looking at the two of them struggling. He looked back at the closed door.

"Hand him here" said Pip.

Dolly bent down and picked the pup up. She placed him in the cart. Ori was now starting to shiver.

"Come on" Pip said, holding out his hand.

Dolly took it. Pip helped her up. Origo had gone over to Diamond was now licking her face. But she didn't do anything.

"Wake up" Origo barked.

But it didn't work. Pippin had gone to the front to drive.

The snow was horrible for Pippin. He couldn't see it coming. He snapped the reigns and the ponies moved off. Pip's face started to feel numb from the coldness.

Only the pony's hooves could be heard over the blowing wind. Origo was shivering and whimpering as he lay next to Diamond. Dolly was watching him.

"Come here, pup" she said.

Origo looked around and slowly got up. He walked over to Dolly. Dolly picked him up. There were extra blankets for the journey. Dolly picked on up and unfolded it. She then wrapped Origo up in it. He was still whimpering.

"Shh, shh" she said.

She cuddled the pup. Slowly, Origo started to warm up. Ori closed his eyes. Dolly was as gentle as Diamond.

After a few minutes, Origo had warmed up and was now asleep.

Meanwhile, Pippin was not warm or tired. He was cold. His whole body was shivering. Pip pulled his coat around him. The heat from his body was melting the snowflakes that were landing on him.

The road started to bend and lead away from Hobbiton. Bree was a few days away. Pippin had taken the road before, many years ago. But this time around was much different. There were no Nazgûl trying to hunt them. Pippin looked back every so often. He knew that he needed to get to Rivendell.

But would Diamond make it?


	3. Day Two, Part One

Origo woke in a start. He was in the hands of some one he did not know. The pup started to wonder where he was now. He tried getting up, but something was stopping him.

He looked over to see a hand resting on him. He barked at the hand. The hand belonged to Dolly. She had fallen asleep while holding him. Origo barked for a second time.

This time, Dolly awoke.

"Let me sleep Diamond" she said.

Origo was confused by what that meant. He then started to struggle. After a minute, he got free. The pup shook himself and looked at Diamond. She was the same as before. Ori then looked back at Dolly. She was sleeping peacefully. The pup walked over to Diamond. He sniffed her hand, but she didn't move.

The day outside was bright, yet the air was cold. Pippin was still driving the cart. Origo barked at him. Pip looked around.

"Morning" he said happily.

Pippin had been driving the cart for most of the freezing cold night. But now, the snow had stopped. Most of it had melted away leaving the road muddy.

Pippin had a small basket with him. Origo looked at it and whined. Pip looked down at Origo and then to the basket. Origo looked right back at the hobbit.

"Fine, I might have some in there for you"

Pippin opened the basket and looked in. there were lots of small packets. Origo looked in as well.

"Nope, not that one" Pip said.

Origo watched him put it back. The puppy sniffed the box and looked up at Pippin.

"Anything there that you want?" he asked.

Origo sniffed it again. He could smell a bit of turkey, but he didn't know from which packet it was from. Origo looked up at Pip again. His little brown eyes said it all.

"Alright"

So, Pip started to take out the packets. He kept one eye on the ponies as he took out the packets.

Origo then sniffed them. But he couldn't smell any turkey in them. The pup looked up at Pip. The hobbit knew that the turkey was still not out of the basket.

"This one?" Pippin asked.

Origo sniffed it. But, for the second time, it wasn't the right one. Origo whined again. He was getting more and more hungry by the second.

"OK" Pip said.

He was starting to get a bit annoyed as he got out three more packets. Origo sniffed them. The first two were not turkey. But when the pup sniffed the third one, he started barking.

Turkey

Origo's little tail started wagging happily.

"Turkey?" Pippin asked.

He already knew that there was some in there. Ori nodded his head. Pippin then put the reigns in on hand and quickly unwrapped the packet. He opened it and placed it down on the side where Origo was.

"Enjoy" he said.

Origo instantly started eating.

"We'll get some more at Bree" Pippin told him.

But Origo was far too busy eating to listen to him. Pippin smiled and looked up. He took a deep breath. The air around him was so cold that he could see a small of the water vapour. Pippin watched as it rose gently up.

The trees around him were leafless. Brown leaves lay on the road like a dirty carpet. Every so often, there was a dirty puddle of water. A few dead and dying leaves floated on top.

Pippin, Origo, Diamond and Dolly were still a few hours away from Bree. Pippin knew that if he didn't get to Rivendell in the next few days, the elves would be able to save Diamond.

The four of them were now only seventy miles away from Bree. Pippin knew that he was around five hours travailing time. He could almost smell the ale already. He looked forward to having a rest and a bite to eat. But then, he had his wife in the cart. She was very sick. He knew that if she didn't get to Rivendell, he would lose her and his child.

"No, no I mustn't stop" he told himself.

The path that he was going along turned and met a bigger road. This road led right up and over the Brandywine Bridge. He knew that it would be a quick journey there. A few hours or so.

But, even if he was to get to Bree, it was still another three hundred and fifty miles to Rivendell.

Dolly yawned and woke up. The cart was getting bumpy now. The cold wind blew on Pippin's face.

"Are we there yet?" Dolly asked.

She yawned and looked around. She could see the trees still moving past. Dolly wiped her eyes and yawned for the second time.

"No, we have about twenty or so miles to Bree" Pip answered.

The cart rolled on as the sun slow rose. Yet the air was still cold. Birds were singing in the trees. The path that they were on was well trodden.

Pippin had studied the map of the Shire for year after year. He knew that this road lead exactly to Bree. The path that Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin had taken had been longer, for they had taken a path longer then the road and they were on foot.

Pippin knew that the cart would take a shorter time to reach Bree. But he planned not to stay there long.

"Could you pass the basket please?" asked Dolly.

She was getting hungry. Origo was resting near her. He was looking at Diamond.

"It's just over here" Pippin told her.

He couldn't get it for her due to him driving the cart. So, Dolly reached over and grabbed it. Origo looked up; his little eyes followed the basket. He knew that there was no more turkey in there. Dolly smiled and petted Ori.

"Its alright, there will be food for you at Bree" Dolly told him.

Dolly then opened the basket and took out a packet. It was a lump of cheese. She then unwrapped it and broke a bit off. The piece was big enough for her. She took a bite.

Origo looked a bit down. He was hungry and wanted Diamond to give him a cuddle. But she wasn't listening to him. He whimpered sadly as he lay there.

"Why doesn't Diamond love me anymore?" he thought.

He wanted to get away, but he couldn't. Pippin wouldn't let him. The cart was still moving as Origo rested his head on his paws. Dolly looked down and smiled. She broke off a bit of cheese and placed it in front of him.

Origo lifted his head up and looked at. He tilted his head and sniffed it. He then looked up at Dolly.

Dolly smiled.

"It's alright, it's just cheese" she said.

Origo was still sniffing it. He barked up at Dolly.

"I don't want it!" he told her.

But Dolly just smiled.

"Go on, eat it" she said.

Origo shook his head. He didn't want any of this orange stuff. He wanted turkey. But he had eaten all of the turkey that Pippin had with him.

"Well, you'll have nothing to eat until we get to Bree" Dolly told him.

But Origo was still having none of the cheese. He then went beck to resting his head on his paws. Dolly looked over at Pippin. She took a deep breath. Dolly knew that Pippin loved Diamond very much. She knew that Pip would do anything to make Diamond happy.

The road wound on for mile after mile. Large leafless oak lined the way t Bree. Dolly sat back again. The ride was making her uncomfortable now.

"Pippin, could we stop for a few minutes, my legs need a stretch" Dolly told him.

Pip looked around. He was glad that she said that.

"Sure" he answered.

So, he pulled the cart over to the left hand side of the path. Dolly yawned and went to the end of the cart.

"Come on pup, come here" Dolly said.

Origo looked over at her and got up. He walked towards her and she picked him up. Ori looked back at Diamond. She was still laying there. Dolly then put him on the floor.

The road was wet and muddy. Origo looked down. He was standing in a foot print. The pup placed his nose to the ground and sniffed. It was a strange smell. One that he had never smelt before.

"Hmmm, this one is strange" he thought to himself.

He looked up and saw Dolly looking into the woods. Ori walked over to her. Dolly looked down.

"You alright there pup?" she asked.

Origo looks up and tilts his head. Dolly smiled. Pippin then jumped out of the cart. He looked around; the coldness was getting to him.

"It's only a few hours 'til we get to Bree" he told Dolly.

She nodded and rubbed her hands together.

"It's getting colder" she said.

Pippin nodded, he looked back at the cart every five seconds. Dolly knew that Pippin only wanted to make sure Diamond was safe.

"Pip, she's going to be alright" Dolly told him.

Pippin looked down.

"Yeah" he said.

But Dolly knew that Pippin didn't believe it. Origo walked forward and picked up a stick with his mouth. He looked over at Dolly. Dolly looked right back at him. She smiled.

"Want to play?" she asked.

Origo nodded. So, Dolly took the stick from him. The pup ran a little way and turned around. Dolly then threw the stick. Origo barked and ran after it. The stick landed on the ground. Origo then picked it up and ran back to Dolly.

The pup then placed the stick down and ran off again. Dolly picked the stick up and smiled. She threw it further then before. It sailed over Origo's head and landed.

The pointed end stuck deep into the mud. Ori stopped and looked at it. The mud was too thick for him to walk to it. Ori looked back to see Dolly smiling.

"I think we have to get moving now" Pippin said.

Dolly nodded.

"Come here, Origo" she said.

The puppy then walked slowly back. He sniffed the floor every so often. Dolly then picked him up and placed him back in the cart. Pippin helped Dolly onto the cart and got in himself. He went to the front and untied the reigns. Pip made sure Dolly and Origo were on the cart before moving off.

The cart started to roll again. The stones made the going very tough. The wind was picking up again. Pippin could see, in the distance, a large looming cloud.

"Looks like its going to snow again" he told himself.

He pulled his coat up again. Dolly saw the cloud as well. There were two more blankets in the cart. So, she took one.

"Pippin" she said.

Pippin looked around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"It's going to snow again, put this on" she answered, handing him the blanket.

Pippin took it.

"Thank you" he said and smiled.

Dolly then nodded and sat back down. She then took one of the blankets and laid it over herself.

Sure enough, as Pippin and the cart drove forward, the first flakes met them. The wind had now picked up lots of speed. The two ponies kept their head down and walked ever onwards.

Pippin's face was cold. Every time a flake hit his skin, it felt like a sharp pain. A few landed in his hair, but they didn't melt. The hobbit shivered and his hands were numb.

He looked down at them. They were turning blue. The snow was getting thicker, yet the wind remained the same. The flakes were getting bigger and increasing in number. The way in front was covered in a big sheet of snow flakes.

There were no other carts on the road. The bird in the trees had stopped singing. They had all flown off to find a warmer place to perch.

"I wish I was back home" Pip said to himself.

He could feel the fire in the fire place warming him up. But that was all imaginary. A snow flake hit his eye, making him lose that moment of warmth.

Pippin breathed heavily out of him nose. The condensation rose into the air. Dolly was shivering along with Origo. They were snuggling up together.

"Shh shh" Dolly said.

She was holding Origo under the blanket. He was whimpering because it was so cold.

"We'll be at Rivendell soon" Dolly told him.

Her feet were under the blanket. She looked over at Pippin. He was consecration on the road ahead. The visibility on the road had fallen to ten meters.

"Maybe we should just stop" Pippin thought.

A few times he went to pull over. But he stopped himself just in time.

There were only ten miles to go before they reached Bree. Pippin knew that he couldn't leave Diamond in the cart all by herself. He knew that a pint of ale was out of the question.

Food was the only thing he needed. A few loaves of bread and a few packets of turkey for Origo.

The snow was now settling on the ground. The pony's hooves created imprints in the soft, cold snow. A minute or two after, the hove prints would be covered with yet more snow.

Bree was covered with snow. The ground was cold so the snow didn't melt. Only a few people were out in the snow. But they were just travailing home or two different buildings.

"Oh, it's coming down a right treat out there" said one of the old men as he opened the door to the pub.

The Prancing Pony.

That's what the pub was called. Pippin had only been there once before. But what happened there went down in history. Pippin, Merry, Frodo and Sam had been sent by Gandalf.

But Pippin got drunk and accidentally told the people around that "Mr. Underhill" was actually Frodo. What happened next, Pippin didn't understand.

One minute, he was there, in front of him. Then next, Frodo was gone. Pippin was not the only one to notice. Nearly the whole of the Prancing Pony noticed.

But, unknown to Pippin, he was heading for trouble. Bree had changed since he was there. There were no hobbits left in Bree. Ever since Frodo's mishap, hobbits had been hated. The servants were driven out by the men.

The road climbed a small hill. The wall of Bree came into view. Yet the snow made it hard to see more then a few meters in front.

The sun was now fully up. But that didn't help Pippin see the road in front of him. The gate that led into Bree was only a few hundred meters away from him. But he had yet to see it. Pip looked at the stone wall.

"Where is it?" he thought to himself.

He continued to go slowly, not only because he was trying to find the gate, but the wind was blowing right at him. He could hear it rushing past his ears. The snow was now getting deeper. But Pippin was confident that he could make it though. The clouds above rushed over head.

Back in the Shire, the snow had just started to fall. Merry was walking though the town. The path rose a little and flattened out. Merry yawned as he reached where Pippin and Diamond lived. He opened the gate. It creaked. Merry then walked up to the door and knocked.

He waited patiently. But, after a minute or two, began to lose it. So, he knocked again. The wind started to pick up.

"Merry?" asked a voice.

Merry looked around. It was Estella. Merry smiled.

"Hello" he said.

He then started walking down to her.

"Where's Pip?" he asked.

Estella looked up at the door.

"He's not there? What about Diamond?" Estella asked.

Merry shrugged and looked back. He could see a light on, but there was no answer.

"They can't have gone far, Diamond is having a baby" Estella told him.

Merry and Estella both fell into an uneasy silence.

"Maybe we should look for them" Merry told her.

The snow around them started to thicken. Merry was shivering and holding himself.

"The snow is getting thicker, we can't go out now!" Estella told Merry.

Merry knew that Estella was right. He didn't know what to do.

"We should get in, the snow is getting heavier" Merry said.

Estella nodded.

So, the two of them headed down the hill towards the Green Dragon. The inn's lights were shimmering in the snow. Estella shivered as they reached the door. Merry opened it. It was still an hour away from lunch time. Yet the inn was packed. Most of the older hobbits were there.

Sam Gamgee was sitting alone in the corner. Merry spotted him and made his way over.

"Hello Sam" Merry said.

Sam looked up.

"Hello Merry, care to sit?" Sam asked.

Merry smiled and pulled out a seat. Estella had gone to get a half pint for her and a pint for Merry.

"It's snowing outside" Merry said happily.

Sam gave a forced smile and then drank from his cup. He took a deep breath and continued looking down.

Just then, Estella came back. She placed the cups down. Pippin smiled.

"Thanks" Pippin said.

As he drank, the door opened again. This time, a hobbit girl came in. She was shivering and had melting snowflakes in her hair. She looked exactly like Peregrin Took. Her name was Pearl Took, Pippin's younger sister. Pearl had sandy blond hair that grew down to her shoulders.

Yet her hair was astray due to the wind outside. She shook her head; a few drips fell to the floor. Pearl looked around and saw the four of them sitting at one of the tables. She made her way over to them.

"Hey" she said.

Merry looked over at her.

"Hello Pearl, you haven't seen Pip by any chance?" he asked.

Pearl looked confused.

"No, no I haven't. In fact, that's why I came here, I haven't seen him all day" she answered.

Merry thought for a moment.

"I'm sure he's safe, Diamond isn't around either" Merry told them.

Sam was still looking glum.

The snow at Bree was now getting really heavy. There were no carts on The East Road apart from one. This cart was carrying precious cargo.

There was a hobbit in the cart. Her name was Diamond.

The cart turned into the open gate. Pippin's hands were now so numb that it felt like he wasn't holding the reigns. Pip could see the Prancing Pony coming into view. He knew he had to get Diamond into the warm.

Pippin stopped the cart and looked back. Dolly and Origo were looking at him.

"Come on, lets… lets go in" he said.

So, Pippin jumped off of the cart. His cloths were wet and cold. Dolly was cuddling up to Origo as she climbed out. Pippin was struggling to get Diamond out of the cart. But, after a minute or two, he finally got her down and onto his shoulder. Diamond's head flopped onto her shoulder.

"Come on Diamond" he said, heaving her towards the Prancing Pony's door.

The flakes continued to fall thick and fast. There seemed no stop to it.

"Dolly, open the door!" Pippin half shouted over the wind.

Dolly then went and pushed the handle. The door creaked open. Light poured out of the inn.

Inside, the men were drinking and eating. Some of them looked over at them. Pippin looked around. There was a spare seat near them. So, he struggled to get her over to the seat.

There was a clock on the wall said four.

Four hours past mid-day. To Pippin, it did not feel like that one bit. He placed Diamond down and stood up. Dolly had placed Origo on the floor. The pup shook himself, a bit of water came off.

His fur was still very fluffy. There were hundreds of new smells around. The place smelt different then Diamond's house. The pup looked up at the bar.

Just then, a man came to the bar.

"You're not allowed in here, your not" he said.

Pippin looked around at him.

"What?" he asked.

The bar man then came from behind the bar.

"I said, you're not allowed in this inn" he said, looking from Pip to Diamond.

Pippin didn't understand.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because your not and it doesn't need explanation" said the man.

"Now, get out" he said, pointing to the door.

Pippin was speechless. Out of all the people, he expected to be welcomed the most. But, the reaction he got to being there was totally different.

The man was hostile towards him. Pippin looked over at Dolly. He had a look of confusion on his face. Dolly looked a little bit scared. Some of the rough looking men were at them. A few of them were whispering to their neighbour.

"Why are you saying this?" Pippin asked.

The man walked towards him. Pippin reached his stomach.

"Just move or I will have to force you" he said.

Pippin looked up at him. The man was looking right back.

"Dolly, we're going" Pippin said.

So, the two hobbits got ready. Diamond was still limp in the chair. Pippin lifted her out of the chair.

"Ori, come here" said Dolly.

Origo had been sniffing the floor. There were lots of new smells to take in. He looked at Dolly. She was holding out the blanket. Origo barked and bounded towards her.

"Oh, that's a good boy" she said, wrapping him up.

Pippin had got Diamond back onto his shoulder and was making his way to the door. The bar man went and opened the door. The coldness swept into the inn. The nearest burning candles were flickering in the dark. Pippin slowly made his way out. He was following Dolly.

"And never come back to Bree" said the man as he watched them.

Pippin didn't even look back. He was out in the snow again. This time, it seemed worse then before. Pip could hardly see the cart. But it was still there.

"Come on, Dolly, help me" Pippin said.

So, Origo was put on the cart again. He was starting to get confused. He looked around as Diamond was being lifted into the cart again. Origo moved out of the way as Dolly dragged Diamond back on. Pippin got in the back as well.

"Aren't you driving?" Dolly asked.

But Pippin was looking out of the cart. He was planning something.

"I'm going to get some bread" Pippin told her.

Dolly was confused.

"But, Pip, you heard what the man said, you can't go back" Dolly told him.

Pippin looked down.

"Stay here" he said.

He then made his way out of the cart. The snow was deep. The snow covered his feet. Pippin then took a deep breath and walked back towards the inn.

Origo yawned. He had black fur with a little bit of brown fur above each eye and on each paw. The pup shook his yeah, making his ears flop.

Meanwhile, Pippin was making his way though the blizzard of snow. The inn came back into view. He could see the light of the inn though the many flakes. But he wasn't heading for the main door. Oh no. Pippin was heading around the back door. He knew that there was a back door where they would load and unload the ale and food.

So, Pippin sneaked down under the window. He could hear people laughing merrily inside. Pip knew that if he was caught stealing, then he would be hurt or even killed.

But, maybe he would not be seen at all. Maybe luck was on his side. Maybe he will be able to get the bread and some turkey, although he didn't think that they had any, and get out of there without being seen.

Pippin whipped away the wet hair over his eyes. A few drips started to drop off of his nose. He looked around one last time. There was no one there. So, he ducked down and moved along the wall. The path wasn't long in length. The building drove off to the right and the path followed it.

Pippin stopped at the corner. The door leading into the kitchen was just a few meters away. There were empty barrels made of wood standing in the ally. Snow had settled on them. Pippin looked back just to make sure he wasn't seen. No one.

Pip was just about to go towards the barrels when he heard voices.

"Move those barrels over there" said the voice.

It was a man's voice. Pippin knew who's it was. It was the bar man's. But he was not alone. One of the workers had been ordered to get the barrels ready for loading.

"It's too cold, can we not do it tomorrow?" asked the worker.

Pippin peaked around the wall. He could see, though the many flakes, two people were standing just outside of an open door.

"Well, alright, but you need to do it before the cart arrives" the man answered.

"When does it arrive?" asked the helper.

"Noon tomorrow. Now, let's get back in, we don't want you going off sick now"

Pippin watched them walk back into the inn and shut the door.

Meanwhile, Dolly was waiting in the cart. The lining over the cart was starting to flap in the wind. She was shivering in the snow. She wondered what happened to Pippin. Origo was whimpering. He was shivering as well. The once dry blanket was now soaking and cold.

"Where is he?" Dolly thought.

She tilted her head back and took a deep breath. The cold air was crisp as she breathed in.

Pippin, meanwhile, was getting ever closer to his goal. The door was only three feet away.

"Now, I got to find the bread" he said sarcastically to himself.

The door handle was just there. But it was out of reach. Pippin could hear voices coming from the other side of the wall. He knew that they were still in the kitchen. So, he waited in the cold.

After a few minutes, Pippin could not hear any more voices. He knew that they must be in the front. So, Pippin went for it. He looked up at the handle. It was clear of snow. A few foot prints were still visible in the already lain snow.

Pippin took the handle and opened the door. The light from inside started to pour out onto the white snow. Many different smells came floating out. The smell of bread was the first that Pippin recognized. But there was also tobacco smoke and ale as well.

Pip looked in. his judgement was right. There were no people in the kitchens. He took a deep breath, looked back one more time and went in.

The kitchens were simple. There was a bowl; it was for washing up the dishes. There was a rack and up on the rack were loaves of bread.

"Ah ha" he said.

Pip let go of the handle and rusted towards the loaves. His heart was pounding in his chest. His ears were sharper then normal. The men on the other side of the door were talking noisily.

Pippin picked up three loaves and was just about to leave when something caught his eye. A glass bottle stood on the work top. It had whiskey in it. For a few seconds he looked at it.

Just then, the door opened. The bar man came back into the kitchen. The back door was left open.

"Funny" said the man.

"I didn't leave you open"

He walked over to the door and looked out. A few snow flakes were drifting in and falling on the ground. There were wet foot prints on the ground. The man looked at them. He walked slowly towards the door. He looked out, but didn't see anything. He stayed there for a few more seconds and then closed the door.

Meanwhile, Pippin was back in the cart.

"You know that Diamond doesn't like you stealing!" Dolly said.

Pippin was getting ready to move off.

"She'll never know. I'm doing it for her own good" Pippin answered.

Dolly shook her head. She then spotted the glass that Pip had in his hand.

"And what is that for?" she asked.

Pippin looked down at the whiskey.


	4. Day Two, Part Two

"It's not for what you think" Pippin told her.

Dolly had a look about her, she knew that Pippin was about to lie.

"What am I thinking then?" she asked.

Pippin looked at her and took a deep breath. He knew that Dolly was thinking.

"Dolly, it's to warm me up in the cold" he said.

The two hobbits looked at each other. There was something about Pippin's eyes that made her think he was telling the truth.

"Just, just drive the cart Pip"

Pippin smiled and went up to the front. The coldness was getting to him already. His hands were shaking as he took out the stopper that was in the glass. He could instantly smell the whiskey. He took one sip of it.

For a hobbit, it was stronger then their own make. Pippin instantly started to cough. He tried to contain it, but the noise echoed out. Luckily, no one else was around.

A minute later, Pippin had recovered from his bout of coughing. His hands were starting to warm up, his shivering was decreasing.

"Right, lets go" he told himself.

So, he picked up the soggy reigns and made the ponies move. The pony's and cart wheeled around and back down the road. Pippin, every so often, rubbed his hand over his face. The snow was getting annoying already.

The gate of Bree loomed back into view. Lights could be seen radiating from the houses plotted along the streets. There were no torches outside. They had all been put out by the falling snow.

Pippin then came to the road. He looked both ways. The cart then moved off again. Pippin turned the cart left and made his way towards Rivendell.

The cart still had three hundred and forty eight miles left to go before they reached safety. Pippin was thinking way back to the time where he had gone there.

He could remember how fantastic the place was. He pictured the elves that he had seen. He remembered the buildings. It was all so clean and clear. Other then the Shire, he felt at home there and longed to go back.

The snow was starting to decrease in volume, yet the air was getting colder. In the cart, Origo was still shivering. The pup whimpered as Dolly held him in the now wet blanket.

"This is madness" Dolly told herself.

Diamond was looking as pale as she was the night before. Dolly still couldn't help but want to wake her up. But she knew that it was useless to try.

The cart endless rolled on. Mile after mile, up hill, down hill, left, right. Pippin was starting to get tired.

He wondered what time it was.

"Maybe it's six o'clock, probably seven, judging by the light" he thought, looking up at the clouded sky.

Pippin was right. It had now been three hours since they left Bree. For three hours, Pippin had been driving in the coldness. His mind was drawn to the setting sun. He wondered where he was going to sleep for the night. His eyes were getting heavier by the minute.

He looked back to see Dolly fast asleep.

"Would it hurt to have an hour or two?" he asked.

He knew that he was alright, but it was the wellbeing on Diamond that he worried about. If Pippin wanted to rest, he needed to make it soon. For the night was the best time to travel.

"Just an hour more" he said to himself.

Meanwhile, Hobbition was being covered in a carpet of thick snow. It was the second time that it had snowed in the Shire. Once again, the hobbit children were playing. The snow was thicker then last time. Some of the younger hobbits had been told to stay inside.

"Oh, but mum!" they pleased.

But their mothers would not let them.

"No, you are too young to go out by yourself" the mothers answered.

But the children still argued. Deep down, they knew they were too young to go out.

"You can go out tomorrow" the mothers said.

The children groaned, but they knew that their mother's word was final. So, the children went away from the window. They had plenty to play in the houses. The small hobbit girls had ponies and ponies. All of them were made of wood, polished to a shine. The hobbit boys had puzzles, marbles, small skittles that they could keep in their pocket.

The fire burned in the fireplace sending smoke into the cold sky above. A few houses had their fires going. They looked like black pillars of soot. The snow was coming down very heavily now. The light of the sun was struggling to penetrate the clouds. But it was loosing.

Pippin was still travailing along The Great East Road towards Rivendell. He was in deep thought. Very deep. The snow was coming down, yet it was not as hard as a few hours before.

His mind reached back to the pony's ride with Gandalf many years ago. Though woods and down valleys they went. Across rivers and across bridges. Past towns and though villages. It was though the many hours of pony's riding that Pippin started to think.

"Maybe living in Gondor is the right place" he thought.

The Shire seemed a long way away. Pippin had started to wonder if that was a good idea. But, he had gone back. It was hard for him to settle back down. But, meeting Diamond made it easier. Yet that was a couple of years ago.

Year after year, Pippin longed to go back to Gondor. He knew that he had to wait. Now was not the best time. He needed to get to Rivendell. The snow was not helping with anything.

But the snow was not a problem for Pippin. What was a problem was Diamond. She had not woken or eaten in a day and a half now. Dolly had come with them. She was the midwife.

If Diamond's birth went well, she would be there. But now, she was a passenger. Dolly was now as worried as Pippin was. She kept looking in her bag. She needed to do something to help. But Dolly knew that she couldn't do a thing.

The cart rolled on for miles and miles. Pippin was getting very tired again.

"Dolly, we need to pull over, I need a rest" Pippin told her.

Dolly looked up.

"But what about Diamond?" Dolly asked.

Origo had snuggled up to Diamond and was now snoozing peacefully.

"Well" Pippin said, thinking quickly.

"Well, you can drive" he said.

Dolly thought about it for a second. She looked down and thought. The cart rolled on.

"Alright" she said.

So, Pippin smiled. He pulled over the cart. The snow had basically stopped as Pippin jumped off of the cart. He rushed around to the back to help Dolly off. Pippin left foot prints in the snow. He held out his hand. Dolly lifted her skirt and made her way down the small ladder. She held Pippin's hand and put her feet on the ground.

The snow was deep now. Dolly felt the coldness on her bare feet. She looked back down the road. Only the hove prints and the tire marks were visible in the sea of white. A few snow flakes continued to fall, threatening to start up again. Pippin got into the back and sat down.

Origo was sleeping near Diamond. He gave a bit of his warmth to her, but it was not enough. In his mind, Pippin was starting to lose hope. He sat back and started to think. Once again, Gondor came back into his mind.

He could see the White City. Pippin could see the tree.

The White Tree Of Gondor.

Pippin had seen it. He could see the white bark in the sun light. Pip could see its full beauty. The tree was also on the armour of the soldiers of Gondor.

Pippin could see himself wearing the armour of Gondor again. The hobbit looked over at Diamond. He had made up his mind about what the baby was going to be called.

Faramir Took.

"Faramir Took" he said to himself.

Pippin smiled.

Back at Hobbiton, Merry was now heading home.

"Well, I got to get back, see you all tomorrow" he told them.

He took the last swig of his cup and took a deep breath. Estella looked at him.

"Is it alright if I come with you?" she asked.

Merry looked at her.

"Sure, I mean… if you don't mind" he said.

Estella smiled and got up. She had had a drink as well. So, she got up and followed Merry to the door. Merry opened it. A cold rush of air came into the pub. The candles flickered in the gust. Merry stood aside and let Estella though. Merry quickly closed the door.

Estella wrapped herself up nice and warm.

"Snowed quite a bit, ah?" Merry said.

Estella laughed and nodded. Snowflakes were melting in her hair. She began to shiver.

"Umm, Estella, have you cooked any food yet?" Merry asked.

Estella looked at him. She knew what he meant.

"Merry, I would love to come around for dinner" Estella answered.

This took Merry by surprise.

"How did she know?" he asked himself.

Estella laughed.

"Come on, we can have fun!" she said.

The snow flakes landed on both of the hobbits. Merry's home was a few minutes walk away. They started to walk up the hill, past Bag End, past Sam's home and Pippin's. Finally, the house that they were heading for came into view.

Merry's home was on the bend of the hill. His door was green. Hobbits had many different colours of door. None were the same colour. Yet each door had one handle right in the middle.

Most of the homes were on a small hill. They had small stone steps leading up to the top. In this instance, the steps were covered in white snow. The snow was like a large, icy sheet that covered miles and miles of land.

Merry noticed small foot prints in the snow. He knew exactly what they were.

"It's funny, you don't normally see them" he said to Estella.

Estella had been walking besides them. She looked down at the prints in the snow as well. She smiled.

"Your right, it is interesting to see where they go" she agreed.

The two of them reached Merry's door. Merry then opened it. The door was big and round. Merry walked inside and held the door open.

"Thank you" Estella said, walking in.

Merry then shut the door. It was the first time that Estella had been in Merry's home.

"It's not much, but it's enough for me" Merry told her.

There were pictures on the wall. A small table was situated against the wall. There was a vase on the wooden table. It had flowers in it, roses to be exact. But they looked weak. They were starting to droop as they sat in the water.

"Shall we go to the kitchen?" Merry asked.

Estella smiled.

"Sure" she answered.

So, the two hobbits made their way to the kitchen.

The kitchen had a table in it, four chairs sat on each side. A fire place was built into the wall. It was not unusual for hobbit to have two fireplaces. Unlike the one in the living room, this one had a small stand for boiling the kettle.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Merry asked.

Estella was looking around. She looked back at Merry as he asked her the question.

"Yes please" she answered.

She looked down at one of the seats and pulled one out. Merry then got the kettle out and went to the tap. He placed it under the tap and twisted it. Water gushed out and into the metal kettle.

After a few seconds, there was enough water in the kettle for two cups of tea each. Merry turned the tap off. A few drips escaped and collided with the volume of water already in the kettle.

Merry lifted the kettle out of the sink and over to stand. The fire was yet to be lit. Merry put the kittle on the stand and smiled. There was a small burning candle near the fireplace. Merry picked it up. A small bit of wax was dripping down the side. The wick flamed happily as Merry carried it over to the fireplace.

He bent down and lit the fire.

"Wont be long, a few minutes" Merry said, standing up.

Estella nodded.

Merry smiled and looked around.

"So…" he said, struggling to find conversation.

Estella smiled. The water in the kettle had small bubbles in it. Merry took a deep breath. He then turned around and walked to a cupboard. He opened it and looked in. Inside, there were mugs upside down. The hobbit took two of them and turned around. He smiled and put the cups on the table.

Merry already had table mate out, he placed the cups on them. He then thought on.

"I need to get the tea out" he told himself.

So, he went to another cupboard. Inside were lots of jars. They were full of all different type of things. There was sugar, mint leaves, spies, coffee, tea and cooking oil.

Merry searched for the tea for a couple of seconds.

"Ah ha" he said and reached for the clear jar of tea.

Merry then stood up and looked around at the boiling kettle over the fire. Its bubbles were increasing happily. A small bit of water vapour was rising into the chimney.

Merry smiled as he put the jar on the table.

"Right, I think it's ready now" he told Estella, looking at the whistling kettle.

Estella smiled.

Merry had yet to get out any spoons. He had gone to bring the kettle over. The hobbit placed it on the table and smiled.

"Oh, spoons" he said.

Estella giggled. Merry quickly looked in the draw and got out three teaspoons. He placed them on the table mat. Merry had yet to get the sugar out. Estella smiled as she took the kettle. Merry sat down and looked at the table. He took a deep breath. A small bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.

When Estella finished pouring the hot water into her mug, she placed the kettle down. Merry smiled as he picked it up. The handle was warm. But the water inside was still very hot.

"Umm, Merry, where's the sugar?" Estella asked, looking on the table.

Merry looked on the table.

"Sorry!" he said as he got up.

"I don't normally have people around, only Pippin and he knows where everything is" he laughed.

Estella continued on smiling as she waited for the sugar. After a few seconds, Merry came back with the jar of sugar. He placed it on the table.

"There you go" he said.

Estella then popped open the jar and took the third spoon. She then started to scoop out sugar.

One teaspoon, two teaspoons, three teaspoons, four teaspoons, five teaspoons.

Estella put seven teaspoons worth of sugar in her tea. She placed the sugar back and put the teaspoon down on the mat. Merry then picked it up. He, like Estella, had put his tea in first.

The sound of metal on china echoed though the house. Neither of the hobbits was talking. Estella placed her spoon down and took her cup. She held the handle and lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip.

It was still hot.

"Nice?" Merry asked.

Estella nodded.

"Very" she told him.

Merry laughed and took a sip of his. He let the taste set in and smiled.

Elsewhere in the lands of Middle-earth, there were some hobbits that were not enjoying themselves. Pippin Took had been on the road for a day and a half now. Had had past Bree and was now heading towards Rivendell.

But he was not alone. There were two more hobbits with him and a puppy.

Diamond was Pippin's wife. She was expecting a baby. But something had happened that had thrown their plans. Diamond had fallen ill. Pippin had gotten Dolly.

Dolly was their midwife. There were a few hobbit midwives in the Shire. Normally, they would have two or three expectant mothers in and around the Shire. But Dolly was not assigned to one and one only.

But Dolly was now driving the cart on The Great East Road. There was also a small sleeping puppy I the cart. His name was Origo. Origo had only come to the Tooks a few days before.

Diamond had warmed to him quickly. She loved animals. But Pippin was struggling to get used to Origo being around. Both Pippin and Origo liked turkey.

Pippin had come off second best to Origo. Diamond was now giving the turkey to Origo. But now that had all changed. Ori was now hungry and there was no turkey in the cart. He hadn't had any food in a few days now. The pup continually whimpered as Dolly drove the cart.

Pippin was getting annoyed by it. So, he picked the pup up.

"Ori, you got to stop whining, it's getting annoying"

Pippin held Origo to him. It was the first time he did. Pip could feel the pup's warmth warming him up. He looked down. Origo was curled up in his hands and wasn't whimpering any more.

"Hmm, you're not so bad" he said.

Just like Diamond had, Pippin had a sudden wave of tiredness. His eyes started to become heavy. A yawn came across his face. But, before he could fall asleep, Pip placed Origo down and lay down as he yawned again. The hobbit made him comfortable before closing his eyes.

Origo was now left alone. He had woken up now.

"Hey, I'm still hungry" he whined.

But no one was listening to him. Pippin was now asleep, Dolly was driving the cart ever onward and Diamond was not responding to anyone.

Origo walked over to Diamond and lay down next to her. He rested his head on his paws. The puppy thought of his turkey. He looked around. He wished that he was back on Diamond's bed.

"Don't like this cold" he thought.

The pup stretched and yawned. His little ears flopped as he rolled over to one side. Ori closed his eyes. The coldness was getting to him. He was shivering and there was no one to warm him up.

Back in Hobbiton, Merry was standing up. He and Estella had finished drinking their tea. Merry was standing over a burning stove. There were a few slices of bacon sizzling in the pan.

There were a few eggs, slices of bread, beans in a rich tomato sauce, a few sausages were waiting to be cooked, potatoes cut into chips and Merry's favourite; mushrooms.

There were two plates for the food. Merry was getting very hungry indeed. He had a spatula in one hand and the handle of the pan in the other. He flipped over the pieces of bacon. There was a small bit of dark brown on the bacon.

In all, there were five slices in the pan.

"That's enough for me" he said to himself happily.

He then picked up a plate and started to fish the bacon out. He placed the pan back and picked up the small pack left. He started to place the raw slices into the pan. They started to sizzle instantly. Merry could smell it already.

Estella looked over at him.

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

Merry looked around.

"Oh no, I'm fine" he said.

Merry had done many fry ups before. He knew exactly when to put things in the pan.

After a few more minutes, Merry picked the spatula again and fished the slices of bacon out again. He then put the plate back down and looked over at the rest of the food. He walked over and got four eggs. He went back to the pan and cracked them open.

One, two, three, four.

Merry watched the egg white cook almost instantly. They turned whiter and whiter. The yoke was an island of yellow in a sea of white. Merry looked out of the window. The snow was whiter then he had ever seen it. He was lost in thought for what seemed a few minutes.

His attention snapped back. Merry looked down at the eggs. They were ready to be plated up. So, he slipped the spatula under two of them and then slid it onto the plate. He did this another time. He then got four more eggs into the pan.

Merry looked around. He saw Estella playing with her hair.

"Nice day today" Merry said.

Estella looked over at him.

"Yes, it is" she said.

"Might go out for a walk later" Merry told her.

The atmosphere was awkward. Neither of them talked much. After a few more minutes of silence, Merry took a deep breath. He looked back to see the eggs were done. He used the spatula again to get them out. He now had the bacon and eggs done. The sausages were next.

He opened the paper packet. Inside were light pink sausages. Ten in all. Merry smiled and he took a few out. Merry plopped them into the pan. The pan was already hot. Merry looked at what he had to do. The mushrooms were still sitting in their bag. The beans in home made tomato sauce were waiting. Merry then went to the other side of the cooker and picked up the bag on mushrooms.

Merry had already gotten the cutting knife and wooden chopping board out. He picked out some of the best looking ones and placed them on the board. The hobbit then picked up the cutting knife. It had a wooden handle with a silver blade.

On the road, Pippin was asleep. A dream came into his head. It was of Diamond. The room that they were in was familiar. It was the kitchen back home.

The table was in exactly the same position as it had been when they had left. But something wasn't right.

Where was Diamond?

In the dream, Pippin could see himself sitting at the table. There was a glass of the strongest whiskey that he had. A small glass was being held in his hand. Pippin was looking down, he was deep in thought.

Just then, another figure came into the room.

"Pippin?" the woman asked.

This woman still wasn't Diamond. It was Estella.

Estella looked like she had been crying.

"So is this how you're going to spend the rest of your days?" she asked.

But Pippin didn't answer. He just looked at the table. Estella shook her head. A tear ran down her face. She then walked forward and sat down in one of the chairs. Pip didn't even move an inch.

"Pippin?" Estella asked.

The room was silent and dark. The night outside had set in, a single candle burned in the still air.

"Pippin, you can't blame yourself" Estella told him.

"What happened, happened. None of us can change it"

Pippin mumbled something. But Estella didn't catch it.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"It's my fault" Pippin answered.

He looked up. His eyes were red.

"No, Pippin, no it's not!" Estella said.

She looked at the half full bottle of whiskey sitting on the table. Pippin had drunk half of it and was sloshing around.

"Then why did it happen?" he asked.

Estella looked down. She wasn't there, so she couldn't say.

"I… I don't know" she answered.

Pippin took a deep breath again. He was looked down again. The hobbit then poured out another small glass of whiskey.

"Pippin, what ever happened, Diamond loved you" Estella told him.

Pip was replaying what happened. He had anger for the elves and for himself.

Why didn't he just stay at home with her?

He had put Diamond's life in danger. He wished now that he had left her hear. But then Pippin thought on. It wasn't him that had suggested going to Rivendell; it had in fact been Dolly.

Pippin looked up quickly, Estella was looking at him. Without another word, Pippin got out of his seat.

"Pippin?" asked Estella.

She stood up as well. Pip walked out of the room.

"Pip, where are you going?" she asked.

She followed him out of the room. Pippin headed for his coat. Estella still had hers on. Pip put his on, then headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Estella asked.

Pippin quickly turned around.

"I'm going to the one person who caused all of this" Pippin said, grabbing Estella.

He had anger in him that he had never before expressed. His heart rate was rising; he could feel the banging inside of his head.

"Pippin, please calm down" Estella squeaked.

She was very scared of Pippin. He was bigger and more powerful then she was.

"Your not yourself" Estella said.

Pip and Estella's eyes met.

"Diamond wouldn't have wanted you like this"

Estella could hear Pippin's breath.

"What do you know what Diamond wanted? What word do you have on this matter?" Pippin asked.

Estella started to cry. Pip suddenly got another massive bout of guilt. He let go of Estella.

"Just, leave me along, alright?" he asked.

Estella rubbed her neck.

"Go, get out" Pippin said.

Estella looked up at Pippin, but she didn't say a word. A few seconds later, she started to walk away, leaving Pippin standing there. Pip looked down. He was feeling the most guilt he had ever felt.

His world was crashing down around him. The one person that understood him was gone. He stood in the middle of his empty home. Just a week earlier, he had been the happiest hobbit in Middle-earth. But now, the world had been covered in a darkness that only he saw.

Pippin awoke with a start, leaving his dream world behind. The hobbit sat bolt upright. The light around him had now faded. The darkness around him was now pushing the light away to the west. Pip looked around.

Diamond was still in exactly the same position as she was the last time Pippin saw her. Origo was still sleeping next to her and Dolly was still driving.

Pippin's attention was now drawn back to why he had awoken. He started to think back, but he couldn't remember. He held his head and looked down. It was getting frustrating.

"Maybe I should go back to sleep"

So, Pippin laid back down on the wooden planks that made up the floor of the cart. It was very noisy as Pip laid there. The wood rattled his head side to side. The hobbit closed his eyes. He let the sound reach his ears.

He could hear different noises. The wheels crunched over small stones. The night was setting in around them. There were no lights around. Dolly wondered how she was going to see where she was going. Yet the snow around her was bright enough to see.

Dolly looked up at the sky. The clouds were deep orange. A few bits of darkness broke though the clouds. Dolly started to wonder what was above the clouds. The wind blew in her hair.

Back in Merry's home, he and Estella had finished their tea. Merry placed the two plates into the sink. He turned around and smiled.

"Would you like some cake?" Merry asked.

Estella smiled and nodded.

"What kind have you got?" asked Estella.

Merry headed towards the door of his cellar. He opened the door. It was cooler in the cellar then was out in the kitchen. Merry had a variety of different foods. Some were in small brown bags, others were in glass jars. But none of them were what Merry wanted. So, he continued to walk to the back of the cellar.

There, on a shelf, were a few cakes. Merry looked at them. All of them had slices missing from them. Merry looked at each one.

"Ah ha" he said, picking out the chocolate one.

He picked up the cake and started to walk out.

"I thought we could have some of this" he said as he reached the door.

Estella looked at him. She saw the cake on the tray he was holding.

"Oh, that will do nicely" she said.

Merry smiled as he put it on the table. He took the protective cover off and smiled.

"Made it myself I did" he said.

"It looks nice" Estella said, wiping her hair away from her face.

Merry had already gotten two smaller plates out from the cupboard. There were also two tablespoons laid out next to each of the plates. A cake slice was also on the table. Merry picked it up and slid it under a piece of cake. He scooped it up and placed it on the plate.

"There you go" he said happily, placing the plate on Estella's table mat.

Merry did this one more time and sat down. He picked up his spoon and sliced the came vertically. He took a fare sized piece and opened his mouth.

He instantly got the rich taste of chocolate. He smiled as he swallowed it. Estella smiled.

"I would really like to know the recipe for this" she said happily, digging into the cake again.

"It's quite simple, I can give you the notes if you would like them. I know it off by heart" Merry told her.

Estella nodded.

"Could I pick it up tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure" Merry said.

The two of them ate the rest of their cake in silence. Merry was the first to finish. Estella finished a minute later.

"Well, I better be getting home" Estella said, getting out of her seat.

Merry got out of his seat as well. Estella walked towards the door.

"Err, let me do that" said Merry before Estella could touch the handle.

Estella smiled and Merry opened the door for her.

"Thank you" she said.

The two hobbits walked towards the front door. This time, Estella opened it. There was snow on the ground, but it had stopped falling from the sky.

"It's a bit dark, would you like me to walk you home?" Merry asked.

Estella looked around.

"No Merry, I'm alright" she answered.

Merry nodded and Estella started to walk down the stairs. Merry stayed there, with the door open, until she had reached the gate. She opened it, walked though and shut it again.

Merry took a deep breath. He turned around and closed the door. He leaned against it.

"Why didn't you just ask her out?" he asked himself.

He looked up at the ceiling and thought.

"There is always next time" he told himself.

But another voice came into his head.

"There may not be a next time"

That made him feel worse. Then again, it gave him confidence.

"Right, tomorrow, I'm going to ask her out" he said to himself.

He smiled as he walked back to the kitchen. He took a deep breath and picked up the two plates and spoons. He placed them in the sink like he did with the two plates before them.

He turned the tap on and watched the water fill up the sink. Merry then started to wash the dishes. It took him a few minutes to get each of the clean.

He dried them and put them back in their place. He then saw that the cake was still on the table. He yawned as he walked towards it.

"Early night tonight" he said as he wrapped up the cake.

It took him a minute to put it back and come out.

"I think I should go to bed" he told himself.

So, he blew out the candle and left the fire to burn itself out. Merry walked though the corridors of his home. He approached the door to his room. He opened the door. The room was colder then he would have liked it to bed.

His bed was made, his fluffy duvet was ready for him to tuck himself into.

But first, he had to get washed. So, Merry walked out of the room and into the bath room. The bath room was the next door down. It, like the bedroom and kitchen, had a round window in the wall. There was a sink on the wall and a bath in the middle of the room.

Merry had installed a under ground pipes. He had learnt it from his father. But that was just for taps. Merry walked over to the sink and turned the hot tap on. He also turned the cold tap on as well.

There was a mirror over the sink. Merry looked at himself in it.

"Your not going to be young forever" he said to himself.

He looked at his face. It looked older then last time he saw it. He twisted both of the taps off and grabbed the flannel. There was a bar of soap as well. He picked up the soap, dunked it in the water and then slide it though his hands. The soap created a small bubbles on his hands. Merry dunked his hand under the water again and the soap came off. The flannel had been in the sink for a minute now. Merry picked it up. Water dripped off as he got it in his hands and strung it dry.

Merry then placed it on the side and picked up the soap again. He did exactly the same as before. But he did not place his hands back in the water. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on his face. He then rubbed for a few seconds and took them away. He grabbed the flannel and wiped away the soap from his face.

He looked in the mirror and saw that he had missed a bit on his left had side. He got rid of it and looked down. There were soap bubbles swirling in the bowl. Merry was lost in the swirls for a few seconds before putting his hand in the water and pulling the plug.

Merry turned and walked to the towel rack. There were a few towels there. All of them were made from white cotton. Merry picked one out and started to rubbed his hands and face dry. He then put the towel back and walked out of the room. The tap was left to drip.

Merry then went back to his bed room and closed the door. He got changed and got into bed. He left his day cloths on the chair. He blew the candles out and laid down. His head hit the pillow.

Merry started to think about what he could have done tonight. He had the chance, but he didn't take it. He took a deep breath, rolled over and forgot all about it until the morning.


	5. Day Three, Part One

The night rolled on. The only creatures around were rats and owls. The owls perched on snowy branches. Their big eyes were suited to the darkness around them. On the ground, the owl could see a four legged creature. It was sniffing in the snow. It didn't notice the owl eyeing it from above.

The creature looked around and sat down. His ears was large and his coat was iron red. There was a another creature that looked exactly the same as him, a few miles away. The fox then screamed out. His scream echoed and travelled for miles. No human, dwarf, hobbit, elf or wizard hear it.

But does that mean he didn't bark?

But it was not the only time that he screamed into the night. He sat there, listening for a reply. From the far distance, his question was answered by another bark. Three more barks came after.

Without warning, the fox started to run towards where the other fox was. He bounded though trees and over small rivers. A road lay a few miles away. The snow had settled on the rocks. Worms that had been in the ground had been force to dig further into the soil.

Small drips of water leaked though the already wet soil. Ants sheltered in their nests. It was too cold for them to go out into the daylight. Yet they were not with out food. They had gathered everything that they needed for the cold winter ahead.

Yet there were some creatures who were travelling on the road. They were making good ground, yet they were still about three hundred miles from their destination.

In the cart, a hobbit slept. His head moved as the cart rolled over small stones. But it was not enough to wake him. He had a green jacket on. The air around was cold, yet he had no scarf on. A small blanket lay over him, but it wasn't enough to trap the warmth.

The bottle of whiskey had leaked onto the wooden panels. A small bit was trapped in the bottle. Small ripples raced back and forth in the glass bottle. Pippin's hands were still around the neck of the bottle. His eyes were closed.

The hobbit was not the only in the cart. There was also another hobbit laying down. Her name was Diamond. She was very ill and in need of Elven help. But Rivendell was three hundred miles away. It would take another six days by cart to reach it.

Pippin was more worried for Diamond then he was of Frodo and the one ring. For Diamond was more precious to him then freedom.

The third hobbit was also a woman. She was the only one that was awake. Her name was Dolly. She was a midwife in Hobbit and the surrounding areas. She had been assigned to help Diamond and Pippin though the pregnancy. Never in her fifty years of helping hobbit women in the Shire, had she been out of Hobbiton.

Dolly's eyes had now gotten used to the dark now. The snow helped her see her way down the road. The trees were big oaks on each side. Their leaves covered by snow.

In the cart, there was also a snoozing puppy by the name of Origo. He had only been with Diamond a few days, but he was now sleeping next to her.

Origo was shivering as well. He was also very hungry. There hadn't been any turkey in Bree. Origo was a very fussy pup. Turkey was all that he was eat. There was bread and a bit of cheese, but Origo wouldn't touch them.

No one understood that turkey was all that he liked. Ever since Diamond had given it to him, he had just wanted more and more. But, at the moment, he couldn't get any.

Back in the Shire, all hobbits were asleep. Apart from one. His name was Merry Brandybuck. Sleep had surely deserted him. Thoughts were running though his head. Regrets were strong as well.

"Why didn't I just tell her?" he asked himself.

His hands were resting on the pillow. A small bit of light radiated into his room. But it was not enough to lit up the whole room. Merry then rolled so that he was laying on his back. The ceiling had wooden beams running along it from one side to the other. Merry took a deep breath. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't make himself.

"I wonder where Pippin is" he said to himself.

He was starting to get worried. Merry had seen neither Diamond or Pippin for the last few days now.

"Maybe I should go to Bree, someone must know where he is" Merry told himself.

The time was now three hours past midnight. Too late to stay up. But Merry had a plan; he would ride to Bree in the morning. Merry had two ponies. One called Stybba, who he got from King Theoden and one called Swish-tail. Swish-tail had been one of the five ponies that he had got ready at Crickhollow all those years ago.

But Swish-tail was now very old. He was not used for long distance journeys any more. Merry sat up in his bed.

"Maybe I should go now" he thought.

But then his thoughts turned to Estella. He wondered if it was a good idea after all.

"But then, what if their fine?" he asked.

The hobbit couldn't make up his mind. He started to wonder why he had even fallen for Estella. Merry got out of bed anyway. He walked over to his door and opened it. The hall way was lighter then his room for there were candles lit. Merry yawned as he walked towards the kitchen.

Merry opened the door. The kitchen was as dark as the bedroom. There was a burning candle on the wall. Merry picked up the tray with the candle on and walked over to the first unlit candle. He put the flaming candle to the tip of the unlit one. He held it there for a couple seconds to catch alight. But, when it did, he took the candle away. The wick flamed as Merry stood and watched it.

There were seven more candles around the kitchen. It took a few minutes to light them all. Merry stood there, looking around. All eight candles were lit. Merry took a deep breath and placed the candle back.

The hobbit walked over to a cabinet and opened the polished wooden door. Inside were ales, beers and whiskies of every sort. There were also a few bottles of wine as well.

But there was one bottle that he had never opened. And he wasn't planning on doing so. It was called Elverquisst. Elrod had given it to him before he departed home. Merry had kept it quiet from his friends for years and years.

The label on the bottle was getting harder to read. A small bit of dust lay on the surface of the cool glass. His finger pints could be seen on the dust.

The hobbit then put the glass back in its holder and looked at the other glass bottles. There were some bottles from Bree and Bywater. Others he had brought from Helms Deep and Edoras. There were empty glasses standing upside down. Merry picked one up. He had to make his decision soon. So, he picked out an ale and closed the cabinet door.

He walked over to his table and placed the cup and bottle on table. He pulled out his chair and sat down on it. The night outside was still young.

Merry sat there and looked at the amber liquid. The bottle was filled nearly to the top. There was a small bit left at the top where the liquid didn't fill. There was a cork stopping the ale from escaping. Merry then got out of his chair and walked towards the draws.

He pulled out the draw and looked inside. Inside were silver knives, forks and spoons. There were also cutting knives laying there as well. There were ones for cutting cheese and ones for meat.

But they were not what Merry was looking for. His eyes scanned the draw. Merry then found what he had been looking for.

A corkscrew.

He picked it and closed the draw. He walked back to the table and sat down again.

Outside, an owl swooped past his window. Its wings were silent as it glided over the land. It's head looked from right to left. The lane was left far behind as it swooped nearer the lake in the middle of Hobbiton. A small field with a massive tree could seen. It was called the party tree.

For many year before, Bilbo had had a very big birthday party. For he had reached one hundred and eleven. It was also the place where the ring first came to Gandalf's knowledge.

The bird swooped past the tree and out towards the fields. The owl looked down. There were small rabbits hopping in the field. The only evidence that they would leave for who ever would go there would be their prints in the snow.

But, the owl was not hungry. He flew on, in the gold air, his feathers flapped in the wind.

In the far distance, there was a great road. This was the great east road. One of the many trading routes of Middle-Earth. It ran from the Grey Havens, though the Shire, past Bywater. It continued to run though the Old Forest where, beyond it, lay the Great North Road. Once crossing the road, Bree was only a few miles away.

In the night, a small cart had stopped on the road. There were three hobbits in the cart. Two females and one male.

The first female was called Dolly and she was a midwife. The second was called Diamond and she was in trouble. She was pregnant. But something had happened to her. And now, she needed Elven help.

Pippin was the only one who knew what to do.

But now, the cart had stopped and Diamond was still days away from Rivendell. But there one last hope. There was an inn only a few miles down the road.

It was called the Forsaken Inn.

It was Pippin's last hope of getting more food. But he also had to get lots of turkey.

Why?

Because he had a puppy with him. This puppy was called Origo and he ate nothing but turkey. Origo had black, fluffy fur. But there were two small brown patches of fur over each eye. And brown paws.

The pup was snoozing next to Diamond like he had been for the last few hours.

Pippin slept like then others. But he was about to be woken up. A freezing cold drip had gathered right about his head. It was seconds from falling.

The drip finally lost grip and plummeted towards earth. A second later, it him Pippin's eye. The hobbit was instantly woken up. But he didn't open his eyes straight away. He turned his head. Something was sliding down his face to his ear.

Pip groaned and raised his hand. He wiped the drip away. It was then he stopped. Sound had reached his ears.

It was the sound of silence. Pippin wondered what was missing. The hobbit slowly opened his eyes. He raised his head and looked around.

The cart wasn't moving. Pip sat up and looked around. The darkness around him was deep.

"Why aren't we moving?" he asked.

But Pip didn't get an answer. He started to get worried. So, he got up. He could stand to his full height in the cart. Pippin went to the back and jumped off.

His feet touched the snow, which was now melting. The clouds over head were still think. The night sky was starless. There were no other lights around. The cart only had one light at the front. It was swinging in the wind. Pippin came around the cart and saw that Dolly was sleeping.

She had lain down and covered herself up. She had been asleep for about an hour. Dolly had pulled the cart over. The tracks of the cart had shown where they had gone. Pippin smiled. He looked back down the road where they had come. Then, up the road where they were going to go.

There was nothing around. Only the wind could be heard. Pip walked back towards the back of the cart. He stood there, wondering what was beyond the darkness. He lent back on the cart and looked down. His feet were not cold, even though his was against freezing snow.

Pippin looked to his left. There, he saw trees with small lines of snow resting on the branches. Pippin smiled and walked towards the tree. His mischief side was burning.

He placed his hand around the branch and shook it. Snow started to fall on him and on the ground. He smiled. But it was that kind of happiness that made him miss Diamond even more. He looked down.

"Maybe I should take Dolly's place" he thought.

But then again, he only had a few hours sleep. Pip then walked back to the cart. He went to the front and saw Dolly with her eye closed.

"Dolly?" he asked.

The woman didn't move. Pip smiled. He raised his hand and touched Dolly. He shook her gently. Dolly woke and slowly lifted her head.

"Dolly, do you want me to drive?" Pippin asked.

"What?" asked Dolly.

There was a bit of snow resting on her hear. Her cloths were all wet and cold. Her bare feet were wrinkled.

"You can go in the cart now, it's my turn to drive"

Dolly sat up. Her eyes were still drooping. She yawned and stretched. Pippin was waiting for her to get down and into the cart. He then started to think.

"Maybe if we go on till sunrise, then we can rest again" he thought.

It sounded like a good plan to him. Yet, he did not know when sun rise was.

"It should be soon, shouldn't it?" he asked himself.

He took a deep breath as Dolly came down from the driving seat.

"How are you?" she asked Pip.

Pippin shrugged and didn't answer.

"I'll drive until sunrise, then we can have a rest. We need all the strength that we can get" he said.

Dolly nodded.

"Drive until you want a rest Pippin, don't worry about me" she said.

It was not Dolly that he was worrying about. It was Diamond.

"I need to get to Rivendell as soon as possible" Pippin said.

Dolly nodded and looked up at him.

"She'll be fine" she answered.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked down the road. It was then it hit him. The map that he had looked at, it was engraved in his head. Pippin then started to walk down the path a few meters.

Dolly was confused.

"Pip?" she asked.

"This is The Great East Road" he said.

Dolly didn't understand.

"I know we're on The Great East Road, but what has that got to do with anything?" Dolly asked.

Pippin smiled as he turned back.

"And we've passed Bree, right?" asked Pippin, walking up to her.

Dolly was still confused.

"Yes" she answered.

Pippin smiled and walked quickly back to the cart.

"Pip, maybe I should drive"

"No, I have an idea" he said, getting his bag.

He looked in his bag and got out a small map. He opened it up. In fact, it was quite big. Pip looked down and saw a line going east to west.

"There is Bree" he said, pointing at a small dot.

The name "Bree" was written beside it.

Pip then moved the map over. A few inches away, there was another dot.

"I know it!" he said loudly.

He was now smiling.

"What? What have you found?" Dolly asked.

Pippin looked at her.

"Look, look here" he said, pointing to the paper.

The map looked warn. There were faded red lines to represent the roads. There were settlements marked on the map as well.

"That's where we are, right?" asked Pippin.

Dolly did not know anything outside Hobbiton and Bywater.

"Well, there's an inn, just a mile or two down the road. I'm sure that they didn't hear about what happened" Pippin said.

Pip knew it was gamble. But there was a life involved.

"But what if they have?" Dolly asked.

"Then I'll have to steal more food again" Pippin told her.

They both looked at each other. Dolly took a deep breath.

"But what if you…"

She was interrupted.

"I wont" Pippin snapped.

A few more seconds of silence followed.

"Get in the cart, its only a few miles down the road" Pip told her.

So, without another word, Dolly walked to the back and got in. Pippin climbed up and took the reigns. He took a deep breath. The coldness of the air hit him in the back of the throat.

The cart suddenly rolled on. The road was smoother then Pippin had felt last time he had been at the front. Pippin guided the cart onto the road and away from where they had stopped.

Pippin was starting to have hope again.

"Only a few days now" he said to himself.

But deep down, he knew Diamond could hear him. Pip knew that she could.

Back in Hobbiton, Merry still had not opened the bottle of whiskey. The cork screw was being twisted him one hand and the other was tapping the table. His eyes focused on the bottle. The candles were reflecting on the glass. Merry could see his. Other things were reflecting in the glass and bottle as well.

Merry could see his elongated face staring right back at him. His sandy coloured hair could be seen, but his face was hard to make out. He took a deep breath and looked away, thinking deeply.

The table that he sat at was made of polished wood. It was made from the finest Shire oak. It was not as big as human and Elven tables. It was much too small for them.

But, since Merry had gotten back from his quest with Frodo and the others, he had to lift it up a few centimetres.

It was said that Merry and Pippin were the tallest hobbits that ever lived. Bandobras Took had been the tallest hobbit before both Merry and Pip had drunk the Ent-draught.

The two of them drank so much that when they returned to the Shire, they were taller then when they had left. But now, all of the world was the same it had been before the quest.

Merry was lost in thought. He didn't know that Pippin was heading for Rivendell without him. Merry then moved suddenly. Not to get up, but to open the bottle. Merry placed the metal screw into the cork and held it there. With his free hand, he started to screw into the cork.

It took a minute or two to make it pop out of the bottle. It bubbled, almost spilling over the neck of the bottle. But the bubbles subsided. The bubbles came up from bottom of the of the bottle. Merry was tapping again.

Would he regret it?

Merry then placed the cork screw down. The metal screw was still embedded in the cork. Now both of Merry's hands were free. He placed his right on the bottle. The glass was in his free hand.

Voices were arguing in his head. He couldn't take it anymore. So, he gripped the whiskey and started to pour. The liquid sloshed in the small glass. Merry finished pouring. There was more whiskey in the glass then he would have liked. There were only a few millimetres left until the whiskey over flowed.

Merry looked at the glass. He could see bubbles floating upwards. There were hundred floating up. Some from the very bottom of the glass, others from half way up the wall.

The hobbit took a deep breath and lifted the glass up.

"Well, here's goes nothing" he said.

He slow placed the glass to his lips and took one sip. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Merry made a face and instantly started to cough. The small sip was too much for him. He instantly started to cough, placing the glass down. Merry placed the glass down and held his hand to his mouth.

The coughs echoed around the house. He coughed for the next few seconds and stopped. The whiskey was too strong for him. But Merry did not care. He knew that the first sip was always the strongest. So, he picked the cup up again and took another swig.

This time, it took much less effect. Yet it was still strong. Merry's eyes started to droop. The whiskey was taking effect on him already.

"Maybe I should go back to bed" he thought.

But then he looked at the glass. There was still a lot of whiskey left.

"But then, it would be such a waste"

Merry didn't know what to do. He couldn't put the cork back in. That would ruin a perfectly good and expensive whiskey. Merry took the glass. He looked inside and took a deep breath. This made him yawn.

There was nothing for it. He was too tired to stay up.

"I'll put it away in the morning" he said.

He then put the glass down and headed for the door. He walked though into the corridor and closed the door. Merry left the candles burning as the door clicked.

Merry headed back to his dark room. His bed was unmade as he walked up to it. He sat down on the bed and swooped his legs in. He then pulled the covers over his legs. The duvet came up to his shoulders as he laid there.

Merry turned over onto his left arm so that he looked right. Outside, the day was slowly braking though. Yet Merry could not see it. The darkness above the clouds was lifting. Yet it was still not enough to see properly.

Under the clouds, a small cart rolled. Pippin was still driving. Dolly had been driving for a while, but she had fallen asleep. Pip now needed to plan ahead.

He knew that he and dolly needed the more rest they could. It was then that he got a plan. His plan was for Dolly to drive in the day and Pippin at night.

That way they were sure to always be moving. But the night was coming to an end and they needed sleep. The inn that they were heading for was only a mile away now. Pippin yawned as he steered the cart around the bend. The road was flat and straight for a few more miles. But the trees on either side of the road made it hard to see a few hundred meters in front.

Pippin was now only about eighty miles from Weathertop. The best part of another few days journey.

Weathertop was where Frodo Baggins was stabbed by The Witch King Of Angmar. Pip had been there as five of the nine Nazgûl had surrounded them. Pippin watched it happen. He watched the Nazgûl stab thin air. Five seconds later, Pippin saw Frodo re-emerge from the last place he had been.

If the sky was bright around Pippin, he would have known that he was coming up to the Midgewater Marshes. The marshes were breeding grounds for millions up on millions of Neekerbreekers. Yet it was too cold for them at this time of the year.

Pip was now only four hundred meters from the inn. But he couldn't see it. The building loomed into view. A small light could be seen in the window.

Pippin smiled as he rode towards it. He pulled the cart over to the right. The cart rolled to a stop. Pippin smiled. He got up and jumped off of the cart. He walked around to the back. Inside, Dolly, Origo and Diamond were still there.

"Dolly, wake up!" he said.

Dolly, who had been sleeping on the wood, slowly woke up.

"What's… what's going on?" she asked.

Her hair was in a mess. It was frilly and tattered. She looked around.

"We're at the inn, we need to get inside" Pippin answered.

So, Dolly got up. She looked around and saw Origo still snoozing next to Diamond. She slowly picked him up. Origo whined as he was disturbed from his sleep.

"Ori?" Dolly asked.

Origo whimpered sadly, but didn't open his eyes. He was too comfortable.

"Origo, wake up" she said.

Pippin then got in the cart.

"Is he alright?" he asked.

Dolly nodded.

"He's just tired, like us" Dolly said, smiling.

Pippin walked over to Diamond and knelt down beside her. He lifted her to a sitting position. Dolly looked at her. Diamond's lips were still red, her hair was in better shape the hers.

"Dolly, could you help me?" Pippin asked.

Dolly nodded.

"Of course" she answered.

So, she placed the whimpering puppy back down. Origo was placed out of the way. He curled back into a fluffy ball again. Pippin and Dolly were slowly moving Diamond closer to the edge of the cart.

"Dolly, stay here. When I say push, you push, alright?" Pippin told her.

Dolly nodded and stood behind her.

Diamond's head flopped to one side. Her face unchanged from when she was in the Shire. Pippin hopped back out of the cart and onto the snow. There were only a few patches now. Some of it had gathered up mud. It was not white now any more. It was in fact brown snow. It was getting slippery.

"Right, push her now" Pippin told Dolly.

Dolly nodded and pushed. Diamond was pushed to the edge. Pip was standing there as her legs came out first. Diamond then fell. He caught her just before she fell. Pippin quickly put her limp arm around his neck.

"Have you got her properly?" she asked.

Pippin nodded. Dolly then got Origo and got off of the cart as well. The ponies were left out in the cold, although it didn't bother them much.

"Get the door" said Pippin as he got there.

Rushing before him, Dolly opened it. The room inside was dark. No candles were lit.

"Are you sure its safe?" the woman asked, looking in.

Pip knew that there was a possibility of the men being hostile.

But what choice did he have?

Pippin knew that he couldn't go a day further without more food and more rest.

"We have no other way" he said.

So, he heaved Diamond into the inn. Pippin had never had the chance to go in. It was similar to The Prancing Pony. The bar was at one end. Glasses had been packed away. Pip could see lots of bottles on the back. There was a musty smell to in Inn. The windows were square and had curtains pulled over them.

The walls were painted, yet the green and gold patterns had faded. The strong smell of tobacco smoke hit his nose. There were small bowls filled with white, grey and place ash. There was one bowl on each table. The table was imprinted with rings. These were rings left from the beer that had spilled down the side of thousands and thousands of mugs and cups.

"Should we wait until morning?" Dolly asked.

Pippin looked back.

"Keep your voice down, we don't want them to…"

But something was coming. Pippin heard it coming from a door behind the bar. His heart rate jumped. The door slowly opened. A small candle flame hovered in the door way. But it was being held by a man.

The door creaked and stopped.

"Hello?" asked the voice.

Pippin stood still, hoping that he would be seen. But the man did not retreat and close the door. He walked along the bar, the candle flickered even more and he walked to the end. There was a small plank of wood at the end. The man lifted it up, walked though, then placed it down quietly.

Should Pippin do something?

But it was too late.

"Who are you?" asked the man.

He had come across Pippin and the others. His eyes were glinting in the candle light. He scanned Pip's face.

"Sir, we are in need" Pippin said.

"My wife is sick and we are on our way to Rivendell" Pippin told him.

The man looked confused. He looked from Dolly and Diamond.

"What do you want from me?" asked the man.

Pippin took a deep breath. He was nervous.

"We… We need food and water, sir" Pippin answered.

The man was still wondering if these hobbits were up to no good.

"What is your name?" the human asked.

It was the question that Pippin didn't want the answer. But then, he would never get the man's trust without answering.

"My name is Peregrin" Pip answered.

"Peregrin Took"

The man thought for second and then smiled.

"Well, well. Peregrin Took, the Peregrin Took"

The man laughed and turned around. Pippin looked down.

"I shall get you food" he said.

"And you may rest here"

The man smiled and walked back towards the bar. But he did not go back around to the bar. There were candles sitting in small holder.

Just like Merry, he placed the burning wick to the tip of unlit one. A second later, it caught alit. It flickered. The man did the same to a few others.

"I will get you some food to eat" said the man.

"I have a cook that will be willing to help you on your journey" he said.

Pippin nodded. He could now see the inn in clear light. It was a beautiful inn. It was in very old looking, like it hadn't changed in hundred of years. The carpet had lost nearly all of its colour from people walking over it.

There were pictures on the wall. Pippin looked at them. Each painting was water colour and had a ancient looking frame. Some had small dead bugs trapped at the bottom.

Pippin looked at one of the painting. It was on The Misty Mountains. Pip had wanted to go there ever since he was little. But now was not the best time to think about it.

The man came back from behind the bar with a few plates.

"My cook will be down in a minute" said the man, placing the two plates down.

Origo then came and stood near Pippin. Origo looked up and barked.

"I need turkey for my puppy" Pippin said.

He looked down at Origo and smiled. The pup looked around the inn. He wondered why he was here with Pippin and Dolly. Pippin then sat down at the table. He looked over at Diamond. She was still limp.

The man came back with knives and forks. He placed a knife on one side of the white plate and a fork on the other side. Both of the knife and forks were silver.

"What kind of food would you like?" asked the man.

Pippin hadn't thought about what food he would like to have.

"Umm" he said.

The man smiled.

"How about I do you a nice fry up?" he asked.

Pippin smiled. He liked fry ups. Pip would have one every time he would go around to Merry's

"Yes please" Pip answered.

The man smiled and turned away. He walked back and went beck though the door that he had first come out from. Pip's hair was tangled in places and looked very unappealing. Dolly's was the same. Origo's, how every, was as soft and dry as ever.

The puppy sat on the carpet at Diamond's feet. His little brown eyes were scanning the area.

Just then, without Pip or Dolly noticing, Origo stood up and walked away. The puppy made his way though the many tables and stools towards the bar. Origo sniffed the ground as he went.

The bar came into his view. It was made of dark wooden panels. Origo could see a bit of the light reflecting on the polished panel.

He then walked along until he came to the edge.

"I wonder if I can get my turkey though here" Origo wondered.

He looked back, but couldn't see Pip. Just as Origo was about to move, the man came back. Origo stood still, not wanting to be seen. The man was standing at the bar. The pup peaked around the corner to see a very tall man standing there. He was cleaning a mug and looking in the direction of Pippin and the others.

"Should I?" Origo asked himself.

He was wondering if he should get past the man. Without warning, a large foot came Origo's way. The pup moved his head just in time. Yet, the man still didn't see him.

The man walked past Origo and towards Pip and Dolly. Ori watched him as he walked between the tables. The curiosity was burning again. The puppy then started to move again. Behind the bar, there were bottle upon bottle of alcohol and wine. Glasses were lined on shelves as well. Two barrels were standing at the end. Both had a tap at the bottom. Attached to the tap was a cord that lead up to the beer pump.

Origo looked left. The door was open just a few inches. Yet it was enough for him to get though. Ori looked back to make sure the coast was clear.

Sure enough, it was. So, the pup stuck his head in to make sure no one was there. So, Ori slow went into the next room. It was a small hall with a small stair case and a few doors.

The pup stood looking up at the stairs.

"What are these?" he asked.

For the pup had never seen stairs before. He started to sniff them, wondering if they were safe. His little nose sniffed the carpet of the first step. He was so small that he could rest his head on the step. The pup licked his lips. Hunger was starting to talk to him again.

So, the pup walked towards the doors. There was a strange smell in the air. One of sausages. He looked around to see which door it was coming from. Ori didn't like sausages. Even though he had never tried them before. The smell was getting stronger nearer and nearer to the door.

Ori could hear someone chopping something.

But what?

Origo knew that he had to investigate. So, he moved towards the door. The chopping stopped. Foot prints came to his ears. Acting quickly, Origo ran and stopped behind the opening door. He saw a man walk out. The door was to the kitchen. It swung inwards and outwards.

Origo quickly ran though the door and into the kitchens. The pup sat there, looking around. He sat on the floor and wondered what he was going to do.

Outside, Pippin was still sitting down. He know had a mug of tea. There was a small bowl of sugar near him. Dolly had sat down and was now looking around. The two of them had yet to notice that Origo was gone.

"This is nice" Pip told her.

Dolly had not touched hers yet. The mug was much bigger then the ones back home. Yet the tea was just as nice. Pippin sipped his again. He looked over at Dolly.

"You not going to drink any?" he asked.

Dolly was looking at Diamond. A strange feeling of helplessness came over her. She wished she could have done something earlier.

"I'm not thirsty" she answered.

There was a small metal pot on the table. It was full of hot water for their tea.

"Its not all that bad, you know, this human tea" Pippin told her.

Dolly smiled.

"And that's coming from a person who has breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper everyday!" Dolly answered him.

Pippin smiled and drank up. The woman then placed her small had around the large handle of the cup. To a human, the handle was small. But Halflings only came up to the waists of a average sized man.

Outside, the sun was now rising. Yet the clouds lingered on. Pippin and Dolly had hardly slept a wink all night. And it would be the best part of an hour before they get into a bed.

In the kitchen, Origo was not sniffing the air. He could smell turkey in the air, but it had been a few hours since a turkey had been cooked.

"Where is it?" he whined.

Just then, the door opened again. Origo quickly hid, knowing he wasn't allowed in there. He waited there.

"What shall I do now?" he asked himself.

His little eyes surveyed the area that he was in. There was no other doors around. The door that he had come though was too heavy for him to open by himself.

He was trapped.

Back outside, Pippin was getting very hungry indeed.

"Oh, I have to get some turkey for Origo" he said.

So, the hobbit got out of his seat and walked towards the bar. But the man wasn't there. He had gone back though the door that lead away from the bar. Unlike most hobbits, Pippin could see over the bar. But only just. He could see the shine of the oak wood that made up the bar surface.

"Hello?" he asked.

The hobbit waited a few more seconds, but there was no answer. He looked back at Dolly. She was drinking her tea.

"Hello?" Pippin asked again.

He walked down the empty bar a bit and stopped. He wondered where the man had gone. So, Pip went back to his seat.

"Looks like I'll have to wait" he said.

Pippin looked into his mug. All of the tea was nearly gone. Pippin looked back at Diamond to make sure she was alright. She was. But Pippin still worried about her.

In the kitchen, Origo had now found the cooker. He was looking up at to see flames though a small gap. Ori wondered what these were. He moved a bit closer. It was nice and warm. The cooker was on four metal legs. There was a small gap under it. It wasn't took hot for Origo, then again, it wasn't too cold.

"Hmm, this is nice" he thought as he went further inside.

The heat from the cooker made Origo very sleepy indeed. He yawned as he laid down. The area under was dusty and dirty. But that didn't matter to the pup.

"If I just close my eyes" he told himself.

"I wont be long here"


	6. Day Three, Part Two

The puppy curled up into a fluffy ball. He had not felt warmth like this since leaving the Took's home.

After a few minutes, the pup was in a deep sleep. Neither Dolly or Pippin knew that he had gone. The cook then came back in the kitchen. Just like the hobbits outside, he had no idea that Origo was in the kitchens.

He was getting their fry up ready. Bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, butter, tomatoes, mushrooms and home made chips. The kitchen was filled with all different noises and smells. There was bacon sizzling in the pan and the noise of a knife hitting the chopping board after slicing though a mushroom.

There was then sounds of pans being put on the heat. The cook placed a few pans on the stove. He opened up the stove door.

"Hmm, needs more wood" he said.

The cook then took some wood from a small basket. It had already been chopped. The man placed them in the fire.

"That should do" he said, putting the last piece in.

He then closed the door and stood up. The bacon was now ready, the mushrooms and eggs were being cooked. The cook then got out some plates and placed them on the work surface.

The bacon was done, so he scooped them onto the plate. With the pan, he placed it down and picked up the sausages. They were pink and uncooked. They were in a small brown paper packet, just like Merry's had been. But these sausages were twice as big as the hobbit's.

The man then placed them down in the pan.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five.

Each one of them began to sizzle as they lay there. A bit of fat bubbles in the pan. The cook rolled them with a metal spatula. They were already starting to turn brown on one side. He left them to sizzle as he walked away. He was going to make some toast.

Outside, Pippin was getting hungry and impatient.

"We need to get moving as soon as possible" Pippin said.

Dolly had stood up and went to looked at some of the pictures. She had been standing at a picture of Minus Tirith. It was a sketch from before the great battle of

Pelennor Fields.

Dolly looked over at him.

"We need food and drink pip, we cant last like this much longer" Dolly told him.

Pippin took a deep breath. He knew that he had to be strong for Diamond.

"Yes, but we cant stay the day, we will have to get moving before twelve" he said.

Dolly nodded.

"Before twelve" she said.

The hobbit then made her way back to her seat and sat back down.

"Cant want for the fry up. It'll be the best meal we've had in days" Dolly said.

Pippin smiled.

"Yes, I know" he said.

His stomach was rumbling like it had been for the past few hours. Bread had been the only thing they could eat. But for Origo, he had nothing but a small bit of turkey.

A few minutes later, the cook came out with two large plates. They were full of all different food. Pippin smiled as the man put one plate down in front of him and the other in front of Dolly.

Pippin's mood had risen.

"Thank you good sir" he said.

The cook smiled.

"Enjoy" he said.

Pip and Dolly picked up their knives and forks. They then started to eat. Neither of them talked as Pippin started on his mushrooms. They were just as he liked them. A buttery taste. Dolly has started on her sausages.

The outside was brown, not burnt, but just right. The middle was oily and just right. Dolly took her first mouthful. It was the nicest bit of food she had ever had.

She could already feel the strength returning to her. The light of the candles seemed to brighten with ever passing minute. She had never been as hungry as she was and never wanted to be.

Pip had already finished half of his fry up. To Dolly, that wasn't unusual. His mushrooms had been the first to go. He had bitten into his toast a few times, but had left it. The butter had melted right into the brown toast.

He was now cutting the thin egg. The cook, yellow yoke spilled out. Pip whipped it up with the white bit of the egg and eat it. Dolly was now cutting into her crispy bacon. It crunched under the cutting knife. A small bit of white fat held on. But Dolly easily cut though it.

The only thing now left on Pippin's plate were chips and toast. The bar man had come back and placed a big mug of water for each of them. Pippin had every so often drank from his mug. Dolly had drank, but not as much at Pip.

The chips had been cooked to perfection. Yet he was let down by not having any bread so that he could make chip butties.

A few minutes later, Pippin put his knife and fork down.

"My, my, that was nice" he said happily.

Dolly smiled. She still had her mushrooms, chips and her toast to eat yet. The hobbit started on her chips. They had a little bit of salt on.

Pippin was sitting back on his chair. He looked around as he took a deep, satisfied breath. He was now feeling very happy. But then he saw Diamond again. The happiness started to fade.

Pippin had had a good meal, but Diamond was still in a state that he didn't want.

Meanwhile, back in Hobbiton, Estella had woken up. She was in her own home for she had left her mother and father's. Estella was planning to visit her mother and father for lunch.

Odovacar Bolger, Estella's father, was very ill. She knew that he would not survive very long. Estella wanted to spend as much time as possible there.

But first, she had to do some cooking. She was going to take along fruit and muffins for him. She knew how much he liked her homemade muffins.

So, Estella got washed and dressed. She then walked into the kitchen. Her kitchen was clean and in order. It looked better then Merry's kitchen. There was no dust or bits on the tilled floor. Her table was polished. There was a bowl of fruit in the middle of the table. There were grapes, pears and apples sitting there.

The table had four seats. But Estella had rarely had three other people for dinner. The table was polished oak, there were no rings of dry beer or water. For Estella had always used her table mats. Even for snacks.

There were no plates out, she had always washed them. Hobbit women were like that. They hated dirt and unclean houses. They always had everything in perfect working order.

Estella hummed as she put on her apron. It was a flowery apron. It was knitted by fine cotton. The apron was the whitest white in the Shire.

Estella opened a cupboard door and looked in. Inside were different sizes of pots and pans. Estella picked out the largest bowl. But, to you and me, it was a small bowl. Estella placed it on the work surface. She then got a whisk out. Estella closed the cupboards and took a deep breath.

She then want to her cellar. She had lots of jars and brown packets. There was a jar of eggs. But Estella only needed two or three. A few feet down, she found the sugar. There were small racks of different small bottles. Estella looked though and found the one that she wanted.

It was vanilla essence.

Estella smiled as she walked out of the cellar and closed the door. She placed the ingredients on the work surface. She continued to hum as she walked over to a shelf with books on. Most of then had no writing on, but some had faded gold letters. Estella picked out a book with a deep purple cover.

She took it out and opened it up. She turned the pages. It was a book full of cakes. All of it was had written many years ago. The pages were warn and some had been torn. Estella flicked though until she got to the cupcakes. A smile came across her lips. She flicked though a few more pages and came to the one that she wanted.

A chocolate chip muffin.

She walked over to where her ingredients were and looked at them.

"Right, so I have chocolate, vanilla essence, sugar"

She paused and looked back at the book.

"Ah, I some flower!"

So, she rushed back into the cellar. A minute later, she came back with a jar of white powder. She placed it down and looked back into her book.

Estella shook her head.

"Always something I've forgotten" she said.

She yawned and walked back towards the cellar for a third time.

Another few minutes and she was already to go. The cooker was hot and ready for cooking on. But first, Estella had to get the mixture ready. There were little cups of paper on the work top. The hobbit picked them up and placed one in each. There were twelve all together.

"Right" Estella said as she place the tray to one side.

She then got the flower, chocolate and sugar. On the side, there were scales for measuring. They were made of metal. She picked it up and moved it in front of her. There was also a box of weights as well. She picked them up. They were very heavy.

She picked out the butter to be weighed first. She got a spoon and started to scoop the flower and place it on the small metal tray resting on one side of the scales.

She put three spoonfuls on and then got out some weights.

"So I need" she said, looking back at the book.

"Two hundred and fifty grams" she said.

So, she placed a fifty gram weight on. There were more fifty gram weights in the box. Estella placed four more on the metal tray.

The scales were now lopsided. The flower was higher then the weights. So, Estella scooped more onto the tray. The weights slowly started to rise.

Every so often, Estella would check to see if it was level. After another few seconds, they were. So, the hobbit put it into a bowl. She then placed the tray back and smiled. She screwed the lid back on the flower. She then took the sugar.

Estella needed one hundred and seventy five grams.

At the same time, Pippin and Dolly were getting back into the cart. Pippin was struggling to get Diamond into the cart. They had past on having a rest. They would find somewhere to park on the way.

"I have prepared some food for you when you are on the road" said the man.

He was carrying a large basket of fruit, cooked mushrooms and sandwiches. Pippin smiled as he held Diamond up.

"Thank you" he said.

Dolly was standing near by as the man placed the basket in the back of the cart. Diamond was still days from help. The man looked around.

"Well, good luck" he said.

There was an awkward moment of silence. The man then turned and walked back into the inn. Pippin then lifted Diamond and sat her on the edge of the cart. Dolly was already inside and dragged Diamond carefully inside.

Pippin made sure she was safe. When he did, the hobbit went to the front and got onto the driving platform. The area where they had parked was bit. There were grooves in the ground where hundreds of carts had gone before them.

Pippin then unwrapped the reigns and started the ponies trotting.

The cart followed the two ponies as they turned a tight right. Pippin made sure that he was lined with the road as the cart picked up speed.

The cart and hobbits entered the road.

"We should be at Rivendell in the next few days if we're quick enough" Pippin said.

Dolly nodded as she sat on the wood that made the floor of the cart. Neither of the hobbits was shivering any more. Yet the cold was on it's way back.

But one creature was not going to be cold for quite a while. His name was Origo and he was snoozing peacefully under a burning stove. But he was not burning. His fur was fluffy and warm as he slept. Yet he was not the only in the kitchen. There was a cook in there as well.

He was tired and yawned as he made some toast. There were a few people in the inn. All of them were there for breakfast. Some had been wondering all night and were very hungry. A few of them had just sat down. A few of them had been regulars for many years before.

"What'll it be then?" asked the bar man as he walked around.

A few were already eating.

"Oh, just toast for me" said the man.

He had a very strong YorkShire accent. His face was wrinkled with a few freckles. His hair was greying, but was not entirely colourless.

"And what about tea?" asked the bar man.

"Aye, I'll be having tea as well"

The bar man walked away and went back to the kitchen. He opened the door and could smell the meals being cooked. There were loaves on bread on the work top. There was a cutting knife resting along with a half cut loaf. The bar man picked up the metal knife by it's wooden handle.

He started to cut though the crush and the soft middle bit. After a minute or two, there were three slices laying on the work surface. The man picked them up and went over to the cooker. There was a small grill over one of the massive hobs. The hobs were made of swirls of metal that were red hot. The fire below heated them.

There was only enough space for two slices. So, he placed the third slice down and took a deep breath. He had been up longer then usual. But he needed to do his job. There were people to feed and money to make.

After a minute or two, he turned the bread over. One side had been toasted by the heat. The other side was still white. He did this to other slice.

The man did not know that Origo was sleeping just a foot away from where he was standing. To him, it was a normal day. The same people and the same orders.

Apart from there had been one difference. Three hobbits had come in earlier that morning. The event had been on his mind all day. He knew the hobbit. He knew that Pippin had been apart of the nine that destroyed the ring.

Yes, the story had reached even the man who lived the furthest away. Most thought that hobbits were cursed. Others thought that they were now useful. The rest did not care for them.

Pippin had kept strong bonds with the men of Gondor and Rohan. But Pippin was now in trouble again and no one knew what had happened.

The day outside was still brightening. Hobbits in the Shire had come out. The markets had opened up again. The elders were sitting in chairs and swapping stories of old and stories of new. There were a few hobbit children running though the centre of Hobbiton.

"These young children, too much energy if you ask me" said one of the elders.

There were a few hobbit children out and about. Even though the snow had gone. But each of them hoped for more snow the next day.

A mother and daughter walked though the town market.

"Mummy, where's Daddy?" she asked.

Her mother looked down.

"He's at the Dragon, dear" her mother answered.

Her mother was wearing a very nice looking blue dress. Her hair was blond and curly. Her daughter's hair was exactly the same.

The mother smiled.

"Morning Rosie" said a hobbit.

It was Estella. She had made her muffins and was now on the way to her father's.

"Hello there Estella, how are you?" Rosie asked merrily.

Estella smiled.

"I'm good, just on my way to see Odovacar" she answered.

Rosie nodded. Elanor was looking up at Estella.

"Hello dear" Estella said.

Elanor smiled.

"Hello" she answered.

"Well, I better get moving" Estella told them.

Rosie nodded.

"Take care!"

So, the hobbit departed and went their own separate ways. Estella walked along the muddy road. For a human, it was very muddy and should be avoided. But for a hobbit, they were able to walk right though without worrying about having to clean their shoes. Hobbits didn't wear shoes. As you know already.

Estella continued walking towards the other side of Hobbiton. A few minutes later, she arrived at her destination. She knocked at the large round door and waited.

A minute later, she heard foot steps coming to the door. The door opened widely. Estella instantly started to smile.

"Estella!" said the old woman, hugging her instantly.

"Hello mum" Estella said merrily.

Estella's mother was called Rosamunda. She was old indeed, but in better health then Odovacar.

"Come in, come in. we cant have you standing out in the cold!"

So, Estella walked in. She knew that her mother was only trying to help, but she wasn't cold.

"I made these" said Estella, holding out the basket.

Her mother looked down at it.

"Oh, what are they?" she asked.

"It's father's favourite, chocolate chip muffins" she answered happily.

Her mother gave a cheeky smile.

"Did he ask you to make them?" she asked.

Estella smiled.

"Come though to the kitchen, Fredegar is already here"

So, the two hobbits walked into the warm kitchen. An old man was sitting still in his chair. His was old and had a small bit of his grey hair left on top of his head. Fredegar was already sitting down.

"Morning" said Fredegar.

Estella smiled.

"And morning to you" she answered.

Estella placed the basket on the table.

"Lunch will be ready in about an hour" Rosamunda said.

She walked towards the stove. There was a large chicken being cooked along with roasting potatoes. On the work surface were different vegetables. Some had been chopped and others were waiting.

Estella had gone to her father and was now face to face.

"Daddy?" Estella asked.

She held her father's hand. It was unusually cold. But her father didn't answer. Estella took a deep breath.

"He's been going down hill day after day" her mother's voice said behind her.

Estella stood up and nodded.

"I wish there was something we could do" she said.

Her mother placed a hand on hers.

"Don't worry yourself about it dear"

Fredegar was looking at the three of them. The table before him was set with four places. One for each of them. Four knives and four forks. There were also wooden table mats.

"I'll put these in the cellar for now" Estella said.

Her mother nodded as she stood there. As Estella walked away, her mother went back to cooking. The kitchen was hot due to the flames of the stove. It had a small round window lettering the light though. There were flowers in a clear vase full of water, roses. They were the deepest red.

There were shelves of books, just like the ones Estella had. Each was hand written. Most of them were hundred of years old. They were written by Estella's great-great-great-auntie's.

Estella had, a countless number of times, asked her mother if she could write them into new books.

"Oh no, it's too much trouble!" was he answer.

A few times, Rosamunda had read a wrong ingredient and made the meal inedible. But her statement still stood.

Estella came back out of the cellar. Fredegar was sitting back in his chair with his dirty feet on the table.

"Fredegar!" his mother said and wacked his feet.

"Owww!" he said, dropping his feet to the floor.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"How many times have I asked you not to put your feet on the table?" his mother asked.

Fredegar mumbled something.

"Pardon?" asked his mother.

Her voice was very strict.

"Sorry" he said.

His mother's temper was not as bad as it could have been. Fredegar then got up and walked out of the room.

"That boy had no manners!"

Meanwhile, the cart rolled ever on. Pippin was a little bit more happier then he had been a few hours before.

"We'll keep going for another hour, then we can have second breakfast" Pip told dolly.

Dolly was sitting at the other end of the cart. She was looking down the road where they had already come.

"Alright" she answered.

She had a strange feeling that something was missing.

"But what?" she asked herself.

The cart rolled over large stones and small holes. Each time, Dolly would get moved about. The ponies had been fed hey as they stood outside of the Inn.

The trees on each side of the road were leafless and bare. Yet the wind still blew though them. For mile upon mile, the landscape hardly changed. The road barely turned either left or right. Yet it went up and hill many, many times.

Pippin was starting to get tired again.

"Dolly, I'm getting tired, maybe we should rest now" Pip told her.

Dolly looked back again.

"It's up to you Pippin" she answered.

"Do what ever you want"

Pippin smiled and looked back. The two hobbit's eyes met. Pip then went to concentrate on the road again. He yawned again as the cart turned a shallow bend. There was a small, treeless area to the right.

To Pippin, it was a perfect place to park. So, he steered towards it and stopped the cart.

"Right, lets have breakfast and a sleep" he said.

So, he jumped out of the cart as Dolly opened the basket up. Inside were sandwiches full of crispy bacon. A bowl of seasoned and cooked mushrooms was in the basket also. There were a few large flasks of water.

"I think we should have the bacon sandwiches first and save the mushrooms for dinner tonight" Dolly told him.

Pippin nodded.

"We cant have too many sandwiches, we're still days away from Rivendell and we're going into unmarked territory" Pippin told her.

So, Dolly got out a few of them. There were many in there. Enough for a hobbit picnic. But they had to make it last another three days.

Pippin was first to take a bite. He chew for a while.

"This is nice" he said and smiled.

His sprits lifted just slightly. But a few hours later, they would be taken away from him again.

Origo, on the other had, was still sleeping. He was miles away from anyone and no one knew he even existed. But that was about to change. As the cook neared the stove, a plate slipped out of his hands. It hurtled towards the floor. A second later, it smashed on the tiles.

Pieces shattered in a million directions. Some went under the stove, waking the pup that had been sleeping.

Origo woke with a start and bolted out of the stove. He ran right into the cupboard before him. The cook saw a dot of black fur rush past his feet. A second later, he heard the bag.

"What's this?" he asked in shock.

He saw a small pup at his feet. It was whimpering. The man placed the rest of the plates on the side.

"Now, how did you get in here?" he asked, picking it up.

It's fur was nice and warm. The cook held it out. It was furry and a little bit cute. But he was still confused as to where it came from.

So, the man looked back to the door. He wondered if it was anyone's out in the bar. So, he walked towards the door. Origo rested his head on the man.

The door opened. The man walked along the bar where Origo had been a few hours before hand. There were less people there. Most of them had finished their food and had left. Yet some of the older men had stayed to talk to others.

The man looked around. None of them looked like they owned a young dog. Especially as young as the one in his hands.

"Alright, so I guess none of these people are your owners?" he asked.

The pup raised his head. Origo looked around. He knew where Pip and Dolly had been sitting. But they were not there any more. The pup then looked down and barked.

"Do you want to go down?" he asked.

Origo nodded. So, the man set the puppy on the floor. Ori then darted off. The man followed him quickly. He could see him though the tables going right to where he had been last night.

Origo stopped and looked around. There was no sign of them anywhere. The man looked down at the pup as he scooted out of the open door, into the daylight.

"Oh no" Origo thought.

"They've forgotten me!"

His eyes scanned the road. But Ori did not know which way they had gone. So, he started to sniff the ground quickly. Without warning, he started to run off. The man watched the little puppy run away.

"Hmm, what a strange thing" he said.

He chuckled and went back inside.

Meanwhile, Pippin had finished his food and was now having a drink.

"Well, that was very refreshing" he said merrily.

Dolly was eating slowly. Something was bothering her very much.

"Dolly, are you OK?" Pip asked.

The woman took a deep, thought filled breath.

"Well, ever since we left that inn, I feel like something has been left behind" she answered.

Pippin looked at her.

"I have the same feeling" he said.

There was an awkward silence as the two of them tried to think what they have left behind.

"I'm sure its nothing" Pip said, breaking the silence.

Dolly nodded and smiled. She then looked in the basket and got out one of the flasks. She unscrewed the top and drank. The cold water ran down her neck. She could feel it refreshing her already.

Pippin yawned.

"I think we should get some sleep now" he said, sounding tired.

Dolly nodded as Pip lay down next to his wife. Dolly laid down and tried to get herself as comfortable as she could make herself. She took a deep breath and rolled over to one side. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Pippin was finding it harder to close his eyes. Just a few minutes ago, he learnt that Dolly had the same feeling as him.

"But what have I forgotten?" he asked himself.

He started to get angry.

"Calm down, Pip, calm down" he told himself.

Pip started to take deep breaths. He knew he had to calm down. The hobbit turned on his side and looked at the wood that he was laying on. He heard noises all around him. Birds and the ponies mostly. His eyes were getting saw and heavy.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. Pip didn't knew if Dolly was already. He looked around, but she was facing away from him. Pip cuddled up to himself and yawned again.

The hobbit closed his eyes. The more he tried to get to sleep, the more he couldn't.

"Why cant I sleep?" he asked himself.

Dolly, meanwhile, was already in a light sleep. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was calm. She didn't know that Pippin was having trouble getting to sleep.

Slowly, Pippin feel to sleep. But it would be a very uncomfortable sleep indeed.

But there was one creature that couldn't sleep. Origo was still running. His little paws touched the ground three times a second. But it would not be enough to catch up with Pippin. He was not as tired as his owners, so he could try and catch up with them. But Ori did not know what way they had gone.

The cart tracks had now gone and the pup was all by himself. So, he started to slow down and look around. He stopped.

Was he lost?

Origo barked around. But there was no answer. The trees around him were like massive scary pillars. The pups ears had flopped down and he was whimpering.

"Hello?" he barked.

A bird was digging for a worm just a few meters away.

"Hey!" Origo bark, bounding towards it.

"Do you know where my owners are?"

The bird suddenly flew away. Origo watched as it fluttered into the trees and out of sight. The puppy looked down sadly. He was alone in the wild. The clouds were gathering over head. The wind blew on his fur.

The puppy then walked up to the line of trees. He was too small to see all the way in. There were tufts of long grass rising a little bit above him. A few small snow flakes fell near to him. It was a sign of what was to come.

Origo slowly made his way though the tufts of grass and came to a small, hollowed tree. The pup stopped and looked up at it. Ori thought for a while.

"Is it safe?" he asked himself.

He looked back around, just to make sure nothing nasty was tracking him. But he couldn't see anything. The trees blew around him as he slowly walking into the burnt out tree.

A few week before, there had been a large thunderstorm. A single bolt of lighting crashed into the tree, making it explode from the inside out. Wood flew everywhere. Birds that had been nesting close to the tree were scared away.

Yet no one knew what had happened to it and no one ever would.

Origo entered the tree and sniffed around. It seemed safe, he inspected a bit more. The snow flakes increased in number as the seconds rolled by. There were decaying leaves on the ground. Brown muddy sticks lay on top of the rotting leaves.

Origo, who had already had a good sleep, was feeling tired and cold again. He had yet to have anything to eat. The pup laid down on the dirty floor and curled up. He thought of the warmth that he could have still been in if it were not for that man.

But that thought was pushed out by another. Diamond came into his mind. He needed to find her. Even though Ori couldn't understand them, he knew that Diamond was in trouble.

The pup rested his head on his paws and whimpered. The wind blew even stronger then before. Something was about to happen. There was electricity in the air. Origo could see outside. Every so often, a small snow flake came to the ground. It melted almost instantly.

Back in Hobbiton, Estella and her family were eating their large dinner. Their plates had been full of roasted chicken, beer and pork chops, roasted potatoes, new potatoes and chips, boiled parsnips, carrots, spinach and peas, mushrooms and lots of stuffing. There were rolls of white bread and soft butter.

Each roast dinner was covered in rich, brown gravy. There were a variety of sauces sitting on the table. Apple sauce, mustard, mint sauce. There were bowls of all the foods that they had on their plates. It was not unusual for the hobbits to have more then enough food.

Fredegar, who was known as Fatty to most of his friends, had already finished his. He took a drink from his big mug and took a deep breath.

He then reached for one of the spoons and started loading his plate with food again. There was a small boat shaped holder which had cooling gravy inside. Fatty picked it up and poured it onto the food that was now on his plate. He placed it back on the table mats that kept the table in nice condition.

He picked up his fork again and started to eat. Estella was still on her first helping of roast dinner. She smiled as her brother started to eat again. She knew he had a good appetite on him, that's how he got his name. He was always much bigger then the rest of his friends, but not in height.

Estella finished her meal and laid her knife and fork down. Her father was still eating. He was the slowest and oldest at the table.

"Do you want any more dear?" asked Estella's mother, holding the bowl of roast potatoes for her.

"Oh, no mother, I'm alright" Estella answered.

Rosamunda placed the bowl back and continued on with her dinner. A few minutes later, everyone had finished.

"I'll go and get the muffins" Estella told them.

Rosamunda nodded and stood up as well. She gathered the plates up and placed them in the sink. She would wash and dry them later. She went back and got the knives, forks and spoons. She also placed them in sink.

Estella opened up the cellar door and looked inside. She saw the basket full of the muffins she had made earlier. She picked it up and stood up.

She came out and closed the door behind her. Rosamunda picked up the bowls and placed them on the side. Estella placed the basket on the now clear table.

"I made quite a few, so have as many as you want" Estella told them.

Fredegar smiled as Estella got out some of the muffins. They were large. There were white with chocolate chips embedded in them. Estella's mother had gotten for small plates out. She placed one in each place. Estella then put three muffins on each plate. Fredegar looked at his.

"Why have you given me the smallest ones?" he asked.

Fredegar looked at Estella.

"Their not the smallest ones, their the same as all of the others" she answered.

Fredegar was still not convinced.

"Fredegar!" his mother shouted.

"Are you being disrespectful towards your sister?" he asked.

The woman was angry. She marched over to him.

"You say your sorry right now!"

Fredegar was a little bit scared for his mother. Her voice was stern and intimidating. She was not a hobbit to mess with when she was angry.

"Sorry" Fredegar said.

Estella placed her own plate down.

"Apology accepted" she said.

Fredegar then picked up his muffin and started to take the paper cup off. A few crumbs fell to the plate, but that didn't bother him. He took a bite and started to chew. Estella and her mother sat down and started to eat as well.

Odovacar slowly picked up his muffin. His hand was shaking due to his oldness. Estella was watching him as she ate. Her mother took a deep breath.

"I remember when he could lift you up on his shoulders" she said.

"And now, he cant even lift a book"

There was a sadness to her voice. Estella didn't answer. She loved her father very much. She dreaded the day when he would finally go.

"But then again, it is for the best" she kept telling herself.

The family ate their muffins. Odovacar was only half way though his first muffin when Fatty had finished all three of his. There were three paper cups laying empty on his plate. Estella had only just started on her last. She broke a bit off and eat it.

The clouds in the sky were covering the blue sky. The sun had now past mid day. There was a dark cloud on the way. It held the day's and night's snow fall.

A few minutes later, Estella and her mother had finished. Fredegar was eyeing the basket again. He was still a bit hungry. He looked over at his mother, she was looking at him.

"No" she said.

"You've already had three and three is enough"

Fredegar took a deep breath.

"May I be excused from the table?" he asked.

"You may" Rosamunda answered.

So, Fatty got up and put his chair in. His father was now sitting, his head drooped. Fredegar walked out of the room. He had his own house, on the other side of Hobbiton.

He got his coat and walking stick, for he got tired easily. He walked back to the kitchen.

"Well, I'll be off back home" he said.

He walked up to his mother and kissed her. He then looked around to his sister.

"Thank you for the pudding" he said.

Estella smiled.

"Thank you for eating it"

The two of them laughed. Rosamunda shook her head and smiled.

"It was very nice indeed" she said.

Fredegar then left, sneakily taking one last muffin. Neither Estella nor Rosamunda saw this. Fredegar walked out, muffin in one hand, walking stick in the other. He opened the round door. The cold wind blew on his face. He took a deep breath and walked out. He closed the door behind him.

Pippin suddenly awoke. His heart rate had shot up and he had cold sweat on his forehead. He had the same dream again. The same feeling of helplessness.

The light of the sun had all but gone. Snow had been falling for the last few hours. Dolly was sleeping in exactly the same position. Pippin took a deep breath and put his hand to his head. This time, he remembered what the dream was about.

"I will not let that happen" he told himself.

"I wont let it happen!"

So, Pippin got up.

Should he wake Dolly?

He thought better of it. After all, it was him that was going to be driving. So, Pippin jumped off of the cart onto cold snow. He looked down. It was much deeper then the bout of snow hours before. Pippin shivered as he walked to the driving seat. His feet were already hurting.

Large snowflakes floated to the ground. The place where Pip was going to sit was wet and cold. He wiped the snow away with his bare hands. He could see his breath again. The light from the sun had not completely gone down yet. A small hint of blueness above the clouds was the only sign that night was winning.

The cart started to move again. The wheels left an imprint in the soft snow like before. The road was no less bumpy then before they left.

Pippin, every so often, wiped his face. The snowflakes were making it hard for Pippin to see. This was made even more difficult by the receding light.

But Pip carried on regardless.

It was going to be a long night.


	7. Day Four, Part One

The night seemed colder then before. The lake in Hobbiton had a thin crisp layer of ice on it. It looked strange, snow flakes were hitting it, yet they were melting slow, instead of falling in liquid water. The fish that lived in the water of the lake came up to the surface. But they could not take breath.

There were small air bubbles trapped under the sheet of ice. The fish would come to the surface, take a breath and then dart back down. The bottom of the lake was warmer then the surface. Hundreds of fish were gathered there. The bottom of the lake had silt built up. There were rotting logs, good homes for newts and frogs.

Crucian carp and small trout lived in the murky water too. Remnants of water lilies remained at the bottom. Small oxygen bubbles rose though the silt. Pillars of weeds swayed in the calm water.

On the surface, the fox was exploring. It looked around and sniffed the ground. It looked around suddenly, something was coming near to him. The foxes ears shot up, it stood still like a snow statue. The wind around him blew. A figure could be seen walking around. It too stopped.

Neither of them moved. It was a stand off. But the stand off didn't last. The second creature moved on. This creature was another fox. An enemy of the first fox.

So, the first fox followed the second. Closer and closer he got. But the other heard him coming. He looked around. The two of them had the exact same objection. To keep their territory and get rid of the other.

The two animals were now a few meters apart. Snow continued to fall from the black sky. The circled each other. Their paw prints were showing in the soft snow.

Neither of them would back out from a fight now. They growled at each other, trying to be intimidating. But they were not. One of then drove forward, but stopped a spilt second later. They were close to fighting now.

The Great East Road was snow covered. More and more snow fell to earth. Pippin was still driving the cart. His eyes were heavy and the coldness was getting to him. Every so often, he would fall asleep. Not a for a long time, seconds at the most. But it was enough to annoy him.

"I cant do this much longer" he told himself.

But he willed himself to go on. Every minute felt like hours. The snow was hitting his face. His skin was numb with cold. The hobbit couldn't hold the reigns any longer.

In fact, he couldn't even feel himself holding it. The pony's were faring much better then he was. They continued on, the coldness didn't effect them. They kept their head's down and battled though the relentless snow.

Dolly was still sleeping. She was sleeping as peacefully as she could. But the coldness was getting to her. The wind blew on her face. The coldness felt like small daggers every time she breathed.

She coughed, the air tickled the back of her throat. Pip was still driving as Dolly slowly sat up. She could see some snow flakes resting on his back and shoulders. A few snow flakes made their way into the cart. They met either the wood, Diamond or Dolly. The fabric that made up the outside of the cart was flapping in the wind. Dolly could hear the snow flakes impacting on it.

"Pippin?" asked Dolly.

She yawned and sat up. Pip looked back.

"Dolly, you awake?" he asked.

His voice was trying to soften the fact that he was now very cold.

"Yes" she answered.

She crawled past Diamond and sat near the front.

"It's dark" Dolly pointed out.

"How long have I…?" she asked, stopping mid sentence.

"A few hours" Pip answered.

He quickly glanced to the side. He was hiding something. Dolly yawned again. She sat back and rubbed her arms. Even though she had a blanket on, she was still freezing cold. There were small goose bumps all over her arm.

"Pip, I should start to drive soon, you need your rest" Dolly said.

Pippin looked around.

"Just… Just a few more min… minutes" he said.

His lips were blue, his fingers were so cold that they were stiff. They hurt him with every bump on the road. Pippin coughed. He was getting ill in the coldness.

"D…Dolly" Pippin said.

The hobbit looked up. Pip then stopped the cart. He was sure that there were no carts coming on the road. The hobbit slowly looked around.

"Are you sure… sure you want to drive?" he asked.

Dolly looked out of the cart.

"Should we wait until the snow stops?" she asked.

Pippin looked around. Some of his hair was sticking to his face. The wind blew the remainder around, onto his face.

"I think that's a good idea" he answered.

He slowly got off of the seat. He got onto the now very deep snow. His feet hurt as Dolly came around the side of the cart. She place a hand of Pip's shoulder as she walked past.

Pippin slowly got onto the cart. Every bone and muscle hurt him. They were hurting so much that he was twice as slow as normal. He sat on the cart and took a deep breath. He didn't have the power to lift his own legs any more. He placed his hands under one leg and lifted it.

The pain hurt him. It showed on his face. His other leg dangled. He slowly lifted that one on as well.

"Are you on?" asked Dolly.

"Yes" Pippin said.

He heaved himself further on as the cart started to roll. Dolly steered the cart and set it on the road. Her hands were not as cold as Pip's hands. But they soon succumbed to the coldness.

The snow relentlessly bore down on them. Everyone else had gone into shelter. Their houses were warm. The snow had been kept out by the walls and windows. Some of the houses were very old, built well before anyone could remember. There were one or two abandoned cottages now and again. Their windows and doors had been taken away and used elsewhere.

Some houses and cottage had lights on. But they were very faint. The fires had been left on all night due to the coldness outside. The coldness was getting worse and worse day by day.

Dolly was not getting very cold. Her hands had gone colder then Pippin's did. Dolly's head had started to droop. Pippin was already in a deep sleep with no plans of waking up.

The cart came back as house. Dolly accidently let go of the reigns. The ponies stopped in the deep snow.

There was a house a short distance away. One of the man was still awake. He was looking out of the window. The snow was blocking his view, yet he could still see the road. It was then he saw it. A shadow of a ponies and cart. The natural light was low, but was enough to make him see.

The man took a long look. Questions were running around his tired head. His feet had shoes on, unlike the hobbits in the cart. So, the man got up from his nice chair. He place the book upside down as to not to have lost his page.

He walked down to the front door. But, before opening it, he put on his coat and scarf. He took a deep breath and opened up the door.

The coldness hit the man's cheeks. He took another deep breath and the coldness hit him. He walked out and closed the door. He took a few steps into the coldness. After about ten more seconds, the coldness got to his chest. The snow hit his face, numbness started to come to him.

The path that lay on the ground was now covered. Grass was under snow too. The snow crunched underneath his feet at he got to the road. There was no gate or hedge dividing his garden from the road. But there was no need.

The road was rarely used to stop at.

The cart was a few meters away from where the man was. He could see the small figure of Dolly curled up. Snow was covering her up. The man then ran around to the other side. The snow flakes were coming down as hard as ever.

"My god" he said.

He knew that he needed to get her into the warm. So, he took her off. He then looked at the cart.

"I'll check it when I come back" he said.

So, the man lifted Dolly up and quickly walked back to his house. He opened the door as quickly as he could. The door opened and the warmth hit him.

The man went into the lounge and placed the hobbit on the floor. Dolly's lips were blue.

"I'll be back in a second" he said.

The man hoped that she was the only one out in the cold. But he was wrong. There were two other hobbits out there. The man rushed out again. The coldness didn't get him the second time around. But he could still feel it.

The ponies were still standing there. The cart stood behind them. The top was covered in snow. The human then went to the back where Pippin had got in.

The human opened up the back and saw two bodies laying there. Neither of them were move. So, the man got in. There was a male and a female laying there. Both of them looked in a bad way. The man walked over to the male.

"What?" he asked.

He then looked over at female. Her stomach was larger then normal. It took the man a few seconds to figure out what it was.

Without a second thought, he went over to Diamond. He lifted her up. Her body was cold.

"Come on, lets get you inside" he said, getting out of the cart.

He held Diamond in both arms and carried her though the snow. The flakes were large. They covered the ground like a blanket. The snow now had foot prints in it. A few blades of grass could be seen though the prints. But they would soon be buried under the snow again.

The man walked into the house. Dolly was already coming around, but she didn't get up. The man placed Diamond down next to her and walked out.

Dolly opened her eyes. She started to cough. The hobbit looked around. She was in a strange place.

"Pip?" she asked.

But there no answer. Dolly realised that the coldness had gone now. She turned her head to the right. There was strange carpet under her. It was dark red in places, yet it had dark green and dark yellow as well.

A table stood to the left, Diamond lay to the left as well. The man then came back in. He was holding Pippin. He went and placed him down. Pippin's eyes were closed.

"Pippin?" Dolly asked.

But there was no answer.

"Your awake?" asked the man.

Dolly looked up at the man. She slowly put her hand on the carpet and pushed herself up. She sat up as she continued to look at the man standing there.

"What happened?" asked Dolly.

Her eyes were still not used to the light of the candles around her. They flickered in invisible wind.

"You were out in that there snow" said the man.

He had a strong YorkShire accent. An lit pipe and open book lay on his seat. The smell of tobacco smoke filled the room. The window was dark and reflecting the light of the candles. There was a small table in the middle of the room. There was a mug on there which was once home to the man's ale.

"W…Why?" asked Dolly.

Her looked around. Pippin and Diamond lay next to her on either side.

"I don't know, neither of you look at your best" said the man, his eyes darted to the two other hobbits.

Dolly looked over at Diamond. Memories started flooding back to her.

"We were on our way to… to… to Rivendell" Dolly told him.

She looked over at Diamond.

"Diamond needs Elven help" she told him.

The man looked confused.

"But Rivendell is days journey away from here. If she needs help, I could send a message to them" he said.

Dolly was confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The man smiled.

"I am friends with the Elven king. I have been to Rivendell many times before this date. I have a horse that I will use to send a message"

Just then, Pippin groaned. He was still very sore and stiff from the cold. The man smiled.

"It's good to see that your up" the man said.

Pippin stopped suddenly. He heard the man's voice.

"Pippin?" a female voice asked.

Pip had his hand on his forehead. He had a stuffy nose, making it harder to breath. Pippin slowly lifted his head and looked towards the man. The hobbit had fallen silent, his mind was full of questions.

"What is your name?" the man asked.

Pippin wasn't sure if he should tell the man. After all, Pip had come across some men that hated hobbits.

Could Pippin trust this one?

It was not himself that Pippin was worried about. His wife was laying there.

"Why?" Pip asked.

He had water dripping off of his hair.

The man smiled.

"Do not worry, I will not hurt you" the man told him.

But, even with his word, Pip could not trust him. The hobbit looked over at Dolly. She looked back at him.

"Pippin, we need to get to Rivendell as soon as possible" she said.

Dolly had now made up her mind. She was going to trust him. But it wasn't up to her. Pippin still had to make up his mind.

"Yes, but how do we know we can trust you?" Pippin asked.

The hobbit and human looked into each others eyes. The hobbit could feel something. Something that would help him.

It was the truth.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"You said that you could send a message to them" Pippin told him.

The man smiled.

"Yes, I have a stable boy that can ride here to Rivendell in a few days" said the man.

He looked up and over to the window.

"Yet the snow will make it harder for him to ride" he said, more to himself then to Pippin.

The man started to think. He knew that the hobbits needed to get to Rivendell. But, they had shown that they cant make it.

"And… And he would do that?" Pip asked.

The man looked back at him.

"Yes, he will" he answered.

"But we should wait until morning"

Pippin slowly stood up. He felt dizzy. As he stood there, he swayed. Dolly slowly got up as well. She started to cough. Her throat was dry.

"I will get you water and food" said the man.

So, he walked out. Pippin recovered a short while after. Yet he was still a bit dizzy. But he was feeling better. He yawned and looked around. Everything was much bigger then he was used to. The fire place was flaming and letting out heat.

Pip's body was still painful, but it was getting better. The hobbit could hear the man getting plates out and placing them on the work top.

"Dolly, we have to get moving" Pippin said, turning back to her.

Dolly had been looking at the large chair.

"No Pippin, you know what happened to both of us. If we go out there, we might…"

But Dolly stopped. She didn't want to say it. But she didn't have to. Pip already knew.

"I know, but it's not us that I'm worried about" he told her.

In the kitchen, the man was putting two large chunks of cheese on each plate. There was a loaf of bread sitting on the work top too. It was freshly baked, just a few hours old. He took a bread knife in one hand, then the loaf in another. He placed the blade on the loaf and started to cut.

Crumbs started to fall off of the loaf. The blade cut though the loaf. The bread was half cut now. A minute later, the man had cut though all of the loaf.

He ripped the last bit of bread and placed it on the plate. He smiled as he picked the plates up. The man turned around and walked though the kitchen door. He walked into the lounge to see both hobbits standing.

"Here, eat this" he said, handing them to the hobbits.

Pippin took his and looked down. The cheese was red and the bread looked light and fluffy. He then sat down on the carpeted floor again. Dolly did the same. Pippin looked at the loaf.

"This doesn't look that bad" he said.

The man had left the room. He was getting large glasses of cool water. He turned on tap on. Cold water rushed down into the bottom of the clear glass. The water rushed over the side of glass. A few bubbles floated up to the surface of the glass.

A few moments later, he placed the glass down and picked up the other one. The tap was left on as he placed the other glass under the small column of water.

The sink was now wet with the water from the tap. Like the glass before it, the water filled up. The man then turned the tap off and picked up the first glass.

He then walked back into his lounge.

"Here you are, some water for you"

He placed them on the table. Pippin looked at him.

"I was wondering, what is your name?" he asked.

The man stood up.

"Gwerraent" he answered.

"My name is Gwerraent"

Pip looked at the clear water. Dolly had already picked hers up and drank. The water flowed down her throat and refreshed her almost instantly.

"If there is anything that you would like, just tell me and I'll get it for you" said Gwerraent.

Pippin nodded. The hobbit ripped a bit more bread off and started to eat it.

"I will be getting the stable boy ready" Gwerraent told him.

He then walked out. He closed the door behind him and walked over to a rack full of coats and scarves. He took a coat and put it on. It covered his arms and body, leaving his neck exposed. But, he grabbed a scarf. He wrapped it around his neck.

The coldness outside was looming into his mind.

It was another mile walk to get to where the stable was and he had no horses. The snow was too deep for the cart to move.

"Looks like I'll have to walk" he told himself.

So, Gwerraent walked towards the door. He looked back to see that the other door was closed. Gwerraent placed his hand on the handle and opened the door.

The strength of the wind blew on his face. A few snowflakes were being pushed against him. The wind made it hard to close the door. The man stood there. Wind and snowflakes pounded against him.

He placed one foot in front of the other and started to walk. The snow left his foot prints. The cart and ponies were parked a few meters away from his garden. Large trees grew all around. The land was considerably flat. The hills were shallow with rivers running though the hills.

But they were frozen over. A small bit of ice had been broken though by the water rushing over the stones. The day light started to strengthen. Yet the clouds were not going away. The snow kept piling on.

Some of the trees had collapsed under the weight of the snow. Branches snapped off and fell to earth. They landed in the snow, creating an imprint.

The branch was still in the snow. The wind blew in drapes across the land.

Back in Hobbiton, everyone was asleep. Yet, the foxes were not. They had a small hide just outside of Hobbiton. There, they lived. They made their homes in the, once was soft soil. The had dug deep into the ground. Inside, small fox cubs cuddled up to keep warm.

They had large ears and bushy tails. Their mother was laying next to them. The family was in pitch blackness. Warmth instead of coldness.

The cub played in the darkness. But to their eyes, they were in low light. There were five cubs altogether, two male cubs and three female. One or two were sleeping near their mother. The mother's chest was going up and down as she breathed.

She looked over at her cubs. She yawned and her ears went back. Just then, she heard a noise. Her ears pointed up as a creature entered.

She looked over at the entrance as another fox came in. the cubs instantly stopped playing. It was their father. One of the cubs stood up. But it's father didn't notice it.

The mother stood up as well. The small cub moved out of the way. The other four looked at their parents. The father had a bit of snow on his paws. But it was melting. The two foxes touched noses. The cubs then started to play again.

Meanwhile, the man walked though the ever increasing snow. The flakes were pounding his face. Yet he knew that he had a long way to go.

He was only a few hundred meters from the house. But it had taken him the best part of five minutes to do so. His feet were numb with pain. Snow had gathered on his feet. He stopped and lifted up his foot. It was heavier then normal. He chipped the snow off. It fell on the snow in a clump.

He did the same to the other. A few seconds later, he set off again. His feet crunched into the newly laid snow. Small blades of grass poked though at the side of the road. They waved in the wind. The trees stood firm in the gusts of wind.

Outside, Origo was in trouble. But he was not in the safety of his dead tree. He was in a mouth of a creature much bigger then himself.

The pup was being taken far away from the road. Flakes of icy snow was blasting at his face. There was a burrow a few hundred meters up the road. Origo was being taken to a fox burrow. The creature had Origo in it's mouth. The pup was swinging above the ground. Paws, dangling above the snow.

A few minutes later, a bald patch in the snow could be seen. It was like a black hole in the middle of a vast white sheet. The fox looked around, its eyes scanning the area.

It seemed safe.

So, the fox ducked its head and went in. Darkness fell around the puppy. Deeper and deeper they went. The ceiling then went away and they were in a large chamber. There, the pup was put down on the ground. The fox stood there. Origo looked around. The pup was starting to get scared. There were no sounds in the chamber.

"What's going on?" he barked.

Origo looked around. He knew that he couldn't get out. His ears were flopped down and wet. His little brown eyes scanned the area. Even though there was no light, Origo could still see. A figure stood in front of him.

"Where am I?" Origo asked.

The fox then walked towards him and turned to the right. Just then, small figures came in.

One figure, two figures, three figures, four figures, five figures and a final one.

They all stopped in a line as they saw Origo standing there. They were just as big as the pup. But they had pointed faces and bigger, pointed ears. Each looked like each other. Their paws were black, yet they faded to a copper red colour at the top. There was white fur under their bodies. It reached all the way to their chin. Their tails were black and bushy.

One of the six cubs stepped forward. Ori instantly started to growl. The cub's ears pointed up. She placed her paw back and sat down. The cub looked at her father. Yet he did not look back.

Origo looked from side to side. He needed to get to his Diamond. But the pup was now trapped. He was still very hungry. Just then, another figure moved. It was another fox, quite like the father. But this time, it was the mother.

She had a dead animal in her jaws. A rabbit.

Origo looked at the dead rabbit.

"What's that?" he thought.

The rabbit was wild and didn't normally come out at night and in the snow.

Ori's eyes followed the rabbit. The mother, also known as a Vixen to most folk, placed it in front of him. Origo stared at it. His little eyes trying to figure what the thing was. He looked back up at the vixen. She pushed it forward with her nose.

But still, Origo didn't know what to do with it.

The vixen then sat in front of her cubs. They moved out of the way to get a look at what was going on before them. Their little eyes looked at the pup.

"He's strange" whined one of the little foxes.

The others looked around at her.

"He smells different" said one of the others.

One of the other pup pawed his sister.

"You're the one that is smelly!" he whined.

The two of then started play fighting. A third started to play fight with them. They nuzzled each other. The male, which was the stronger of the pups, pinned his sister to the floor. He nuzzled her, making her struggle.

"Get off of me!" she whined.

Her brother got off of her. Their heart's were racing.

"Eat it" barked the mother.

Origo instantly stood up. His ears poked up. The pup was more scared then ever before. He missed his Diamond very much. So, he started to bark. The vixen looked around at her pups.

"Go into the other chamber" barked their mother.

They instantly turned around. The six of them scattered down the entrance. After a few moments, only the vixen and Origo were the only two left in the chamber. The dead rabbit sat between them.

The two of them looked at one and other. Origo's eyes were now used to the darkness around him. His stomach was very empty now. He had not had his turkey in a few days.

The pup was really weak. His fur was started to become dirty. His eye sight was starting to dull. The coldness around was even more intense then before. But his weight had not gone down.

"I need to go home!" Origo barked.

The vixen's ears moved. But she still couldn't understand what he was trying to tell her.

"Eat it" she said.

Origo whined and looked to the small hole that lead to the outside. The soil was wet where the snow had melted. A few worms had surfaced from the soil below. They wriggled though the roots and rotten leaves.

There were two chambers in the fox's burrow. One for food and one for sleeping. Both were warm in winter and cool in the heat of summer.

Origo started to walk forward, around the dead rabbit. The Vixen watched him. The pup walked towards the opening. The Vixen watched him. Wondering what he was doing.

Ori went out of chamber and up the small passage. It rose upwards, but it was not too steep. The snow was gathering around the entrance to the den.

The puppy stopped. He wondered if it was safe to go outside. His brain was working on a plan.

"Maybe if I stayed just a few more hours" he told himself.

The pup looked back. The vixen was standing there, head low due to the ceiling of the den. Her eyes looked at him. Unblinking and knowing.

Origo only had one choice to make. He had to stay in the den. But he needed his turkey.

In the coldness, a lone man walked though the snow. This man was a few hundred meters away from where he needed to get to. In normal weather, it would have taken him a third of the time to walk what he had done. A small hamlet was situated just a few hundred meters from the big road.

The man turned off. Now all he had to do was to find the stable. It was a few more houses down the road. The stable was a bit longer then a normal house. There was a small field behind the building, used to let the horses run free.

The building had a small house attached to it. Made of wood. The glass was clear. A small bit of snow settled on the sill of the window.

A small bit of wood could be seen laying on the ground. A snowy blanket covered it. On the fence that kept the horses, there were a few inches on snow. A plough was sitting on the edge of field. Yet it had not been used in a few months. Hard soil and dead grass was stuck onto the sharp blades. The blades were still sharp.

The man knocked at the door of the house. The knocker was freezing cold. The man stood there, both hands under their opposite arm pit.

The man took a deep, cold breath. He looked around, but no one else was around. The sun was an hour from rising. Yet the snow would go on long after the sun had risen.

Gwerraent looked around again. The door had still not opened. So, taking a freezing and stiff hand, he banged on the door again.

Inside the house, there was a man sleeping in his bed.

Bang

Bang

Bang

The noise met the man's ears. His eyes slowly opened.

Bang

Bang

Bang

It echoed around the house.

"Who's banging on my door at this time on night?" asked the man, getting up.

He had a night gown on, but that didn't stop the coldness getting to him. He left the warm bed to go cold. The covers were left to lose their heat.

The man, who yawned as he walked towards the front door. A burning candle, stuck on a small brass holder, was in his hand. He could feel the heat from it. The light from the small flame was enough for him to see what was coming.

The house was much warmer then the outside. Yet there was a cold draft running though the gaps in the doors. The man's feet were bare, making the coldness more real.

Bang

Bang

"Alright, alright!" said the man.

He went to the door and opened it. The door opened slowly. To the man outside, his body was shivering so much.

"What do you want?" asked the man from the door.

The man outside had snow in his hair. He shivered.

"Fradoc, its me!" said Gwerraent.

He came closer.

"My dear sir, come in!" said Fradoc, opening the door wider.

The candle flickered as more wind and snow drove their way in. Gwerraent walked in, Fradoc quickly closed the door behind him due to the heat escaping. The door slammed shut. The coldness the ceased to invade the house.

"What are you doing at my abode?" Fradoc asked.

Gwerraent walked in a few more feet.

"I have a job for one of your stable boys" he answered.

Fradoc was confused.

"At this time of night?" he asked.

"What for?

Gwerraent, who had been warming up by the second, looked over at the window.

"The sun will rise in an hour or so. There are a few hobbits on their way to Rivendell"

Gwerraent then looked down.

"They are in great need and have to send word forward" he answered.

Fradoc was confused.

"Hobbits?" he asked.

"From the Shire. The thing is I think it is Peregrin Took" Gwerraent answered.

There was an awkward silence. Both of them had heard that name. Both had heard many different stories concerning the hobbit.

"Are you sure?" asked Fradoc.

Gwerraent nodded.

"And you left him alone?" Fradoc questioned.

"No, he had his wife and another female hobbit" Gwerraent explained.

Fradoc fell silent. Thoughts were running though his head.

"Alright" Fradoc started.

"I will get one of my stable boys and he will send word to Rivendell"

Gwerraent nodded.

"I will be back at my home, sent the boy there first"

Fradoc nodded and turned around. Gwerraent had only just warmed up, but now he had to go out in the blizzard again. Darkness come around him again.

The man took a deep breath. He wanted to stay in the warmth. The coldness was too intense for him. But he had to get back to his own home.

So, he opened the door. His hands had just gotten used to the warmth again now. But now he had to go back into the cold and lose all the heat.

Gwerraent placed his hand on the handle. He looked around and then opened it. Fradoc was getting changed in his room when the door slammed shut. A cold draft entered the room a few seconds later.

Fradoc then sat on the bed. He grabbed his shoes and put both of them on. The floor below was made from brown tiles. The gap between was filled with hardened black paste. They were shiny, reflecting the light of the candle.

In another part of the house, three boys were sleeping. There were three beds as well. The boys were no older then eighteen. Each had their own name. One had come from just down the road, one had come as far away as Rohan.

All three knew how to ride horses. All of them were trained to work with them. The three of them helped Fradoc around his farm.

But, now because it was winter, the boys had to find other work. For they could not work on the land. They would have to wait for autumn to do so.

Fradoc slowly opened the door. The hinges creaked open. The floor was made of exactly the same type of tiles that ran all though out his home.

The man walked and stood in front of the beds. He looked at all three boys. Fradoc then moved to his left. The boy nearest the window was the one he had chosen to do Gwerraent's work.

So, he walked slowly and quietly over to him. There was a small table near the end of his bed. It had a book on it. The boys that he employed were not illiterate. They had been taught by their parents and other people how to read, write, sow seeds, ride horses.

"Wake up" said Fradoc, shaking the boy.

The boy's eyes opened to see Fradoc standing over him.

"Mister Fradoc, sir" said the boy.

He pulled the covers off and stood up.

"I have a job for you" Fradoc told him.

"I want you to go to Mister Gwerraent's house, do you know where that is?" Fradoc asked.

The boy nodded, but he was still confused.

"Is that all, sir?" asked the boy.

He was a little bit shorter then the man he was facing.

"Mister Gwerraent will tell you the rest, get ready and get on your horse"

The boy nodded and walked away, leaving the man standing there. The other two boys were now awake. The boy that was furthest away was now sitting up.

"What's going on Mister Fradoc?" he asked.

Fradoc looked around, candle still in hand. It flickered as he moved it.

"Nothing, go back to sleep. You have to be up in a few hours"

Then man took a deep breath and walked towards the door. The boy then settled back down again. The room was then thrown back into the darkness. The door creaked and clicked shut. Silence once again came into the room. There were a few patters at the window. The snow seemed to be coming down heavier then ever before.

"I wouldn't like to be going out in this weather" said one of the boys.

He turned on his side. The second boy smiled.

Outside, Gwerraent was now back on the Great East Road. He didn't seem to be as cold as last time. His body was generating more heat then was normal. But he was still shivering.

His house lay just three quarters of a mile away now. Every step was getting harder and harder. Every second felt like a minute. Every snow flake was like a small knife stabbing his skin.

Pippin and Dolly were laying on the large couch. Pip had found some blankets in a cupboard. They were too big for them, but neither of them complained.

"We should get one for Diamond" Pippin told Dolly.

Dolly had a strange feeling that she and Pippin shouldn't be there. It was a struggle to get the blankets. They had been on the top shelf in the closet. He had looked up at it.

"Pip, your never going to get…" but Dolly stopped.

"Yes I am" Pippin said, interrupting her.

He walked forward a few steps towards the shelves. There were seven wooden shelves from the bottom on the closet, to the top. Pip placed his hands on the shelf. It was made from smooth wood.

Dolly watched on as Pip placed one foot on the shelf below, then the other. He slowly started to climb. Dolly watched him. The wind rattled the door.

After a few more minutes, Pippin got to the top. He was shaking, the hobbit didn't know why. His hand touched one of the sheets.

"Just one more" he told himself.

He placed one foot on the shelf and lifted himself up one more time. There were folded sheets stacked on top of one another. Pippin grabbed one. It was a bit heavy, but Pip managed pull them off.

He threw them off. Dolly moved out of the way just in time. The sheets landed in a pile on the floor. Dolly them picked them up and moved them out the way as Pip made his way down.

Dolly moved out of the way and watched Pippin make his way down. After another minute, Pippin made contact with the floor.

"We should get some sleep" he said.

Dolly nodded. The both of them walked back into lounge. The candles were half the height when they were just lit. The wax formed solid drips, like a small water fall frozen in time. The wick continued to burn. The small piece of string coloured black by the heat. Every few minutes, it would break off and fall in the pool of melted wax.

Pippin placed a sheet at both ends of the couch.

"That should do" said Pippin, smoothing the sheets down.

Dolly was looking at the door. Something was obviously bothering her. Pippin noticed this.

"Dolly? What's the matter?" he asked, slowly walking to her.

The hobbit looked back at the door, she slowly turned her head. Hers and Pippin's eyes met.

"He should have been back a few minutes ago" Dolly told him.

The hobbit nodded. He then walked away, leaving Dolly standing there. She wondered what Pip was doing, but didn't follow him. Pip slowly made his way to the door. He could hear it clicking a few times due to the wind. He looked up at the door handle.

He reached for it and put pressure on it. The door pushed against him. A few snow flakes made their way into the house. A cold wind blew at him. The coldness touched his skin. It was equivalent to hundreds of small knives digging into his skin. Pippin could see the snow flakes building up a carpet.

Pippin looked around, there were small holes in the snow.

"That must be his foot prints" Pippin told himself.

There were a few prints walking down. Pip's eyes then rolled over to the cart. The horses were still standing there. He then took a deep breath. The cold air was sharp.

The hobbit then closed the door.

"Anything?" asked Dolly.

The door shut and Pippin looked back. He shook his head.

"No, no not yet" he said, stepping from door.

He took a deep breath and looked around.

"We should get some sleep" Pippin told her.

So, the two hobbits then made their way into the lounge. Diamond was laying on the floor.

"We should move her" Pippin said.

Dolly walked to the side of him. They both looked at her.

"Where?" asked Dolly.

Pippin looked around. There was a large, single seat chair near the fire.

"Over there" Pippin said, looking at the chair.

Dolly looked at it as well. She nodded as Pippin took one of Diamond's arms. Dolly did the same and, between them, they lifted her up. It took some of strength to move the hobbit to the seat. When it was done, both Pip and Dolly needed to catch their breath.

"Right, I think we should get to bed" Pippin said.

Dolly smiled and walked over to the sofa. The sofa was faded. Pippin thought it was once dark green. The sofa was as big as their bed's back home. He got into his side and covered himself up. Dolly snuggled down and rested her head on the arm rest.

Pippin started to flip over to different sides. He couldn't get comfortable. Something was on his mind. Something important.


	8. Day Four, Part Two

The hobbit finally settled down. He started to think back to the war of the ring. He could hear bangs on a large door. A vision came back, very vivid.

Bang

It echoed around him. There were people running around him. Dressed in silver metal.

"To the door!" shouted an old man.

Many men ran past. Pippin could see and hear the fear in their voices.

Bang

There it was again. It echoed around Pippin.

"Pippin, get away from the door!"

Bang

Louder then the time before. Pippin slowly moved away from the door. There were roars coming from the other side of the door. Thousands of orcs, hundreds of trolls and wargs had stormed the city. The men had been over run. The first level of the city had been over taken. The men, ordered by Gandalf, had gone to the second level of the city.

"Close the gate, do not let them in!" they shouted.

The men ran though the city, towards the gate. But there wasn't much time. Some of the men were trapped on the wrong side of the gate.

"Why is it closed?" one of them asked, banging on the wood.

It was made from solid wood.

Bang

The door gave way a little. Yet the men held it shut. Pippin and Gandalf were sitting down. Pip looked down. A tear ran down his face. He looked up at Gandalf. He had bags around his eyes. The wizard's white robes were dirty and wet.

"I didn't think it would end this way" Pippin said.

Bang

The door creaked.

The wizard, who was sitting down with him. He looked confused.

"End?" he asked.

There was a moment of silence.

"No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it"

He paused, his eyes glazed over. Pippin, who had been listening, wanted to know more.

"What? Gandalf?... See what?" he asked.

Gandalf smiled. It was the sort of smile that made Pippin feel safe in the mist of battle.

"White shores... and beyond" he told Pippin.

"A far green country under a swift sunrise"

Pippin looked down. He pictured the scene in his mind. He could feel the gentle breeze running over his face. The hobbit could feel his hair being blown by the wind. There were hills of green and yellow as far as the eye could see.

Clouds rolled over the hills. The wind blew the blades of grass and the towering flowers like invisible waves.

Bang

Pippin was sent back to the picture of Gandalf.

"Well, that isn't so bad" said Pippin.

His voice was soft. The hobbit was ready for what ever was to come his way.

"No" said Gandalf, smiling softly.

"No it isn't"

Bang

On the other side of the door, the troll was hammering on the door. Hundreds of orcs waited to storm the room. Orcs infested the city, out numbering the men twenty to one. But that would soon change.

"Pippin?" said a small voice.

It was far, far away. Like a voice from the far side of a massive chamber.

"Pippin?" asked the voice again.

This time, it was a little louder. But it was still too far away.

"Pip?"

The voice grew louder and echoed more. A hand reached down to his shoulder. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes.

He was looking at the back of the sofa. The candles were still burning. They flickered by themselves.

"Pippin, are you awake?" asked a voice.

Pip looked around. Dolly was standing over him.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked.

He turned onto his back. The hobbit then looked over at Dolly. But she was not alone. The man was back.

"What happened?" Pippin asked, sitting up.

The covers were still on him.

"I have sent a boy ahead of you, to Rivendell. He should be there in about two days" Gwerraent told them.

Pippin nodded. He took the covers off and stood up. Dolly's covers were folded up.

"How long have I…?" Pip asked, standing up.

"You've been asleep for three hours Pip" Dolly answered.

The sun outside was now up, but the snow had yet to cease. The ponies and the cart that Pip used to get this far had been moved up the road. The ponies were being taken care of by Fradoc.

"We have to move soon" said Pippin, standing up.

He was still very tired. Diamond was still sitting in the chair, her eyes closed. The blanket still covered her. Pippin started to wonder weather he could go on. He had come this far and Diamond hadn't changed. Her condition remained the same.

Origo was at the entrance of the fox hole. The snow had built up around the den entrance. The cubs were looking at him. Origo wondered where his Diamond was.

He had only been with the Tooks a few days. But he had already been accepted into the family. But now, they had been separated and Origo needed to find them again. But it was going to be hard. Even though Pippin had found it strange, he knew that Diamond had grown fond of the pup.

But Pippin couldn't help but feeling that Origo was trying to take her away from him. He knew it was a silly thing to think, but that's the way he was feeling.

The man smiled and turned. He walked out of the room. He turned the corner and walked to the kitchen. He entered the kitchen. Gwerraent was running out of things to give the hobbits. The plates that had been used earlier were still on the table in the lounge.

Crumbs lay on the plates. Pippin walked up to Diamond. He took a deep breath.

"We should be making snow elves" Pip said.

Dolly had been folding his sheet up.

"Snow elves?" she asked.

Pippin smiled as he took one of Diamond's hands.

"We have made snow elves every year since we have known each other" Pippin explained.

His voice sounded sad. Dolly picked up on it straight away. She placed the sheet down and walked over to Pip. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Pip, it'll be alright, you'll get to live your lives together. Back in Hobbiton"

But Pippin was finding it hard. He was beginning to lose all hope that Diamond would ever be the same. Gwerraent then walked back into the room. Dolly looked around. The man was holding two cups of tea. He placed them down on the table. Water vapour was rising from the hot cups of tea.

"I made you these" he said.

Dolly looked back. She saw the cups of tea and smiled.

"Come on Pip, lets get some tea" Dolly told him.

Pip took a deep breath and looked around. He smiled. The two walked over to the table. The two of them picked up their cups of tea.

Pippin was the first to take a sip of the drink. The warmth of tea ran down and started to warm him up. His spirit rose the more he drank.

The hobbit could taste the sugar in the tea. It was just how he liked it. To a hobbit, that much tea would have been enough. But to Pippin, it was too little.

After a few minutes, Pippin had finished. Dolly was still holding hers in her hands. She let the heat warm her hands up. Her fingers became quicker. She moved them. The coldness had made them stiff.

Pip placed the cup back on the table. He took a deep breath. The window now had light coming though. But there was no blue sky, it was dark grey, very dark in places. They travelled three leagues to the hour. The snow was being thrown from the clouds.

Trillions made their way down. A carpet of white stretched as far as the eye can see.

North

East

South

West

All were covered in a few feet of snow. There were black patches dotted on the land. They were the lakes. Black snakes crossed the land. They were the rivers, running over stones that had laid in their torrents for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands years.

It took but a few minutes for each of flakes to hit the ground. One floated slowly down. It started from a mile up in the sky. Like trillions of others, it was pushed ever onwards.

At the same time, Pippin was getting ready to leave. The door was yet to be opened. The hobbit was holding the sheets that they had slept in.

"Here" said Gwerraent, bringing out a basket.

It was empty.

"I have a shop a few miles down the road. I will come with you and you can pack some food from there" he told them.

Pippin looked up at him. A sense that someone was finally on his side was great. Pippin took the basket. He placed it on the floor next to him.

"How far is the stable?" Pippin asked.

"About a mile" Gwerraent answered.

Pip now needed a plan. He knew that he couldn't left and carry Diamond for that amount of distance.

"Have you got a horse?" Pip asked the man.

Gwerraent looked at him.

"Yes, but he is at the stable" the man told him.

Pippin thought on.

"Dolly, stay here with Diamond. Me and Gwerraent will get the cart ready and will come back for you, alright?" he asked.

Gwerraent nodded.

"We wont be long" Pip told her.

So, Gwerraent went and opened the door.

The snow flake was a few hundred meters from Pippin. It's course was going to make it collide with Pippin. But there was nothing it could do. The wind blew it ever faster to the ground. A small dot could be seen. It then grew into two dots.

The snow took a steep path as it got closer to the ground. A few seconds later, it was blown into Pippin's face. The flake instantly started to melt. But Pip wiped it away.

Shivering soon started. The house had vanished behind a curtain of white. Pippin found it hard to leave Diamond and Dolly by themselves.

But he knew that he had to. The hobbit and the man battled though the snow. Pip's hair was dripping with cold water. He started to wonder if going to Rivendell was a good thing.

It was then, while walking, his mind went back to the dream he had had back at the house. He vividly remembered the loud bangs that had happened.

Time seemed to become quicker as he walked. What felt like a minute was actually three. The coldness didn't seem to get to him. Hundreds of flakes hit him. Every step that Pippin took made him sink into the soft snow. The hobbit struggled though the battering wind.

He crossed his arms. He never thought that he would be in situation again. The last time he was in snow, he had been up in a mountain with Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Sam and Frodo.

But Pippin had to do it. He couldn't turn back, even though now he had a choice.

He could either turn back to the house.

Or

Carry on and get the cart.

Pippin knew that he couldn't turn back. He had come too far for him to give up. Diamond needed him and he needed Diamond. Pippin didn't know what it was, but Diamond was the only one that understood him. Pip knew that most people found him a bit strange. Even his friends found him weird sometimes, especially Merry.

But he couldn't help it. He liked making people laugh and could of no better way of doing so.

But, now days, he was a bit more sensible. His silly behaviour had all but stopped. His new passion was getting drunk. Every day if he could find some ale.

The Green Dragon.

That was his favourite pub in the whole of the Shire, probably in the whole of Middle-Earth. There was a table that he always sat at with Merry. Sometimes, Sam came along as well. Sam's wife, Rosie, worked there. But, due to her having her fifth child, she was allowed to take a few months off.

Another, younger hobbit took her place. But it was not the same without her there. Tobacco smoke hung in the air. A silver mist. Goblets of ale and beer sat on the tables.

The tables were old. Like they had sat there for years and years. There were small rings on the wood as well. They were over lapping each other.

But now, Pippin miles away from his home. Walking though thick snow.

"Down here" Gwerraent said.

Pippin stopped. The road snaked it way though the land. The hobbit looked down the road. The road looked like it went on for ever. There was no end to it.

"Come on!" Gwerraent shouted.

The wind blew ever onward across the land. So, the two of them continued onwards. Pip started to wonder how long it would take to get to the stables.

In Hobbiton, Merry was making his way to the Green Dragon. Snow was still pouring down from the sky. He had only been out in the snow a minute or two, but he was already getting cold.

At the same time, Estella was coming to find Merry. She made her way up the path. A figure came out from the whiteness.

Estella stopped to see who it was.

It was exactly who she was waiting for.

"Merry?" she asked.

The figure stopped. Merry stopped. He could hardly see in the snow.

"Estella?" he asked.

The two of them moved closer. The two of them were now a few feet away from one another.

"Estella, what are you doing out in the cold?" Merry asked.

The woman smiled.

"Trying to find you"

There was a moment of silence. Merry wondered what that meant.

"Why?" he asked.

His hand moved the hair from his face.

"I need to tell you something"

Estella was half shouting. Merry nodded.

"Shall we go to the Dragon?" he asked.

Estella nodded. She would have taken anything just get out of the cold. So, the two of them made their way down the hill. Only a few passing hobbits could be seen walking though the centre.

A minute later, Merry opened the door. He stood out of the way. Estella walked in.

"Close the door!" shouted one of the elders.

He was gathered around some more of the Hobbiton elders. Merry smiled and closed the door. The elders laughed. Some of them had clear glasses full of amber liquid. There were seven elders in total. All were the oldest hobbits of Hobbiton and the Shire.

"Over here" Merry said, walking over to the corner.

Estella followed her. The inside was much warmer then the outside. Candles burned, giving off heat and low light. Merry pulled out a chair for Estella.

"Thank you" she said, taking the chair and sitting down.

Merry walked to the other side of the round table and sat down in his seat. Merry looked around.

"I need to talk to you" he said.

Meanwhile, Pippin was nearing his target. From out of the snowy came a stable. The hobbit stopped and smiled.

"Is that it?" he asked.

Gwerraent smiled and nodded.

The two of them started walking towards them. As they approached, the door opened. Gwerraent smiled as he saw a man standing there.

"You made it" said the man.

He looked over and saw Pippin.

"The cart is waiting for you" Fradoc told them.

Gwerraent and Pip walked into the house. Pippin was shivering. The door slammed shut behind him. The coldness was shut out as well.

"All that's left is strapping it to your ponies" said Fradoc.

Pippin nodded. They walked though the house towards the back. But, unlike normal human houses, this one didn't have a back garden. Instead, this one had a stable, built behind a barn full of horses. There were ten in total. Each one was standing up.

A few had white patches running down from the top of their head, to their noses. One was black all over, there was a shine to it. There was a light brown and a dark brown horse.

The last pen was the home to two ponies. The ones that Pippin had gotten from Hobbiton.

"The cart is just outside" Fradoc told Pippin.

The hobbit looked up. The coldness was still around him.

Gwerraent walked around, to a door leading outside. He opened it and walked out. Snow blew at him. Gwerraent opened the gate. Fradoc placed to reigns on the ponies. He led them out. Pippin watched them.

A few minutes later, Gwerraent called Pip. The ponies were ready to move on. The snow was now passing. Yet it would be a few more hours until the road was clear enough to drive.

"Their ready" he said.

Pippin smiled.

"Thank you"

Gwerraent smiled.

"Your going to Rivendell? Are you not?" Fradoc asked.

"Yes" Pippin answered.

"We should get moving, my shop is not too far away" Gwerraent explained.

So, Pippin walked around the ponies and got onto the drivers seat. Gwerraent got into the back.

"Fare well, Peregrin" said Fradoc.

Pip nodded and smiled.

"You too" he said.

The cart started to roll. The snow crunched under the pony's hooves. The cart was driven out of the gate. Pip noticed that it was a much smoother ride then before.

The cart stopped. The snow continued to batter the cart. The hobbit turned the cart to the right.

The time was a few hours past mid day. The snow continued to fall from the sky. But, inside a small pub, there were two hobbits talking.

"I need to talk to you" said the male.

The female looked down. She knew exactly what was going to be said.

"I know I was wrong, but I do" he said.

Merry Brandybuck took a sip of his ale. He was very nervous, but everything he said was the truth.

"I don't know what to say" said the young woman.

She had a coat on the back of her seat. A plate lay on the middle of the table. A slice of brown bread lay on the table along with a block of butter. A small knife lay next to the butter. The butter had a small piece cut out of it.

"Don't you feel the same?" asked Merry.

Estella's eyes were light large marbles. Merry noticed the light reflecting off of them. Estella's eyes looked at the table. She was in deep thought.

She didn't speak for the next few minutes.

"I don't know, Merry" she answered.

She didn't know what to feel. Merry was nice, yes.

But was he right for Estella?

She took a deep breath.

"What do you mean?" Merry asked.

Estella now wanted to go home. She looked back, trying not give away that she wanted to leave.

"Merry, I don't want to talk about this right now" she answered.

This made Merry confused.

"What? But you wanted to talk to me!"

Estella looked at him. Her eyes looked at him. Merry locked into her eyes. He could feel, for the first time, her despair.

"I…I need to go" Estella said.

There was something in her voice. She was holding back tears. Estella got up from her seat and took her coat. The chair tilted back. It tilted back so far it fell on the floor. Estella stopped for a split second. But she didn't turn or look back.

She continued on to the door. The hobbit took the handle and opened the door. A cold wind blew into the pub. But, before anyone could complain, the door had closed.

Merry watched the door slam shut and looked down at the table. He wondered why Estella had treated him like that. He had spent hours thinking about what he was going to do. And then, when he got enough courage to ask, she walked away.

Merry took a deep breath, drained his mug and got up. He left the plates and butter. The door opened again, the coldness got to him instantly. But he had to go home.

Meanwhile, the cart was nearing Gwerraent's house. Dolly was looking out the window. She scanned the outside, wondering where Pippin could be. Snow was blocking her view. A small bit of condensation on the window. Dolly watched the small circle of water vapour.

Just then, as she was about to turn around, a figure came out of the whiteness. Her eyes darted back. There was a cart.

"Pippin" she said.

She was relived that he had gotten back safely. She now knew that everything was now being put into place. A minute later, the cart had been turned around and Gwerraent had jumped off.

The door creaked open. Dolly walked to the door, the front one closed. Standing there, was a man standing there. He was covered in melting snow.

"It's ready" Gwerraent told her.

Dolly smiled. She then turned around.

"Will you help me get Diamond?" she asked.

Just then, the door opened again. Pippin quickly made his way in. He shook his head, making small droplets of cold water fall off.

"We don't have much time" he said.

The hobbit walked quickly past Dolly and Gwerraent. He headed for Diamond.

"Come on!"

Dolly quickly walked over, Pip had taken the blanket off. It was now in pile on the floor. The two of them lifted Diamond. The hobbit was getting much harder to lift.

"Gwerraent, open the door for us" Pip said.

So, Gwerraent did so. The cold air blasted the three of them. The cart was a few meters away, the ponies were patiently waiting for Pippin to come back.

The two hobbits struggled though the snow. They went to the back of the cart. Neither of them talked, they both knew what to do.

So, Dolly got onto the cart. There were three baskets in there also. She wondered what was in them, but she had work to do.

"Dolly, help me!"

She then turned around and held her up. Pippin pushed her up. Dolly did the same. After a few seconds struggle, she was on. Dolly dragged her onto the cart further. Pippin ran to the driver seat. Gwerraent came to Pippin.

"Fare well, Peregrin" Gwerraent said.

Pippin smiled. Snow was still hitting him.

"Thank you" Pip said.

Gwerraent nodded and walked away. Pip watched him. A few seconds later, he started to move. The cart was now on its way down The Great East Road.

Also, travelling on the road, was a small puppy. He had been running though the snow for an hour. He was a few miles away from where he had started. His fur was now wet and he was shivering. But the pup did not give up. He knew where his owners were heading.

The small pup stopped every so often. He looked around, but still couldn't see them. So, he carried on. The snow was getting deeper. This made it harder for Origo to run in. All he knew was to keep going. He had left the safety and warmth of the den to find his owners.

But now, he was regretting it. There were no houses around. Well, not that he could see. As Origo bounded though the snow, he left marks. Small, puppy sized wholes in the snow.

The imprints of the cart were still visible, but only just. They were now small channels running though the snow. They were being filled in by the snow that was falling on it. So, the puppy picked up the pace. There were only two hours of sun light left.

Origo had a lot of things to do before he could find Diamond and Pippin. The pup needed turkey. But he didn't know how to find any.

If he came across a house, then he would have to get some food. But, until then, he would have to keep going.

Merry was now back at his home. He had a large cup of tea on the table. A map of the Shire was on the table. It was an old map. It dated back to the middle of the third age. It had been past down though many generations of the Brandybuck family.

The light outside had began to fade, yet the snow was still falling. Merry glanced over at the window. A very old clock was handing on the wall. It read six o'clock.

"I guess I should be making dinner" he told himself.

So, he got up, leaving the map on the table. The map was drawn in black in. There were lines criss-crossing the map. A larger line cross near the centre of the map. It went from left to right.

It was the road that Merry's friend, Pippin was on. But Merry didn't know this. He went on with his day, like nothing happened.

"Maybe I should look for him. I mean, he cant have gone far"

It was then that he made up his mind. He was going to go to Bree to find Pippin. Bree was the only place that he knew that Pippin would go to.

But now, he had to choose.

Dinner or Friend?

Merry stopped at the door of the kitchen. He looked back at the stove. The hobbit took a deep breath.

"Friends are more important" said a voice in his head.

"But then, I will need my strength" said the other.

Both directions seemed a good way to go. But only one was right.

"But which way is the best?" he asked himself.

He then started to wonder if he could do both. Eat and get to Bree.

So, Merry walked to the cellar. There was a empty basket sitting next to door. The hobbit picked it up and opened the door. The cellar was colder then inside the hobbit hole, but not by much. But, unlike the kitchen, it had no windows.

Merry walked down to the end of the cellar. There were loaves of bread that he had either made or brought. He picked a few up and placed them in the basket. Merry looked around, still wondering where he could take.

"I cant take too much" Merry told himself as his hand went over a wrapped up chocolate cake.

He tarred himself away from the cake, thinking better of taking it. He looked down at his basket. Three loaves were sitting there.

Merry started to wonder if three was enough food for him to get to Bree. He knew that the snow was heavy and thick. Merry knew that is was risky to go out in the snow. More so now because it was getting dark.

But Merry had to know if Pippin and Diamond was alright.

"Maybe taking a bag" Merry said to himself.

The hobbit walked out of the cellar. He closed the door and then placed the basket on the table. He then walked out the kitchen.

A few minutes of searching later, he found a suitable bag. He came back to the kitchen and placed the bag on the table. A feeling suddenly came over him. It came as he picked up the first loaf.

"But what if it's a wasted trip?" he asked himself.

His hand, with the loaf, was only a few inches away from the top of the bag. It slowly edging away from the bag. Thoughts were playing in mind again.

Should he?

Shouldn't he?

"No, I must do it" he told himself.

He lifted the loaf again. But the feeling came back.

"But what if they want to be on there own?" asked a voice.

It was then Merry got angry.

"Why cant I make up my mind?" he asked out loud.

The kitchen door was open, it echoed around his home. He pulled out a seat and sat in it. He placed his elbows on the table and held hid head.

He breathed deeply and quickly. Merry shook his head. He took one large breath and breathed out.

"What should I do?" he asked himself.

Merry was on his own. He hadn't seen his friend, Pippin, for three days. Every time he had gone to Pippin home, which had been three or four times a day, there had been no answer.

Anger was now growing. Pippin had been his friend.

But why had he stopped?

Merry felt alone. He had no one to talk to. By this time, he was on his own. The anger intensified.

"Right" he said, getting up.

He then picked up one of the remaining loaves and stuffed them into the bag. He then walked over to the copper sink. He took one of his flasks and turned on the tap. The water hit the copper. The noise echoed around the house. Merry waited for a few more seconds, then placed the flask under it.

Water spilled over the neck of the bottle, sending it in all directions. The water splashed all over him.

"Oh no!" he said, quickly turning the tap off.

Water dripped from his hands, arms and shirt. He looked down at his white shirt. There were drips of water soaked into it.

"Argh!" he said, placing down the flask.

He looked around, a tear ran down his face.

"Why is this happening to me?" he asked himself.

Drips from the tap echoed around him. But he didn't take any notice.

Drip

Drip

Drip

Merry looked back.

"No, I have to go" he told himself.

So, he picked up the wet bottle. A small ring of water was left behind where the flask stood. Merry turned the tap on again. This time, much slower. The flask started to fill up again. He felt the flask getting heavier and heavier.

After a few seconds, the water reached the top. So, Merry took the flask and screwed the top. He made sure that it was tight, but not too tight.

He them looked back. The pack was still on his back. He took the pack off and opened it. There was space in there for the flask and another loaf of bread. But Merry didn't go back for another loaf.

The hobbit placed the pack back on and walked out. He walked down the corridor towards his front door. On the left hand side, there were many pegs. One had a dark green coat on one of the pegs. There were no shoe racks for hobbits for they did not wear shoes.

There were baskets for shopping. There were also stick resting on the side of the wall. Merry took one. He looked at it. He shook his head and picked out another.

This one felt better. So, he put the other one back. The candles still burned as he walked towards the door. He opened it. The coldness hit him straight away. Snow flakes hit him.

"Well, here I go" he said.

He then stepped into the snow and closed the door. He walked towards his gate and opened it. He pushed the gate open and walked though. The force of the wind blew the gate shut without him pushing it.

Merry then started to walk down the hill towards the centre of Hobbiton. He had one last stop to make. The stable. He knew that the snow would make it harder to travel by foot. Ponies were the best thing.

It took a few minutes to get to the stable. The sun was setting behind the clouds. Darkness was setting in. The coldness was set to get worse.

But that wasn't a problem for Merry. The stable came into view. It was over the river, by the water wheel that was fed by the river. Merry continued to walk. The lake's edges were all frozen up. The snow continued to rain down on him.

A minute later, Merry was knocking on the door of the barn. He hit the door three times. He then looked back to where he had come from. He could see the lights in the homes of hobbits. The snow was decreasing, the distance that he could see was increasing.

The door suddenly opened. A male hobbit opened the door.

"What do you want?" asked the man.

He looked around.

"I need a pony" answered Merry.

The man grumbled something.

"Excuse me?" asked Merry.

"Come though, come though" said the man.

He opened the door. Merry stepped in.

"Follow me… err"

The hobbit stumbled. Merry took a quickly glance to the side.

"Merry" he said slowly.

The hobbit squinted at him.

"Ah yes, one of those… adventurers that went around with Frodo"

Merry looked down.

"Yes, yes that's me" he said, taking a deep breath.

"You going on another adventure?" the hobbit asked.

The hobbit looked at the man. Merry didn't want to answer.

"That is for me to know" Merry told him.

There was a moment of silence.

"Now, show me which pony" said Merry.

The man smiled and walked away.

"Follow me" he said.

Merry followed him, shifting his bag on his shoulders. There were no pots or pans hanging on the bag. For Merry had no need for them. He knew that it was too cold and wet to light a fire. So he didn't pack them.

The man led Merry to the stable. He opened the door. The coldness came though and hit them.

"Take the last one" he said.

Merry reached into his pocket. He held out his hand. The man looked back and saw Merry's hand. He held out his. Two coins dropped into his palm.

"Keep it" Merry said, walking around him.

The hobbit walked to the last pen and opened it. The pony already had a hobbit sized saddle on it. The reigns dangled down. They swayed slightly.

Merry grabbed it. He walked a few paces forwards and opened the other gate. He pushed it open. The hobbit then got on the pony. The pony stood for another few seconds before starting to move off.

The animal turned out of to the right and onto the road.

Merry was now going to Bree.


	9. Day Five, Part One

Night was now around the Shire. The snow had settled on the cold ground. Hobbiton was covered in a blanket of white snow. The snow was untouched by hobbit hands. But in a few hours, when the children would wake, it would change.

The chimneys on the top of each hill were smoking. The smoke flew with the invisible wind. It licked the edge of the chimney before escaping into the darkness. The rim of the chimneys had now snow on them. For it was too warm for snow to settle on.

A few small imprints in the snow were dotted about. Some were larger then others. Each went their own direction. Foxes were searching in the snow for food. Small birds had hopped though. A few of their tracks had vanished suddenly.

Most of the imprints that had been covered up by the snow again. But some had been made while the snow was stopping. So, they did not have a chance to be covered up.

Rivers ran though the land. The snow ran right up to their edges. The water scooped some of the snow up. The water was warmer then the snow around it. Some rocks stood out from the torrent of water.

A small bit of ice hung on the cold rocks. But the water didn't seem to was it away. Fish swam in the dead of night. They were safe in the bends on the river. Not many of their predators were out in the cold and time of night. They swam in water so cold that it could kill a human in a few minutes.

But, unknown to the rest of the peoples of Middle-earth, there were creatures of the day awake.

Winter had come and there had been no time to get the cart out. It had been folded up and placed in their cellar. Cake had not been made for the other hobbits in a while.

The children were now getting ready for Christmas. In fact, it was only fourteen days away. Lists of food were being made. Drinks were being brought as far away as Bywater. Bottles of ale, whiskey and beer were being shipped to Hobbiton. The Green Dragon was getting ready as well.

Every year, they would have a party. There were around fifteen small tables in the pub. Each one would have a large turkey in the middle.

Every year, The Green Dragon would host the party. Foods of all different sorts from all across the land. There were sprouts, carrots, parsnips, new potatoes, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, chips, pork chops, turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, crispy bacon, chicken wrapped in bacon, sausages, black pudding, beans, peas, runner beans, mushrooms, hard boiled egg, fried egg, poached egg.

All were in large supply. For hobbits could eat and eat and eat. But that was only the first of many courses though out the day.

Dessert was the next thing on the hobbit's mind. Cakes of all sorts and tastes.

Apple, carrot, cheese, chocolate, cupcakes, gingerbread, tiramisu.

There were biscuits as well. Cookies of many different types. All would be baked that day. For hobbits liked their food and they liked their food fresh.

But Christmas was days away. There was no time to think about it for Pippin.

But what did cross his mind was Diamond. He looked back into the cart every so often. He could see that Dolly had now fallen asleep.

"Like she didn't have enough sleep" he said to himself.

His spirits had been lifted after the rest he had had. Yet the concern for Diamond was still there. Dolly had covered blankets over Diamond as best she could. But she wasn't sure that it was good enough.

She glanced up at Pip. He was diving the cart. At this rate, they would reach Rivendell in three days. But they were not the only ones that were heading that way.

There was a boy on a horse. He had a message for the elves. One of importance. He had to tell the elves that Pippin was on his way.

It would be the first time that the boy had gone into the Elven town. He didn't know how to feel. But at the moment, he felt cold. Even though he was wearing a large coat. It flapped in the on coming wind. Some of the trees around him had been broken or snapped due to the weight of snow on their branches.

Some of the large, older trees had fallen across the road. The boy stopped. He knew that the cart could not get over it.

But the boy knew that he could wait for them for them. So, he had to go around it. The horse was stopped and the boy jumped off. He held onto the reigns and looked about the place. The roots of the tree had been ripped from the ground.

He looked at the large hole that had been made. Roots were sticking up, but there were no small creatures. They had all dug themselves deeper under ground.

The horse and boy stopped. He took a deep breath.

"How is the cart going to get around this?" he asked himself.

He looked at the large tree. There were snow flakes resting on the bark of the wood. But they were slowly melting. The other trees around were still standing. The horse followed his owner.

"Come on" said the boy.

The area around the road was rough and untamed. Rotting logs with wet moss lay there. Sometimes for many years, some looked like they had been there only a few months.

But all of them had snow piled on them like everything else. A few bits of snow still feel around him. But they were not from the clouds. They were from the branches above. Knocked off by the wind.

The man walked around the tree and onto the road on the other side.

"I hope they can figure out how to get past it" the boy thought to himself.

He lifted himself back onto the horse and started to ride off again. The horse galloped down the road. Trees rushed past him. The road bent around corners and up hills. Over small, icy rivers and though empty towns. There were stables, inns, pubs, many houses, armouries, mills, acre of farmland and forests.

The boy looked left every so often. The ground either side was snowy marshland. Weathertop was now only ten miles from where he was.

Weathertop stood out like a large pillar of rock. There were hills around the town. The fortress over looked a plain that stretched for miles in either direction.

Midgewater marches stood to the left of the road like Weathertop did.

But the boy couldn't stop. Rivendell was still two hundred and eighty six miles away. Pippin knew that Weathertop was close by. But he didn't know how far. Pippin started to feel hungry. He looked back, Dolly was still asleep.

"Maybe if I stop the cart" he told himself.

The hobbit took a deep breath. He could see it rising in the air. So, Pippin made up his mind. He pulled the cart over and made it stop. The wind was not the only thing that he could hear.

Pippin faced forward and thought for a moment. His mind was swaying all the time. But the thought of Diamond gave him a track to focus himself on.

"I cant fail her" he said to himself.

So, he jumped off of the cart. The snow he stood on was crisp and white. The wind blew into his face at he turned to look back down the road that he had come from. He could see the tire marks and the two sets of hooves. Pip took a deep breath. The coldness of the snow was circling his bare feet.

The memory of Caradhros came back. The same feeling of helplessness. Yet he had fear in him. But this time was different.

Yes, he was in control of what was going to happen. He knew that all he had to do was to drive the cart.

No, he was against the time.

Time was one thing that Pippin didn't have enough of. He wished that he could make time stop. But, that was just a silly thought.

But now, he was wasting it. Wasting the time he could never get back. So, he walked to the end of the cart. A small tingling could be felt in his feet. The hobbit then looked in the cart. He was tall enough to stand and place his arms on the floor of the cart.

He lifted himself up onto the cart. He sat on the edge and looked back. There were two baskets full of loaves of bread. Each with a white cloth over it. He reached over and grabbed the handle. The hobbit looked at the white cloth covering it.

A small reminder of home.

He slowly moved the cloth to revile four loaves of white bread. He picked up a loaf in one hand and looked at it while putting the basket to his right hand side.

He looked at the bread. Pippin tore a bit off. It was quite a large bit. Crumbs fell off of the bread and onto Pippin's lap. The crumbs ranged from small, to big. Light brown to dark brown. Pippin looked down and started wiping them off of himself.

He looked back. Dolly was still asleep. Or so he thought.

Pippin took a deep breath and ate the bread. He started to chew. The bread had a buttery taste.

"Hmmm, this is not bad" he said to himself.

He moved the basket into more and lifted his lefts up. The coldness started to get him again. It was much for Pippin. He had had enough of the coldness.

There were few blankets near to where Dolly was laying. Pippin reached for them, but he couldn't get them. He took a deep, annoyed sounding breath.

He sat back up again and put his head back on the cart. He closed his eyes. This mind was full of different thoughts.

But, a mists all of the thoughts and fears, was one scene that he didn't expect.

A song.

He could hear it playing over and over again. The hobbit closed his eyes. He could see states and a table. There was an old man sitting alone at the table. His hair was starting to go grey. His face looked old and warn. A plate was sitting on the table in front of him.

"Can you sing, master hobbit?"

The voice echoed though his head. Pip now knew who the man was.

It was Denethor.

Denethor was the steward of Gondor. But he was broken. Broken with power.

"Well, yes. At least well enough for my own people"

Pippin took a breath.

"But…"

The hobbit paused for half a second.

"But we have no songs for great halls and"

He paused again, this time, for longer.

"Evil times"

Denethor looked over at the hobbit. His hand stopped on a bunch of tomatoes.

"And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?" Denethor asked.

The two looked at each other. Pippin didn't like Denethor.

"Come, sing me a song"

He then continued to pile food onto his plate. Pippin then thought. A song then came back into his head. One that his father had taught him long ago.

"Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread, through shadow, to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight. Mist and shadow cloud and shade, all shall fade, all shall…"

Denethor had put a red tomato to his lips and bit down. The juice seeped down his chin. Pippin looked over at him. But they didn't meet eye to eye.

"Fade"

Pippin's voice was soft. It echoed around the large room. A tear ran down his face, he hung his head.

"I recognise that song" said a voice.

Pippin opened his eyes and looked right. Dolly had sat up and was now looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

He sat up, ripped loaf still in his hand.

"That song" Dolly told him.

"I… I know it" she said.

Pippin looked away.

Had he really been singing out loud?

"I sung it" he said.

"When?" asked Dolly.

She shuffled up to Pippin. Pippin looked upset.

"Minus Tirith" Pip answered.

"It was just before… before the battle. Denethor"

Pippin's eyes glanced forward.

"Denethor asked me to sing, so I did"

Dolly was silent.

"But, why that song?" she asked.

There was silence once again. Pippin couldn't answer that question. Even he didn't know why he had chosen that song.

"My father, when I was a little boy" started Pippin.

"He sang that to me, before I went to bed"

There was silence. Dolly looked over at Diamond. She felt sorry for Pippin.

"Do you want me to sing it to you?" Pippin asked.

He turned his head to look at Dolly. She looked at him. Her head slowly nodded.

"Upon the hearth the fire is red, beneath the roof there is a bed. But not yet weary are our feet, still round the corner we may meet: A sudden tree or standing stone. That none have seen but we alone. Tree and flower and leaf and grass, Let them pass! Let them pass! Hill and water under sky, Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait s new road or a secret gate and though we pass them by today. Tomorrow we may come this way and take the hidden paths that run towards the Moon or to the Sun.

Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe, let them go! Let them go! Sand and stone and pool and dell, Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead and there are many paths to tread. Through shadows to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight. Then world behind and home ahead we'll wander back to home and bed.

Mist and twilight, cloud and shade, Away shall fade! Away shall fade! Fire and lamp, and meat and bread, and then to bed! And then to bed!"

He finished his song. Dolly was as silent as him. She suddenly realised the journey that Pippin had come on. From that cheeky little hobbit who liked the out doors and everything in it, to a fully grown hobbit starting a family.

"Oh Pip" said Dolly.

She hugged him. Pippin smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile.

"Listen Pip, everything is going to be OK. That man, he had a messenger ahead of us!"

But still, Pippin wasn't convinced.

"But what if it's not going to be alright?" Pippin asked.

Dolly looked at him. She knew that Pippin's faith in himself was failing.

"Pippin, don't say things like that. Diamond is strong, you are strong. You've gotten this far in the journey" Dolly told him.

For a few seconds, Pippin had hope. But then, it sank like a rock that had been thrown into a lake.

"But what if I'm going the wrong direction? What if Diamond's needs are back at Hobbiton?" Pippin asked.

Dolly looked down.

"Do you think your doing the right thing?" she asked.

Pip looked down. He started to think.

"Maybe is was the wrong way to go" he thought.

His head rested on the cart again.

"Yes" he answered.

"Yes I am"

Dolly smiled.

"Then lets get moving" she said.

The hobbit then moved over and jumped out of the cart.

"What are you doing?" Pippin asked, also getting out.

"Driving, your going to get some sleep"

At that, Dolly got onto the driver's seat. Pippin jumped back onto the cart. Dolly looked back and saw that Pippin was in.

The cart then started to move off. Pippin had the second half of the loaf in his hand. He looked down at it. The whiteness of bread was no match from the snow.

"I have to save it" he said.

A small part of him wanted to finish it. So, he put it back in the basket. He placed the cloth over it and pushed the basket away.

But the half loaf was screaming at him to eat it. But Pippin tried to resist them. His eyes darted over to the basket, then to Diamond.

It was then that a different feeling came to him. One that he couldn't figure out. His mind started to go back to when Diamond first fell ill.

It suddenly hit him.

"Origo!"

His voice echoed around the area that they were in.

"Dolly, we've forgotten Origo!"

The cart then stopped suddenly. Dolly looked back.

"Isn't he sleeping near Diamond?" asked Dolly.

Pippin looked over. There was no little puppy snoozing next to his owner. Dolly, who had stopped the cart, jumped off. She rushed around to the back.

"We have to find him" Dolly said.

Pippin jumped off the cart as well.

"But, it's the middle of the night and he could be miles behind us" he told her.

Pippin looked back down the road that they had just come from. Neither of them knew what to do.

"But, he's only a puppy. What if he needs help?" Dolly asked.

Pippin smiled.

"I'm sure that he's fine"

At the same time, Origo was still running. His once fluffy coat was now soaking wet. He was shivering. A house was coming up on the side.

"Maybe I should see in that house" he thought to himself.

He stopped and thought for a moment. He then started to walk forward. It was quite hard doing it in the snow. He had to lift his two front paws out to move along. It took him a few minutes to get to the door.

Origo looked up at the large door. He barked once. So, he looked either way.

"Maybe no one is coming for me" he whimpered.

So, he looked around. The pup then looked down. He would have to wait for them to come out.

Origo then started digging in the cold snow. He made a small area and snuggled down. He shivered as he tried to get enough heat to be comfortable. He yawned and closed his eyes.

It would only be a matter of time.

Everyone was now asleep. Estella was tucked up in bed. Her worries were not on her mind at the moment. She had had a late night again. She had been around at her parents house.

"Is he alright?" asked Estella, walking though the door.

Rosamunda, who was Estella's mother, looked a little bit sad.

"Well, we're running out of medicine" she answered.

The door clicked shut. The coldness was not existent in the house. Estella and Rosamunda walked into the kitchen. A basket was on the table.

"I made you some of my chocolate bread" Rosamunda answered.

Sure enough, there were a few loaves of brown chocolate bread. Estella smiled.

"Thank you, mummy" she said, hugging her.

Rosamunda hugged her daughter.

"I'll have to make muffins more often" Estella said happily.

Rosamunda took a deep breath and looked away. There was something in her eyes that made Estella confused.

"Mum?" Estella asked.

The two of them looked at each other. Both had the same colour hair.

"I don't think your father has much time" she answered.

Estella look down. She thought about what to say.

"Well, lets just enjoy our time with him" she said.

Meanwhile, Merry was still moving. But he was still a few miles away from the great east road. The road that Pippin was on and that lead to Bree.

Merry's face was tingling due to the coldness around him. But he kept on riding. The bag that he had on his back had not been touched. Even though he was hungry.

"Cant stop, must get to Bree"

His bag got heavier as he road on. His stomach was acing due to having no food for a few hours. His mind was fighting lots of different things.

Hunger

Depression

Anger

Loneliness

His body was struggling to keep warm. His muscles were acing and he felt weak. So, he made up his mind. He stopped the pony and got off.

His feet touched the cold snow. But it didn't bother him. He slowly took the bag off as he looked around the area he was in. Merry opened the bag up and took out a loaf of bread. It was exactly like Pippin's. Merry placed the bag back on his back.

He looked down at the bread and tore a bit off. He started to eat. The bread was still fresh. But Merry knew that it wouldn't be for long.

Merry hadn't been out of the Shire in a while. He preferred the tranquillity of Hobbiton. He liked the hills and the small lake in the middle. But it seemed a long way away now. A long way.

Merry took another bite. He looked down and tore another bit off. This time, more of the white inside was taken this time. Crumbs fell on the snow. But he didn't notice.

When Merry had eaten that piece, he looked back down.

"No, I must save it for later" he told himself.

He then took the bag off again and opened it. He placed the loaf back and picked out his flask. He looked at it.

"Am I thirsty?" he asked himself.

A few seconds later, Merry had put the flask back and had gotten on his pony. But the hobbit didn't move.

"Maybe Pippin wants to be alone" he said.

The hobbit started to doubt himself again. Unexpectedly, the pony started to move. Merry looked down.

"Woo, woo, woo" said Merry.

He pulled on the reigns, but the pony didn't stop. Merry looked back, he wondered if the pony was spooked. But the pony seemed not to listen to him.

"Alright, go to Bree" Merry said.

He dropped the reigns. The pony galloped ever onwards. Merry started to think again. He was doing more and more lately.

This time, there were trees. Lots of trees, just like the ones that he was slow going past. But he was up in the canopy. Pippin was with him as well. The air was much warmer then the air around him at that moment.

A loud booming voice came though his ears.

"Little Orcs, burarum!" said the voice.

Merry could remember how scared he was. He remembered that he tried to run, but a massive, wooden had came and scooped him up.

It was of a creature that he had never thought existed. Even in his wildest dreams, he would never make up a talking tree. But it was not only talking, it could walk as well.

"It's talking Merry. The tree is talking"

"Tree?" asked the tree.

"I am no tree! I am an Ent"

Merry, who had been wondering what the talking tree was, finally got his answer. But he realised that he knew what this creature was.

"A Treeherder!" he said.

"A shepherd of the forest"

"Don't talk to it Merry, don't encourage it!"

"Treebeard some call me"

There was an awaked silence. Neither Merry or Pippin spoke for a couple of seconds.

"And… whose side are you on?" Pippin asked.

"Side? I am on nobody's side. Because nobody is on my side, little Orc" he said, taking a breath.

"Nobody cares for the woods anymore"

Treebeard sounded a bit depressed about what he had just said.

"We are not Orcs. We are Hobbits!" Merry told him.

Merry tried hard to convince Treebeard that they were in fact, nice people.

"Hobbits? Never heard of a Hobbit before" Treebeard said.

He thought for a moment.

"Sounds like Orc mischief to me"

Anger rose in his voice.

"They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning. Destroyers and usurpers. Curse them!"

His voice almost deafened the hobbits.

"No!" Merry shouted.

"You don't understand. We are Hobbits, Halflings. Shirefolk!" Merry told him.

"Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know"

Treebeard continued to walk though the forest.

"The White Wizard?" asked Pippin.

Terror was rising in his blood.

"Saruman" Merry said, he started to regret ever running into the forest.

The pony was suddenly spooked by something, making Merry snap out of his day dream. His hands had not been holding the reigns as tightly as he should have done. The pony galloped on and Merry fell off.

He hit the snow, his pack under him. Merry laid there for a moment, the coldness was coming back to him.

"Stupid pony!" he shouted.

When he looked up to see where the pony was. But it had continued to run. Merry was now alone in wild. But this time, it was cold and he was tired.

He looked around him. He didn't know where he was. The road snaked off though the forest.

"Where am I?" he asked himself.

His eyes darted around the area. The night was still going, it would be a few hours until first light. Merry wondered weather he should go home. But from the distance he was from home, he couldn't walk back.

It would be quicker to walk to Bree. But the hobbit stood there.

He thought back to the day before. He hadn't gotten any sleep since then. There was a small, snowless bit of grass though the line of trees.

Merry looked at it, then looked back at the road. He hoped that it wouldn't snow any more. So, he started to walk towards the snowless patch. As he got there, he looked up. There were lots of twigs above him, holding back the snow.

There were drips of cold water falling to earth. A drip landed on his face as he looked up. He wiped it away with his sleeve. Every so often, he could hear the drips hitting the floor.

The hobbit placed his pack down and yawned.

"Well, it may not be the best, but its something" he said, sitting on the wet ground.

The water on the ground started to seep into his trousers as he sat there. The snow was less thick in these parts. Some of the larger roots stuck out of the ground. The soil around was wet. It had rotting twigs and leaves buried under the snow.

In summer, it would have been crawling with insects of thousands of kinds. Some that crawled, others that flew. Some that not even Gandalf knew of. Some with six legs, some with a hundred. Each went about their lives.

But, now that the winter had come, they were all hidden. They had gone deeper underground. For it was warmer there then at the surface.

Merry however could not got to warmer areas. He was stuck on the surface. Merry started to wish that he had never left the warmth of his home.

But, here he was. Stuck miles from Hobbiton. He had food for three more days. But that was on pony, he didn't think that his steed would throw him off.

Merry took a deep breath and moved the bag away from him. He then laid on his back, the coldness sent shivers down his spine. The hobbit started to shiver more then before.

When Merry awoke, the sun had come up and the snow was melting. There was more drips then before. Birds were singing the trees. Merry yawned as he sat up.

He looked around. Marry felt the ground, water dripped off of his hand. He took a deep breath and looked at his hand. There were spots of dirt of it. Merry took a deep breath and got up. All of his cloths were wet and muddy. His bag, the one with his food in, was soaking wet.

"Just what I need" he said to himself.

He picked it up. Merry opened it up and took out the piece of bread that he had started to eat. It was wet and was not good to eat.

He crushed in up in his hand and threw it on the floor in anger. Merry didn't have to look in the bag again, he knew that the other two loaves he had packed would be ruined as well.

"Now I need more food" he told himself.

He looked around. He then started to walk towards the road again. The snow crunched under his feet as he walked onto the snow.

The hobbit stopped and looked down at the snow. Merry knelt down and looked at the snow. It wasn't as white as the night before. Merry scooped up a bit of the snow. He made a small ball and looked at. He smiled, remembering the fun that he had had last time.

Him, Sam, Pippin, Diamond, Estella, Fatty, Folco and a few other hobbits would all get together.

"It's going to be a good one this year" Pippin said as he made snow balls.

There were two sides to the game.

Merry, Pippin, Sam, Estella and Diamond were on one side.

Fatty, Folco and the rest were on another.

"It's just throwing snow balls, Pip" said Diamond.

She had a scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was unnaturally pristine in the wind and snow.

"But we lost last years game, its five all!"

Diamond smiled, her eye darted down to the snow. Pippin was talking to Merry as Diamond bent down and picked a handful of snow. She slowly made a ball.

"Pippin?" she asked.

Pip looked around. Diamond raised her hand and threw the snowball at him. Pippin had no time to react. The snow ball hurtled though the air and impacted on Pippin's face.

It took him a couple of seconds to figure out what had happened. Merry instantly started to laugh.

"Oh Diamond!" Pippin said.

His hand went and wiped his face. It started to tingle.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

Merry was bent over, trying to get some oxygen. Pippin smiled as well.

"Just practicing" Diamond answered.

Pippin shook his head.

"Well, just practice on the others next time and not my face"

He took a deep breath now, he was very cold.

But, something happened that made Merry come back into reality. A drip had fallen on his face again. The hobbit stood up again. His stomach was empty. Merry looked down at the bag that he was holding. He wondered if the other loaves were in fact alright to eat.

So, he opened the bag up again. He put his hand in and took out a loaf. Amazingly, they were dry. He smiled as he looked at it.

"Still dry" he said.

The bag dropped to the floor. Merry took a large bite. He started to chew. His spirits started to lift. But Merry knew that he could not get to Bree now.

So, he started to make a plan. It was then that he knew what to do. Merry had no money on him. So, he would have to steal a pony.

Estella was now awake. A basket lay next to the cellar door. But it was empty. It once held chocolate bread. Estella had wrapped the loaves up, apart from one and put them in the cellar.

She kept one out to eat. It had slices taken out of it already. She had had her breakfast and second breakfast already.

"Hmm, only eleven o'clock" she said.

She yawned as she cleared away the dished for the second time that day. She closed the draw and looked around.

"Maybe we'll have that snow ball fight this year" she thought.

So, she decided to visit Merry. Estella walked into her bedroom. The bed was already made, the cupboard where she kept her cloths was a little bit open.

Estella fully opened it and looked inside. All of the summer cloths had been packed away a month ago. In front of her were coats. She picked one out and looked at it.

"No, not today" she said.

She placed it back on the rack and picked out another. A smile came across her lips. She then walked over to her bed and took it off of the coat hanger. Estella put it on the bed. She put the coat on and walked out of the room.

Estella smiled as she walked down the long sweeping corridor. Her front door was lit up by a few candles that were hanging from a metal chandelier.

Estella opened the door. A cold wind blew at her. She smiled as she stepped out. The hobbit closed the door and walked away.

Hobbiton was busier then normal. There were many young hobbits about. The snow was quickly melting. Snow balls were being thrown. On the fields around, small figures were running about. Estella watched them as she walked down the hill.

There were many foot prints in the snow. Each had small toes on the end. Estella lived on the hill that flowed down to the centre of Hobbiton.

"Morning Estella" said some of the hobbits coming up the hill.

Estella nodded and smiled. She was on her way to The Green Dragon. She didn't know why, but that was the first place that came into her head.

A minute later, Estella opened the door. A smell that lingered in the inn hit her nose. She sniffed in, the oldness of the inn was all around her.

Her eyes started to dart around the small round tables. More then half of them were empty. But Merry wasn't there. Estella sighed and went out again.

She closed the door and stood there, looking around. The hill lay to her left. The road ran up and swiped to the left. Small hobbit doors could be seen a mists the snow.

Estella could see Merry's home from where she was standing. His door was closed. Estella started to walk back up the hill. Children were sliding down on sleds that they had made. For hobbit children were more skilled then human children of the same age.

Hobbits of every age were enjoying the snow. Apart from two.

Pippin and Dolly had stopped yet again. But, it was not for a rest. They had come across the tree that had fallen over.

"There's no way around it" Pippin said, looked at it.

Dolly had gotten off of the car as well. She walked to the tree. There were many braches left of her, but hardly any further down the trunk. Her hand ran over the tree.

"It's an oak, a young one by the size of it" she said.

Pippin nodded. He knew that there were no houses around. His hopes of getting Diamond to Rivendell were quickly escaping. Pip took a deep breath.

"Maybe if we can get some people to help cut the tree down" Dolly said.

But Pippin shook his head.

"No, there are no houses that way" he said.

"Well, not that I know of"

But what Pippin didn't know was that a group of men with axes were heading towards them. But it would be another hour before they reach the tree.

So, for now, Pippin was stuck. He had climbed onto the tree. He was looking down the road.

"I'm going to see down the road, see if there's any houses" Pippin said.

He jumped off of the tree, on the opposite side. Dolly walked up to the tree.

"How long will you be?" Dolly asked.

Pip looked back.

"I don't know. Just expect me when you see me"

The hobbit then started to walk away. Dolly watched his figure get smaller and smaller.

"Hurry back" she said.

Dolly then looked back. The two ponies were standing there. Dolly walked up to one of the ponies.

"I'll hope he'll be back soon" she said, stroking her hand on the pony's head.

She smiled and walked back to the cart. Dolly looked inside. Diamond was still the same as ever. It had been five days since she had said a word. It had been five days since she had opened her eyes.

Dolly was starting to lose hope. The tree a few meters away had slowed them down. There was no help around. The area that they were in had not been mapped.

Pippin did not know that Midgewater was a few miles away. It had been the place where Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Aragorn had crossed.

But that was many years ago.

Pippin had come along way since that. Not only travailing, but he had matured. He and Merry had grow up fast. And they had to have grown up.

For Pippin and Merry had seen things that existed only in fairy tales.

Trolls, orcs, elves, wizards, Nazgûl.

But now, they had been thrown back into their lives again. Back into the calmness and everyday life of Hobbiton.

But Pippin didn't feel whole. He felt like something was missing.

He wanted to travel more often, more then before. Gondor was in his sites. He wanted to go to see The White City again.

But, at this moment in time, he had more important things to worry about. Pippin continued to walk. The group of men that were now thirty minutes away from him. But still, Pippin walked on.

Back in Hobbiton, Estella was standing at Merry's door. She looked around, the coldness was starting to get to her feet.

"Merry?" she asked.

Estella was getting a bit annoyed now. Diamond and Pippin were not talking to her and now Merry was ignoring her.

Estella took a deep breath and turned around. She walked away, having no idea of where Merry was.

Merry, on the other hand, knew exactly where Estella was. But Estella wasn't on his mind. He was walking towards Bree. A large road was laying just a mile from where he was.

His pony was grazing just four hundred meters away from where he was. But Merry hadn't seen it yet.

"That stupid pony, running off, leaving me miles…"

Merry stopped in mid sentence. He could see the figure of the pony before him. Merry scowled. The hobbit started to walk towards it. The pony was grazing on a bit of grass poking out from the melting snow.

A minute later, Merry was a few meters away from the pony. The reigns were swinging as the animal pulled up the grass.

Merry stopped and looked at the pony. The hobbit took a step forward. The pony turned his head, his eyes fell on Merry. The hobbit stopped, not wanting to scare it off.

"Come here boy, I need to get to Bree" Merry said.

The pony's ears shot up. Merry suddenly stopped in his tracks, his hand was out in front of him.

"Don't… run… don't… run"

The pony stayed there as Merry placed his left foot out. He tried not to scare the pony.

"Please"

He was inches from the reigns. The pony then bolted, but it was too late. Merry's hand had grabbed them before the animal could run. But, that didn't matter. The pony ran, Merry continued to hold on.

The snow was slippery, that made him lose his footing. Merry was dragged along on the floor. His feet slipped as the pony galloped away.

"Whoa!"

Merry tried to stay on his feet, but they gave way. His hands were the only thing not letting him drop. Merry looked up at the scenery flying past him.

Snowy trees flew past as the pony darted down the road.

"Stop!" Merry shouted.

But that was no use. Merry then made up his mind. He took a deep breath and looked at the floor.

"Three, two, one!"

Merry let go of the reigns. He fell to the floor. The floor quickly came to his level. Merry hit the floor hard. His bag was the first to him, followed by his weight.

Merry was winded for a while. He lay there eyes closed. Merry took a deep breath and got up. The pony had continued to run off again.

Merry got to his feet and looked around. He was only a few hundred meters from where he had been a few minutes earlier. But now, Merry was wet and cold. The loaves that he had in his bag had been crushed.

A hand felt the flattened loaves. Merry took a deep breath.

"This just gets better and better" he said to himself.

He got off of the floor for the second time in as many minutes. He brushed himself off. Merry took his bag off. He got out his flask, not needing the bag any more.

The flask had crumbs on it, reminding Merry of what had just happened. He brushed the crumbs off and unscrewed the cap. Water sloshed around inside. Merry looked in to see if there were any crumbs in it.

There were none.

So, the hobbit started to drink. He didn't realise how thirsty he had been. The water trickled down. It instantly refreshed him. His eyes became cleared. His head quickly sorted itself out.


	10. Day Five, Part Two

"Well, you have to make up your mind, Merry" a voice inside of his head told him.

Merry bit his bottom lip. He was weighing his options.

On one hand, he could go back to Hobbiton. He could wait for Pippin to come back.

On the other, he could head to Bree. He could ask if they had seen his friend.

Both options came with consequences.

If he went back home, then he would never know if Pippin was alright.

But, if he was to go the way of Bree, he knew that his food would run out before he got there.

Merry looked back down the road he had just come.

"No" he told himself.

"No, I cant turn back, I've done this before"

So, he started to walk down the road towards Bree. After a few seconds, he stopped. His mind had changed again. The other way was now looking more tempting. Merry started to get angry again.

He looked back to the way he was going. The hobbit took a deep breath and started to walk again. For some reason, he was scared to go that way.

Merry didn't know why he was scared to go that way. But, as he walked, the feeling of being scared went away. The pony that he had brought had run away. This time, for good. Merry couldn't see it on the road.

Origo was asleep. But, he was not out doors any more. A large blanket had kept him warm. His fur was dry and fluffy. A fire was crackling in the fire place.

A man sat in a chair, smoking a pipe. Origo had been placed on the empty chair. The day had started a few hours ago. Origo started to whimper. He slowly opened his eyes. The man looked up from his book. He had a few pages left.

"Well, I never" said the man.

He placed the book down and walked over to the pup.

"Didn't think you make it past the night"

The man picked up the puppy.

"Lets go and get you some food" the man told Origo.

Origo was too weak to bark. His vision was blurry and he couldn't make out where he was.

The pup continued whimper as he brought into the kitchen.

"Right" said the man, now holding the pup in one arm.

He opened the cupboard and looked inside. Inside were meats wrapped up on brown paper. Origo was looking around, his eyes were now open.

"Now, what would you like?" asked the man.

Origo sniffed the air. He could smell it, he just didn't know which one. He tried to bark, but he couldn't.

"Would you like…"

The man picked up a packet.

"Salmon?" he asked.

He looked down at Origo. But the man smiled.

"Umm…" he said, placing the pack down.

He took another packet and sniffed it.

"What about turkey?" he asked.

Origo hear these words and started to whine more then before. The man looked down at the pup.

"Turkey it is then"

The man placed Origo down on the floor. He needed two hands to open it. The blanket had been taken off and Origo stood there. His little eyes looked up at the man. It would be the first time that Origo had eaten in a few days.

A minute later, the man got out a small bowl and put the fresh turkey in the bowl.

"There you go, it's honey roasted" the man said happily.

Origo's tail was now wagging again. The bowl was placed on the floor. The man's hand was barely away from the bowl before Origo started to eat.

The man stood there, looking down at the puppy.

"Well, well, you must have been very hungry"

The man laughed. He started to think.

"Do you want more?" the man asked.

Origo looked up, he still had a bit of turkey poking out on his mouth. He nodded. The man smiled and looked in the cupboard again. There were still many packets there.

The man picked one out, he sniffed it.

"Tuna" he said, placing it back.

He looked at the packets, then picked a second one out. This time, it was what he was looking for. He stood up right again and started to open it.

"I don't know how hungry you are, but here is another bit" he told Origo.

The man felt strange feeling came over him.

"Wait a minute, I'm speaking to a puppy"

The man smiled and took the two packets and placed them in the wicker basket. He placed the lid back and looked around. The man then sat down on one of his chairs and continued to look at the puppy.

"You'll never guess who I had in my house earlier" said the man.

There was a few moments of silence.

"Peregrin Took!" he said.

Origo suddenly looked up. His eyes and the man's eyes met. The two of them fell silent.

"Do you… do you know them?" asked the man.

Origo looked around. He could smell something. Something he knew.

The puppy started to sniff the ground.

"Yes, there it was!"

The man slowly stood up and watched the pup. Origo was now sniffing around. He followed the scent out of the kitchen. The lounge door was closed.

The puppy hit his head on the closed door. He shook his head and looked up. The man smiled as he opened the door. There was a table, a couch and an old rocking chair.

Origo rushed over to the couch. He started to bark up at it. The man slowly walked in. It then clicked.

"Wait a minute" he said.

His face suddenly changed.

"I know who your looking for!"

Origo looked around.

"Your looking for the hobbits, you were going to Rivendell with them!"

The looked around, a plan was forming in his head.

Meanwhile, Pippin was walking down the road. A group of men were only a minute away from him. The road was long enough and straight enough to see the men coming.

Pip stopped in his tracks. He could see figures walking towards him. A sudden fear came over him.

"Oh no" he said.

A small bit of fear was heard in his voice. Pippin quickly looked around. Dolly was on her own, about a mile down the road. He knew that he couldn't get back in time.

Pippin quickly made up his mind. So, he ran into the forest that was either side of the road. He ran behind one the many oaks growing there.

The hobbit hid behind one of them. The group of men continued to walk. Pippin was now breathing heavily.

"Please don't find me" he told himself.

The group continued to get nearer. Pippin peaked around the edge of the tree. He could see men with axes walking down the road.

"Where is it?" asked one of them.

Pippin hid again. His heart rate started to rise.

"It's just up the road" said another.

He seemed to be the leader. Pippin looked around the left hand side. The men were still walking.

"I need to stop them" Pippin told himself.

So, he sneaked out from behind the tree. He scuttled along to the next one. The men were walking towards the cart. Pippin walked onto the road. The hobbit kept quiet as he walked behind them.

But he wasn't going to be there for long.

A twig was on a rock. Pippin stepped on it. The twig snapped.

Fear ran though Pippin like fire. He need down to see a twig protruding from either end of his foot. Pippin looked up. The men had stopped and looked around.

The ten men stopped. Each had an axe in their hands. The man at the back came forward.

"What?" he asked.

The hobbit stood there, rooted to the spot.

The lead man started to walk towards the hobbit.

"Who are you?" asked the man.

The axe he was holding switched hands. Pippin moved back. The man stopped, obviously sensing that the hobbit was scared.

"Don't worry, we wont hurt you"

Pippin looked at each of the men. He wished that he had not come this far.

"You must be the hobbits that are going to the elves"

Pippin, who still hadn't said a word, looked surprised.

"How… how did you know that?" Pippin asked, taking another step backwards.

The man smiled.

"Your messenger" the man answered.

Pippin was still confused. He looked at the men.

"So, you're here to help me?" asked Pip.

The man looked at him strangely.

"The boy told us that you were coming, but he also told us about the tree"

Pippin's heart rate, which had climbed, was starting to slow down. The hobbit now had a choice.

To trust the men or to decline their offer.

But, it was not himself that he had to think about. Pippin's goal was to get Diamond to Rivendell. Any help that he could get would help Diamond as well.

Pippin looked down. He was creating scenarios in his mind. Some good and bad. But, Pip couldn't see a way of knowing what they would do.

"Are you going to hurt us?" he asked.

The man smiled. He looked around at his friends.

"No, Halfling, we are only farmers and blacksmiths. We have no intention of hurting anyone"

Pippin started to smile.

"Lets get moving" said the man.

He turned around and stated to walk away. Pippin took a deep breath and started to walk after the men. Pippin walked slowly behind the men.

"So, tell me, what is your name" said the man.

Pippin looked up. He had not noticed that the man had fallen back to where he was.

"Peregrin" the hobbit answered.

"Peregrin Took"

The man looked at him.

"Are you now?" asked the man.

Pippin glanced up at the man. For some reason, he felt like he was not believing him.

"Yes" Pippin answered coldly.

The man smiled.

"So, are you from Bree?" asked the man.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"No, I'm not" he said.

The tree was a few minutes away.

Dolly was looking down the road. There was still no sign of Pippin yet.

"Were are you Pip?" Dolly asked.

She looked back at the cart. The clouds had started to gather. The wind turned colder. Dolly looked up. She could see the weather was going to turn again. The snow from last time was still there, but in small patches.

Dolly wrapped herself up again. She walked back to cart. Two baskets full of bread were sitting in the cart. Dolly got up onto the cart and grabbed the basket. She took out the small bit of bread that Pippin had left of the first loaf. She looked at it and smiled. The hobbit then took a bit.

"Dolly?" came a voice.

Dolly looked up. She knew that voice. She swallowed the bit of bread and listened. Dolly placed the bread back in the basket and climbed out. She walked around the cart to see Pippin standing there.

But she also saw ten men there as well.

"Dolly, are you alright?" Pippin asked.

Dolly's eyes darted between Pip and the men.

"Don't worry, their good people" Pippin told her.

"We're going to chop the tree down now" said the man.

Pip looked back.

"Alright. Go as quick as you can"

The man nodded and looked towards his friends. The men moved to different ends of the tree. Thuds started to echo around the area. Pippin watched then as they raised the axe and struck the tree.

Dolly was not watching them. She was standing at the back of cart. She had gotten the bit of bread. Dolly looked over and smiled.

"We should be going again in an hour" Pippin said.

He saw that Dolly was eating the last of the bread. Pippin looked into the cart, sure enough, Diamond was still there.

"Don't" Dolly said.

Pippin was confused.

"What?"

"Don't eat the bread, we need it" she answered.

Pippin's hand was barely reached for the basket when Dolly had said it. Pippin sighed and looked around. The once blue sky above them had now turned a grey colour.

More snow was on the way. Pippin could see the clouds travailing the way of the Shire. He wondered if his friends back home were having fun in the snow.

The light level was beginning to fade. The men continued to chop the wood. The top part of the tree had been cut away from rest of the tree.

The men had built a fire.

"Save some for the hobbits" said the man.

"They'll need it more then us"

So, a bundle had been left to one side. All of the wood was dry and fresh. Perfect for making a fire. The trunk of the tree would be left by the side of the road to rot. The men continued to chop the wood.

They started to roll the large chunks of wood. The men placed it off of the road and left it there.

Pippin had been watching them.

"Wait here" Pippin said.

He walked over towards the men.

"Don't you think that's a big enough gap for the cart to get though?" he asked as he walked towards the men.

The lead man stopped. Even though it was cold, a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. He looked at the cart and then at the missing tree.

"Well, we cut this piece and then you can drive your cart though"

Pippin nodded. He then walked away.

"Should be ready in a few minutes, lets get ready"

Dolly smiled.

"Lets just hope there are no other trees that have fallen on our path" she said.

Pippin smiled. That was his worse fear. More time wasted.

The men chopped the last bit of wood up. They started to roll it away and the lead man looked over at Pip.

"You can come though now!" he said.

Pippin, who had already gotten onto the drivers seat, nodded. He unwrapped the reigns from the small peg that was near him.

Dolly got on and the cart started to move. The wind hit Pippin's face. His hair blew all over the place. The cart rolled on like ever before. The day was getting old and the light level began to fall. A few snow flakes fell as well. But it would be a good hour before the rest would.

Origo was scratching the door. The man he was with was putting on his coat.

"I hope they haven't got far" he said to the pup.

He placed both hands though their sleeves. He had also got a scarf out of the same wooden wardrobe. He knew that it could be a day or two before he caught up with the hobbits.

But he didn't know how fast they were going.

For the second time that day, he would have to see his friend. The man got out a small blanket to put the puppy in so he wouldn't get cold.

"Come here boy" he said.

Origo looked back. He could a blanket in his hand. His eyes followed the man's actions. Origo started to bark at him. The man stood there.

"Come here, I'm not going to hurt you" said the man.

But Origo didn't listen. He thought that the man was going to hurt him. But the man was not trying to hurt him. The man stood there. The pup's fur was on end.

"Please, pup, I'm going to take you to your owners!"

Origo looked at him. The door to the lounge was open.

"Maybe that's a way out" Origo thought.

But it wasn't. Ori didn't realise that he had already gone in that room. So, Origo placed one paw forward. Origo and the man looked at each other.

Origo took another step forward. The waited for his time. His eyes darted towards the open door. He knew that the pup was going to go in there. The sheet dropped to its full height and width. Origo moved back slowly. The sheet was intimidating to him.

"Please just let me help you" said the man.

Origo looked back at the door. His little eyes made him looked scared. He whined, trying to tell the man that he wanted to go.

The man took a deep breath and threw the sheet in the floor.

"Please, pup"

Origo shook his head, his ears flopped. The puppy started to bark at the man. He ran up to him and started to pull his trousers. Origo growled as he tried to get the man to walk to the door.

The man's foot moved forward. Origo let go and looked up. He barked once and ran to the door again. The pup started to paw at the door again.

The man slowly walked forward. He looked down at the pup. Origo looked up and stepped away from the door. Origo whimpered, wanting the man to hurry up.

The man reached out and touched the door handle. His hand wrapped around the cold metal handle. His eyes looked down at the pup. Origo looked up.

So, the man put pressure on the door. Origo heard the door click. But he waited. He moved out of the way and looked out. Some of the snow was still around, but nearly all of it had melted.

But there was more on the way. It would be less disruptive then the last time. Origo stopped on thresh hold of the door way. He looked around. His fur blew a bit in the wind.

The puppy then started to run towards the road. He stopped in the middle. The man stood there. He watched the puppy look around. A bark then came from the small animal.

The man slowly walked out of his house. He looked around as well. There were marks on the ground where the cart had run over.

"They went that way, to Rivendell"

The man pointed down the road. Origo looked down the road that the strange man was pointing. The puppy barked.

But he didn't get an answer. The pup looked back at the man one more time. Origo had now had something to eat. His strength had come back.

Without a second look at the man, the pup started to run off. The man watched the figure getting smaller and smaller. He gave a little smile and walked back into his house.

Merry, how ever, was no nearer his goal. His pony was still nowhere to be seen and his annoyance had not calmed.

"Stupid Pony, running off from me!"

He kicked a twig. It spun in the air and landed as though it had never left where it landed. Leaves of many different colours lay on the ground.

Some were yellow, others were dark brown. Some were light green with dark brown spots. They were mixed in with the small bit of snow from the night before.

Merry's feet were covered in mud. He could feet the top bit drying on his skin. There were dots of brown mud on his cloths.

Bree was still a few days walk from where he was. But Merry was determined to get to Bree. He knew little of what Pippin had found out when he had gotten there.

Merry was walking to a place where hobbits were not hated. Pippin had found that out when he had gone there. But now everything had changed for Pippin. He had found somewhere to rest and get dry. It had snowed heavily in the night.

They were lucky to have someone find them when they did. Diamond had still not woken from her sleep. Dolly and Pippin couldn't figure out what had done it to her.

Each day that past, Pippin would get a bit more worried.

It was still another two hundred or so miles to Rivendell. But, they had sent a messenger on ahead of them. They hoped that the elves would come and help them.

But Pippin wasn't sure. He knew that elves were secretive. He wasn't even sure that they would be at Rivendell.

"They could have moved" he told himself.

But they had not. There were few elves at Rivendell now. For most of them had taken ships to the Undying lands.

Elladan had now taken his father's place.

But, Pippin had hope. It was the only thing keeping him from turning back. The hope was strengthened by Dolly. She had helped him in the most difficult times.

The coldness was deepening as the cart rolled on. It had been a few hours since they had stopped. Not due to resting, but due to a tree that had fallen on the road.

But it had been cleared an hour later. Pippin was now driving. Tiredness had started to get the better of him. His eyes were heavy and concentration was elsewhere. The cart rolled on. Dolly, who had been sitting in the back, had fallen asleep.

"Must keep going, cant stop" he kept telling himself.

The two ponies were not as tired as Pippin. They kept going on, heads down in the strengthening winds.

The weather was going to turn yet again. Another snow storm was heading their way. The light level was also dimming by the minute.

The sun went down earlier and earlier each day. The warmth of summer had all but gone. The sun struggled to fight against the clouds that sailed before it.

Origo was running down the road. He stopped every so often to see if he could see the cart. But he was miles away from Pippin. It wouldn't be until just outside Rivendell that he would see Pippin, Dolly and Diamond again.

His path would not get him directly to Rivendell.

The path split into two a mile from the man's house. Origo stopped at the fork. His eyes looked at the new road. The pup started to wonder which was Rivendell actually was.

Origo slowly walked over to the new road and stopped.

"I wonder if it's down there" he told himself.

He looked back down the road that he had already come from. There were no people there. Origo started to get worried.

"What if I never see them again?" he whimpered.

He lowered his head and whimpered sadly. But no one came.

No one was around.

Behind him, a sound came out of the trees. Origo instantly turned around. His ears perked up. His little brown eyes were scanning the area. But he couldn't see anything there.

The sound happened again. This time, he knew where it was coming from now. So, he slowly started to walk towards it. His eyes fixed on the point where he heard the sound.

Origo got to the other side of the road. There were many leafless bushes around. The twigs were so many in number that Origo could not see though. The pup tried to see what was on the other side, but it was useless. He had to get a closer look.

So, looking to the side, he could see a small way in. So, Origo started to walk towards the gap. He stopped and looked around one more time. He ducked his head and walked in. The twigs made it hard for him to walk though.

A second or two later, he was though the bush. The pup looked around. He could see a figure in the shadows. Even though it was low light, which was made even lower in the bush.

"Who are you?" he barked.

He tilted his head. The figure curled up. It was obviously scared of him. Origo looked around, the coldness was starting to get to him.

"Who are you?" he barked again.

A few snow flakes started to fall around them. The wind picked up speed and strength. Origo needed to get moving. He looked beck at shadowy figure.

But it had gone.

Origo now had no reason of being in the bush. So, he walked out again. His mind was now back on which way to go.

Pippin had stopped the cart. His tiredness had got the better of him. He walked around to the cart and looked in. Dolly was asleep under a large blanket. Pippin got in the cart and knelt down next to her.

"Dolly?" he asked.

He waited a few seconds.

"Dolly?" he asked, now shaking her to wake her up.

The hobbit slowly woke up. She opened her eyes to see Pippin in front of her.

"Pippin? What's wrong?" she asked.

Pippin looked down to the end of the cart.

"Nothing, I just need a rest. It's your turn to drive" he answered.

Dolly had sat up, she yawned.

"Oh right" she said, sounding like she had forgotten.

The blanket was taken off of her. She felt cold having lost most of the heat she had built up from the blanket. Her hand grabbed the basket and she looked inside. Dolly took out a loaf of bread and ripped a bit off. She held it out for Pippin.

Pippin smiled.

"Thank you" he said.

His voice had a hint of cheeriness about it. Dolly smiled and ripped a bit off for herself. The two hobbits started to eat.

"We may be able to get Lembas bread from the journey back"

Dolly looked confused.

"What's Lembas bread?" she asked.

Pippin smiled. He could remember the taste of Lembas bread, even now.

"It's a type of Elven bread. One bit would fill a man's stomach, or so Legolas said. But I think he wasn't telling the truth"

In fact, Legolas had been telling the truth. Pippin's appetite had been so good that he managed to eat four bits of it.

"It was a gift from the elves, after…"

Pippin paused. Memories of what had happened at Durin's Bridge. Dolly noticed that he had failed to finish the sentence.

"Well, I'm sure that it will help us get back" she said.

Pippin was taken out of his short day dream. He turned his head and looked at Dolly. The two hobbits ate their bread in silence.

After a few more minutes, Dolly had finished.

"Right, I'll be driving if you need me" she said.

She moved and got out of the cart. Her dress was dirty. Dolly hated the fact that everything was muddy and needed a wash.

The drivers seat was above a small ladder. Dolly climbed it. A small lantern was swinging from a hook that it sat upon. Dolly looked at it. She wondered if she could light it.

"Pippin?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Pippin was already laying down. He slowly sat up.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Do we have anything to light this lantern?" she asked.

Pippin looked at the lantern.

"No, no we don't" he answered.

Dolly took a deep breath. She knew that it was going to be a long night.

"Well, there's nothing for it" she told herself.

The cart started to roll again. The day had been long for both hobbits. But it was not over yet. The hobbits would have to go though the night to get to Rivendell.

Origo was now walking again. But he had left the road that he was meant to be on. He was walking past a small barn. The puppy saw large creatures in the field.

This caught his attention. There was a small gap under the horse fence. The fence had for planks of wet wood running horizontally and a post every few meters.

Origo stuck his head under the gap. He could see figures running around.

But what was on them?

Men were riding them. Origo saw one run right past him. A small bit of mud hit him on the head. The pup shook his head, then continued to watch.

The light level was getting lower and lower. Origo came out from under the fence. He shook himself. The pup yawned and then looked around again. The stable was like a massive black box to Origo. He could see the lowering light around it.

"I have to find my Diamond" thought to himself.

So, the pup started to walk again. His fur was starting to look dirty again.

He had no idea that he was going the wrong way.

Merry was still walking. He knew that if he stayed on the path, he would soon reach the road. The coldness haunted him. He tried to get more warmth, but it was hard to.

The hobbit looked up at the sky. He knew that another batch of snow was on the way. He also knew that he would get tired before it came.

The forests were still on either side of the path. Large, leafless oak trees. Some of the trees had large holes on them. Merry thought that they must have once been branches growing there. But they had fallen off and been removed or rotted away.

There was one considerably large tree a few hundred meters down. Its roots dove deep into the moist soil. It was an old tree, a few hundred years. It, like the one Origo had stayed in, was hollow.

The inside was black, charcoal covered the walls. Ruminates of what had happened to it. There was a hole, large enough for a hobbit to get though. Men, on the other hand, could not fit in the gap.

Merry ducked down and squeezed in. A bit of the dead bark snapped off and fell on the floor. The hobbit looked around.

"Well, at least its better then out there" he said.

The hobbit then took off his pack and placed it out of the way. He stood there for a couple more seconds, then sat down.

Merry sat of a hard bed of rotting leaves. Small creatures that could survive the coldness of winter scuttled away in fear. Merry looked down, he could feel spiders and other creatures crawling there.

Merry missed home more then ever. His bed was waiting for him, but the hobbit wouldn't be able to get to it. Merry looked back, the ground was drier then outside. The hobbit laid back. There was enough room to lay full on his back with his legs out.

But he had no plan on doing that. He curled up on one side.

Merry knew that it would be hard getting to sleep. The coldness seemed to stop him from doing so. His ears sensitive in the quietness. Every so often, he could hear a snow flake hit the leaves just outside. The noise started to increase as more and more snow flakes hit the leaves.

Some of the flakes managed to get blown into small space where Merry was. A flake landed on his face. The hobbit, who had had his eyes closed, opened them and raised his hand. He wiped the small wet dot off of his face and shuffled again.

Merry was thinking about him home again.

A nice warm bath, clean bed sheets and a hot cup of tea. That's what he would have been doing.

But no.

He was out in the wild, a hollow tree for shelter.

"It's going to be a long night" he told himself.

The hobbit then closed his eyes. He would not open then until light the next day.


	11. Day Six, Part One

"Well, you have to make up your mind, Merry" a voice inside of his head told him.

Merry bit his bottom lip. He was weighing his options.

On one hand, he could go back to Hobbiton. He could wait for Pippin to come back.

On the other, he could head to Bree. He could ask if they had seen his friend.

Both options came with consequences.

If he went back home, then he would never know if Pippin was alright.

But, if he was to go the way of Bree, he knew that his food would run out before he got there.

Merry looked back down the road he had just come.

"No" he told himself.

"No, I cant turn back, I've done this before"

So, he started to walk down the road towards Bree. After a few seconds, he stopped. His mind had changed again. The other way was now looking more tempting. Merry started to get angry again.

He looked back to the way he was going. The hobbit took a deep breath and started to walk again. For some reason, he was scared to go that way.

Merry didn't know why he was scared to go that way. But, as he walked, the feeling of being scared went away. The pony that he had brought had run away. This time, for good. Merry couldn't see it on the road.

Origo was asleep. But, he was not out doors any more. A large blanket had kept him warm. His fur was dry and fluffy. A fire was crackling in the fire place.

A man sat in a chair, smoking a pipe. Origo had been placed on the empty chair. The day had started a few hours ago. Origo started to whimper. He slowly opened his eyes. The man looked up from his book. He had a few pages left.

"Well, I never" said the man.

He placed the book down and walked over to the pup.

"Didn't think you make it past the night"

The man picked up the puppy.

"Lets go and get you some food" the man told Origo.

Origo was too weak to bark. His vision was blurry and he couldn't make out where he was.

The pup continued whimper as he brought into the kitchen.

"Right" said the man, now holding the pup in one arm.

He opened the cupboard and looked inside. Inside were meats wrapped up on brown paper. Origo was looking around, his eyes were now open.

"Now, what would you like?" asked the man.

Origo sniffed the air. He could smell it, he just didn't know which one. He tried to bark, but he couldn't.

"Would you like…"

The man picked up a packet.

"Salmon?" he asked.

He looked down at Origo. But the man smiled.

"Umm…" he said, placing the pack down.

He took another packet and sniffed it.

"What about turkey?" he asked.

Origo hear these words and started to whine more then before. The man looked down at the pup.

"Turkey it is then"

The man placed Origo down on the floor. He needed two hands to open it. The blanket had been taken off and Origo stood there. His little eyes looked up at the man. It would be the first time that Origo had eaten in a few days.

A minute later, the man got out a small bowl and put the fresh turkey in the bowl.

"There you go, it's honey roasted" the man said happily.

Origo's tail was now wagging again. The bowl was placed on the floor. The man's hand was barely away from the bowl before Origo started to eat.

The man stood there, looking down at the puppy.

"Well, well, you must have been very hungry"

The man laughed. He started to think.

"Do you want more?" the man asked.

Origo looked up, he still had a bit of turkey poking out on his mouth. He nodded. The man smiled and looked in the cupboard again. There were still many packets there.

The man picked one out, he sniffed it.

"Tuna" he said, placing it back.

He looked at the packets, then picked a second one out. This time, it was what he was looking for. He stood up right again and started to open it.

"I don't know how hungry you are, but here is another bit" he told Origo.

The man felt strange feeling came over him.

"Wait a minute, I'm speaking to a puppy"

The man smiled and took the two packets and placed them in the wicker basket. He placed the lid back and looked around. The man then sat down on one of his chairs and continued to look at the puppy.

"You'll never guess who I had in my house earlier" said the man.

There was a few moments of silence.

"Peregrin Took!" he said.

Origo suddenly looked up. His eyes and the man's eyes met. The two of them fell silent.

"Do you… do you know them?" asked the man.

Origo looked around. He could smell something. Something he knew.

The puppy started to sniff the ground.

"Yes, there it was!"

The man slowly stood up and watched the pup. Origo was now sniffing around. He followed the scent out of the kitchen. The lounge door was closed.

The puppy hit his head on the closed door. He shook his head and looked up. The man smiled as he opened the door. There was a table, a couch and an old rocking chair.

Origo rushed over to the couch. He started to bark up at it. The man slowly walked in. It then clicked.

"Wait a minute" he said.

His face suddenly changed.

"I know who your looking for!"

Origo looked around.

"Your looking for the hobbits, you were going to Rivendell with them!"

The looked around, a plan was forming in his head.

Meanwhile, Pippin was walking down the road. A group of men were only a minute away from him. The road was long enough and straight enough to see the men coming.

Pip stopped in his tracks. He could see figures walking towards him. A sudden fear came over him.

"Oh no" he said.

A small bit of fear was heard in his voice. Pippin quickly looked around. Dolly was on her own, about a mile down the road. He knew that he couldn't get back in time.

Pippin quickly made up his mind. So, he ran into the forest that was either side of the road. He ran behind one the many oaks growing there.

The hobbit hid behind one of them. The group of men continued to walk. Pippin was now breathing heavily.

"Please don't find me" he told himself.

The group continued to get nearer. Pippin peaked around the edge of the tree. He could see men with axes walking down the road.

"Where is it?" asked one of them.

Pippin hid again. His heart rate started to rise.

"It's just up the road" said another.

He seemed to be the leader. Pippin looked around the left hand side. The men were still walking.

"I need to stop them" Pippin told himself.

So, he sneaked out from behind the tree. He scuttled along to the next one. The men were walking towards the cart. Pippin walked onto the road. The hobbit kept quiet as he walked behind them.

But he wasn't going to be there for long.

A twig was on a rock. Pippin stepped on it. The twig snapped.

Fear ran though Pippin like fire. He need down to see a twig protruding from either end of his foot. Pippin looked up. The men had stopped and looked around.

The ten men stopped. Each had an axe in their hands. The man at the back came forward.

"What?" he asked.

The hobbit stood there, rooted to the spot.

The lead man started to walk towards the hobbit.

"Who are you?" asked the man.

The axe he was holding switched hands. Pippin moved back. The man stopped, obviously sensing that the hobbit was scared.

"Don't worry, we wont hurt you"

Pippin looked at each of the men. He wished that he had not come this far.

"You must be the hobbits that are going to the elves"

Pippin, who still hadn't said a word, looked surprised.

"How… how did you know that?" Pippin asked, taking another step backwards.

The man smiled.

"Your messenger" the man answered.

Pippin was still confused. He looked at the men.

"So, you're here to help me?" asked Pip.

The man looked at him strangely.

"The boy told us that you were coming, but he also told us about the tree"

Pippin's heart rate, which had climbed, was starting to slow down. The hobbit now had a choice.

To trust the men or to decline their offer.

But, it was not himself that he had to think about. Pippin's goal was to get Diamond to Rivendell. Any help that he could get would help Diamond as well.

Pippin looked down. He was creating scenarios in his mind. Some good and bad. But, Pip couldn't see a way of knowing what they would do.

"Are you going to hurt us?" he asked.

The man smiled. He looked around at his friends.

"No, Halfling, we are only farmers and blacksmiths. We have no intention of hurting anyone"

Pippin started to smile.

"Lets get moving" said the man.

He turned around and stated to walk away. Pippin took a deep breath and started to walk after the men. Pippin walked slowly behind the men.

"So, tell me, what is your name" said the man.

Pippin looked up. He had not noticed that the man had fallen back to where he was.

"Peregrin" the hobbit answered.

"Peregrin Took"

The man looked at him.

"Are you now?" asked the man.

Pippin glanced up at the man. For some reason, he felt like he was not believing him.

"Yes" Pippin answered coldly.

The man smiled.

"So, are you from Bree?" asked the man.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"No, I'm not" he said.

The tree was a few minutes away.

Dolly was looking down the road. There was still no sign of Pippin yet.

"Were are you Pip?" Dolly asked.

She looked back at the cart. The clouds had started to gather. The wind turned colder. Dolly looked up. She could see the weather was going to turn again. The snow from last time was still there, but in small patches.

Dolly wrapped herself up again. She walked back to cart. Two baskets full of bread were sitting in the cart. Dolly got up onto the cart and grabbed the basket. She took out the small bit of bread that Pippin had left of the first loaf. She looked at it and smiled. The hobbit then took a bit.

"Dolly?" came a voice.

Dolly looked up. She knew that voice. She swallowed the bit of bread and listened. Dolly placed the bread back in the basket and climbed out. She walked around the cart to see Pippin standing there.

But she also saw ten men there as well.

"Dolly, are you alright?" Pippin asked.

Dolly's eyes darted between Pip and the men.

"Don't worry, their good people" Pippin told her.

"We're going to chop the tree down now" said the man.

Pip looked back.

"Alright. Go as quick as you can"

The man nodded and looked towards his friends. The men moved to different ends of the tree. Thuds started to echo around the area. Pippin watched then as they raised the axe and struck the tree.

Dolly was not watching them. She was standing at the back of cart. She had gotten the bit of bread. Dolly looked over and smiled.

"We should be going again in an hour" Pippin said.

He saw that Dolly was eating the last of the bread. Pippin looked into the cart, sure enough, Diamond was still there.

"Don't" Dolly said.

Pippin was confused.

"What?"

"Don't eat the bread, we need it" she answered.

Pippin's hand was barely reached for the basket when Dolly had said it. Pippin sighed and looked around. The once blue sky above them had now turned a grey colour.

More snow was on the way. Pippin could see the clouds travailing the way of the Shire. He wondered if his friends back home were having fun in the snow.

The light level was beginning to fade. The men continued to chop the wood. The top part of the tree had been cut away from rest of the tree.

The men had built a fire.

"Save some for the hobbits" said the man.

"They'll need it more then us"

So, a bundle had been left to one side. All of the wood was dry and fresh. Perfect for making a fire. The trunk of the tree would be left by the side of the road to rot. The men continued to chop the wood.

They started to roll the large chunks of wood. The men placed it off of the road and left it there.

Pippin had been watching them.

"Wait here" Pippin said.

He walked over towards the men.

"Don't you think that's a big enough gap for the cart to get though?" he asked as he walked towards the men.

The lead man stopped. Even though it was cold, a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. He looked at the cart and then at the missing tree.

"Well, we cut this piece and then you can drive your cart though"

Pippin nodded. He then walked away.

"Should be ready in a few minutes, lets get ready"

Dolly smiled.

"Lets just hope there are no other trees that have fallen on our path" she said.

Pippin smiled. That was his worse fear. More time wasted.

The men chopped the last bit of wood up. They started to roll it away and the lead man looked over at Pip.

"You can come though now!" he said.

Pippin, who had already gotten onto the drivers seat, nodded. He unwrapped the reigns from the small peg that was near him.

Dolly got on and the cart started to move. The wind hit Pippin's face. His hair blew all over the place. The cart rolled on like ever before. The day was getting old and the light level began to fall. A few snow flakes fell as well. But it would be a good hour before the rest would.

Origo was scratching the door. The man he was with was putting on his coat.

"I hope they haven't got far" he said to the pup.

He placed both hands though their sleeves. He had also got a scarf out of the same wooden wardrobe. He knew that it could be a day or two before he caught up with the hobbits.

But he didn't know how fast they were going.

For the second time that day, he would have to see his friend. The man got out a small blanket to put the puppy in so he wouldn't get cold.

"Come here boy" he said.

Origo looked back. He could a blanket in his hand. His eyes followed the man's actions. Origo started to bark at him. The man stood there.

"Come here, I'm not going to hurt you" said the man.

But Origo didn't listen. He thought that the man was going to hurt him. But the man was not trying to hurt him. The man stood there. The pup's fur was on end.

"Please, pup, I'm going to take you to your owners!"

Origo looked at him. The door to the lounge was open.

"Maybe that's a way out" Origo thought.

But it wasn't. Ori didn't realise that he had already gone in that room. So, Origo placed one paw forward. Origo and the man looked at each other.

Origo took another step forward. The waited for his time. His eyes darted towards the open door. He knew that the pup was going to go in there. The sheet dropped to its full height and width. Origo moved back slowly. The sheet was intimidating to him.

"Please just let me help you" said the man.

Origo looked back at the door. His little eyes made him looked scared. He whined, trying to tell the man that he wanted to go.

The man took a deep breath and threw the sheet in the floor.

"Please, pup"

Origo shook his head, his ears flopped. The puppy started to bark at the man. He ran up to him and started to pull his trousers. Origo growled as he tried to get the man to walk to the door.

The man's foot moved forward. Origo let go and looked up. He barked once and ran to the door again. The pup started to paw at the door again.

The man slowly walked forward. He looked down at the pup. Origo looked up and stepped away from the door. Origo whimpered, wanting the man to hurry up.

The man reached out and touched the door handle. His hand wrapped around the cold metal handle. His eyes looked down at the pup. Origo looked up.

So, the man put pressure on the door. Origo heard the door click. But he waited. He moved out of the way and looked out. Some of the snow was still around, but nearly all of it had melted.

But there was more on the way. It would be less disruptive then the last time. Origo stopped on thresh hold of the door way. He looked around. His fur blew a bit in the wind.

The puppy then started to run towards the road. He stopped in the middle. The man stood there. He watched the puppy look around. A bark then came from the small animal.

The man slowly walked out of his house. He looked around as well. There were marks on the ground where the cart had run over.

"They went that way, to Rivendell"

The man pointed down the road. Origo looked down the road that the strange man was pointing. The puppy barked.

But he didn't get an answer. The pup looked back at the man one more time. Origo had now had something to eat. His strength had come back.

Without a second look at the man, the pup started to run off. The man watched the figure getting smaller and smaller. He gave a little smile and walked back into his house.

Merry, how ever, was no nearer his goal. His pony was still nowhere to be seen and his annoyance had not calmed.

"Stupid Pony, running off from me!"

He kicked a twig. It spun in the air and landed as though it had never left where it landed. Leaves of many different colours lay on the ground.

Some were yellow, others were dark brown. Some were light green with dark brown spots. They were mixed in with the small bit of snow from the night before.

Merry's feet were covered in mud. He could feet the top bit drying on his skin. There were dots of brown mud on his cloths.

Bree was still a few days walk from where he was. But Merry was determined to get to Bree. He knew little of what Pippin had found out when he had gotten there.

Merry was walking to a place where hobbits were not hated. Pippin had found that out when he had gone there. But now everything had changed for Pippin. He had found somewhere to rest and get dry. It had snowed heavily in the night.

They were lucky to have someone find them when they did. Diamond had still not woken from her sleep. Dolly and Pippin couldn't figure out what had done it to her.

Each day that past, Pippin would get a bit more worried.

It was still another two hundred or so miles to Rivendell. But, they had sent a messenger on ahead of them. They hoped that the elves would come and help them.

But Pippin wasn't sure. He knew that elves were secretive. He wasn't even sure that they would be at Rivendell.

"They could have moved" he told himself.

But they had not. There were few elves at Rivendell now. For most of them had taken ships to the Undying lands.

Elladan had now taken his father's place.

But, Pippin had hope. It was the only thing keeping him from turning back. The hope was strengthened by Dolly. She had helped him in the most difficult times.

The coldness was deepening as the cart rolled on. It had been a few hours since they had stopped. Not due to resting, but due to a tree that had fallen on the road.

But it had been cleared an hour later. Pippin was now driving. Tiredness had started to get the better of him. His eyes were heavy and concentration was elsewhere. The cart rolled on. Dolly, who had been sitting in the back, had fallen asleep.

"Must keep going, cant stop" he kept telling himself.

The two ponies were not as tired as Pippin. They kept going on, heads down in the strengthening winds.

The weather was going to turn yet again. Another snow storm was heading their way. The light level was also dimming by the minute.

The sun went down earlier and earlier each day. The warmth of summer had all but gone. The sun struggled to fight against the clouds that sailed before it.

Origo was running down the road. He stopped every so often to see if he could see the cart. But he was miles away from Pippin. It wouldn't be until just outside Rivendell that he would see Pippin, Dolly and Diamond again.

His path would not get him directly to Rivendell.

The path split into two a mile from the man's house. Origo stopped at the fork. His eyes looked at the new road. The pup started to wonder which was Rivendell actually was.

Origo slowly walked over to the new road and stopped.

"I wonder if it's down there" he told himself.

He looked back down the road that he had already come from. There were no people there. Origo started to get worried.

"What if I never see them again?" he whimpered.

He lowered his head and whimpered sadly. But no one came.

No one was around.

Behind him, a sound came out of the trees. Origo instantly turned around. His ears perked up. His little brown eyes were scanning the area. But he couldn't see anything there.

The sound happened again. This time, he knew where it was coming from now. So, he slowly started to walk towards it. His eyes fixed on the point where he heard the sound.

Origo got to the other side of the road. There were many leafless bushes around. The twigs were so many in number that Origo could not see though. The pup tried to see what was on the other side, but it was useless. He had to get a closer look.

So, looking to the side, he could see a small way in. So, Origo started to walk towards the gap. He stopped and looked around one more time. He ducked his head and walked in. The twigs made it hard for him to walk though.

A second or two later, he was though the bush. The pup looked around. He could see a figure in the shadows. Even though it was low light, which was made even lower in the bush.

"Who are you?" he barked.

He tilted his head. The figure curled up. It was obviously scared of him. Origo looked around, the coldness was starting to get to him.

"Who are you?" he barked again.

A few snow flakes started to fall around them. The wind picked up speed and strength. Origo needed to get moving. He looked beck at shadowy figure.

But it had gone.

Origo now had no reason of being in the bush. So, he walked out again. His mind was now back on which way to go.

Pippin had stopped the cart. His tiredness had got the better of him. He walked around to the cart and looked in. Dolly was asleep under a large blanket. Pippin got in the cart and knelt down next to her.

"Dolly?" he asked.

He waited a few seconds.

"Dolly?" he asked, now shaking her to wake her up.

The hobbit slowly woke up. She opened her eyes to see Pippin in front of her.

"Pippin? What's wrong?" she asked.

Pippin looked down to the end of the cart.

"Nothing, I just need a rest. It's your turn to drive" he answered.

Dolly had sat up, she yawned.

"Oh right" she said, sounding like she had forgotten.

The blanket was taken off of her. She felt cold having lost most of the heat she had built up from the blanket. Her hand grabbed the basket and she looked inside. Dolly took out a loaf of bread and ripped a bit off. She held it out for Pippin.

Pippin smiled.

"Thank you" he said.

His voice had a hint of cheeriness about it. Dolly smiled and ripped a bit off for herself. The two hobbits started to eat.

"We may be able to get Lembas bread from the journey back"

Dolly looked confused.

"What's Lembas bread?" she asked.

Pippin smiled. He could remember the taste of Lembas bread, even now.

"It's a type of Elven bread. One bit would fill a man's stomach, or so Legolas said. But I think he wasn't telling the truth"

In fact, Legolas had been telling the truth. Pippin's appetite had been so good that he managed to eat four bits of it.

"It was a gift from the elves, after…"

Pippin paused. Memories of what had happened at Durin's Bridge. Dolly noticed that he had failed to finish the sentence.

"Well, I'm sure that it will help us get back" she said.

Pippin was taken out of his short day dream. He turned his head and looked at Dolly. The two hobbits ate their bread in silence.

After a few more minutes, Dolly had finished.

"Right, I'll be driving if you need me" she said.

She moved and got out of the cart. Her dress was dirty. Dolly hated the fact that everything was muddy and needed a wash.

The drivers seat was above a small ladder. Dolly climbed it. A small lantern was swinging from a hook that it sat upon. Dolly looked at it. She wondered if she could light it.

"Pippin?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Pippin was already laying down. He slowly sat up.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Do we have anything to light this lantern?" she asked.

Pippin looked at the lantern.

"No, no we don't" he answered.

Dolly took a deep breath. She knew that it was going to be a long night.

"Well, there's nothing for it" she told herself.

The cart started to roll again. The day had been long for both hobbits. But it was not over yet. The hobbits would have to go though the night to get to Rivendell.

Origo was now walking again. But he had left the road that he was meant to be on. He was walking past a small barn. The puppy saw large creatures in the field.

This caught his attention. There was a small gap under the horse fence. The fence had for planks of wet wood running horizontally and a post every few meters.

Origo stuck his head under the gap. He could see figures running around.

But what was on them?

Men were riding them. Origo saw one run right past him. A small bit of mud hit him on the head. The pup shook his head, then continued to watch.

The light level was getting lower and lower. Origo came out from under the fence. He shook himself. The pup yawned and then looked around again. The stable was like a massive black box to Origo. He could see the lowering light around it.

"I have to find my Diamond" thought to himself.

So, the pup started to walk again. His fur was starting to look dirty again.

He had no idea that he was going the wrong way.

Merry was still walking. He knew that if he stayed on the path, he would soon reach the road. The coldness haunted him. He tried to get more warmth, but it was hard to.

The hobbit looked up at the sky. He knew that another batch of snow was on the way. He also knew that he would get tired before it came.

The forests were still on either side of the path. Large, leafless oak trees. Some of the trees had large holes on them. Merry thought that they must have once been branches growing there. But they had fallen off and been removed or rotted away.

There was one considerably large tree a few hundred meters down. Its roots dove deep into the moist soil. It was an old tree, a few hundred years. It, like the one Origo had stayed in, was hollow.

The inside was black, charcoal covered the walls. Ruminates of what had happened to it. There was a hole, large enough for a hobbit to get though. Men, on the other hand, could not fit in the gap.

Merry ducked down and squeezed in. A bit of the dead bark snapped off and fell on the floor. The hobbit looked around.

"Well, at least its better then out there" he said.

The hobbit then took off his pack and placed it out of the way. He stood there for a couple more seconds, then sat down.

Merry sat of a hard bed of rotting leaves. Small creatures that could survive the coldness of winter scuttled away in fear. Merry looked down, he could feel spiders and other creatures crawling there.

Merry missed home more then ever. His bed was waiting for him, but the hobbit wouldn't be able to get to it. Merry looked back, the ground was drier then outside. The hobbit laid back. There was enough room to lay full on his back with his legs out.

But he had no plan on doing that. He curled up on one side.

Merry knew that it would be hard getting to sleep. The coldness seemed to stop him from doing so. His ears sensitive in the quietness. Every so often, he could hear a snow flake hit the leaves just outside. The noise started to increase as more and more snow flakes hit the leaves.

Some of the flakes managed to get blown into small space where Merry was. A flake landed on his face. The hobbit, who had had his eyes closed, opened them and raised his hand. He wiped the small wet dot off of his face and shuffled again.

Merry was thinking about him home again.

A nice warm bath, clean bed sheets and a hot cup of tea. That's what he would have been doing.

But no.

He was out in the wild, a hollow tree for shelter.

"It's going to be a long night" he told himself.

The hobbit then closed his eyes. He would not open then until light the next day.


	12. Day Six, Part Two

Fredegar had come into the kitchen.

"Will this do?" Estella asked.

Fredegar smiled and nodded.

"Yes I think so"

So, Fredegar took the cart and watched Estella walk back in. it took a few minutes to get all five boxes out.

"There you go, Mother will be pleased"

So, Fredegar took all five boxes as once. Estella helped him out, opened the door and let him though.

"Be careful!" Estella called after him.

Fredegar walked down the small path and along the road. His arms were getting tired due to the weight on them. But new he had a new problem. The door to the house had been shut. He knew that he could put the boxes down.

"Stupid door!"

He kicked it.

"Open up!"

He could feel the boxes started to slip. Fredegar looked down at the boxes. His foot then slammed against the door. He then heard it, quick foot steps from the other side of the door. The suddenly flew open.

"Who's knocking at my door?" shouted a woman.

Fredegar moved back a few paces. His mother stared at him.

"So.. Sorry mother" he said.

Rosamunda had a face that could milk to cheese in an instant.

"Why didn't you knock?" she asked sternly.

Fredegar's arms began to become really heavy. He needed to get to the table. He slowly made his way in.

"Mother, my arms are hurting"

Rosamunda shook her head, but let her son go into the house. The door slammed behind him. The kitchen table was his goal.

A few more seconds later, he placed the first box down. He made sure that they were the right way up. Rosamunda came in and looked at the boxes.

"That shall do" she said, picking one up.

She prised the top open and picked one of the four bottles out.

The liquid sloshed inside the bottle. It was red wine, made from grapes that grew in a summer many years ago. Rosamunda carefully placed it back and put the lid back on.

Fredegar had now sat down, his job had sapped his energy out of him. His large chest rose up and down. His mouth was dry and hunger had come back to him.

So, he got up and waddled over to the cellar. He opened the door and walked in. It was cooler in the cellar then in the kitchen. The hobbit went to the back. There was a mug in his hand, a barrel was set in his sights. There was a small tap at the bottom.

Fredegar knelt of the floor, cup in hand. He reached to the tap, placed his cup under and turned it on. A small ribbon of amber liquid started to fill up the cup. Fredegar watched the cup fill up. Small white bubbles erupted from where the beer entered the beer that was already in the cup.

After a minute, Fredegar turned the tap off and stood up. He looked into the cup. There was a large amount of beer. Out in the kitchen, he could hear his mother moving the chairs.

"I wonder when Dinner is" Fredegar started to wonder.

So, cup in hand, he walked back into the kitchen. The cellar door closed behind him.

"Mother, when are we going to eat?" he asked.

Rosamunda, who was now in a foul mood, looked over at him.

"In twenty minutes" she snapped.

Fredegar nodded and yawned. He was getting tired now, a thought of having a nap after dinner came into his mind. It was not unusual for hobbits to nap after dinner. For the more they ate, the quicker tiredness got a hold of them.

But, there were a few hobbits that would not be having a good meal tonight.

Merry Brandybuck was felling ever tired by the hour. His feet were sore, muddy and cold. The weather was going to make Merry's journey to Bree even more dangerous.

He had the usual hobbit wear on, a jacket and yellow, buttoned up waistcoat. Every piece of clothing had had on was either dirty or wet.

Merry had a flask over one shoulder. It had been full of water for the journey. But it was now running out. Merry had also had a pony. But had had run off, leaving him stranded.

Merry had now past Bywater and was on the road down to Bree. But, it was not the first time he would go there. And not the last either.

Birds sung over head, Merry's hair blew up in the strengthening wind. The coldness around him was deepening. The sun was now losing a battle to warm the air and earth below.

A snow storm was heading his way, the clouds flew over head. Merry tried to get warmer, he tucked his hands under each arm pit.

For a while, that was all well. But after twenty or so minutes, his hands were starting to go numb.

Merry wished now that he had stayed at home. He was alone and cold. No one knew where he was. So, he stopped. The two voices were arguing yet again.

"Just turn back, there's nothing you can do, Pippin doesn't like you!" said the first.

"But then, he did save you in the Battle. It's time to help him!"

"Pippin doesn't like you, he left you and went on his own!"

Merry stood for a while. Stuck to the spot, neither wanting to go on or wanting to go back. Merry was finding it hard to make up his mind.

"You've gotten this far Merry, why don't you just go on?" asked a new voice.

This new voice in his head was stronger and more persuasive. The light of day had now gotten really dark. Merry needed to make a choice soon, other wise he would have to stay where he was.

And Merry didn't like sleeping out in the cold. He had been stuck out in the cold all of last night. He had had little to no sleep at all. His pony had run off from him.

But the lose of his pony was not the only matter pressing him to move. The fact that he had no food made him choose quicker.

For Merry knew he could not go on after a few more days. Bree was a weeks walk away. Merry knew that he would not be able to make it. Even if it were the height of summer.

Hobbiton was a good twelve hour walk from where Merry was now. The road that he was on was the same one as Pippin and Dolly were on.

The Great East Road.

The road was a trading route stretching from the Grey Havens, though Michel Delving. It then snaked past Waymeet and the hobbit town of Bywater. Three Farthing Stone and Frogmorton came next. Whitfurrows, the Brandywine Bridge and The Old Forest came after.

The town of Bree followed, yet was before The Forsaken Inn. After the inn, there was not many town or villages. Yet, there was the abandoned out post of Weathertop. A second river, Horewell, ran across the path of the road. The Last Bridge was situated over the river. It was the path way to Rivendell. The forest of Trollshaw grew at the road's side.

Pippin knew that he needed to get to Rivendell. But he was getting worried. He was going too slow to reach Rivendell in time. Yet, there was a small bit of hope left. There was a young boy, riding ahead of them on a horse. He bore a message to the Elves.

Pippin knew that that was his only hope. But then, he started to worry about a different problem.

What if all of the Elves had left Rivendell?

If that was the case, then he would certainly lose Diamond to death.

Back in the calmness of Hobbiton, a family of hobbits were sitting down to their dinner. The time was now seven o'clock and they were sitting down for one of the many meals after dark.

The light outside had now gone down. Candles had been lit, warmth surrounded the hobbits sitting in their homes. In one household, there were five hobbits sitting around a large round table. Bowls with different kinds of vegetables and a large chicken lay on the wood.

There were plates, knives and forks, spoons for the bowls and mugs for the ale. Ale was considered the norm in most hobbit households. It was given to hobbits when they turned thirty three. Or, coming of age.

Eglantine was sitting at the head of the table. Her smiled was the exact replica of her girl's. They were all sitting in wooden seat.

Paladin was sitting at the opposite end of the table. He was smiling as well. Paladin had been in his study for almost the whole day.

Pimpernel had been cooking the chicken for the past two hours. She had also cooked or boiled the vegetables.

Pearl had been knitting since she turned up. A small pink jumper, big enough for a hobbit baby to fit in. But now, it had been lain down. She would finish it later. Eating was now on her mind.

Pervinca had been helping her sister since she got there, but had let Pimpernel do most of the work.

But now, everything was ready. The five of them had sat down. Bowls of food were being past around. There was hardly any space on the table.

The hobbits talked and ate and talked and ate. The chicken had been carved into at the start. Some of the bones had been exposed. Yet, for hobbits, hardly anything was wasted.

Pimpernel smiled as she took a large bit of chicken. The honey flavour had seeped into the cooked meat. Every bite made the chicken much nicer.

"This is very nice" Pearl said, cutting more off of the chicken.

The hobbit placed a bit on her plate, then cut off more. She did that a few more times and placed the large cutting knife down.

There was a boat of gravy, a drip was hanging from the end of the small spout. Pearl picked it up, the gravy inside was still warm. She poured some onto her chicken, them placed it back on the white table mat.

Pervinca, on the other hand, continued to refill her plate. She was very hungry and would easily give Pippin a run for his money.

Paladin was the first to finish. He placed his knife and fork on his empty plate and smiled.

"Well, I say Pimpernel, that had got to be one of the best dinners I ever did have" he said.

Nelly, who had been eating a piece of carrot, smiled.

"Thank you" she replied.

Pearl nodded.

"Very good Nelly"

Pimpernel smiled even more. Pearl was the second one to finish, closely followed by Eglantine. Pimpernel and Pearl were the only two eating. Eglantine sat there looking at her two girls. She had a sense that they were secretly going head to head to out eat each other.

Pearl was the first one to finish out of the two of them. Pimpernel finished a minute later.

"Right then, I guess I should get the cake out then" said Eglantine, getting up from her seat.

Pearl also got up, she picked up her plate. Pimpernel and Pervinca both handed their plates to her. She placed them in the sink, but didn't turn the tap on.

There was hardly any food left in any of the bowls. In the Took household, that was not unusual. Eglantine had wondered into the cellar. She was at a shelf full of cakes that she had baked that week. They were all chocolate cakes.

Dark chocolate cakes were their favourite type. They would have a full cake every day if they could get it. But, sometimes they would have to do without.

Eglantine came out of the cellar, she was holding out a chocolate cake sprinkled with white chocolate. She walked and placed it on the table. Vinnie had got some plates and spoons out. The plates were stacked up, five on them. The spoons were made of silver, the candles glinted in the silver.

Eglantine picked up the cutting knife.

"I'll guess you will all want seconds" she said happily.

There was no reply, but they all looked like they needed it. So, she started to cut the cake into equal slices. She placed the first slice on the top plate and handed it to Pimpernel.

She took it, placed it on her mat, but did not start. After a few minutes, all the slices had been served. The family ate in silence, a rare thing for the Tooks to do.

Meanwhile, Origo was sleeping. But he was not outside anymore. He had been taken inside. His little eyes were shut and his head resting on a pillow.

The puppy was warm and had been feed, only after the people he was with discovered it. But, now he had been feed and watered.

But his mission of getting back to Diamond had been stalled.

There was a small girl sleeping next to him, her arm around him and the duvet over herself. Because, hours earlier, he had run into a small girl, playing on her front lawn.

She was playing in the dirt, when something had caught her eye. She looked up to see a small puppy walking along the road.

The girl slowly stood up, she watched the pup sniff around.

"Puppy?" she asked.

Origo had looked to her direction. He stopped sniffing. He watched as the girl ran over to the gate, opened it and stood there.

The puppy didn't know what to make of this.

"Who are you?" he barked.

The girl tilted her head.

"Are you lost?" she asked.

Origo's eyes looked around. It was true, he was lost. So, he nodded. The girl smiled.

"Come here boy, I wont hurt you" she said, kneeling down.

Origo was still very weary of who he trusted. He slowly put his pawn forward. His ears were more sensitive then before. Every bird sounded louder, every sound was louder.

The pup was only a few feet away from the girl. He caught her scent. Origo tilted his head, still wondering if she was safe. He looked at the girls out stretched hand. The girl smiled as Origo sniffed her fingers.

"See, I'm not so bad" she said.

Her hand ran though the puppy's soft fur. Her hands were nice and warm.

"Sevossi, time to come in now" said a woman.

The girl looked around. Her hair blew in the cold wind. A bit of snow started to fall.

"Alright, mummy"

The girl then picked Origo up. The puppy tried to escape, but it was no use. The girl held onto him.

"Who's that?" the mother asked.

She looked at the small puppy looking the other way.

"He's mine" she said happily.

Sevossi walked past her mother. The house smelt different to Origo. There was no tobacco smell or the smell of it being very clean. Everything was much bigger in this house then Diamonds.

And there were stairs. Origo watched them come closer and closer.

He looked down, wondering what was going to happen. The girl then started to climb them. Origo looked up to see the second floor getting bigger.

After a few more seconds, the girl reached the top. The pup looked back. He had never been that high before. The girl then led him into her room.

There were horses and ponies carved from wood all over the place. There was a large rocking horse in the corner. It looked well used.

"This is my room puppy"

The light outside was starting to fade. Sevossi's mother came in behind her. She had a flaming piece of wood in her hand. A small candle was mounted on the wall.

Origo was placed on Sevossi's bed. He looked down at the very large, flat duvet. He started to sniff it. He laid down on the bed, watching the small girl ran about.

She picked up one of her toy horses and scurried over to the bed. Origo's eyes watched her. The girl placed the horse right in front of him.

"This is my bestest horse" she said merrily.

She made it gallop, Origo's eyes followed it.

"Sevossi, dinner will be ready soon. Come down when I call you"

Sevossi looked around and smiled.

"OK" she answered.

Origo was starting to feeling tired and hungry again. His eyes scanned the room.

"Maybe these people are not so bad" he told himself.

The girl smiled and got up. She ran back to her large wooden draw and placed the horse back in its place. Her mother walked out of the room after lighting a few more candles. The flames flickered happily. The girl was humming to herself as she picked out another horse.

This one was also made of wood. But, unlike the first she had picked out, this one was not painted. Yet it was shiny and smooth. The light of the candles and the dimming light outside.

"My mummy gave this one to me"

She held it carefully. Origo looked at it, his eyes wondering what it was. He went to sniff it, but a hand came over his small face.

"No, no, no" said Sevossi.

"Puppy is not allowed to touch"

Origo looked at her. He shook his head and the hand was taken away. Origo sneezed twice and rolled onto one side. The girl's hand rubbed his fur again. Origo looked at her. The room was strange.

The puppy was now going to plan his escape. But he knew that it would not be today. He had to wait until he was outside.

"Sevossi, dinner!" came a voice from the other side of the door.

Sevossi smiled.

"Come on"

She quickly picked up the puppy, leaving the horse of the bed. She carried her puppy down the stairs and into the kitchen. She had placed two plates on the table, both with food on them.

But there was one thing that Origo loved the most.

Turkey

Sevossi's mother had cooked a whole turkey for them. But they would make it last all week. But, Origo was only thinking about himself.

He needed to get some. So, he started to bark. Sevossi, who had been sitting at the table, looked down at him.

"What is it pup?" she asked.

Sevossi's mother looked down at the puppy as well.

"I think he wants some out my turkey" she pointed out.

Sevossi looked at the turkey, a bit had been cut off. But most of it was still there. Sevossi smiled. Origo and her met eyes.

"In a minute pup" she said.

So, Origo sat. He waited as patiently as he could. He eyed the turkey, hardly blinking. After a few minutes, both Sevossi and her mother had finished.

"Mummy, can Origo have his turkey now?" she asked.

Origo looked around as she talked.

"I suppose so" her mother answered.

So, taking the two plates, she place them in the sink. She then looked down at the puppy and smiled.

The woman picked up the cutting knife and started to cut a slice of turkey. She them placed the slice on the work surface. Origo was now standing up, he knew that his turkey was not far away.

After a minute, the woman stopped cutting the turkey and got out a bowl. To Origo, it was a big bowl, but not to the woman. She placed the meat in and looked down.

"There you go" she said, placing it on the floor.

Sevossi had stood up and was now looking at Origo eat. She then knelt down. Her hand stretched out and started to stroke the pup.

But, Origo didn't like being stroked while he was eating. So, he started to growl. The girl's hand moved back quickly. She was quite shocked that she was growled at. She looked over at her mother.

"Just let him eat" she said.

So, the girl got up. She watched the puppy in silence. A yawn then came to her. Sevossi's mother saw this.

"I think it's time for bed" she said.

Sevossi whined.

"But I'm not sleepy, I want to play" she said.

She put on her cute voice, but it didn't work.

"Oh, mum!"

Sevossi looked down, she knew that her mother was right. It was already eight o'clock.

"Go and brush your teeth" she said.

Origo had now cleared the bowl and was looking at the two people. Sevossi looked down at Origo.

"Are you going to growl at me again?" she asked.

Origo tilted his head.

"Good" she said, picking him up.

She carried Origo into her room and plopped him on the bed.

"Stay" she said.

"Stay" she repeated, this time slowly.

Origo looked at her with a blank look. The girl smiled and quickly walked out of the room. The pup was left on his own. He could hear noises. There was a tap running in a few rooms away from where he was. A second tap started to run, this time in the room next to the one he was in.

The girl had turned on the taps. She watched as the bowl started to fill up. A copper plug on a silver chain. The noise grew louder and louder.

After about a minute, she turned both taps off and picked up the soap. She rubbed it in her hands for a while. Soap bubbles were on her hand. She placed the soap back in its little dish and rubbed her face.

In the kitchen, her mother was cleaning the dishes. She had run a bowl of hot water and placed the dishes in. the water sloshed as she picked up a dish. In her other hand was a cloth with soap bubbles on.

The water dripped off of the plate, the woman started to rub the plate. After a minute, she dunked it in the water again. All of the bubbles slid off. She then took the plate out and looked at it. She smiled and placed it on the side. The woman then took the second plate and put that in the water.

Sevossi had finished washing and pulled the plug. The water started to run down the plug hole. Twenty seconds later, all the water had gone.

Origo way resting on the bed. He yawned and turned on his side. Sevossi then came back in. She quickly changed into her night gown and stood there. Her toy horse still lay on the bed. Untouched by Origo.

Sevossi came over to the bed and saw that she had left it there. She grabbed it and walked over to the rest of them. She then placed it back and looked around. Origo had been watching her.

"Bed time now puppy" she said.

Origo nodded and was picked up. Sevossi pulled back the covers and sat down. Origo was held there. Sevossi laid down.

Her mother had finished the washing and was now drying her hands. Sevossi covered them both up. Origo poked his head out of the heavy duvet.

Sevossi smiled and kissed his fluffy head.

"Your such a good puppy" she said.

Origo looked at her, his little eyes were still figuring out who this new person was. The candles flickered in the room. Foot steps could be heard coming to the room.

Sevossi's mother entered the room.

"I see that your already in bed" she said happily.

She walked over and kissed her daughter on the head. Origo looked up.

"Say good night, pup"

But Origo didn't bark. He looked at the woman.

"See you two tomorrow"

The woman then blew out each candle, making the room dark and darker. Origo started to feel sleepy. His owner, Diamond, started to come back to him.

Her face came back to him. he could see her blue eyes and dark hair.

He missed her, but some how knew that it would a while before he would see her again.

In Hobbiton, Pimpernel was getting ready to leave. The time was now ten o'clock. Pearl and Pervinca had already left.

"I should leave" Nelly said, looking at the old

grandfather clock.

Eglantine and herself had been sitting in the lounge. There was a small wooden table with two mugs. They were large cups for hobbits, used only for drinking their tea.

Eglantine and her daughter got up.

"I hope to see you soon" Eglantine said, hugging her daughter.

Pimpernel smiled.

"You will mother, I'll cook again next week if you want" she offered.

Eglantine held both of Nelly's shoulders.

"Oh Nel, you don't have to, it was nice just doing it tonight"

Pimpernel smiled and moved the hair from her eyes and moved it behind her ears. Her skin was flawless. Spots were rare among hobbits. There was no need for make up. They didn't see the sense in it.

"I'll see you tomorrow" Eglantine said.

Pimpernel nodded and started to walk towards the door. Eglantine let her go first and walked behind her. The two of them headed towards the front door. Pimpernel was the one to open it.

"Take care" Eglantine said behind her.

Pimpernel looked and smiled.

"And you too" she answered.

Pimpernel walked down to the road. There were still some hobbits around, they were all coming back from The Green Dragon.

Hobbits were mainly quiet folk. But, give them a few pints of a good ale and music, they would give the big folk a run for their pennies.

Pimpernel turned right and started to walk. Her home was not too far away. The road bent around the hill. There were more homes on the other side of the hill. Nelly's one was the second one along.

Nelly's garden was one of the best in the Hobbiton. Yet, at this time of year, there were no flowers in bloom. It was too cold for them. there was a swinging gate among the stone wall that kept her garden at bay.

Nelly opened the gate and walked though. She then shut it. The gate clicked. The hobbit then walked up the stone cobbles. They were cold under foot.

She opened her door. There were no need for locks on their doors. The door creaked open and Nelly walked in. The tiles on the floor were white. Yet there were small red tiles among them. Nelly closed the door.

The house was colder then the one she had just left. All of the candles had been put out. Yet, the fire in the kitchen was in embers. So, the hobbit made her way to the kitchen.

On the side, there was a small holder full of thin sticks. She picked one up. Pimpernel then placed the end in the embers. A few seconds past before it caught.

Nelly took it out and stood up again. There were many candles in the house. But Pimpernel knew that she only needed to light the ones in the kitchen, lounge and bed room.

So, she lighted the first candle and extinguished the small wooden strip. A bit of grey smoke rose into the air, but quickly vanished.

The candle burned merrily and Nelly picked it up. It would be much quicker and safer to do it that way.

So, after a few minutes, Nelly made her way back to the kitchen. She placed the candle on the table and looked around. Making the fire was the next job she had to do.

A cup of tea was on her mind, then reading a bit of her book and then to bed.

Pimpernel placed some of the small twigs and logs on the fire. She watched the fire grow back to life. A small hand towel was on the back of the chair.

She walked over and grabbed it. Nelly then walked back to the kettle, picked it up and walked over to the sink. She placed the kettle in the sink. Pimpernel then took the small lid off and turned on the tap.

The water started to pour into the kettle. A few seconds later, Pimpernel turned the tap off and put the small lid back on.

She walked over to the fireplace and placed the kettle on a small hook on the bricks. She took her hands away and smiled.

Nelly now had a few minutes to spare. So, thinking ahead, she went to get her book from the lounge. She opened the door. The room was colder then the rest of the house. Pimpernel could see her book on the small table. She made her way over to it, picked it up and walked out. There was a small bit of parchment keeping her page safe.

The hobbit walked back into the kitchen. The water was now bubbling. The book was placed on the table.

Nelly walked to a draw and got a small spoon out. She then got out a cup and a wooden box. For hobbits did not have tea bags, they would put tea leaves into the hot water instead.

Nelly opened the lid of the box and looked inside. There were many tea leaves in the box. Enough for a few more weeks.

The hobbit picked out two and placed them in the waterless cup. The water was now ready to pour, the bubbles could be heard popping. So, with the cloth, Pimpernel picked the kettle up. She carefully poured out the water. Pimpernel could feel the heat of the water hit her face. She poured just enough.

"Now, what have I forgotten?" she asked herself.

Milk was the answer.

So, she walked into the cellar and got a bottle of milk. She had placed the milk in a box with ice inside of it. She would have to change the ice every week. But as for now, it was alright.

The hobbit came back and poured some of the milk in the water. The leaves were still in there as well. Nelly picked them out and shook them a bit, making a few drops fall back into the liquid.

Nelly smiled as she picked up the cup of hot tea. There was no sugar in the tea, Pimpernel didn't really like having sugar in her tea. Unlike her brother.

Pimpernel picked up her book and walked to her room. Her room was next the kitchen. Both rooms had windows which looked out to the country. Yet, due to it being dark, she couldn't see the fields and trees.

Pimpernel's room was big. It had a large bed, large for a hobbit that is, in the middle. A bed side table either side. A large wooden wardrobe running on one side. A large mirror and dressing table in front of the bed. There were candles mounted on holders around the room.

Nelly walked over to the table and placed her book and cup down. She got changed into her night gown and pulled the duvet up. She sat on the bed. The hobbit made herself comfortable and picked up her book. She opened the book up, took the parchment out and started to read.


	13. Day Seven, Part One

The snow was floating down to earth. The ground was cold and the flakes stuck. Hobbiton was quite. There were no hobbits around at that time of night. Their doors were like small buttons dotted in lines on the hill side. Small windows shed small patches of light onto the ground outside. The light caught some of the snow flakes as they fell past.

The country side around had a white haze in the darkness of night. Animals of all sorts had sought shelter from the on coming snow storm.

Foxes hid it their burrows. Their fur created the warmth that they needed. They slept, cubs snuggled up to one another. Their tiny paws were small pillows for them.

Birds were nested it wig bowls high in the trees. They cuddled up together, their feathers kept in their warmth.

Owls swooped in the cold air. They flew over the hill in Hobbiton. They were silent, flapping their wings only a few times.

Rabbits were also in their burrows. They were shared by rats and mice trying to escape the coldness.

Rivers that ran though the land were getting colder and colder. Yet they still ran ever onwards. From high above, the rivers looked like black snakes running though the land. Snow was the only time of year where rivers could be seen from high hills.

Fish swam in small calm pools, away from the torrent of water that would sweep them away.

There were foot prints in the snow. Made not by birds or beasts, but by hobbit.

Merry Brandybuck was walking though the night. Every muscle in his body was screaming in pain. His feet were numb with the cold. His vision was blurring. Snow was covering his eyes and hair. Drips of cold water fell from his nose and hair.

His speed had slowed right down. A small river was a few hundred meters away. The darkness for Merry was deeper then ever. Yet he could not feel the coldness any more. For the temperature of his body was the same as the air around him.

Merry slowly put his foot out. The snow was getting deeper and deeper by the hour. His flask had been dropped long ago.

Houses were dark and few in number. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Owls spied on the hobbit as he stood there. Merry swayed. The noise of the wind was now very loud in his ears.

The hobbit's balance failed him. He started to fall forward. Slow at first, but got faster the nearer the ground he got.

The hobbit hit the snow, his face buried in it. His breathing had become slower and slower. In his condition, he was hours from death.

But there was no one around. The snow created a curtain that was impenetrable to the eyes of humans. Many white flakes started to cover him. Yet they did not melt. The flakes started to cover the hobbit.

Merry's eyes were closed. He couldn't open them. The choice of going to Bree might have cost him his life.

Hobbiton was miles away from where he was. everyone was asleep. Yet there was one who was not.

Estella Bolger.

Estella was sitting in her study. There was a small book in front of her. A quill was being twiddled in her fingers. An ink well was sitting near by. The lid of the ink pot had been taken off. A bit of the blue ink dotted around the top.

Estella stared at the blank pages before her. Her eyes thought about what she was gong to say. Her hand then moved over to the ink well. She dabbed the end of the quill in and tapped it on the side.

She then wrote the date:

16th Foreyule.

She looked at it. Fourteen days were left in Foreyule. Preparations were already being made. Yuletide started two days before Yule One. And finished two days after Yule Two.

Dear Diary,

Well, what can I say? Today had been one of the most upsetting on the month. Merry Brandybuck has, for some reason, stopped talking to me. I do not know why.

Maybe it for the better that I don't see him again. Maybe I can find someone else to love and that loves me better. But then, he did say that he liked me. But he hasn't come to see me for a few days.

I know he cant be busy, he never is busy.

Estella started to feel upset, but she carried on.

Diamond and Pippin. Well, I haven't see them for a while. A week in fact. It seems that the end of this year will be one to forget.

I had a nice time with Mother and Father. Mother is doing well. Yet Father is going down hill. He's not himself anymore. I remember when I was little, he would help me build snow hobbits.

Estella smiled as she started to remember when she was little.

On a brighter note, snow has come. I'm thinking of going to the woods when I get up tomorrow. Maybe Pimpernel would come with me if she's not too busy.

I love the woods in winter. The snow makes it more magical.

The writing had filled most of the page. Estella dabbed her quill in the ink again. Then began to write again.

I think it's time for bed

Estella read back what she had written. The flame near by flickered. Estella though and read the last of what she had written. She nodded and closed the book. The ink pot was closed and the quill set down. The chair was scrapped on the floor as Estella got up.

She took the book and walked over to her bed. But she knelt down on the floor and reached under the bed. There was a small box there. She dragged it out and smiled. Like nearly every box she had, it was made from polished oak.

So, Estella placed the book inside of the box and shut the lid.

The sun's light had still not broken though the clouds as Estella got into bed. She blew the candles out, knowing that it was late at night.

The room was now bathed in darkness. A small patter of snow flakes hitting the glass.

Snow was hitting the face of the boy who rode in the darkness. He was on a mission. A mission that would save lives.

His horse galloped ever onwards. The snow was pounding him every second he was out in it. The only evidence of his journey was the imprints in the snow. Yet they were covered up minutes later.

A large river was making it's way down to the sea. The snow and the darkness combined made it look like a black ribbon. The water trickled over large and small rocks.

A bit of ice collected around the rocks that were sticking out of the water. A bridge lay over the water. It was the last bridge before Rivendell.

The boy knew that he was one hundred miles from Rivendell. The boy knew that he could not get there by the next night.

There was a pack on his shoulders. There were three loaves of bread and a flask of water. The horse's breath could be seen flying off behind him. The boy's hands were numb and his cloths were wet. He shivered as he continued on.

A few times, his feet would slip out of it's holder. He would have to place it back before he could concentrate on riding. This made him lose speed for a moment.

The boy came to the bridge. There was a small rise and drop as it ran over the river. The boy stopped his horse at the top. He looked down at the river. His breath rose in the cold air. The boy could hear the sound of running water.

He could see the bubbles of the torrent could be seen. They were grey in the blackness of night.

The horse and boy did not stay long. The two of went off again. The surrounding areas were covered in a thick carpet of snow. Thicker then before.

Estella slept for the next few hours. She had a nice night, unlike some. The sun had risen well before she did. Yet she did not get up on her own. A bang came at the door. Yet, Estella didn't get up. her sleep was now leaving her.

Bang

Bang

Bang

Estella was now awake. Yet eyes not open. She could hear it, yet didn't know it was happening.

Bang

Bang

"Estella!" came a voice.

It echoed around the hobbit hole. It reached Estella. Her eyes opened slowly, the light was strong.

"Estella!" came the voice again.

Estella stopped in the middle of her yawn. She heard the voice. Her head raised a few inches from the pillow.

"Estella, where are you?"

It echoed though the house. Estella suddenly whipped back the duvet. Her feet were exposed. The sudden change of temperature made her feet feel cold.

Bang

Bang

Bang

Estella quickly walked down her corridor. There were doors on either side and candles burning on either side. The door came into view. She rushed over to it and opened it.

A cold blast came into her house. It kissed the flames of the candles as it rushed past. Standing at the threshold, Pimpernel Took.

She had been looking out at the snow, she turned around and smiled.

"Good morning, Estella" she said.

Estella smiled.

"Good morning, Pimpernel. Would you like to come in?" she asked.

Pimpernel smiled and made her way over the threshold. Estella closed the door behind her. The door clicked shut.

"I thought you would be up by now" Pimpernel said.

Estella smiled.

"I had a late night" she answered.

Pimpernel smiled. The two hobbits walked though to the kitchen.

"I'll put the kettle on the fire" Estella said.

Pimpernel smiled and took a seat. She looked around the kitchen. There were jars of honey, marmalade and jam. A spreading knife had been placed on top of the jars.

A clanking sound came from the fireplace. Estella had filled up the kettle and had placed it back.

"Right, I'll get changed. I will be back in a minute"

Pimpernel smiled and nodded. She watched her friend walk out. Nelly was now on her own. The fire crackled and the snow, which had fallen relentlessly over the past night, hit the window.

Outside, hobbits of every age were out. Snowballs and sleds were all around. Hobbit children were running in small groups. Some of the older ones had gone into the neighbouring fields.

They were not seen for most of the day. Only coming back for lunch and some snakes.

Estella had changed into her day wear and made her way back to the kitchen. The kettle was now boiling. There were a few cups on the table. Tea leaves had been placed into them.

The kettle bubbled more and more intensely. A small bit of water vapour rose from the neck of the metal kettle. Estella smiled as she walked in. She grabbed a small towel and walked to the fireplace. She picked up the kettle and turned around.

She looked at the two cups. Estella then poured the water into each cup.

"There you go" she said happily, placing one of the cups in front of Nelly.

Nelly smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

Estella poured her own cup. The tea leaves swirled around in the hot water. A small bowl of sugar and a tea spoon lay on the table. Estella picked up the spoon and picked up some sugar and put it in her tea. She stirred it around and placed the spoon back.

Pimpernel on the other hand, did not put sugar in hers. She fished out the two tea leaves and placed then on the side.

"So, Pimpernel, have you seen Merry or your brother lately?" Estella asked.

She took a sip from her cup and placed it down.

"No, I have seen neither for a few days now" she answered.

Estella started to think.

"I wonder where they are. Do you think their alright?" Estella asked.

Pimpernel took a deep breath. She looked to the side, wondering if they were safe or not. She raised her cup and drank. Nelly took a deep breath.

"I'm sure their fine" she told Estella.

Estella was looking at the table.

"I sure hope so"

But Merry was not alright. His eyes were closed and his lips blue. Yet, he was no outside any more. He was on a large couch. A large duvet was over him.

A figure was sitting near by, he had a goblet in one hand. He had a large, greying beard. Yet the redness was not as it had been many years ago.

A helmet and a double headed axe stood next to. The feet of the person did not touch the ground. A second figure was standing a few yards away. He was facing Merry. There was no sign of Merry waking up just yet.

"How long do you think he's been out there?" asked the one sitting down.

He had a beard that stretched half way down his body. The person looked older then the one standing before him.

"A few hours, but he'll be alright"

The person standing up had blond hair. His ears were pointed. His cloths were green. A leaf shaped clasp was holding his cloak around his neck and shoulders.

The time was a few hours after sun rise. It was lunch time at Hobbiton. Most of the hobbits had gone in for lunch and warmth. But, some of the hobbits had stayed out.

"Come on, make snow balls, we can get them when they come out again"

One of the hobbits had a wheel barrow. He walked quickly walked down the hill.

"Folco, over here!" shouted one of the hobbits.

The hobbit pushing the wheel barrow stopped and looked at the one who had just called. Folco smiled and started to walk to him.

The wheel barrow was made of wood. The snow around him was starting to ease as he walked over to his friends.

"I don't know why you wanted this wheel barrow of mine" Folco said as he let go of the handle.

There was a large pile of snow balls. One of the Halflings started to make snowballs and put them in the barrow. Folco watched as the hobbit placed snowball after snowball into the wheelbarrow.

After a minute or two, the barrow was full.

"Take them up the hill and hide them on the corner" said the hobbit.

Folco shivered a bit, the coldness was getting to him.

"So, who are we going to throw these at then?" Folco asked.

The hobbit, who had been making the snow balls, looked up. A smile came along his lips.

"You'll see"

Folco looked at him strangely, but did not question any further. The hobbit picked up the handles of the barrow and turned it around. The snow crunched under Folco's feet. The hill was not steep, yet in the snow, it made it harder.

A few times, Folco accidently tipped the barrow over. His feet slipped on the well trodden ice. The snow had turned to ice.

Folco took a moment to catch his breath. The hill was still going up. Folco's hair was wet and his cheeks cold. His hands were even colder.

The snow balls were on the floor. Folco righted the small cart and looked at the snow balls. He started to pick up the ones that had fallen out. More then half had fallen out.

Meanwhile, Pippin was driving the cart. The snow had come and gone. It was covering all the land in a snowy carpet. The snow was unspoiled. It covered root and twig. The wind blew Pippin's hair. Dolly was in the back. She was thinking.

Her thoughts were clear as the cart rolled on.

A small child sat on her mothers lap. It was late in the night. Dolly could remember how tired she had been. The candles flickered every so often.

"Mummy, can I come with you tomorrow?" she had asked.

Dolly was only a small girl, six or seven years of age. Her bare feet dangled and swung a bit.

"Are you sure?" her mother asked.

Dolly looked up at her mother and smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure"

But that was years ago. And now, Dolly's mother and father had past away. Yet, she still had her passion of new life left. Her mother had taught her for many years before. But now, Dolly had to figure out what to do on her own.

Midwives were rare among hobbits of the Shire. Dolly was one of the few there were.

Dolly, in her sixty years of midwifery, had never been sent on a question. She had never seen a hobbit that showed no since of illness, yet was none responsive.

Diamond Took was her name.

She was late in her birth. But her life and the life of her unborn child.

Pippin was her husband. He had been there when Diamond had unexpectedly fainted. She had yet to wake up. But now, Pippin, Diamond and Dolly were hundreds of miles away from the safety of Hobbiton.

Pippin's mind was now on food again. Hobbits were renowned for eating seven or eight meals a day. But, over the past few days, Pippin had lost weight. But not much. There was still a bit of bread left to eat.

Both Pippin and Dolly knew that they would have to save the bread until they were closer to Rivendell. Yet they had only past Weathertop.

Back in Hobbiton, Folco had reached his destination. He had turned into a small garden. He unloaded the wheel barrow and made sure that the balls of snow were still intact.

The bottom of the wheel barrow was wet. The snow had started to melt. But, now that they were on the snowy ground, they ceased to melt.

Down near the lake, Folco's friends and brothers had made a massive pile of snow balls. A small figure was coming back down the hill.

It was Folco.

Folco was an only child. He was the son of Vigo Boffin. Vigo had been captured by Saruman. But, Vigo had survived. His friends and family had saved him. Saruman had starved the hobbits.

Folco continued to walk down the hill.

"Watch this" said on of the hobbits.

He grabbed a very large handful of snow and quickly made a snow ball. He looked back at the moving figure of Folco.

He took aim and…

The snow ball hit the tree. The ball exploded into many pieces. Pippin was standing there. The cart had stopped. Dolly had gotten out of the cart as well. The snow crunched under her feet.

"Did you see that?" asked Pippin merrily.

Dolly smiled and nodded.

Pip had bent down again and picked up another ball. The cart and hobbits were now half way between Weathertop and the last bridge over the river Hoarwell.

"We have to get moving soon" Dolly told him.

Pippin threw the snow ball and it impacted a few inches away from the first.

"Alright, are you going to drive?" he asked.

Dolly nodded. A yawn came over his lips and Pippin walked to the back of the cart. There were hoof and wheel marks running back down the path. To the front, the snow was untouched and pristine.

Dolly got onto the drivers seat. The tiredness went away. Yet hunger had replaced it. The cart suddenly rolled on. Pippin was yawning in the back.

His mind started to wonder what was happening back home. Instead of a comfy chair, wooden planks were his seat. Instead of roast chicken, bread was his food.

Pippin shuffled down. He had forgotten his pipe and Longbottom leaf. Ale had been in short supply. Pippin started to miss home. He had thought that his adventures had ended. But he had been wrong.

Pippin never thought that he would go back to Rivendell.

Memories started to flood back. Rivendell had been the starting point of many friendships and many enemies. Merry and Pippin had been captured by a gang of Uruk-hai.

Fangorn forest was an old and mysterious forest. Merry and Pippin had run into the forest. Pippin could still feel the coldness and the tightness of the air around him.

He didn't admit it, but he had been more scared in Fangorn then he had ever been.

His eyes were glazed over at the cart moved on. Pippin almost didn't feel it moving. His memories were strong and they haunted him for many years.

But Pippin never spoke of them. He knew that his friends and family knew that it had effected him. They talked behind his back. Sometimes, almost getting caught. But they were never suspected them.

Merry, on the other hand, had gone to smoking and drinking. Pippin had also gone to the bottle and to the pipe weed. But not as much as his friend.

Merry's fingers had started to turn a dull yellow. The pipe weed was staining them. His cloths were torn and moth eaten. Like Pippin, Merry wanted to go to Gondor. But things needed to happen.

Pippin was near Rivendell and Merry was in a house, miles from Bree. Neither of them would see each other for a few more days.

Folco had come back to his friends. His face was now stinging. A few minutes earlier, a snow ball had been fired at him. It had sailed though the air and hit him.

Folco took a few seconds to wonder what had happened. His hands left the wheel barrow which fell on one side. His eyes were closed. Yet his ears could make out the laughter of his friends.

He wiped the water away from his face. Any warmth that he had had was now lost. His sleeve was a bit wet. The snow ball that had fallen to the ground.

"Come on Folly!" shouted a voice.

Folco looked down at his friends. They were all laughing. So, Folco picked the barrow and made his way back down.

"I hope your not going to do that again" he said.

He placed the barrow down. A big pile of snow balls were laying on the ground. All around, hobbits were coming back out of their homes.

"So, we're getting Pippin, right?" asked one of Folco's friends.

"Yes, we are"

Folco continued to pile the snow balls into the small barrow.

Pimpernel and Estella had now finished their tea. Estella had also got out some cookies which they had eaten. Both of them had extra cups of tea and extra cookies. The two of them talked about the outside world. Hobbits loved each and every season of Middle-earth.

Winter was a time of renewal. Many more feasts were held in winter then in any other season. Winter was a time where all hobbits felt like children again. No matter what age they were.

Snow hobbits and snow balls alike were built.

Spring came next. This was the time when plants and trees started to bloom again. Saplings and mature trees alike grew. Birds and beasts came out. Foxes and rabbits came out from their borrows. It would soon be time for younglings to entre the world.

Summer was a hobbit's next favourite season of the year. The sun was now strong in the sky. All of the plants were now in bloom. Days were long. Nights were warm and cloudless. Rain was rare in the height of summer.

Birds flew around, songs were heard though out the day.

Robins, crows, sparrows. All of them finding worms and food. Fish were spawning in the lake. At night, crickets, owls and foxes came out to play. Even though the sun had gone down, animals and hobbits were not asleep.

A few miles away, owls could be heard hooting to one another. Frogs hopped out of the lake. They made their way slowly up the hill.

A peacefulness came over the world. The stars in the sky twinkled. They were older then an any age that had past. They were older then the rocks beneath their feet.

Autumn was the next season. Leaves started to fall and the heat of summer started to dissipate. The rains started to turn to sleet. Sleet slowly started to turn to hail and snow.

Green grass started to grow even more then in summer. Cows and sheep grazed on the grass. In the centre of Hobbiton, there were pens full of chickens and turkeys. Stalls of freshly baked bread and fresh jars of jam and sticks of butter.

Hobbits had stocked up for winter. Food and ale were stored in vast quantities. A few of the hobbit house holds had live chickens in their cellars. Small pens with metal wire made up the room where the chicken or turkey would be fed.

Pippin and Diamond had a turkey in their cellar. They would feed it everyday, twice if they could remember. But now, they were not at home any more. The turkey was getting thinner instead of fatter like they had planned.

Pimpernel had gotten up from her seat. Her time to go home.

"I will see you later, Estella" Pimpernel said.

Her coat had been hanging from the back of her chair. Estella also got up.

"Have a safe journey" she said, walking to her friend and hugging her.

Pimpernel smiled.

"Why did you say that? Its only down the hill"

Estella laughed.

"Nelly, there's snow outside. The boys will be making snow balls. That's why I want you to be careful" Estella told her.

Pimpernel rolled her eyes.

"Estie, my father is Thain of the Shire. I know that their afraid of him and would not go after me" she explained.

Estella felt a little bit better.


	14. Day Seven, Part Two

"After all, I need to come with you. I have a turkey cooped up in the cellar. He needs more feed" Estella told her.

So, the two of them walked out of the kitchen and though the large corridor. Pimpernel stopped near the door. She was getting her coat on. Hobbit coats didn't have sleeves. In fact, it was more cloak then coat.

Estella smiled and opened the door. The coldness got both of the hobbits right away. Pimpernel pulled her cloak around her more to keep the warm in.

Estella walked away, leaving Nelly to close the door.

At the bottom of the hill, Folco was getting ready to push the barrow back up the hill. His eyes were drawn up there suddenly.

"Oh no" he said.

"Look!"

His friends, three of them in total, looked up to where he was pointing. Two figures were walking down the hill. Folco watched them.

"Gentlehobbits, arm yourselves" said one of his friends.

So, the four of them got two snow balls each. One to carry in each hand.

"Tosto, Minto, Moro, Folco, get to where you need to be"

So, Tosto, Minto and Moro ran off. Yet Folco stayed.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Folco asked.

The leader of the small group was called Mosco Burrows. His two younger brothers were called Moro Burrows and Minto Burrows. Tosto, like Folco, was of the Boffin family.

"Course I do" he answered, raising a brow at him.

Mosco handed Folco two snow balls. Folco took them, then looked over at the figures of Nelly and Estella. He didn't want to do it. Mosco had quickly ran off. Yet Folco stayed. He watched his friends hide for a minute. Folco knew what was going to happen next.

Suddenly, four snow balls hurtled towards the unsuspecting hobbits. Pimpernel got the first hit. Estella got the other three. But they did not have time move out of the way as four more came down.

Folco saw the two girls try to run. But Estella had slipped. Folco instantly knew what he needed to do. So, he started to jog over to the small gate.

He opened it and walked onto the road. Walking up the hill was much easier without the barrow in front of him. A couple of meters in front, he could see Pimpernel bending over her friend.

Pimpernel looked over at Folco as he walked towards her.

"Need any help?" he asked.

Pimpernel stood up right.

"Not from you" she answered.

Folco was confused.

"Why not?" he asked.

Pimpernel's eyes then flicked over to Folco's friends. They were now laughing and walking away.

"Because of them"

Estella was now sitting up. She held her ankle.

"Do you need any help Estella?" asked Folco.

Estella drew her hair from her face.

"Yes, yes I do" she answered.

So, Folco helped her up. One arm around his neck.

"Thank you"

Pimpernel watched as they started to walk up the hill. She didn't even get a "Good bye" from her friend. She waited there a few more seconds, wondering what to do now. She then walked up the hill, back towards her own home.

Merry was waking up. The air around him was warm. Merry groaned and grumbled. His skin ad beads of sweat running down his face.

"He looks like he's seen a ghost" said a voice.

It was very deep and had a Scottish accent to it. Merry knew that voice.

"Where am I?" he groaned.

But to the two beings, they could not understand him. The taller of the two walked away. There was a small bag near him. The person picked it up and opened it. Inside, there was a glass bottle. The person took it put and looked back at Merry.

The smaller person walked over to him. He had an axe in his hands. He leaned on it as he watched his friend unscrew the top and hold Merry's head up.

The fluid went into Merry's mouth. Almost instantly, his eyes opened. But his eyes were glazed over with a blurriness that only he could see.

But that did not last for long. His vision was restored to normal. He could see the candles flickering. The noise of a fire crackling could be heard as well.

"I am glad to see you are awake" said a fare voice.

Merry's eyes slowly made their way up to his face. His face changed from scared to confused to a smile in less then a second.

"Legolas?" he asked.

The elf nodded. His eyes then quickly flicked to the side of him. Merry's eyes slowly looked at the second figure standing there.

"Gimli?" he asked.

Even though Gimli had a large beard, Merry could tell that he was smiling.

"What are you doing here?" asked Merry, sitting up.

He held his head.

"We're travelling to Rivendell, then to Fangorn" Legolas answered.

Merry suddenly fell quiet. He had been to Fangorn Forest. Long ago with Pippin in the War Of The Ring. Merry's memory started to release the pictures of the forest.

"You haven't told us why your this far from your home" Gimli said.

But Merry was in another world. Gimli and Legolas were not standing in front of him. it was like the hobbit had blocked them out.

The tight air and the low level of natural light flooded to him. The room he was in became darker and more colder.

"Merry?" asked Legolas, watching the hobbit.

Gimli took a deep breath and looked to the side.

"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

Merry's vision was taken away from him.

"Eat?" he asked, looking up.

Legolas gave a small smile and started to walk out of the room. Merry looked at Gimli.

"What are you doing here?" Merry asked.

Gimli smiled.

"We are on travels, lad, around Middle-earth. Just me and the elf" Gimli answered.

"We have just been to the Grey Havens"

Merry looked around the room. He coughed a few times. His hand was over his mouth.

"Why were you at the Grey Havens?" Merry asked.

His mouth was dry. From the kitchen, Legolas could be heard getting a plate and some food for the hobbit.

"That was Legolas' idea. He wanted to walk along the entire Great East Road" he answered.

Just then, the elf came back with a plate of bread and cheese. There was a glass of cold water in the other.

"Eat it" he said, giving it to the hobbit.

"You'll need your strength for the journey home"

Merry suddenly remembered why he had come this way.

"I'm not going home. I need to get to Bree" he told his two friends.

Gimli looked confused.

"Why are you going to Bree?" he asked.

"Because I think Pippin might be there"

Legolas knew that this was not the case. He had learnt how to track.

"There was no sign of any hobbits coming this road for a few years. He couldn't have walked down here" Legolas pointed out.

Merry started to think.

"Maybe he was on a cart. Did you see any pony tracks?" he asked.

Legolas looked around, his mind was working quickly. His eyes darting around. Without another word, he walked out of the room. Gimli watched him in surprise. Merry jumped off from the couch as the front door opened.

"What is he up to now?" Gimli asked.

Merry was now standing up. The hobbit had gotten off of the couch. He was walking slowly to the door. He looked around to see Legolas was now standing in the middle of the road. Merry continued to watch Legolas as he watched out.

The elf looked down the road where Merry had just come from. The snow was still thick and fresh. It had only been lain down a few hours before.

Legolas' eyes scanned over the area before him. There were many foot prints in the snow. A few blades of green grass were poking though the snow. Legolas bend down and looked at the prints even closer.

"There are hove prints" he said.

Merry looked down. The elf looked around more. He then spotted something else.

"And there are wheel prints"

Merry couldn't see it, but he trusted Legolas.

"When did it come though?" Merry asked.

Legolas didn't answer right away.

"A few days"

On the road, hundreds of miles away, Origo was walking in the road. A few hours earlier, he had been in a house. A small girl by the name of Sevossi, had taken him into her home. But Origo didn't plan of spending any time there. For he already had a family and he needed to get back to them.

Sevossi had cuddled up with puppy over night. Origo snoozed happily, making a plan for the morning.

The two of them slept until the sun had risen.

"Puppy, wake up!" came a voice.

Origo was suddenly woken up from his sleep. The covers had been taken off of him and two hands scooped him up. Origo whimpered, he was still very tired.

"Sevossi, get dressed, there's lots of snow outside" said a woman.

Sevossi smiled.

"OK" she said.

Sevossi kissed Origo on the head and placed him back on the bed. The puppy watched the girl rush out. Origo whimpered by himself, he was tired and needed his Diamond.

A minute or two later, Sevossi came back in. She quickly got dressed. Sevossi then went to her wardrobe and got out her woollen coat on.

Sevossi didn't have any gloves.

"Come on puppy!" she said.

Sevossi seemed very excited. She picked Origo up and placed him on the floor. The pup shook his fur and watched the girl walk away quickly. She stopped at the door and looked back.

"Puppy? Come on!"

So, Origo slowly made his way towards her. When he got there, Sevossi smiled.

"We're going outside"

Origo walked out and was met by the stairs. Sevossi was already half way down. Origo looked down there. He started to whimper. Sevossi looked back. She had forgotten that Origo didn't like stairs.

"Come here boy" she said, walking back up.

She picked him up and walked back down. At the bottom, she placed him on the floor again.

Origo knew that this was the right time to put his plan into action. So, he walked behind the girl.

"Just going in the front mummy!" Sevossi said.

Her mother was cooking breakfast.

"Alright, stay in the front garden"

Sevossi smiled and opened the front door. A sheet of untouched snow lay before them. The coldness of the outside was starting to make it's way out of the house.

Sevossi stood there for a few seconds, the wind waved her hair. Origo stood next to her looking out as well. The girl them put her shoes on and walked out. Origo's eyes watched her.

The girls feet made imprints in the soft snow. There was a bit near Origo, he had seen snow before. He placed one paw out and stopped.

Sevossi was making a snow ball. She looked over at the pup.

"Come on, it's only snow" she said.

Origo stepped onto the snow. He looked around, the snow was covering just about everything. There were bushes and trees. He had not seen the outside for a day now.

His eyes darted over to the gate.

But it was closed.

"How am I going to get out?" he asked himself.

So, the puppy started to explore. He tried to sniff the ground, but he couldn't smell anything. The snow had taken away the scenes of the people that had been there.

He then made his way towards the gate. He paused and looked up at it. Sevossi held the snow ball in her hands and watched the puppy. His small tail was wagging.

"What are you doing, pup?" she asked.

Origo looked around, his eyes looking right at her. Sevossi walked up to him.

"Do you want to go on the other side?" Sevossi asked.

Origo nodded. But Sevossi shook her head.

"Puppy isn't allowed. He must stay here"

Origo started to whimper. He looked up at her and made cute little puppy eyes. When in fact, he was trying to get her to open it.

Sevossi's heart started to melt quicker then the snow. She looked back at the house. The front door was closed and there was no sign of her mother. Sevossi bit her bottom lip, wondering if it was worth the trouble. She had been lucky not have been punished last time she opened it.

"Alright, but not for long" she said, walking to the gate.

Origo rushed over as well. He waited. Sevossi unclipped the small latch and slowly opened it. She looked back one more time and opened it more.

It was then that Origo made his plan reality. The small puppy darted past the girl. Sevossi looked down. Her eyes followed Origo as he ran off.

"Ah, puppy!" she said.

"Come back!"

The girl then started to run after the pup, but he was too fast for him.

"Puppy!" shouted Sevossi.

Origo could hear her cries getting fainter. After a few more seconds, he started to slow down. Snow had now clamped itself to the fur on his small paws. Down the road, he could see Sevossi still standing there.

"Puppy, come back! Please!"

But Origo did not. He looked back at the road he was running down. He now knew that the other way was the wrong one. Origo looked back at Sevossi one more time, then ran off again.

Sevossi's eyes began to tear. She had wanted a puppy for a very long time. And now, the only one she had seen for a few years had run off on her.

The girl slowly made her way back to the garden. She closed the gate and hung her head. She walked slowly over to the door, looked back one more time and then knocked.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

"Finished already?" her mother asked.

The small girl's head hung.

"Sevossi, what's the matter?" asked her mother, knelling on one knee.

"He's… He's gone" Sevossi said.

Her voice was small and upset could be hinted.

"Who's gone?" she asked.

"Puppy" Sevossi answered.

Sevossi's mother wondered what she meant.

"Gone? Gone where?" she asked.

Sevossi looked away. She didn't know how to explain to her mother how he had got away.

"I accidently opened the gate and…"

Sevossi didn't have to finish her sentence. Her mother knew exactly what happened.

"Well, that's what you get when you open the gate, Sevossi" she told her.

Her mother then got up and walked away. Sevossi was now really upset. But there was nothing she could do now. The puppy that she though was hers was now gone.

The girl slowly made her way to her room. Sevossi closed the door and walked over to her bed. The girl lay down on the bed and started to cry.

Meanwhile, back at Hobbiton, Folco and Estella were sitting down. There was a chair opposite Estella. Her leg and foot was resting on it.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I told them that is wasn't a good idea" Folco said.

He had a few small chunks of ice in a hand towel. He placed them in the hand towel, closed it and placed it on Estella's ankle. Estella could feel the coldness of the ice though the towel.

"Folco, you didn't have to do this you know" she said.

Folco quickly glances up at her and smiled. It was then that Estella understood why he was helping her.

"Hold on, you like me, don't you?" she asked.

Folco suddenly became very quiet. He knew that he had been found out.

"Folco?" asked Estella.

The hobbit took a deep breath and looked at Estella.

"Do you like me?" she asked again.

Folco took a deep breath.

"Well, I do a bit" he answered.

Estella didn't like the situation that she was now in. Two hobbits now liked her. But she only liked one and it was not the hobbit that was in front of her.

"Oh, Folco" she said.

The words had escaped her. She didn't knew what to say.

"I like you, but… but I just can't like you enough. There's someone else" she said.

Folco was now looking at the ground. He knew that what Estella was saying was the truth. He suddenly stood up.

"I have to go" he said.

His voice had changed. It was not happy. Yet, it was not sad. Folco left the ice on Estella's ankle and walked out.

"Folco, come back. I didn't mean it like that!"

But it made no difference. Folco walked out of the room. Estella sighed.

"Yet another thing to worry about"

She placed her hand back on the small ice pack. Her mood had not improved as Folco shut the door. Estella was now alone and hurt.

"Where are you Merry?" she asked herself.

Merry was miles away from her. The light outside was ebbing slowly into night. But it would be an hour or two before darkness settled in.

Legolas was in the kitchen. He was getting bread and water ready. There was a small bit of Elven water left. But only enough for Legolas to drink.

Gimli was standing, watching the elf.

"And do you think it's safe going out in this kind of weather?" he asked.

Legolas placed a few loaves of normal bread on the work surface.

"You don't even know where the hobbit went!"

Legolas did not look at Gimli. A sound of rushing water filled the room.

"I will find him, I am sure that he is alright" Legolas answered.

Gimli looked away. He gave a small grunt. Merry then entered the room.

"How are you laddie?" asked Gimli, placing a hand of Merry's shoulder.

The dwarf's grip was strong, Merry prised himself out of it. Legolas rushed about. There were a few bags for the bread on the table.

"How are you going to get to Bree?" asked Merry.

Legolas didn't look at him.

"We run" he answered.

This news did not appeal to Gimli.

"Oh no. No, no, no. we're not running for anyone anymore!" he protested.

Legolas started to pack the bread into the bags. Merry looked at Gimli.

"Then walk" Legolas.

Gimli knew that if he walked, Legolas would run off from him. A bag full on fresh bread was then past to the dwarf. He caught it. But didn't say a word.

Many miles ahead, Dolly was continuing to drive the small cart. A bridge was a few miles away from where they were. Yet neither of them knew about it.

The bridge was the last bridge before Rivendell. The light level was darkening by the minute. The night was going to be bitterly cold. Dolly looked up. The first stars could be seen peaking out from a sheet of dark blue.

Dolly had always liked the stars. When she was younger, her father would wake her up in the dead of night.

"Come and have a look at this" he said.

So, the two of them would make their way to the door. They tried to be a silent and as quick as possible. Her father would slowly open the door. The cool air blowing at her face.

Her hand held her father's as they walked into the small front garden. There was a patch of grass near the door. Dolly's father quietly closed the door.

"Come on" he said.

The two of them would walk over to grass and sat down. Dolly looked up at the countless twinkling stars. Her father, who was bigger then her, sat down next to her.

"Daddy?" Dolly asked, looking over at him.

The man had a long pipe in his mouth. He was holding a small pouch of tobacco.

"Hmm" he said, looking over at the girl.

"How many stars are there?" she asked.

The old hobbit looked at the girl. He had lit the small bowl of his pipe. A small whips of smoke started to snake upwards.

"Your asking a very difficult question" he answered.

His eyes pointed towards the sky. He could see the stars twinkling.

"Each small got of light is a star, just like our sun. some, probably bigger and brighter. Each small point of light may have planets. Each planet may have life. Each species will either feed off of the land, like we do. Or hunt those that do. Some species might be clever enough to look down on us and study us" he stopped, noticing that his daughter had gone silent.

Dolly's mouth was open. Amazement and wonder were now firmly implanted on her face. Her father started to smile.

"But, what you have to understand is that there may not be any other life out there" he told her.

The picture came back to Dolly. The patch of sky was exactly the same as she had seen as a child. Memories of her mother and father came back. She missed them dearly. Yet she knew that old age was to come to everyone.

The hobbit took a deep breath. She knew her time was getting close.

Back in Hobbiton, Estella was limping towards her room. Her mood had not improved. She was feeling guilty and there was nothing that she could do to stop it.

The darkness was growing outside. The sun had finally set. Yet there were no clouds. The coldness of day strengthened. Estella stopped at the threshold to her room. She was breathing heavily. Her ankle had swollen from the slip earlier that day.

Pimpernel, her friend, had not come to see how she was. Estella's bed was in sight. The hobbit hobbled over to the bed and sat of it. She placed her hurt ankle on her knee and started to rub it.

The window was now black enough to reflect the inside of the room. The candles were now half melted. Drops of wax could were still. They looked like that had been frozen in time. The light flickered and made them more mysterious.

This happened to just about all of the candles. Estella was memorised by the flickering. But her catch was soon broken. She started to yawn. The day had been stressful and tiring on her.

"I guess I should get to bed" she told herself.

She then slipped off of the bed and knelt down. She grabbed the box that had her diary in and pulled it out. The hobbit looked down at it. The box had a small handle. Estella opened it. The hinges creaked.

Inside, there was a small, well warn book. The gold letters had faded months ago. The hobbit took out the book and looked at it. Most of it was full of her thoughts and feelings.

Estella helped herself back onto the bed. The small box was left on the floor. There was a desk a few meters away. A wooden chair was standing before it. Estella took the small bit of pain in and them stood up. She swayed there for a few seconds, getting her balance. She then walked over to the table, trying not to put any weight on her foot.

When she was close enough, she held onto the chair with one hand. She hopped and sat down. Her desk was at an angle. One for writing on. The top of the desk was flat. There were books stacked on books. There were a few quills laying in a small bundle. An ink bottle had its top on.

Estella placed the book down and picked up the ink bottle. She took the lid off and placed it down again. Estella took a quill and opened the book. She found the next clean page and looked at it.

For a full minute, her eyes didn't move from the page. Her hand suddenly moved to the ink pot. The tip of the feather quill was plunged into the black liquid.

Estella tapped it on the side. A few drops ran down the side of the clear bottle. Estella moved the inky quill quickly over to the page and began to write.

Dear Diary

Estella had always started her entry that way.

Just when I thought this couple of days couldn't get any worse, it has. I now have guilty to mix in with angry and the feeling of loneliness.

Folco Boffin.

Why?

He knows that I don't like him like that! Yet he likes me. I feel like I've hurt him really bad. But there's nothing I can do.

Yes, I do like him, but only as a friend. Nothing more, nothing less. But now, I think he hates me. Just another problem I'll have to sort out by myself.

Merry Brandybuck still hasn't come to see me. I mean, he can't be that busy.

The sound of scratching could be heard around the room.

The weather is getting colder by the day. But that came with a price today. Pimpernel and me…

"Oh drat" Estella said as she realised that she had made a spelling mistake.

She dabbed the quill in ink again and then scribbled out the last few words that she had written. She made sure that it didn't spread. After the ink dried, she continued to write.

Pimpernel and me were attacked by the lads again. They do the same thing every year. Maybe this year will be their last. I don't know how many times Paladin has told them to leave us alone. But they never listen!

I hope that everything improves. I need some fun. Yule maybe what I need.

Estella finished writing and reread what she had said. The hobbit took a deep breath. She looked around to see the box still on the floor.

"I'll put it away tomorrow" she told herself.

So, she left the book open and got up. Remembering not to put any weight on her ankle, she limped back to her bed. She placed herself on it. She looked down and picked it up. Estella closed the lid and placed it back under the bed.

She then laid back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling, like most hobbit holes, was round and had a smooth surface to it.

Wooden beams were imbedded in the walls. Planks of wood ran half way up from the bottom. The floor was made from copper red tiles. They had all been fitted neatly into place. There were no big gaps and the design ran though out the house.

Estella was starting to drift into sleep. She had yet to take a wash or get changed out of the day's cloths. Her eyes slowly shut, sleep had won over her.

She would not wake till morning.


	15. Day Eight, Part One

The night was quiet. Quiet and still. The wind hardly blew the leafless trees. Like the night before, the same creatures came out. Foxes and owls mostly. The snow from last snow fall had been melting the whole day. Most of it had gone. But more was expected.

There was a small creature walking though the forest that didn't want snow.

His name was Origo and he was lost. He had run away from a small girl, Sevossi. Sevossi had opened the gate. It was apart of Origo's plan. He knew that she couldn't resist him cuteness.

He was right.

The small girl had opened the gate for him. It was then that Origo did what he had planned to do all along.

He ran.

He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, leaving Sevossi standing there. Origo could hear her calling for him. He wished that he didn't hurt her feeling. But he had to get home.

The only problem was that he didn't know which was home was.

He had come down the road he was on at night time. He didn't recognize any of the houses. So, he stopped. Looking around, he saw the road lead off in front of him.

The level of light had started to fade. The coldness was strengthening. His fur kept most of the warmth in, but he could still feel it.

His small eyes started to scan the area.

Something then caught his eye. A small figure running though the trees to his right. It seemed to stop every so often, then run on again. Origo was very curious about this.

So, he started to slowly walk over to it. Yet, the figure was still going away from him. So, Origo decided to see who it was. His speed picked up. Yet the figure didn't stop.

Origo then barked.

The figure in front suddenly stopped. Origo stopped as well. His head tilted.

"Hello?" he barked.

To human and hobbit ears, he was just barking. But to other dogs and puppies, he was talking. The small silhouette was in between the trees.

Origo looked at it. He had the strange feeling that they had met before. The tree roots came out of the ground like waves of wood.

Twigs and leaves were bound together in a muddy soup. Origo stopped. He was now a few feet away from the creature now.

"Who are you?" he barked.

Without warning, the creature turned and ran. It took a few seconds for Origo to realize what had just happened. Without a seconds thought, he ran after it.

He skipped though the puddle of mud in front of him. He jumped over small roots that got in his way.

The figure was still in his sights. There were fallen trees and tree stumps in the path of both the creatures.

But Origo was far slower then the creature he was chasing. Trees that had fallen were now approaching them. The figure that was being chased, dived under the small gap between the trunk and the soil.

Origo was a few meters behind. He did the same. But he was bigger then the figure he was chasing. But, after a second or two, he got to the other side.

When he did get though, he saw the figure running off. So, he started to run after again. His fur now had a small bit of mud clinging onto it.

The figure was now stretching it's lead over Origo. The pup found it hard to keep up. What had been a five meter lead had now turned into fifteen.

The figure could barely be seen by Origo any more. So, he started to slow down. He looked where he had last seen the figure. But it wasn't there any more.

Origo came to a stop. His eyes darting around the area. It was much darker then before. His eyes couldn't see the light of day any more. But it was set to get much darker then this.

The coldness in the woods was less intense then on the road. The trees had kept most of the coldness out. Yet the wind still whistled though the gaps in the trees.

Origo now knew that he was lost in a woods that he didn't know. He knew that the night was fast approaching. Yet he had no where to stay.

"I want to go home" he whimpered.

His ears flopped down and his head hung. The darkness was now very much upon him. The puppy started to walk though the dark and scary forest.

Origo could hear strange noises. Echoes of creatures near by and of far. Deer and owls. The occasional bat would swoop past the puppy.

His eyes were not used to the darkness. They would dart around, small figurers would be seen by him. But in fact, there was nothing there. Origo's eyes were playing tricks on him.

In Hobbiton, all of the hobbits were asleep. All apart from one.

Estella Bolger.

She had woken up again. Guilt was too strong. She still had her day wear on and the candles were still burning.

Estella looked at the ceiling. Her head resting on her pillow. Decisions were being formed in her head. Mostly due to Folco.

She needed to make him understand. A few times she had sat up in her bed, only to lay back down again.

Estella couldn't decide on the time to go and visit Folco. But the choice kept her awake. Hungry started to grip her now. Normal she would be asleep and wait till morning. But the worrying was making her hungry.

The hobbit then got out of her bed and walked out of the room. She rarely woke up at night, unless it was summer and she was thirsty.

So, Estella walked though the corridor that lead up to the kitchen. The door was wide open and small crackles could be heard coming from the room ahead. The fire was in embers now. There were white, red and black bits in the fire.

Estella walked over to a cupboard. She opened it and looked inside. On the middle shelf, there were some decorated glasses. They had spirals and flower shapes in them. Each glass was clean and smooth to the touch.

The hobbit picked one up and closed the door. Estella looked around at the tap.

A few minutes later, she sat down at the table. Estella placed the glass down on the table. The liquid inside was amber in colour.

It was neither beer or water, but whiskey. Estella pulled out the chair and sat in it. The low level of light is what she wanted.

Her mind was driven back to Folco. She wished that he would understand that he could not be with her. Only Merry could.

A small bit of anger ran in her veins. But she knew that Merry didn't like her. Anger quickly turned to sadness. A small tear ran down her perfect skin. Her eyes were like large polished marbles. They reflected the flickering candles.

The glass was raised. The whiskey rippled around the glass. Estella's eyes narrowed on the liquid. Her hand twiddled the glass around. The liquid swirled around the glass.

The glass moved towards her lips and she drank. There was enough for one mouthful. She placed the glass to her lips and tipped it back. The liquid rushed into her mouth. After a few seconds, she placed the cup back down.

Estella swallowed the whiskey. It was quite strong. She made a face for a few seconds, then the sharpness subsided.

The glass was placed down on the table. The glass made two bangs. A dull thud after a louder one. Estella took a deep breath. She could feel the whiskey warming her from inside.

Her mind was working over time. Estella took a deep breath and got up. The chair scraped along the tiles as Estella stood up. She began to walk to the door. Her ankle seemed not to bother her at that moment.

There was no turning back now.

But for Origo, he did not know which way to turn. He tried to walk back, but the forest seemed to go on forever. There were many trees that looked the same.

Large trees with old scars from where they had once had branches. Leaves, twigs and roots covered the ground in a natural carpet where the snow didn't.

A small stream flowed on Origo's path. There were small rocks laying in it. They were smooth if picked up, having spent most of their lives being shaped by the water. Yet, there were some rugged stones, ones that resisted the power of the water better then others.

Twigs and leaves lay at the bottom. Some leaves floated away, caught in the current. Origo looked down the water. The low level of light made the water look jet black.

The trees above him blocked out nearly all of the small points of light from the stars. The branches swung in the wind like large fingers feeling the air.

Origo then looked around.

"Maybe if I follow it" he told himself.

So, the puppy started to follow the small stream. The water wound though the trees. Roots would drive into the water. Leaves lay and moss grew on the roots.

Origo hopped over them and continued onwards.

Estella walked along the road. Folco's home was long the road from where she lived. The coldness was not getting to her as much as it should. The whiskey was still effecting her.

A few minutes later, she raised her hand and knocked on the round wooden door three times. The sound echoed though the hole.

Inside, Folco was sleeping. His dream was abruptly stopped. His eyes suddenly opened.

"Did I just…?"

Estella banged at the door again. This time Folco knew that they were coming from the door. So, Folco got up. The house was warm. The hobbit opened his bedroom door. The light from the burning candles made his eyes hurt.

The front door banged again. Estella was now getting cold. Her feet were getting cold.

The door suddenly opened and there, stood Folco.

"Estella?" he asked.

The door didn't opened fully. Instead, he opened a peak and looked though.

"I need a word" Estella told him.

Folco's eyes squinted, he thought quickly. The door then opened fully.

"Come in" he said.

The coldness was quickly over taking the warmth. Estella quickly walked in. Folco shut the door.

"What do you want?" asked Folco, half speaking and half yawning.

"I… I…" Estella stuttered.

She couldn't find the words to say. Folco yawned yet again.

"I cant do it" she said.

Folco was confused.

"Can't do what?" he asked.

Estella took a deep breath and looked away.

"I don't think I can be friends any more" she said.

Folco's tiredness had been stripped off of him like a sheet.

"What? Why?" he asked.

Estella looked at him.

"I… I don't know" she answered.

There was an awkward silence. Folco looked at Estella in disbelief. Estella was now looking down.

"Is it because I liked you?" Folco answered.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. This made them blurry, but he could still see.

"Yes" Estella answered.

Folco took a deep breath and looked to the side. He knew that he liked the wrong person. Estella had never shown any signs of liking him.

"Please, can you just let me go? I'm sure that there's some other hobbit out there for you, I really do!" she said.

Folco smiled.

"I'm sure there is a hobbit out there for me" he agreed.

There was another moment of silence before Folco broke it.

"We're still friends, right?" he asked.

Estella looked at him.

"I didn't say that we never stopped being friends" Estella pointed out.

Folco started to feel better.

"That's good then" he said.

Estella yawned. She suddenly felt very tired.

"Well, I better go back and get to bed" she said.

Folco nodded and smiled. He went to open the door for her. It creaked open. Estella smiled.

"Thank you" she said as she walked out.

Folco closed the door behind her. He lent against it and took a deep breath. Estella stood at the door for a few more seconds, then started to walk.

Merry was walking as well. But he was not alone any more. Two very old friends had found him out in the snow.

Legolas and Gimli.

Legolas was the tallest out of the three. His hair was blond and straight. It hardly blew in the wind.

Gimli was the now equal height to Merry. But it was not Gimli who had shrunk. It was Merry that had grown.

And it was all thanks to Treebeard.

Merry and Pippin had drank some of the Ent water. Ent water was not a normal type of water. It made the drink taller and made it sped up.

Pippin was the first to drink the water. He had started when Merry had been asleep. The water of the Ents came into a small pool.

Treebeard had gone.

"Hello?" asked Merry, calling out.

He could not see Treebeard anywhere.

"Treebeard?"

His voice echoed around the wood. Yet there was no answer.

"Where's he gone?"

"I had the loveliest dream last night. There was this large barrel, full of pipe-weed. And we smoked all of it. And then you were sick. I'd give anything for a whiff of Old Toby"

Merry smiled. He knew that Pippin loved his pipe weed.

While Merry was walking along the path, he tripped. A large tree root had been the culprit. Merry fell flat on his stomach.

Legolas had a flaming torch. The glow seemed to radiate off of him more then Merry or Gimli. Gimli was walking at the other side of the road.

"Here" said Legolas, holding out one hand.

Merry looked at it and held it. The elf helped him up.

"What happened?" Legolas asked.

The hobbit brushed himself off.

"I tripped" answered Merry.

He sounded a bit embarrassed about the fall. The flaming torch cast a shadow over the area. The light hit the trees. The bark created shadows and lit areas. The trees stretched for miles in either direction.

The light of the flame was just a small dot in the vast darkness of night.

Merry Brandybuck yawned. Legolas noticed this.

"I think that you need rest" he said.

Merry looked over at him and nodded.

"Yes, I do" agreed the hobbit.

The trees around him were big and leafless. Gimli was looking at the two of them. His breath could be seen rising into the blackness above.

"We will rest here" Legolas said, putting his bag down.

Merry was shivering. His feet, toes and fingers were numb and hurting. The hobbit looked around, wondering what was beyond the edge of the light.

The hobbit walked over to one of the large trees and slowly sat down. He curled up and shivered. Legolas was looking around the area. His eyes were darting around the trees.

"I will go and have a look around" he said.

The elf handed the lit torch to his dwarf friend. Gimli took the wooden handle of the torch. It was much bigger in the hands of the dwarf then in had been in the hands of the elf.

Merry could feel the warmth from the flame heating him up. Gimli watched the elf vanish into the realm of darkness.

The hobbit and dwarf were now alone. There was hardly sound around them. The wind blew around them. The flames were moved, snapping back. It seemed to want to go upwards, but was being pushed to all different angles.

The light created moving shadows. Sometimes, many shadows lay on the ground. They ranged in strength. From faint shadows to distinct ones.

Gimli was still standing up. His axe was laying in the tree next to Merry.

"You alright there laddie?" he asked, looking down at the hobbit.

But Merry didn't look up at him. The coldness was getting to him. So, Gimli took a deep breath and slowly sat down next to him. the dwarf moved his axe so that it laid on the floor.

"The elf is always doing that" Gimli told him.

The dwarf moved the torch from one had to the other.

"Doing what?" Merry asked.

Gimli looked at him.

"Wondering off into the woods and leaving me on my own" the dwarf answered.

Merry looked at his friend for a few more seconds.

"Why?" he asked.

Gimli took a deep breath.

"I don't know laddie. Maybe its because he still think evil is about" he answered.

Merry and Gimli fell into quietness.

A few minutes later, the elf came back. At first, he wasn't noticed. Merry's eyes slowly looked around. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Merry could see Legolas standing just within the boundaries of the flame.

The bag was now in his hands. The elf looked inside. Lembas and flasks of water were not the only thing they had packet.

There was been Elven rope and Elven blankets.

Elven blankets were magical. To someone out in the wild, on a cold night, it would capture the warmth they generated.

Legolas took his hand out and looked at the small blanket. Merry watched him. Legolas' eyes looked down at Merry.

"Take this" he said, handing the blanket to the hobbit.

Merry took it. His fingers touched the softness of blanket.

"We will sleep here tonight. We will start walking to Bree tomorrow"

Merry nodded. He unwrapped the blanket. Some of it fell on his legs. He could feel the warmth already. Merry moved the blanket over his bare feet.

The hobbit looked back at the floor, making sure that there were no roots there. There were none. So, he laid back down and rested his head.

The blanket was pulled up. Merry tucked his hands under it. The coldness was magically blocked out by the blanket. Legolas had walked past and was now standing near Gimli.

"Why don't you sit down laddie?" he asked.

Merry had shut his eyes, yet he could still hear Gimli and Legolas talking. Their voices started to vanish. Yet Merry didn't notice that he was asleep.

Origo, on the other hand, was still walking. The small stream was still running towards him. The trees were like large pillars rising up to the heavens.

The night was old and Origo was tired. There were many roots and fallen trees that he to jump over or go under. His paws were hurting and wet.

His walking pace had dropped dramatically. He couldn't carry on any more. His little legs gave way and he fell to the ground.

Origo was weak. It had been a few hours since he had had some food. His eyes were darting around the ground. He could see twigs and leaves.

His head was resting on the ground. There were trees getting smaller and smaller the further they were away from him. A few stars could be seen in the sky. They twinkled in their position.

The wind pushed the branches swung in front of the stars, blocking them out for seconds at a time. Some of the branches creaked over head.

Dolly was now sleeping. The cart had stopped rolling. The ponies that they had for driving the cart were standing the coldness.

A blanket was laying over the curled up hobbit. Pippin was gently snoring, his breath was rising in the coldness. His hands were under the blanket.

Without warning, Pippin woke up suddenly. His heart rate had gone from calm and relaxed, to scared in a matter of seconds.

Pippin sat up and looked around. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was. The blanket had fallen to his waist.

The hobbit looked around the cart. He saw Dolly sleeping peacefully. Pip started to wonder what she was dreaming about.

His eyes ran over and stopped on the second figure in the cart. This one was the most precious hobbit that he ever knew.

Diamond Took.

She was Pippin's wife. A few years before, Pippin had start to notice her around. She had a beauty that was like no other.

And, after the things that Pippin had been though, he found it easier to forget and live when she was around. His eyes would dart towards her when she was near.

Something made him behave around her. Then, at Sam's and Rosie's wedding, Pippin accidently stood next to her. He tried hard to not look at her or to not make her think he is.

Frodo and Merry were there as well. It would one of the last few days that Frodo was in the Shire. There were a few close friends there.

Sam's brothers and sisters were there as well. Sam had three older siblings, Halfred, Daisy, May. And one younger sibling called Marigold.

The three Gamgee brothers were all looked the same. It was common for siblings to look like their brother's or sisters. Families of hobbits could be recognized by their looks.

But Hobbiton and everyone in it felt like a million miles away. The coldness felt different. It felt more evil then in the Shire.

In day light, there was less colour in the land of men then in the land of hobbits.

Pippin yawned as he took the blanket and moved over to the end on the cart. His legs dangled towards the ground. Pip looked down, he saw that there were not puddles that would get his feet wet.

His feet touched the ground. The last bridge to Rivendell had come and gone. How far, Pippin didn't know. But he knew that he was close to his goal. The road ran away to the front and to the back. There were many miles to go, yet they had come more miles then they had left.

Pippin stretched and yawned. His eyes scanned the skies. He was in awe of the vastness of the sky above. A small, yet quick and bright.

His eyes darted to the light. But, as soon as it appeared, it vanished, never to be seen again. Pippin's eyes looked around the sky. A faint line in the sky heading off to either side of him.

Pippin was lost for a moment, in the sky for a moment. His eyes snapped back down to earth.

"Well, lets get going" he said.

Dolly was still asleep in the cart as Pip got on. The cart suddenly started to roll on. The wheels clunked on the rocks.

Yet, they were chasing a boy. This boy had been sent out before them with a message. But, just as Pippin had started, he had stopped. The horse he was on started to slow down. The horses feet clumped in the silence of the night.

The boy's eyes were used to the darkness. The forest of Trollshaws had come and gone. The boy stopped at the edge of the forest. There was still a few miles to the end of the woods.

The boy slowed his horse right down and hopped off. His eyes darted around the area. The woods went in every direction. Trollshaws stretched for miles along the road and away from it.

There was a small cove on the side of the road. It was a treeless area where many people had stopped over the years. The tree trunks had been cleared and a small metal pegs embedded in the wood of the trees. These were for tying the reigns of the horses to.

The boy led the horse to the pegs and tied the reigns to the rusty peg. An owl hooted a few trees away. The boy's eyes darted to where the sound came from.

The boy slowly took his pack from his back, but held it in his hands. There was a large tree, perfect for resting against. He walked over to it and laid on the floor.

The coldness had made every muscle in his body stiff. The bag was placed next to him. The boy took a blanket out of his pack.

He unwrapped it and put it over himself. He took a deep, cold driven breath. His horse neighed, it's head down eating the grass.

Shivers continued to run though his body. Yet, the blanket helped the warmth build up. The boy's teeth started to bang together.

It was going to be a long night.

The hours of the morning wore on. One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock. The sun was coming up. Birds started to wake up.

Hobbiton markets were getting ready. The sun came up over the hills. The trees were swaying in the wind. Waves of wind swapped over the big, grassy fields.

There were no flowers in bloom. It was too cold. Samwise Gamgee was already out in his garden. Yet, there were no plant pots about. There was no need in winter. Instead, he was pulling the weeds out from the grass and soil. A ripping sound came from the garden.

There was a small bundle of weeds around the garden. In the beds, there were winter plants. For hobbits had a good knowledge of what plants grew in what seasons.

The winter garden had as much, if not more colour as in the summer.

There were bushes of Holly at the back, their red berries stood out in the green of the leaves. White Yule roses and rich purple flowers called Lungworts. Bushes of Barberry grew on the cold stone walls. Spindle trees were dotted around the garden. They swayed in the wind.

The clouds had started to gather. They sailed along the sky with the wind, changing from every second.

Sam looked up. His hair blew like the clouds.

His house had a large yellow door with a knocker and handle. Both made of brass.

The door opened suddenly. A woman looked out and saw her husband kneeling on the ground.

"Sam, breakfast is ready now" she said.

Sam looked around and smiled. It was Rosie. She had been getting breakfast ready for her family.

"Alright" he said.

He dug his trowel into the ground. The hobbit quickly got up. The door had been left open. Sam walked towards the door. Small echoes ran though the house as Sam made his way to the kitchen.

As the hobbit got closer, smells started to hit his nose. Cooked bacon mostly. The door had been left ajar. A small girls voice could be heard talking to her mother.

Elanor was talking. Yet, she was not the only Gamgee child around the table. Elanor had four younger siblings. Frodo Gamgee, named under Sam's friend, Rose Gamgee and Merry Gamgee, also named after one of his friends.

The four and youngest had only been born two weeks before and had been called Pippin.

The table had been made bigger due to the demand for space. Which was decreasing every few months.

"I think we're going to need a bigger table" Sam said, rubbing his hands together.

Rosie looked around and smiled. The sound of sizzling bacon filled the room as Sam sat down. Toast had already been made. Golden brown and warm. A stick of butter lay on a clear glass dish.

Sam took a few pieces of toast. There was a plate already set in his place. The sound of sizzling bacon grew louder and then quieter.

Rosie used a small woods spatula to flip the cooking bacon. The bacon started to brown as the heat cooked it. Her free hand gripped the wooden handle.

She then lifted it off of the heat. The hobbit turned around and walked the few feet to the table. There was a plate on the wooden table. A few pieces of the bacon that had been placed there were sitting in their fat. Rosie scooped the pieces that she had just been cooking onto the plate.

The pan was still hot as she did this. Sam took his fork and scooped up a few pieces and placed them on his buttery toast.

Rosie then put the pan back on it's hob as her husband started to eat. There was a small packet of bacon rashers just waiting to be cooked and eaten.

"I hope we get the invitations soon" Sam said, still with food in his mouth.

Each year, the Green Dragon would send out one hundred invitations to hobbits in Hobbiton and the surrounding hobbit villages.

Hobbits were getting ready for a six day celebration. Yule tide was one of the richest and longest holidays in the Shire.

Rosie looked around.

"I'm sure you will, dear. Every year you get worried about being left out" she said.

Sam poured a large cup of tea. His sleeves were rolled up and had a bit of muck on his fingers.

"I just don't want to be left out, that's all" he told his wife, putting down the pot that had tea in it.


	16. Day Eight, Part Two

But Hobbiton was a million miles away from where Pippin was. The hobbit was sitting in the drivers seat, he had been there most of the night. His eyes were drooping and yawns crossed his mouth every few minutes.

The hunger was strong now. Pippin was missing all the food and fun that he could have had. The two baskets of bread were still in the back.

There was one loaf left in the first basket, the second one had been untouched.

"I wish I had some nice toast and butter with me" said Pip, his mouth started to water and his stomach rumbled at the same time.

Pippin had no idea about the outside world. He hadn't seen his friends for a week now and he had started to miss them. But he missed Diamond most of all.

In the cart, Dolly was awake. She was looking at Diamond. Her bump was still there. Hope had started to weaken in her heart. She could see no way of Diamond ever being the same after this.

But then again, she could not see the future. Maybe after all of it, Diamond would be able to live in peace. Dolly smiled. She knew that that image was the one to hold onto till the end.

The boy was now back on his horse. Wind was blowing in his face and hair as he rode ever onwards. The road had taken a bend in it's direction. But all he had to do was to follow it.

The boy was now fifty miles away from Rivendell.

"If I can just get there by sun set, then maybe the elves could set off and meet the hobbits when the sun rises"

For that was his plan for the moment. There were still no leaves on the trees. Nearly all of the trees had shed theirs for the winter.

The boy and horse raised on. The trees were like cold pillars rising out of nearly every available space. Roots dug deep into the soft soil. Trees that were thousands of years old stood in the deepest, most untouched parts of the forest.

Rivers unseen by men, dwarfs, hobbits and even elves had run their course over many thousands of years. Trees that had succumbed to their power lay in the cold water. Yet, the river ran ever onwards to an unknown sea or lake. Many small lakes were dotted in random and unexpected places. Rolling hills and deep valleys made up an unforgiving landscape.

There were few or no houses in these areas. In the distance were high mountains. They had snow of their tops. There were valleys criss crossing the land. They grew deeper as they got further to the mountains. The road seemed to become steeper.

A few miles away, there was a large tunnel. This tunnel had been made by the elves a very long time ago. The road bore right, going ever downwards. The trees grew bigger on the land. The rock faces became wild and dangerous. The path started to narrow. Becoming just a path at some points.

Yet, he had to go on. He made the horse go slowly over the path. The tunnel approached. It looked like a dark cavern.

The horse's hooves were the only thing echoing around him. The tunnel grew bigger and bigger. Light from the sun hardly made it into the tunnel. Everything seemed to be louder when the boy got into the tunnel.

Drips of water echoed around him.

Drip.

Small roots grew though the gaps in the rocks.

Drip.

The wind blew around him. The cold didn't seem as intense. The horse shoes drowned out the drips of water that were falling to the floor.

In a few places, water was dripping out in small streams that ran down the face of the rock. The small amount of light at the mouth of the tunnel reflected off of the narrow stream running down the rocks.

Further into the tunnel, there were flaming torches. They flickered in the wind, yet they never went out. Bats roosted in the small crevasses and holes.

The boy could hear them more then he could see them. The small candles marked the way. The tunnel went on for about another forty meters.

Yet, it seemed longer. The tunnel took a shallow bend in it's path. The light from the far side radiated inwards, casting shadows on the ground.

A minute or two later, the boy entered the sun light again. The dripping in tunnel had ceased, the light outside hurt the boy's eyes for a moment.

What stood before him made him stop. The path lead downwards to a ford. It weaved its way downwards. The water rushed over stones and boulders.

So, after another minute of looking, the boy slowly made his way down. There was no fear of falling down, the horse knew what it was doing.

A minute later, the horse and boy got to the bottom. The river wound on around corners in both directions. The air seemed colder the deeper into the valley he went.

The boy stopped the horse at the edge of the river. He could hear the water running over the rocks. The middle of the ford had been lain with larger, flatter rocks.

The boy then crossed the water. He reached the other side and looked back.

"And who may you be?" asked a voice.

Without noticing it, the boy had been surrounded by elves. Ten or so of them. They were what remained of the elves. Their bows were pointed at the boy. His eyes darted to each one. Two of them looked very similar. Their hair lay at just the right length, the colour of it was exactly the same.

"I asked who you we're, we expect answers" said the elf.

"I live just outside of Bree, I've been sent to give your leader a message" he said.

There was a moment of silence. The elf lowered his bow. And, like him, the others did the same.

"And what message will that be?" asked the elf.

The boy's mouth was dry.

"Well, there's a… a hobbit coming here. And"

The boy paused.

"And someone is sick, he needs your help to cure them"

The elf's eyes narrowed in on him. The boy could feel him scanning his very head.

"Very well" the elf said after a few seconds.

He nodded and the nine other elves started walking in different directions. The boy watched the elves walk off.

"You will come with us" said the elf.

He walked towards the boy.

"We will walk from here" said the other elf.

The boy looked at him and quickly got off. He could feel their presence around him. He knew to respect them. So, he slid off of his horse. One of the elves took the reigns. The boy let go and moved away.

The elf then looked deep into the horses eyes. The next second, the horse started to run. The boy moved out of the way and the elf had leg go on the reigns.

The three of them stood there.

"You will walk with us"

The boy was watching his horse run away. The elves walked away, leaving the boy standing there.

"But, I need that horse!" he told them.

Yet the elves did not look back or talk. They walked onwards. The boy looked around, then started to walk as well. The elves walked down a path. About a mile away, the Elven town, Rivendell, was sitting there.

It was surrounded by a large valley. The rock face stretched upwards. Leaves of every colour littered the ground. The river dropped over many water falls.

There was a small ridge that blocked out the view. The two elves walked over to it. The boy had caught up with them. As the three of them walked to the point, the boy stopped. His eyes had had their first glimpse of the town.

From far away, there seemed to be no buildings. But, when his eyes got used to the view, he could see small towers dotted in the trees. Each tree towered over the buildings. There was a bridge going from one side of the valley to another.

There were no leaves on trees. They had fallen due to the time of year.

The two elves continued to walk, obviously not taking any noticed of the view. The boy's eyes were stuck to the great vastness of the place. He could feel the power of the rocks, yet the oldness was all around him.

The boy started to walk, the path weaved and descended down the side of the rock face. Trees grew into the side of the rock. They grew up towards the sun in the most difficult areas. It was amazing that they did not just fall down.

The water that run in the valley below was crystal clear. It reflected all of the light coming down at it. There were many water falls.

Parts of the path had a small stream running over it. Yet, there were flat and smooth stepping stones. There was no ice or snow around these parts. The valley was warmer then the plains and the Shire.

After ten minutes walk, the first Elven houses came into view. Trees surrounded them, breaking their outside. The houses were normally windowless.

Their walls had large windows in it. Yet, due to there being no glass, leaves and the elements were allowed inside. The doors were none existent. Elves had no need for doors.

The houses were normally just one room. And, in that room, was a large bed. This large bed was covered in a pure white duvet. Their pillows were just as white. There were no creases running though either of them.

The path weaved down to a bridge. There were Elven houses on either side. Some of buildings had trees growing though them. Elves respected the land and its creatures more then any living race. The trees grew out the tilted floor and though the ceiling and roof.

There were small walk ways running though the numerous trees. Statues of old and forgotten leaders were standing. They had been dotted in the area where it would not disturb the trees. For elves did not like having to use weapons or tools that caused pain.

They only used weapons for war and in dark times.

"This way" said the elf who was in front of the boy.

There was bridge before them. Below, the river Bruinen flowed. The elves and young boy walked over the bridge. The young boy had never seen beauty like he was seeing at that moment.

His eyes were darting around to every rock face and to every water fall. The northern side of the valley was home to the Last Homely House.

This had been home to Elrond when he had been in Middle-earth. But, now Elrond and most of the elves had left Middle-earth on ships. They headed to the Grey Havens. There, they would sail to Aman, also known as the Undying Lands.

Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf had all taken a boat along with Elrond.

The Last Homely House approached. The house was big, with many rooms. So, big and long, others were just bedrooms. The two elves led the boy to a room.

Like all the other Elven room, there were no windows or doors. The sound of the wind whistling by and the leaves rustling beyond the walls was the only sound.

The foot steps of the boy echoed around. The boy noticed that the elves made no sound at all as they walked.

The two elves stopped. The turned around and looked at the human standing before them.

"Sit"

The boy looked down at the chairs. They were highly decorated, swirls had been cut out of the polished wood. The seat and back bit had a duck egg blue floral design. At the top of the chair, there was a large fire-like head board all made out of the finest wood.

Like most chairs, they had been made out of one piece of solid wood.

The floor was made out of one single coloured tile. The tiles had been cut away from rock face a few hundred meters away. Elves had made each and every tile to be like the first. The gap in the tiles was perfect to the millimetre.

The light reflected off of the tiles. The two elves pulled us exactly the same looking seats.

"Now, we need to know why you're here" said the first elf.

He sat up straight, his back running along the back on the chair.

"I have already told you, there are hobbits coming for your help. I don't know why, all I was told was that they were sick"

There was a moment of silence. The elf surveyed the boy. Without another word, the two of them got up. The boy watched them as they walked away. He wondered where they were going and why they had not asked him to follow.

The two elves stopped at a large window looking over the large valley. The boy watched them. The elves spoke in a tongue that not known to the human.

The boy slowly stood up. His eyes were fixed on the two of them. They seemed to be arguing or discussing something.

The boy's cloths were splashed with dried mud. His legs were numb with the coldness of the air. For he had no socks on and ragged, ripped shoes. The boy looked around, the trees had few leaves on it now. Leaves were sweeping the ground. Others had let just left go of their tree.

They covered the ground in a thick carpet.

A few minutes later, the two elves came back. The boy watched them come towards him.

"Sit" said one of the elves.

So, the boy slowly sank back into the Elven chair. The two elves sat back on their chairs. Both of them sat in exactly the same position. Their cloths were made of the finest material.

"My name is Elladan and this is my brother, Elrohir" he told the boy.

The boy's eyes darted between the two of them.

Origo, meanwhile, was in the same position that he had been that night. But now, the sun had risen. Bird and beasts had woken from the night. His fur was wet and a few leaves covered him. Small birds flew around him.

A small robin curiously came up to him. his eyes surveying the small, still puppy.

The robin suddenly hopped around, a young looking girl stood by a tree a few meters away. The robin hopped and beat his wings. The creature flew eye. The girl's eyes followed the bird's path away.

When she couldn't see it, her eyes went back to looking at the puppy before her. Her hair was blonde. Light from the sun radiated off of it. Her eyes were deep and blue. Yet, they were deep set and dark. Her complexion was flawless.

Her feet were bare, her feet were unnaturally clean.

Her eyes narrowed. She could see the small pup breathing. So, she slowly started to walk. Twigs snapped under her feet. She stopped as she reached him. Her eyes continued to look at the puppy.

"Origo?" she asked.

Her voice was fare and sweet. Origo didn't move. The girl knelt down next to him. She place a gentle hand on his fur. The warmth of her hands made Origo come to. But, he didn't open his eyes. The girl looked around. She slowly picked him up. The girl placed Origo on his shoulder.

She looked around one last time and then walked away, carrying the pup with her. She weaved though the trees, going right towards a road. This road was the very one Origo was trying to get to.

Further down the road, the scenery started to change. The trees started to change. Valleys started to deepen and the rivers were cold.

Pippin was still driving ever onwards. He did not know that the boy that had been sent before them had arrived at his goal. Two elves were coming towards Pippin. Yet, it would be nightfall before they reached each other.

The two elves had gotten onto their horses and rode off.

The light level started to fade. The clouds had started to gather again. Snow would be lain in the darkness of night. Pippin was getting colder and colder. He looked up at the sky. He could feel the coldness deepening. Shivers started to take a hold of him.

The wind started to pick up. Yet, in Rivendell, the snow was already falling. Large flakes were falling in the valley. The wind blew the snowflakes along the valley. The elves that were left sort shelter. Even though they could not feel the coldness of winter like mortal men did.

The boy that had arrived there a few hours before was now tucked up in bed. He had large sheets over him. An Elven blanket helped keep the heat in.

His eyes were closed. No flakes entered the building, even though there were large, glassless windows looking out. The valley had a white haze about it. The snow seemed to block the view of the rest.

The two brothers were sitting at a table.

"The hobbits should be here in an hour" Elladan explained.

There was a long table. Large seats lined down both sides on the wooden table. There were fourteen seats altogether. Six on each width and two at each head.

Elladan and Elrohir were sitting at each head chair. There were four flickering candles all along the wooden table. They flickered as the wind rusted past them.

There were bowls of grapes and fruit from the Elven garden. The fruit was decreasing in quantity every year. Yet, they harvested what they could.

There was a large plate of cheese and Lembas bread. Elladan picked up a piece of Elven bread and broke a bit off. He ate it. The Elven bread was special. One bite and a human's stomach would be satisfied for hours to come.

Meanwhile, Legolas, Gimli and Merry were walking down the road that lead to Bree. In the night before now, Merry had been in some trouble. But he had been saved but two unlikely friends. Legolas was an elf and Gimli a dwarf.

Legolas had blond hair, his eyes were darting around the area. There was no clouds over them. Yet, Legolas knew that snow was coming their way. But it would be many hours before.

Gimli had red hair, yet more grey then last time Merry had seen him. Yet, his attitude had not changed one bit. Gimli was a lover of ale and rich meat. But he loathed running and steep hills.

Merry was the same height as Gimli. But had once been small. Merry and Pippin had drank Ent Draught. It was special water, drank by the Ents. But, when Merry and Pippin had some, they gained an extra few inches.

For a time, Pippin had been taller then Merry. But the role of being the tallest of the two had been given back to Merry.

"It will be night soon" Merry said.

He was shivering. The Elven sheet had been packed away again. Merry wished that he could have walked with it around himself.

Both Merry and the dwarf were started to feel the cold again. Legolas was walking, tiredness was not a problem for him. Yet, in his years of being around mortals like Gimli and Merry, he had learnt that they needed rest and food more often then elves.

"We will walk for another hour, then we will have a rest" Legolas told him.

Merry looked at him, not believing what he had just heard.

"Another hour and my leg will fall off" mumbled the hobbit.

Legolas continued to walk, he smirked, having heard what Merry had just said. Merry pulled his coat around him.

"I would mind a nice ale or whiskey to warm me up" he said.

"Wouldn't we all laddie?" asked Gimli.

He then looked over at the elf.

"Well, most of us anyway"

Hobbiton was getting ready for another cold night. The Green Dragon had it's lights on. The candles flickered an the large door was shut. Tobacco smoke hung in the air. Estella was sitting at a table. There was lots of laughter and drinking surrounded the girl.

Estella's ankle had started to heal. But still hurt if too much pressure was put on it. Opposite to her were two girls. Pimpernel Took and Pearl Took. They both had a mud of beer before them.

"So, he just came up to you?" asked Pearl.

Estella nodded.

"Yes, then he helped me back to my home" she explained.

Pimpernel took a swig of her ale. Just then, the door opened of the pub opened and in came Folco. The hobbit quickly closed the door.

"Oh no" said Estella, spotting him.

Pearl looked around as well. Her eyes narrowed in on the hobbit.

"Just ignore him, Merry is a much better lad for you"

Estella took a deep breath and nodded. The light outside had fallen to a point where the inside reflected on the glass. There was a bridge just a few hundred yards away. The bridge was the main way to the outside world and to the Great East Road.

But, like most hobbits, none would venture far from it. Only on a rare occasion, a hobbit would venture as far as Bree. Bree was the furthest any hobbit would go. Yet, it was still a few days walk.

Folco walked over to a empty table. Empty tables were rare in the Dragon. The hobbit pulled out a seat and sat down. He seemed to be distracted.

One of the hobbits came up to him. She was carrying a large goblet of ale. She placed it on the table and smiled.

"Thank you" said Folco.

He didn't look at her. Something was bothering him. The girl walked away, she was going about her job. Estella, on the other hand, knew that something was wrong.

"Maybe I should talk to him" Estella said, looking at him.

"I don't, why cant you just leave him alone?" asked Pearl.

Estella took a deep breath.

"Well, I kind of feel sorry for him"

Pimpernel yawned. She had started to feel tired.

"Can't you do it in the morning?" Nelly asked.

Estella smiled.

"Maybe it could wait" she said.

She picked up her small goblet again and looking inside. The last bit of ale swirled around inside. She then put it to her lips and started to drink.

After a few seconds, she finished.

"Right, I better get back home" she said.

Both Pimpernel and Pearl drained their cups and placed them on the table. Each of the girls had a large coat resting on the back of their chairs. They picked them up. Having looked back to see if they had not left any of their belongings, they walked towards the door.

Pearl lead the way. She opened it. A blast of cold air rushed in. The candles flickered as the three of them walked out. Pearl shut the door and the sound from inside was instantly blocked out.

Warmth had been replaced by coldness.

"Well, I'll see you two tomorrow" Estella said.

Time in was now ten o'clock. It was the time where most hobbits would have supper, the last meal of the day. Estella hugged Pearl and Pimpernel. They then walked in different directions.

The Water, it is known, ran under the bridge. The surface of the body of water had small ripples running over it. The grass on either side of the bank was still green. But, in the darkness of night, the lake looked like a massive black sheet.

The sky above was full on clouds. The coldness and wind grew. Snow was on the way again.

Estella started to walk up the hill. Her feet were getting colder by the second. Puddles of snow, long melted away, were still lining small shallow areas of the path.

Tracks where ponies and carts had run though made the water file down the path. Estella's house was at the top of the hill, but on the other side.

Her mind was on getting out of the coldness. So, she walked a bit faster. A minute later, she got to her front door, having opened and gone though her gate.

The hobbit closed her door quickly, the home was warm. Like all hobbit holes, there was no going up stairs. Estella shivered as she took off her coat and hung it on a peg.

She looked down at her feet. They were a bit muddy and wet. Her eyes then slid over to the floor. There were bits of leaves and twig laying there. Obviously from all the walking she did.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to have a big Yule clean" she said.

She yawned as she walked to her room. A small book lay on her writing desk. It's pages had been opened. On one side, there was a lot of writing. On the opposite page, there was none.

For this was Estella's diary. The hobbit closed it and moved it out of the way. She was too tired to be bothered about writing this evening.

"I think some food would suit me better" she said.

So, she walked out of her bed room and into her kitchen. The kitchen was like any other in Hobbiton. It had a fireplace, the fire was in embers at this point.

It had a kettle hanging over the fire. Yet there was no water inside of it. A tea pot stood on the table along with a small bowl of apples and a jar of marmalade.

A block of cheese lay on a plate. A knife was laying next to it. Small rolls of bread and a stick of butter also had their place on the table.

Table mats had been set out as well.

Estella didn't take anything off of the table. She walked over to another door. This one was exactly the same as each door in her house. Yet, this one had not been painted. The wood had been left as it had been the day it was cut. Yet, the door had been polished. The light from the candles flickered on the wood.

The door opened. The cellar was colder then the rest of the house. It's walls and floor had been made from tilts that kept small room cool although the year.

Estella walked in. A noise of an animal came to her ears. A rustling sound. But, it did not scare her. She walked to the back of the cellar and looked around the many shelves. There, in a big wooden cage was her turkey. He was standing in his cage, looking out.

"Hello" she said merrily.

Yet, this turkey was not her pet. Estella had planned Yule just like her friends did. They would buy a turkey a few months before the Yule feasts. They had kept them to feed and made bigger.

Estella went back to looking for some food to eat. There were many jars and many cakes. Apples and bundles of juicy grapes in bags were stored here.

There was no meat stored in the cellar. Meat was the only thing that hobbits would buy that day. Other foods could be stored for a few weeks.

Estella was eyeing a chocolate cake that she had cooked that week. So, she lifted the cake out. The cake was sitting on a plate. The cake had been covered in brown paper.

The hobbit walked out and placed the plate on the table. She then started to unwrap the brown paper to revile a cake.

The cake had not been touched apart from one missing piece that Estella had had when she had first made it. the cake had not started to stale in the cellar. It was as soft as the day it was made.

A minute later and Estella had sat down. She then picked up the large slice that she had cut and took a bite. The taste of rich chocolate hit her.

A smile came over her lips. For a moment, she had forgotten about the pain in her ankle, the guilt that she felt due to Folco had gone and the fact that she missed Merry had disappeared.

It took her another few minutes to finish the cake. There were crumbs in the plate and her fingers were covered in chocolate.

She licked the chocolate off of her fingers and stood up. The hobbit wrapped the cake up and put it back on it's shelf in the cellar.

Estella yawned as she placed the knife and plate in sink. She looked around, tiredness was getting a hold of her more then ever.

She yawned.

"Oh, I'll do it in the morning" she said, looking at the washing up.

So, she walked out of the kitchen and along the small corridor. Estella walked up to another door. She opened it and walked inside. The door closed shut behind her with a little click.

Another day finished.


	17. Day Nine, Part One

And another day had started.

The clock had clicked over to midnight, chiming twelve times. It echoed around the cold, dark rooms. Some of the room's doors were open. Some were shut.

Bong

The house was lain of one level. There were no stairs or attics in this home. The walls were rounded in every room. There was no sharp edges in this house. The walls were lain with polished wooden beams. The candles that once gave off light had now been extinguished. Their wick had been burnt right down.

A bit of the wax had melted down to a point where the shape of the candle was unrecognizable. The wax now in a solid pool. Yet, this pool was lifeless and still. Wind did not and could not disturb it.

Bong

The warmth that had gathered was seeping out of the gaps in the front door. The front door was large and round. A small row of pegs lined the wall half way up.

On it, a few coats and coloured scarves. Hobbits liked colours. They had a variety of colours in their cloths. Colours ran though just about everything that they wear.

Bong

There were many rooms in this house. A kitchen, bed room, cellar, study, lounge, dining room and a bath room.

The kitchen was the place that was the most busiest room thought out the day. Meals were cooked there. A table had been set out. Small seats were sitting around it.

A fireplace was built into wall of the room. It ran up, though the ground. It came up just above it, sending the smoke away. The fire had all but gone out, which was unusual for hobbits. Their fires would be burning even in the highest heat of summer.

Bong

Empty bowls and dirty knives and forks were resting in the sink ready to be cleaned. Yet no one was around to clean them. The tap dripped onto the bottom. The drips leaked into the plug hole. The small droplets of water hit the bottom without a sound.

Bong

The next room was the cellar. This was one of the smallest room of home. Yet, to the hobbits, it was the most important. It was the room where they kept their food and drink.

It had been said that a hobbit would plan his day around eating. Yet, that was not entirely true, drinking also had a place in the day along with smoking.

Hobbits had hardly any worries in their lives. Money didn't exist to them. There was no need. Hobbits would simply trade for what they needed and wanted.

Bong

The bed room was next inline. There was a large unmade bed. Two large, fluffy pillows were resting there. Normally, there would be hobbits sleeping in the bed. But, there had not been any for days now.

The room had a wardrobe in, a small desk and a window. The room was as cold as the rest of the house.

Bong

Along the corridor was a study. Like the bed room, it had a desk. There were more papers and maps in this room. Books were stacked on many shelves. The books were all different colours. Many of them were hand-me-downs from hundreds of years ago.

Some of the books had been written for cooking and blacksmiths. Yet they had rarely been read by the latter generations of hobbits. Many of them had been written in an older hobbit language. For modern day hobbits would struggle to understand what they meant.

Bong

The next was the hobbit's sitting room. There was a couch, white pillows lay at either end. Both had a white cover on it. A table stood a few feet away from the couch.

The table was made of polished wood. A book lay closed on the table. Two candles stood at either end. But they had not been lit. Small round table mats with an empty mug. Inside the mug was cold tea. Remnants of the life that these people led. The table stood on an old rug. Most of it's colour had faded.

The fireplace was dark and cold. Normally, a ranging fire would be heating the room. Books were stacked on shelves. An old rocking chair stood in the corner. A pillow lay on the back.

Bong

The dinning room and the bath room were next. The dinning room was one of the largest rooms that the hobbits had. A large table sat in the middle of the room. Like all of the other rooms, this one had a fireplace.

There was a large table sitting in the middle of the room. Twelve chairs had been placed around it. the table was not square or rectangle. It was round.

There were no sharp angles. The edges had all be rounded off. Each hobbit that would sit at their place and have plenty of space. The hobbits usually used this room a few times a year. Other then that, it would be left empty.

Bong

The bath room was simple. It had wooden panels running half way up the walls. Then plaster running the rest of the way. Like ever other room, the top of the wall also made the ceiling as well.

A sick stood on one of the side, along with a mirror. A large bath tub sat on the other side of the room. Yet, it had no taps. Hobbits would have to heat water up by the fireplace. A small hook for the kettle was embedded in the top of the semi circle wall. But the kettle wasn't on the hook. Instead, it was sitting on the side waiting to be used.

There was a towel rack on the wall. The towels had been nicely placed there. The towels were clean. No dirt could be seen on them.

Bong

Over all, the house had been left in exactly the same as it had been the last time the hobbits had been there.

But where had they gone?

Bong

Pippin woke with a start. Beads of sweat ran down his face. His eyes opened quickly. Yet, he did not take in his surroundings as quickly as his eyes opened.

His head was resting on a white pillow. For a moment, he thought he was back in the cart.

"But how did this pillow get there?" he asked himself.

The hobbit then moved his hands, but something was stopping him from doing so. His eyes looked down where his hands should be. But he couldn't see where they were.

He suddenly realised that there was a large duvet over him. He flipped the big duvet over. His cloths had been changed during the night. He was now in a long white gown.

The warmth that he was bathed in instantly escaped.

Pippin slowly sat up, the bed that he was in was large then the one he had at his home. The scenery around him started to come into vision.

There was a tall stand with many lit candles. Yet the air around him was not warm. The hobbit slowly got out of bed.

The bed was much higher then normal. His feet landed on the cold ground. Tiles formed a pattern unlike that made by men.

Pippin's eyes darted around the large room. There were no windows made of glass, the elves hardly needed windows.

There was a large open door way. The floor was level though out the room. The floor seemed to run off outside, meeting with the path. The path was made from large flat rocks, that seemed to fit neatly with the floor. Pippin stood there for what seemed a few minutes. His eyes took everything in around him.

The hobbit started to walk towards the door way. Rivendell looked deserted. But it was not. On the other side of the valley, the two Elven brothers were standing around a bed.

On the bed was a female hobbit. Her eyes were closed and the covers were drawn.

"He is awake" said Elladan.

By "he", Elladan meant Pippin.

So, the elf turned and walked away. Elladan could see the small figure of the hobbit walking though the building. Every now and again, Pippin would stop.

It had been a while since he was last there. All knowledge of Rivendell had been forgotten. The path that he was on was led him to the bridge that connected both sides of the valley.

Pippin's eyes continued to dart around. But, at the sight of the elf coming towards him made his eyes stop.

The elf continued to walk until he was a few feet away from the hobbit. Pippin looked up at him.

"Follow me" the elf said.

Pippin continued to look at the elf. Elladan turned around and walked away just as quickly as he had come up to him. It took Pippin a few seconds to realise what had been said before he took it in. The hobbit then scurried after the elf.

Elladan's pace was so fast, Pippin had to keep a gentle jog to keep up with him.

"Where is Diamond?" Pippin asked.

But Elladan did not answer. He kept on walking, not even looking at the hobbit struggling to keep up.

Pippin's hair waved in the wind. Yet, Elladan's hair was as still and as straight as ever.

"Where is she?" Pippin asked.

"Is she alright?"

Yet again, Elladan did not answer. Pippin was getting more and more worried by the minute. Just as Pippin thought of running in front of the elf, he stopped. Pippin continued for a couple of paces, then suddenly stopped.

Elladan didn't even wait a second before walking off again. Pippin almost lost his footing trying to turn quickly. Pippin walked quickly to the door way.

Inside, two elves were standing. Dolly was standing there. She looked tired, only having a small amount of sleep the night before.

She was holding a small bundle. The hobbit looked over at Pippin. He had yet to come in. A large smile ran right across Dolly's face. She walked around the bed and up to him.

"It's a boy" she said happily.

Pippin's eyes looked down at the bundle.

"I missed the birth?" he asked.

His voice sound weak and confused. Dolly took a deep breath. She had tried to tell the elves that he should be there, but Elladan had said that he needed rest.

"You needed rest Master Peregrin, you had come along way and were in need of it"

Pippin's words had lost him. He had missed the birth of his son.

"Hold him, Pippin" Dolly said.

Pippin looked down at the small bundle. Dolly carefully past the small baby over to his father. Pippin took him and looked down. The baby was sleeping. His little eyes were closed.

"What are you going to call him?" asked Dolly.

Pippin prised his eyes away from the baby. The hobbit didn't even need to think about what name to give him.

"Faramir" he answered.

"His name is Faramir"

Dolly smiled. She then looked around at Diamond.

"She should be awake soon, the elves told me that she is just sleeping now" Dolly told Pip.

The Shire was a million miles away from where Pippin, Diamond and Dolly were.

Faramir had now entered their lived.

"We have to get back to Hobbiton" Pippin said.

Elladan looked at him.

"Master Peregrin will not go anywhere" he said.

Pippin's eyes met the elves.

"Why not?" Pippin asked.

Elladan walked over to him.

"You need to sleep and rest Master Peregrin. In a few days, you may return to your home land" the elf answered.

Pippin huffed, thinking it was a silly thing to say.

"I don't need rest" he said.

Dolly was looking between the elves and Pip. Pippin knew that he was not going to convince the elves that he was alright to go home.

Pippin handed Faramir back to Dolly. His stomach was very empty, it rumbled sometimes.

"You need food and water" said Elladan.

The elf had come up to him. Pippin had been looking at Diamond.

"She needs her sleep, you will be able to talk to her later"

Elladan did not say another word after that. Pippin stood there for a moment, looking at his wife. He couldn't bare to leave her again. But he could feel Elladan looking right though him. Sure enough, when Pippin looked around, Elladan was looking right at him.

The hobbit then started to walk towards him. Elladan let the hobbit go in front.

"Will she be alright?" asked Pippin.

Elladan was walking much slower this time. Pippin did not have to jog to keep up with him.

"Yes, she will" he answered.

The two of them continued to walk. There were no leaves on any of the trees. The time of the elves had ended. Elladan and his elves were the last to inhabit Rivendell and Middle-earth.

The rest had left in ships bound for the Undying Lands.

The hobbit and elf came to a room. It had a large table in it. Pippin could see candles flickering on their stands. On top of the table was many dishes of many different foods.

"Eat" said Elladan.

Pippin saw a small box next to one of the elves chairs. So, he walked over to it. Pillows had been put of the seat to boost his height.

Pip put one foot on the box, then helped himself up onto the seat. Pippin could see bowls of Elven soup and plates of Elven food. Rolls of the softest and filling bread were piled in a wicker bowl. A solid silver knife lay next to a stick of butter.

Fruit had been put in bowls. Bundles of purple grapes and green grapes. Bananas and apples and oranges.

An open packet made of a green leaf was open. It reviled a few slices of Elven bread. Pippin began to smile as he looked around the table.

Included in the large buffet before him was chicken and potatoes. It was a rich feast for him, having not had proper food for more then a week.

"It is not much, Master Peregrin. But it is the best we could do in such short notice" said Elladan.

Pippin's eyes looked around at the table. He then noticed another place set, just like his.

"Who's is that?" he asked the elf.

His question was answered almost instantly. Dolly had come into the room. She smiled at Pippin.

"Where's Faramir?" he asked.

"He's asleep" Dolly answered.

Pippin knew that he had trust the elves' judgement. Pip then reached over to one of the apples. It felt like years since had had an apple.

The hobbit looked at it. He then took bite. There was a crunch as he took a bit. He took the apple away from his mouth reviling a hobbit sized bit.

Dolly had gotten onto her seat and was now picking up some chicken with her fork. She lifted it and put it onto her plate.

It took her a minute or two, she finished. A large pile of cooked chicken sat on her plate. She then took a few rolls of bread. Four to be exact. She then started to cut each one into two pieces.

Pippin then did the same. But, unlike Dolly, he took six.

The two of them sat and ate in silence. Elrohir then came though the door way. He was carrying two large silver goblets in each hand.

He walked over to the table and placed one down near Pippin and the other near Dolly. Pippin had finished the apple.

Dolly had started to eat the chicken. She scooped the chicken up. The hobbit put the chicken in her mouth and took the fork away.

Dolly watched Pippin rip off a whole chicken leg. He instantly started to eat it. The skin ripped off, hanging down from the cooked piece. Pippin saw it as well. He opened his mouth and bit it off.

The two hobbits continued to eat as the wind blew around them. Pippin ate all of his rolls and picked out more. The chicken was being eaten away. The bones had been left on the edge of the plates.

Pippin then picked up his goblet. A strange smell hit his nose. He stopped before drinking it. His eyes looked down at the liquid below.

To Pippin, it looked exactly like water. But it smelt differently to normal water.

"I know that smell" he thought to himself.

He gave it another sniff.

"Hmmm"

So, Pippin decided to have a bit. The goblet met his lips and he took a sip. Pippin could feel the water running down and refreshing as it went. His eyes seemed to open more and his vision sharpen.

A large smile started to come across his face. Dolly had cut some more chicken off and put it on her plate. Her eyes suddenly saw Pippin. He had an unusually big smile.

She then figured out that Pippin must have done something wrong again. Dolly took a deep breath.

"What have you done now, Pip?" she asked.

Pippin suddenly made a confused face.

"What?" he asked.

"Why are you grinning?" Dolly asked.

Pippin smiled and held up his goblet.

"Try the water" he said.

Dolly was now the one looking confused. She looked over at her goblet and picked it up. The water inside rippled as she looked inside. It was then that she smelt the sweetness of the liquid. It was unlike anything she smelt before. She looked up at Pippin, he was watching her.

So, she took a small swig. Dolly then swallowed it. As soon as she did this, her eyes started clear and her tiredness wore off instantly.

Now Dolly knew why Pippin had been smiling.

"Wow" she said, a smile that equalled Pippin's came across her face.

"I've had it before, but the thing is, I don't know where"

Just then, a sound of foot steps came from the side. Pippin and Dolly both looked at the person coming towards them.

It was the boy that had gone on ahead of them. He was followed by Elladan. But Elladan stopped. He watched the boy walk towards the hobbit. Pippin suddenly got off from his seat. The boy and the hobbit looked at each other.

Pippin then extended his hand. The boy looked at it and took it. The two of shook hands.

"Thank you" said Pippin.

"Thank you for helping us"

The boy was quiet, he smiled and nodded. Their hands then parted.

"Have something to eat" said Elladan.

The boy nodded. There was a spare seat next to Pippin. This one had no pillows on it. The boy didn't need them. So, Pippin and the boy took their places. It was then Pippin remembered what he needed to ask the elf.

"Elladan?" Pippin asked, getting hit attention.

The elf looked over at the hobbit.

"What is this called?" he asked, holding up his goblet.

Elladan smiled.

"That is called Miruvor" he answered.

When the elf answered, Pippin knew where he had tasted it. It was the drink that Gandalf had given them when the fellowship were on Caradhras.

Pippin almost started to remember what that was like in the mountain. His eyes glazed over for a split second before coming back to the room that he was in.

The boy had now been given a goblet and a plate. He had been piling what was left of the chicken on his plate. Pippin was now eyeing the Lembas bread.

His hand reached over and picked a piece up. Pippin liked Lembas, he had first tasted it in Lothlorien. Pip broke a bit off and put it in his mouth. The hobbit started to chew. A couple of seconds later, he swallowed. The small bit would fill a stomach of a fully grown man.

But for Pippin, it had nearly to no effect. Pip took another bite and chewed again. Dolly was drinking the last bit of her Miruvor. She drained her goblet and placed it down. She watched Pippin eat.

She looked at the small package near her. Dolly was still a bit hungry and she knew it. So, she reached out.

"A bit more bread wont hurt" she thought.

Dolly picked up a square of Lembas and looked at it. It looked plain slice of bread without a crust. Dolly started to feel a bit hungry again, so she took a bite.

Dolly started to chew. The hobbit then swallowed. She smiled. Dolly felt a strange sense that she had eaten more in one bite then she had had in one meal.

Surprisingly, she took a second bite. Pippin, how ever had placed his down. He could not eat another bite. The Lembas had "filled in the corners" as hobbits say.

A large smile ran across his face.

"Well, that was one good meal" Pippin said, rubbing his tummy.

Dolly placed her Lembas on the table. Elladan had been standing behind Pippin. Neither of the hobbits noticed that he was there.

"She's awake" he said.

Pippin suddenly jumped, having been facing away from him. His head instantly turned around to look at him.

"Diamond's awake?" he asked.

Elladan smiled and gave a small nod. Pippin suddenly got down from seat. Dolly did the same, following Pip. The two of them rushed out of the large room, leaving the boy eating on his own.

A minute later, Pippin arrived at the door where Diamond had been put. Diamond was now sitting up. She had been talking to another elf, Elrohir.

Diamond's head turned and her eyes set on Pippin. Pippin quickly rushed over to his wife.

"Oh, Pippin" said Diamond, as he jumped on the bed.

The two of them embraced in the biggest hug they had ever given each other. There was a tear in Pippin's eye, but it didn't it didn't fall down his face.

The two of them hugged for what seemed minutes to them. finally, Diamond prised Pippin away.

"I'm sorry, Pip" she said.

Pippin was confused.

"Sorry for what?" he asked.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for what happened" she told him.

Pippin couldn't understand what she was saying.

"Diamond, it wasn't your fault!"

She smiled and looked down.

"Are you going to call him Faramir?" she asked.

Pippin smiled and nodded. Diamond took a deep breath, hunger was gripping her now. She took a deep breath and looked around.

"I'm getting a bit hungry now" she said.

Pippin nodded. Elrohir suddenly got up. He started to walk away towards the door. Elrohir made no sound as he walked towards the door. He crossed the threshold and away.

"Where is he going?" asked Diamond.

Pippin watched at the elf went out of view.

"I don't know" answered Pippin.

Diamond's stomach was now flat again. Baby Faramir was sleeping in a white blanket. Baby hobbits were half the size of Elven or human babies. Unlike human babies, hobbit babies had a full head of hair. They also had fine hair on their feet.

Elrohir could be seen walking back. He had a tray in his hands. A plate of Lembas and a goblet of Miruvor. Elrohir walked over to the bed, Pippin moved out of the way.

Diamond was smiling. She knew that the elf would bring her food. Elrohir placed it on her lap. The Miruvor water swirled around. there was a few slices on Lembas bread on the plate as well. Diamond had never seen or ate it.

So, she picked it up and looked at it. Pippin was looking at her. Diamond's eyes slipped over to Pippin's face.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

Pippin looked at the Lembas.

"Eat it and see" he answered.

Diamond looked over at the elf that had now taken his seat again. Elrohir gave a small smile and nodded. So, Diamond slowly took a bite. A bit broke off. She started to chew, a small unknown taste met her. She swallowed, then looked down at the piece of bread.

"There's nothing special about this" she said.

The elf smiled.

"I see that you have not lost your appetite"

A wave of worry flooded over Pippin. He had suddenly remembered that Origo was still missing. He knew that Diamond loved Ori.

"Umm, Elrohir could I have a word?" Pippin asked.

Elrohir's eyes moved over to Pippin. The elf then got up.

"I'll be right back, ok?" Pippin told his wife.

Diamond nodded. Pip kissed her on the top of the head and quickly got off of the bed. Elrohir and Pippin walked out of the room. Pippin looked back at his wife.

Just outside the door, Pippin stopped.

"I need you to find somebody"

Pippin stuttered.

"Something"

Elrohir looked down at him.

"And who may this somebody or something be?" Elrohir asked.

Pippin looked down.

"A puppy, his name is Origo" the hobbit answered.

The elf smiled.

"Origo is safe" Elrohir answered.

Pippin was confused.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Now is not the time" said Elrohir.

The elf then walked away, towards the room where Diamond was staying. Pippin now felt like the elves were keeping something back from him.

The hobbit took a deep breath and followed the elf. When Pippin got back, Diamond had finished eating. Half of the bread had gone. The goblet of Miruvor was left in her hands. Diamond took a gulp every few seconds. Her eyes seemed to clear and sharpen. Her hunger had been tamed.

"So, this is Rivendell?" she asked, her eyes looking around.

Pippin smiled and jumped onto the bed.

"Yes, it is" Pippin answered.

Diamond was eager to get up. She felt a new strength in her bones.

"I would love to look around" said Diamond, looking over at the elf.

Elrohir nodded in agreement. So, Diamond pulled the covers from over her legs. She had been dressed in a white gown, just like Pippin had on. Pip moved out of the way. He held out his hand. Diamond looked at it and smiled.

She took it and moved over to the edge of the bed. Pippin jumped off and helped her down. Diamond's legs were weak. She hadn't used them for a few days.

One foot touched the cold tiles and then the other followed. The hobbit lent against the bed for a few seconds, Pippin was standing next to her. Diamond, with her free hand, put her hair behind her ears.

The coldness was numbing her feet, but it was not an uncomfortable feeling. She looked down. The hair on her feet was standing up. A breeze ran though Rivendell. It rustled the leaves on the ground.

When it reached Diamond and the hobbits, it pushed her hair over her face again. Diamond closed her eyes and let the breeze touch her. The hobbit took a deep breath.

"I don't know why" Diamond started.

"But the wind here, it seems"

Diamond paused, trying to think of a word.

"Softer"

Pippin smiled. He knew what she was talking about. A strange calmness that the rest of middle-earth didn't have. Pippin looked around. There were no leaves on the trees. The trees however were evergreens.

Evergreens never lost their leaves. But now, all of the trees were either dead or dying. Pippin wondered if the trees were bound to the lives of elves. For when they had left, the trees had started to take on more brown. Rivendell would have few, if any, leaves on the ground.

It reminded Pippin of Autumn back in the Shire where the leaves would turn from green to an array of red and yellow leaves in a matter of weeks. But, unlike the Elven town, they grew back the next year.

Diamond raised a foot and twiddled it around. She was getting used to walking again, having not for the past week. She placed her foot back down again.

"Do you want to walk?" asked Pip.

"You don't have to if you don't want to" he told her.

Diamond smiled.

"No Pip, I want to have a walk" she answered.

So, she hung onto her husband. Diamond took one step after another. After a few more steps, Diamond was able to walk properly again. She smiled, looking down at her feet. They were poking out from under the white gown she was wearing.

Diamond then thought that something was missing.

"Pippin?" she asked.

"Yes?" he asked, not knowing what was to come next.

"Where is Origo?"

Pippin didn't like that question one bit. He thought quickly of a way not to answer it. Diamond looked at him. he was much taller then she was.

"Where is he, Pip?"

Their eyes met. Pippin sank inside. He knew that he should have taken more care about him.

"I lost him" Pippin answered, lowering his head.

Diamond couldn't believe what he was saying.

"You lost a puppy?" asked Diamond, struggling to understand how he could have lost Origo.

Diamond looked away.

"When did you lose him?" she asked.

Pippin shrugged.

"I don't know when I lost him. One second he was there, then he wasn't" Pippin told her.

Diamond shook her head.

"Diamond, please understand that Pippin was only trying to help you. He cares about you. Pippin and I almost died trying to get you here as fast as possible!" Dolly told her.

Diamond instantly fell silent. She looked at her husband, then at her nanny.

"You… nearly died?" Diamond asked.

Pippin nodded. This made Diamond feel very guilty. She thought that Pippin was just being careless. But that was far from the truth. Pippin had been more worried about his wife them himself.

"Oh Pippin" Diamond said.

The hobbit then gave him a very big hug.

"I'm sorry that I thought you were being careless" she said.

Pippin hugged her. Diamond's memory was suddenly jogged. a dream came back to her.

"Oh my, I've just remembered!" Diamond said suddenly, pulling away from her hug.

Pippin didn't understand what that meant.

"Remembered what?" he asked.


	18. Day Nine, Part Two

Diamond was smiling.

"I had a dream, well, more a vision" Diamond told him.

Pippin's eye brows raised slightly.

"A vision?" he asked.

"Yes, I saw that when I got home, I had set up an orphanage!" she answered.

Diamond's face lit up. Pippin could see that she had planned it all already.

"An orphanage?" he asked.

Diamond nodded.

"We can house hobbits, humans and dwarfs if necessary" she told him.

"The dwarves can live under the ground, the hobbits can live on the first floor and the human children can live on the first and second" she said.

The hobbit took a deep breath and sighed.

"I would love to open one" she said happily.

But, as always, Pippin was having his doubts. He took a deep breath and looked away. He thought about the idea of building the orphanage and housing all of the children.

"Well, lets think about it after Yule"

Diamond suddenly gasped.

"Oh no!" she said.

"I should have started my Yule clean!" she told them.

Dolly shook her head.

"There wont be any Yule clean this year. You've been though enough already and there's still the journey back yet" Dolly told her.

But Diamond wasn't listening.

"What day is it?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"It's the 18th day of Foreyule" he answered.

Diamond looked shocked.

"That means I only have twelve days left till Yule!" she said.

"I should have started cleaning three days ago!"

Diamond looked worried. She had a lot of work to do. Her friends were coming around for dinner and a turkey had been left in her cellar.

"But, I have to clean the cooker and then the kitchen, the whole house needs doing!"

Pippin took a deep breath.

"I think we're going to have Yule on the road this year" he told his wife.

Diamond looked worried. She hated having a dirty house. Nearly every day she would have to clean a room. It was what she did and she liked it. She would look forward to guests coming to visit. Diamond and Pippin would try and put on the most Yule feasts. Last year it was five. But this year, they planned to have six.

But now that they were in Rivendell, their plans had been ruined.

"Do you think we can get back before Yule?" Diamond asked.

Elrohir looked at the hobbit.

"No, I do not" he answered.

Diamond's heart sank. She was going to miss the one time of year that she has waited for.

"And what about the presents?" she asked.

"Diamond, you've been though a lot. Please will you just not think about it this year?" Pippin asked.

Diamond looked down. She knew that the Shire was too far away at this moment. It would be days before they get back home. Her reputation was on the line. But she had to let it go. She thought that she put on the best Yule feasts in the whole of the Shire. But this year, it was going to go to someone else.

"Come on Diamond, lets go and have a look around" Pippin told her.

He extended his hand. Diamond smiled and took it.

"I'll stay here with the baby" Dolly said.

"Just in case he wakes up"

Diamond nodded and smiled.

So, the two of them walked out of the room. The light from the sun was now going down and it was about six o'clock. The wind blew around them. Diamond's eyes were taking everything in. There were old looking trees anchored to the million year old rock.

The river below ran down the valley. Lots of water falls fell like white ribbons down the rock face. Over millions of years, the river had carved out a winding valley. Plants and trees had made their home in the split rocks.

Pippin and Diamond walked down a path. It wound ever downwards. The path opened up to revile a secret cove. The river ran by. Neither Pippin or Diamond had ever been down this small path before.

"Oh wow!" said Diamond.

The clear water rushed by them. It lapped against the smaller stones and rocks. The stones and rocks were all different colours. There were deep red ones and light green ones. The rock face that made up the small cove towered above them. The face of the rock was untamed. Diamond could sense that the rock had a power beyond hers.

Pippin was looking around as well. The large faces of rock reminded him of Moria. The sound of water running past filled the hobbit's ears. The cold spray touched their faces as they stood there.

"So, do you like it then?" asked Pippin.

Diamond looked over at him.

"I love it Pip" she answered.

The two of the smiled. Diamond then cuddled him and rested her head on Pippin shoulder. Pippin looked down and smiled.

On top of the large cliff, a building to could be seen. Torches had been lit to show the way. The bridge connecting the two sides of the valley together.

A figure walked along it, stopping every few feet to light the candles. The small flames flickered as they sprung to life. They stood there like small guards. They gave a small bit of light, but it would soon grow as the sun lost it's light that day.

"We should get back, I'm getting a bit hungry" Pippin said.

Diamond lifted her head.

"I thought you were always hungry" said Diamond.

She smiled. Pippin smiled as well.

"Good point, come on" he said.

So, the two hobbits took one last look and turned around. The two of them continued to hold hands as they walked back up the path. There were candles lighting their way. They seemed to be positioned in random places. But, each of them would spill their light onto the path. The wind whistled though their branches.

The two hobbits walked back over the bridge. The candles lit the way in the ever growing darkness. Pippin and Diamond got to the room where they were staying. There was a small baby crying.

"Oh, is he up?" asked Diamond.

Dolly smiled.

"I think he wants his mummy or daddy" Dolly said.

Pippin smiled as Diamond let go of his hand and walked over to her son. She took him off of Dolly and held him. Dolly moved out of the way. The baby started to stop crying. Diamond walked around the room as Pippin walked over to Dolly.

"He looks like you" Dolly said.

Pippin smiled.

"Do you think so?" he asked.

Dolly nodded.

"He'll grow up to be a stunner, just like his father" Dolly said.

Pippin smiled. He knew that Faramir would grow up to be good looking. The baby had now fallen quiet again.

"So, I guess his name is Faramir then" said Diamond.

Pippin nodded.

"Yes, after one of my good friends" he answered.

Pippin could see Faramir of Gondor smiling and looking over him. Pip wished that he could go back to Gondor one more time. The white city, Minas Tirith, came back to him. He could see the mountain range beyond Osgiliath.

The mountain range was that of Mordor. Mordor was the one place that Pippin never wanted to see or hear of that place. Mordor had a large volcano in the middle.

This volcano was known as Mount Doom. Ever since the end of the war of the ring, the mountain had been spewing out molten rock. Rock that was so hot that it had been turned to liquid. There was a constant river of red lava flowed down the outside of the mountain.

Pippin suddenly snapped out of his small day dream. Faramir Took now sucking his tiny thumb and looking around. His eyes were blue and his hair was a fine sandy colour. The blanket that he was wrapped in covered his whole body.

"I think we should show him around" Pippin said.

Diamond was yawning.

"I don't think that's a good idea just yet Pip" answered Diamond.

She was feeling tired again.

"I think it's time for Diamond to get more sleep" Dolly said.

Diamond had walked over to the cot and had now placed Faramir back in it. The hobbit smiled as she stood up again.

"She's right Pip, I need my sleep if I am to recover my strength. Maybe we could show him around tomorrow" Diamond told him.

Pippin took a deep breath. The light of the sun had been long since past over, yet the light was a few hours from converting to darkness. But candles had already been lit. there was a stand near by Diamond bed. There were a few candles flickering in their stands. In certain places in the room, the candles could be seen reflected in the floor.

"Alright then, but at least have something to eat first" Pippin told her.

Diamond gave a big yawn. At the same time, she shook her head.

"I'm alright for now darling" she told him.

Pippin nodded as Diamond got back onto her bed. Pippin walked over and hugged his wife.

"I'll see you when you wake up, OK?" he asked.

Diamond nodded.

"Love you Pip" she said, hugging him.

"Love you too" Pippin said.

They smiled at one another. Pippin turned around and started to walk away as Diamond put the duvet over her. Her head rested on the fluffy pillows. The wind blew around her, yet she could feel it. She moved her head and saw the cot standing there.

Diamond smiled and looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling was decorated in a floral design. It seemed that the flowers all intertwine with another. There were many vines running all over the ceiling. Every now and again, a bunch of flowers would seem to sprout out of the mass of vines.

Diamond's eyes followed each vine, trying to find where one ended and another started.

The walls of the room were plain. They seemed to keep the vines of the ceiling at bay. The window areas had no sharp edges. All their corners had been filed down.

There was no door where it should have been. Just a large open space. The darkness continued to fall around the hobbit. The wind seemed to die down with the darkness.

There were no birds present at Rivendell. They had all gone to warmer climates. Yet, a few birds remained. Robins mostly. They perched on the leafless branches. They sung their song to who ever would hear it.

Diamond's eyes slowly started to close. The noise of everything around her suddenly seemed to vanish. It was only when she was asleep that she realised she had done so. Yet, Diamond did not wake.

A dream swept over her eyes. Her house came into view. Diamond seemed to be floating as she went up to the door.

The hobbit got nearer to the door, she thought she was going to bump right into it. Luckily, she didn't. The hobbit seemed to just float though like the door wasn't there.

What met Diamond's eyes shocked her. Instead of her normal, lovely home, it was dusty and untidy. Diamond's eyes couldn't take it in.

Dirt was everywhere she looked. She looked at the door. Diamond quickly started to float, the dust moved as she floated past. Everything was dirty and dusty. Diamond stopped. She could see every inch of her beautiful house had been turned into a sea of grey dust. The light from the windows hit the floating dust. Diamond could see particles whizzing in front of her. Spiders webs could be seen in the corners of the windows.

Diamond needed to clean up. she couldn't let her neighbours see the house like this. So, she floated quickly beck down the hall. There was a small cupboard near the front door. It housed a broom and a bucket. There were small squares of cloth.

Diamond quickly got them out. The bucket was placed on the floor of the hall way. Or so Diamond thought. The bucket started to float away. it floated gently up beyond the point where Diamond could reach.

The hobbit stood up and went to grab the bucket.

But it wasn't there.

Diamond looked around, yet the bucket was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes darted around. A white object caught her eye. But it was above her. Her eyes slowly raised upwards.

The bucket was there, floating in midair. Diamond suddenly dropped the broom and the cloths. But they did not fall to the floor. They too floated. Diamond looked down at them. She caught then again, just in time.

Meanwhile, Pippin was sitting at a table. Elladan and his brother were there as well. Dolly and the boy had gone to bed.

"You seemed troubled, Master Peregrin" said Elladan.

Pippin was sitting the his seat again, a small mug of beer stood before him. Pippin took a deep breath and looked away. The hobbit didn't talk.

"You are having dreams, are you not?" asked Elladan.

Pippin slowly sat up. His hands were gripped around the mug.

"Yes" Pippin answered.

Pip took a deep breath.

"It's always of Minas Tirith" he told them.

"I hear loud bangs and screams. But the dream is almost always black. I know its Minas Tirith because I can hear Gan… Gandalf" Pippin answered.

The hobbit looked over at the two brother sitting at the opposite side of the table. The were looking at Pippin.

"What is he saying?" asked Elladan.

Pippin's memory went back to the dreams that he had been having. He could hear Gandalf.

"He's saying to get back, get back to…"

The blackness of the dream. There were a lot of sounds now filling Pippin's ears. His eyes had glazed over, the elves continued to look at him.

"Fall back!" came the voice of Gandalf.

"To the second level!"

Pippin wondered what this meant. A loud bang came. Then a new sound met Pippin's ears. This had not been heard in his dream. A large bang, then a roar. The sound of flames crackling as they flew past him.

"I think it's when Mordor attack Minus Tirith. I can hear Gandalf, flames and people screaming" Pippin told them.

Elladan and Elrohir had been at the Battle of Pelennor Fields. They had arrived with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. The two elves knew exactly what Pippin was talking about. For they knew what Pippin had seen and been though.

"You do not have to worry, Master Peregrin" Elrohir told him.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"When will we be able to go home?" he asked.

There was a moment of silence.

"Tomorrow, Diamond is doing well. I will take you back in your cart" said Elladan.

Pippin looked more alert at that point.

"You'll take us home?" he asked, not sure that he heard it right.

Elladan gave a small nod. His expression did not change. Pippin's spirits were lifted ever so slightly. He picked up his mug, there was still a quarter left. He picked it up and drained it in one gulp.

The hobbit placed the mug down. Pippin looked tired.

"When will we…"

Pippin hiccupped in the middle of his sentence, but carried on afterwards.

"Leave tomorrow?" he asked.

"At first light" Elladan answered.

Pippin's eyes started to droop. He sank lower in his chair.

"I believe that we should get you into your bed, Master Peregrin" Elladan said, getting up.

His brother did the same. They walked around the table and helped Pippin off of his seat. The brothers helped Pippin out of the room.

The three of them walked down the small path. The two elves walked past the room where Diamond was sleeping. Yet, there was another room behind that of Diamond. The hobbit was steered the hobbit towards it.

The room looked exactly like Diamond, apart from there was a cot missing.

Pippin was now extremely tired. The hobbit could not keep walking. So, Elladan and Elrohir walked Pip over to the bed and sat him on the edge. Pip slowly laid down, putting his feet up on the bed so that he was laying flat. Elrohir put the covers over the hobbit and stood right. There was a stand with burning candles in it.

The stand looked a bit like a twisted tree. The candles flickered, giving off a small bit of light. Elladan gracefully moved over and started to blow them out. Each candles made the room darker and darker.

A couple of seconds past and all the candles had been blown out. But, by that time, Pippin had fallen asleep. The two elves walked away quietly.

Only Pippin's head was visible, the rest of him was under the large duvet. Both Diamond and Pippin were now asleep. But they were to have very different dreams.

Diamond was already in hers. A very dusty room stood before her. They dust floated around ever where she looked. Some landed and stuck to her hair. A broom and cloth were clutched in her hand. She held onto them tightly, not wanting to let go of them.

She had found out that this flew or floated away. gravity was playing tricks on her.

"I need to clean this up, Yule is in a few days" she told herself.

The wooden bucket bounced off of the ceiling in the hall behind her. She looked around and took a deep breath. Dust had settled in her hair, making it look white. Cobwebs and tables alike were covered in a layer of fine dust.

So, Diamond got to work. She walked over to the fire place. The fire had long since been put out. The small cuckoo clock was showing the time as five minutes to six.

Diamond walked out and took the cloth in one hand. She was determined to clean the entire house that day. The hobbit let go of the broom. The broom fell slowly and silently to the once tiled floor. The broom hit the floor and bounced slowly off.

Diamond knelt down and took the cloth. She then started to scrub the fireplace. The dust started to come off. After a minute, she stopped. There was an area that had no dust on it.

Diamond looked at the dust that had gathered in the cloth. Sure enough, there was a pile of dust was piled in the cloth. The hobbit's eyes ran back to the area that she had just cleaned.

But the dust had come back. Diamond took a deep breath and covered her mouth.

"How…?" she asked.

She rushed over and placed her hand on the surface. Diamond rubbed her hand over a bit of the dust. She watched the dust instantly come back.

She stood up quickly.

Just then, the clock started to chime. Diamond's heart jumped. Her eyes darted over to the clock.

The small wooden bird come out of it's small home.

Cuckoo

It retracted back into its home.

It did this another five times before falling silent. Diamond's heart rate started to slow down.

Meanwhile, Pippin was having a dream as well. His was a lot different from his wife's. There was a large city. The city had a large field before it. Two roads crossed in the middle of the massive field.

The city was called Minas Tirith. The city had been built on levels. There were gates connecting each level. They were large and had their own locking systems.

But, in Pippin's dream, everything was on fire.

"Fall back!" shouted a voice.

It was of an old man. He was sitting on a white horse. The horse was called Shadowfax. Gandalf the white was shouting orders at his soldiers.

Orcs had infested the city. Pippin's heart rate was racing.

"Where is Gandalf?" he asked, running though the injured soldiers.

Pippin was smaller then all of the men around him. He struggled to get though the crowd that was rushing towards him. Small fires burned in the buildings on either side.

Darkness had fallen around the city. A big black figure soared over head. The deafening screech of the Nazgûl was embedded in Pippin's mind for the rest of time.

Every now and again, pip could see lifeless bodies on the floor. Some had dried blood on their faces. Large rocks had been tossed into the city by Sauron's army. They had long since stopped.

The door had been forced open and now, a flood of orcs was streaming into the city.

"Fall back to the second level!" shouted the wizard.

All hope in middle-earth now lay on Rohan and their army. The hope of thousands of people lay of Theoden.

But what if he had not come?

What if Theoden had chosen the wrong path?

For one, Pippin would never have seen Merry again. Minas Tirith would have been overrun by orcs. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli would have stayed at Edoras. No call for horse lords would have go out.

This would mean that Frodo and Sam would never have had a clear path to the mountain of fire.

There were a lot of paths that Theoden had opened and closed without knowing it. Some paths required sacrifices, others required help from others.

Origo was being helped along his journey. He was still in the arms of a strange girl. She was not an elf, she wasn't tall enough. She was not a dwarf or a hobbit.

In fact, she was only one of two left in her species. Yet, she had found the other half.

Origo had been sleeping for most of the day. but, now that it was night, he had woken up. Ori was still very hungry and weak.

"It'll be much easier when you can remember how to do it" said the girl.

Origo constantly whimpered. He missed Diamond, she had gone to Rivendell. The girl and Ori were a few miles away from the river Horewell. It would be the next day before Origo reached Rivendell.

The girl continued to walk down the path. She showed no signs of hunger or of tiredness yet. Light had fallen into the darkness. All the creatures of the day had roosted or retreated back to their burrows.

A small shower of snow had come and gone. There was more of the horizon.

The girl kept on walking. Mile upon mile when past. A black ribbon was winding its way though the land. The last bridge was a few hundred meters ahead of them.

Upon seeing it, the girl's heart started to sink. Origo's eyes were closed.

"Origo?" the girl asked.

Origo's little eyes slowly started to open.

"I have to leave you now" she said.

The puppy she was holding whimpered.

"Oh, don't do that. I'll see you really soon"

The girl slowly placed the puppy on the ground. Origo shook himself and looked up at the girl. The girl smiled and turned around. Origo watched her walk into the darkness. The girl was now just a faint figure.

The girl stopped. A second later, she walked towards the forest. Origo couldn't see her any more.

Origo was now on his own. An owl hooted miles away. The wind blew around him, moving his fur.

"What do I do now?" he whimpered, looking around.

The puppy looked around. Behind him, there was bridge. Origo looked at it for a few seconds and started to walk towards it.

His was shivering as he ascended the small bump. There was nothing stopping the pup from accidently walking off of the edge. The puppy got to the top. In front of him, the road ran away. The darkness hid the path of the road.

Origo then walked to the edge and looked over the side. Below, a cold, dark river ran. Large rocks were sitting in the cold water. They had been there for thousands of years.

Leaves and twigs had been carried for mile upon mile. Origo's eyes followed the leaves as they made their way down stream.

The pup's eyes prised away from the river. Ori knew that Rivendell was still a long way away for him. He then looked down the deep, dark road. He stood there for a while, looking down the road.

There were no lights where he was looking.

Without warning, Origo started to walk. He wasn't scared of what was out there. He needed to get to his Diamond and that's all that mattered to him.

Origo walked down the other side of the bridge and away. his ears were sharp, picking up any sounds that came his way and his eyes were clear, seeing small shadows and the stars above.

It would be a long night for Origo.


	19. Day Ten, Part One

The day had been bright and cool. But now, the sun had now set and the coldness was deepening. Snow was expected in the next few hours. Hobbiton, which was normally lay quiet at this time, was in a hive of activity. Hobbits of nearly every age were running about. But, it was not because of pleasure, it was in fear. The top of the hill was on fire, it bellowed out black smoke.

Hobbits with buckets ran towards the burning hill side. Water spilled over the top of the wooden buckets. The buckets had two metal rims, one at the top and one at the top. There were bolts keeping it all in place. Two holes had been made at the top of bucket. But, this was not to let water out. A rope had been put though each hole and knotted.

A hobbit ran up to the house and threw the water on the door.

"Get some more water!" the hobbits shouted.

"But she's still in there!"

Pearl and Pervinca were watching the house burn. The fire crackles as the grass was set alight. Pearl had a tear running down her face. Flames were reflecting in her eyes. Her sister, Vinnie, had an arm around her.

"She'll be alright, Hamson is going in there to save her" she said.

Pearl looked away from the fire. There were hobbits running up and down the hill with buckets. There were about ten of them running from the lake at the bottom of the hill. They would fill up their buckets and run all the way back up.

Hobbits from the holes had evacuated the holes next to the one of fire.

"We have to stop it from spreading"

There was a small group quickly talking about what to do. The fire was spreading quickly. The small hill would be in flames in a matter of minutes.

Inside the burning hobbit hole, bottles of liquor were exploding. It sent glass flying everywhere, hitting the wall and bounding off. The fire had spread to nearly every room.

The door to the bed room had smoke pouring though the gap in the door. On the bed, a girl lay. Her hair was clean and tied back. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slowing down.

Pimpernel only had minutes to live. But, her fiancé was on his way. Outside, the fire was raging. The heat from it drove some hobbits to stand back. Hamson was looking at flames.

"I'm going in" he said.

Pearl and Pervinca were standing by him.

"I don't think… I don't think it's a good idea"

Hamson Gamgee was looking around. He looked a bit lost and worried.

"Pearl, there is nothing that you can say that will stop me from going in" he said.

Adrenalin was running though his veins. The cloud of smoke sailed away from the chaotic scene below. Further away from the burning, the world ticked away like nothing was happening.

The sun was going down, the darkness was deep. Yet, there was a small bit of light away towards the west. The day had been calm and tranquil up until then.

Hamson, a hobbit of Hobbiton, was at the door. The heat was intense.

"If I don't came out, don't come and get me" he said.

His sister, Marigold rushed up to him. Marigold had tears in her eyes.

"Hammy, please don't do this" she said.

A small hanky was held in her hand.

"Mari, please go and wait with Sam"

There were beads of sweat running down the side of Hamson's face. He was ready for anything that was going to happen.

Hamson Gamgee was the eldest of the Gamgee children. Hamson had five younger siblings. Halfred, Daisy, May, Samwise, and Marigold.

All of the Gamgee siblings looked very much alike.

Hamson was the oldest of the six. He was born in the year 2965.

Halfred Gamgee was born four years later in 2969.

Daisy was next. She was the eldest daughter of Hamfast and Bell Gamgee. She was three years younger then Halfred.

May Gamgee was the fourth child of the Gamgee family. She was born in the year 2976.

Samwise came next. He was four years younger then May.

Marigold was the last of the Gamgee children to be born.

Each were very close to each other. They would spend at least two night a week in each others company. Dinner was a time the time to catch up on all the day's happenings.

The sun light was weakening as the day past over the land. Yet, the night would be long. Pimpernel was still trapped in the house. She was laying on her bed, face down. Bangs echoed though the fiery house. But, it was not due to exploding bottles, it was coming from the front door.

Hamson was breaking the door down. The wooden panels were weak due to the flames on the other side. One of the panels started to break.

After a couple of seconds, Hamson prised the door open. He pushed it away from him. The heat started to get to him. Hamson's skin started to feel like it was drying out.

Just then, a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Hamson looked around, standing there was a hobbit. He was holding a bit of cloth.

"It's for the heat" he said.

There were a few drips falling off of it. Hamson took it and nodded. He placed the wet cloth over his mouth and nose. The fire licked the frames of the door.

The flames were getting very intense. The heat drove some of the hobbits back. Buckets of water were now being thrown at door way. But the flames fought back.

A beam started to creak. It started to fall a few millimetres, then stopped. Below it, Hamson was walking in. He held the cloth over his face.

The fire was very disorientating. The house looked like one, big black home. Nothing was recognisable. The hooks on the side of the wall just inside the door had melted. The pictures that Pimpernel had drawn had all but gone. The wooden panels that made up half of wall were all burnt black.

Pimpernel's bed room was two doors down. The side of the hill ran with the rooms. Each of the best rooms had windows.

Hamson reached the first room. His eyes darted around. Hamson slowly reached out and touched the handle. The handle was very hot. So hot that it hurt his hand.

The hobbit had to think quickly. He took the cloth off of his mouth. The hobbit instantly started to cough. He quickly folded the small cloth and looked at the handle.

The water would cool down the handle enough to open it. Hamson placed his hand on the metal. The cloth did it's work, the handle was not hurting his hand any more.

He put pressure on it and the door opened. Inside, the room was burning. Everything was on fire. The ceiling was being burnt, the blackness was deepening as the flames licked it.

Hamson could not see Nelly there. It was the study that he had gone into. All of the old books had been incinerated. Their words and pictures lost forever.

Ash and embers floated in the air. It was making it very difficult to breath. Hamson was coughing every few seconds. His eyes were stinging as he made his way to the next room.

A few crashes and bangs could be heard though the house. The ceiling was creaking. A crash happened right next to Hamson.

Outside, Pearl and the rest of her family were waiting. More and more water was being thrown on the fire. But it was no use.

Pearl was facing away from the fire. More and more of the hobbit lads were helping in the fire. Pimpernel's father had come up the hill. He was standing at the gate to her house. He was directing the water carriers on where to go.

"He's been two minutes" said Pervinca.

The day was turning to night. The light of the fire was brightening the area.

Inside the flaming home, Hamson was at the bedroom door. The handle was less hot then the one he had touched before. The hobbit quickly opened the door.

It was the room that he had wanted.

His eyes quickly darted around, a few small fires were growing. On the bed, laying face down, was a hobbit. Hamson stopped in the door way.

A beam cracked behind him, forcing him to come back into reality. The hobbit quickly rushed over to the bed. Nelly still had her dress on. Her hair was still tied back and clean looking.

Hamson breathed quickly.

"Pimpernel?" he asked.

Talking only made his coughing worse. So, in a split second, he picked her up. the fire was raging all around them now. The heat was hurting every bit of Hamson's body.

But he didn't give up. He needed to save Nelly's life. But now, his own life needed to be saved as well. The smoke was getting to him. the hobbit could hardly breath.

Outside, the seconds ticked over. Pervinca's eyes were fixed on the dancing flames. The heat could be felt from where she was standing.

All hope of her ever seeing her sister again were sinking. Every second that past felt like a dagger cutting into her heart. A small tear ran down her face. Her eyes glinted in the light of the fire.

Hamson and Pimpernel were now a few meters from the door. Hamson was standing there. The fire was making him weaker and weaker. His once clean clothes were now stained them.

His foot took a step forward. He wanted to give up, but the fact that he was so close to getting out made all the difference.

Pimpernel was now resting on his shoulders. Energy was seeping away from him. Hamson's teeth were gritted as he mustered the last of his strength.

Pearl was just about to look away when a black figure started to emerge out of the fire. Pearl's eyes were now fixed on the figure.

"He's here!" she said, rushing forward.

Pervinca and Pearl rushed over. But, they were stopped.

"I don't think you should see this" said Paladin.

Pearl was looking at her sister who had now been laid on the ground.

"But…"

"No buts Pearl, go and get the spare room ready" he said.

Paladin was a powerful hobbit. But, in this moment of chaos, he was helpless. Pearl took a quick glance at her sister and then turned around. Paladin walked over to the two hobbits. Hamson was coughing.

"Get him some water" said Paladin, kneeling down.

Hamson's face was black and his cloths had burn marks on it. He looked at flames.

The light flickered the surrounding area. The shadows danced around the ground.

That very morning had started out bright, but cold. The clouds gathered over head. The blueness of the sky could be seen though the patches on white and grey.

Birds flew over the pristine land below. A small village lay in the middle of the country side. Woods and forests below had shed their leaves, making a natural carpet on the floor below.

Most of the summer animals had either migrated or hibernated. There was a lake in the middle of some hills. Paths and small roads led up to it. A few figures walking below.

These were hobbits. Hobbits had a gentle nature about them. Their cloths were bright and flowery. Most of the hobbits farmed off of the land. They had small patches in a near by field.

The patches of ground had been farmed for generations. Fathers of fathers had grown all their food there. Food was important for hobbits. They would have seven or eight square meals a day. A whole day could be planned around their meals.

Market stools had been set up. The stools sold all sorts of things. Glass bowls and jars of home made jam and marmalade. Loaves of bread were put on display. A few had gone already, yet there were ten left.

A hobbit was walking towards the centre. She had a basket in one hand. The hobbit looked up at the sky. She took a deep breath and smiled.

"I think it's going to snow" she told herself.

It took Pimpernel a minute to get down to the market. The market place was not as busy as usual. Pimpernel spotted what she was there for.

A pen of ten chickens were running about. Four wooden posts were connected by a metal sheet. A hobbit sprinkled a bit of grain into the pen. The chickens were scurrying to it. They pecked the ground, eating up the grain.

Pimpernel walked over to the pen and looked at them.

"You want a chicken then?" asked an old hobbit.

Nelly's eyes were prised away from the babbling birds. She smiled.

"Yes please" she said.

The hobbit man had a hat on. The sun was not as strong as it could have been. The man looked down at the chickens and tried to pick one up. But the chicken was too fast for him. The bird wriggled out of the man's grasp. The man grumbled as he went for the chicken again.

This time, he caught it. But the bird put up quiet of a fight. The hobbit tucked the chicken under one hand. This was the part that Nelly hated. She turned her head away as a small snap met her ears.

She slowly turned her head back.

"There you go" said the hobbit.

He held out the dead chicken out. Pimpernel smiled and took it.

"Thank you" she said.

Pimpernel then handed the man two gold pennies. The chickens eyes were still open, they were small and brown. The chicken's head flopped about as Pimpernel put it the basket.

Pimpernel smiled and walked away, leaving the nine chickens in the pen. Pimpernel was going to buy some bread next. So, she walked over to the other side of the small market square.

There was a big thatched building before her, it was The Green Dragon. The pub built and used by hobbits of the Shire.

The Green Dragon had many chimneys. Four to be exact. In winter, each one of the would be bellowing black smoke. But, today was different. The fires were only lit at night or when it was snowing.

Pimpernel was now at a stall that sold bread. The bread had been made in loaves. A small cross had been made on the top when it had still be dough.

The girl picked one up and placed it in her basket. She picked up another and placed that in her basket as well. There was a woman standing behind the wooden stall. Pimpernel reached into to a small pouch and took out two gold coins like the ones before.

"Thank you, dear" said the woman.

Nelly smiled and walked away. She looked down at the basket. Two loaves of bread and a chicken lay in there. The hobbit took a deep breath and looked at the sky. Her feet carried her home. But, on the way, she nearly tripped over something. Her eyes were taken away from the clam, slow clouds sailing over head.

A small black creature ran across the road. Nelly's eyes followed it. For a few seconds, she watched it before realising that it was a small puppy. The hobbit smiled. She hoped that one day she would get a puppy of her own.

The small pup ran though a gate and stopped. The pup tilted it's head and looked around. The light breeze ran over the pup's fur. The animal slowly turned around.

The pup poked her head around the corner. Her eyes fell on the hobbit that was walking away from her. The puppy started to think.

Pimpernel, on the other had, was getting ready to bake. The path that she was walking on led her to her house.

She opened a small gate. Like most hobbit houses, they had a small front garden.

In summer, there would be little dots of colour running all along the hill side.

The small puppy sneaked along the wall. The pup was quiet, luckily there was no other hobbits coming in either direction.

Pimpernel got to her gate and opened it. The hinges squeaked as it was pushed open. Nelly walked though and shut the gate. The puppy had stopped at the gate.

It watched the gate close. The gate had small gaps in it. the puppy rested it's head on one of the planks of wood. It was Pimpernel that the pup was watching. The large door opened and shut a few seconds later.

Inside the house, Pimpernel was walking to her kitchen. She placed the basket on the table. Her mind was now on cooking. She took the two loaves of bread out of the basket and placed them on the table.

Nelly then picked up the dead chicken. She then placed it on the table, away from the bread. Pimpernel then got a thick chopping board. She placed it down and got a large knife. Pimpernel moved the head of the chicken onto the chopping board.

The hobbit was just about to cut the head of when a knock at the front door came. Pimpernel was just about to cut the head off of the chicken. The knife had been lifted above her head.

"Now, who could this be?" she asked her self.

The hobbit looked down at the chicken. She then sighed and put the knife down. Pimpernel walked out of the room, down the corridor to the front door.

The large door swung open. Standing before her were two of her friends. Marigold and May Gamgee.

"Hello" said May.

Pimpernel started to smile.

"What are you doing here so early?" she asked, standing out of the way.

Both of the Gamgee girls walked in.

"We're here to help you" said Marigold happily.

Pimpernel continued to smile as she looked away.

"You know you don't have to" she told them.

May and Marigold took off their coats. A basket with a white cloth over it.

"What's in that?" Pimpernel asked.

May smiled.

"Chocolate muffins" she answered happily.

Marigold picked the basket up.

"Shall we go though to the kitchen?" Mari asked.

Pimpernel nodded and followed her three friends. May was the first into the kitchen. Her eyes saw the dead chicken laying with it's head on the chopping board.

"Mmm, chicken" she said, looking at it.

Marigold was next. She placed the basket on the table.

"I see you haven't started yet" she said.

The knife lay a few inches from the head of the chicken.

"I was just about to when you knocked" Pimpernel told them.

She took a deep breath and walked around to the other side of the table. She picked up the knife again and looked at the head of the chicken. Her eyes looked at the blade. She hated that she had to cut the head off. It was her one weakness in cooking.

May caught a glimpse of Pimpernel.

"Nelly?" she asked, looking at the girl.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked at her friend.

"It's my one weakness in cooking" she said, her eyes darting down to the dead bird.

May, on the other hand, had no worried about killing or cutting off the head of a bird.

"Give it here" she said, holding out her hand.

Nelly held the handle and May took it.

"I'm going to get the vegetables" she said.

May nodded as Marigold sat down. Pimpernel walked over to the cellar and opened the door. The cellar was cooler then the kitchen she had come from.

As the hobbit looked for her vegetables, a chop came from the kitchen. Pimpernel picked out some potatoes and carrots. It took her a minute or two to get all of the packets. She walked out of the cellar and closed the door.

Marigold had placed her head in her hands. She was looking at the two girls in front of her. Her flicker her head to the side. Marigold's hair was very blonde. All of the Gamgee family had blonde hair. But none of them were as blonde as Marigold's.

Even her name suggested that her hair was her best feature.

"I think I'm going to get a drink" she said, getting up.

May was still holding the knife, it had a bit of blood on it.

"Oh, I would mind an ale if you have it"

Marigold looked over at her friend.

"Want an ale Nel?" she asked.

"Yes please" Pimpernel answered.

So, Marigold got up and walked towards the cellar.

Meanwhile, Origo was walking towards Rivendell. His little paws were making him nearer and nearer to Rivendell. The puppy was now walking though some woods. The road was wet and muddy. There was a big puddle coming up, which took up most of the road.

Origo stopped as he got to the puddle. His little eyes were looking at the large body of water. His head moved as he looked around. His ears flopped as he looked back.

A crow called over head.

Ehh Ehh Ehh.

Origo watched as it flew away, beating it's wings. The wind rippled the puddle. A few leaves were floating in the muddy water.

Origo had no idea how deep the water was. But he had to get to his Diamond. So, he took a few steps forwards. The water line was at his paws. He looked down to see his reflection looking right back up at him. The small ripples distorted his reflection. But he could still make out the leafless trees.

In the muddy water, the pup could see small bits of mud, leaves and twigs. It gave nothing away about how deep it was. Origo's eyes then focused on the other side. He was scared of going though it.

His eyes then darted to the long that was laying on the road. Origo then scurried over to it. The log was much bigger then he had thought.

The surface was wet and slippery. Moss had grown on the surface of the wood. Leaves were rotting on the top. Origo then put his front two paws on the log. He was just high enough to see over the other side. The road continued to run off, sweeping around a large bend.

But that had to wait. Origo got down again, he looked at the lower part of the log. The log ran into the water, but it was shorter then going over. Yet, there was a risk. The risk was falling in.

Origo had to make up his mind soon. A crow had landed on a branch way above the small pup. It's eyes watching him. But Origo did not notice it.

He had made up his mind. He would jump onto the log, then off onto the other side. The pup walked back a few feet, then turned around. He stood looking at the area where he was going to jump onto.

Without a seconds thought on what could happen, the pup started to run. He bounded towards the log, then jumped.

He sailed though the air. His front two paws landed on the log. His back two landed soon after. After a split second, Origo jumped again. his front two paws leaving first.

But his back two started to slip. There was nothing that Origo could do. His was going into the freezing water.

His back legs were first to go under, quickly followed by the rest of his body.

It all happened in slow motion. The water splashed, creating ripples that ran right along the surface of the water. Origo instantly tried to run. Water was soaked into his fur. It splashed, making smaller ripples. The pup then got to the other side, the crow still eyeing him.

The mud had been stirred up from the bottom of the puddle. Clouds of lighter mud swirled though the water. Twigs and leaves had been brought to the surface.

Origo got to a dry patch on the other side of the large puddle. The puppy shook himself all over. Water flew out everywhere in small droplets.

The pup started to shiver, looking around. His fur was more fluffy. But that didn't help him. The coldness was now getting to him more then ever. Origo whimpered and looked around.

No one knew where he was or what he was going though.

Meanwhile, Pimpernel was sitting down. Her hands were busy as the bundle of feathers lay on the table to the side. A jug of ale was standing to the other side. Two girls sat in the other seats. Opposite was Marigold and to the left was May, her sister.

Both were sisters of Samwise Gamgee.

"So, who else is coming to this little party of ours?" asked Marigold.

Pimpernel pulled out a feather. Half of them had now gone, making the chicken look very strange.

"Estella, Daisy, Pearl and Vinnie" Nelly answered.

Marigold took a swig of her ale and smiled.

"What about Diamond?" asked May.

Pimpernel looked over.

"I don't know where she is. Diamond and Pip haven't been seen for a few days now"

Marigold took a deep breath. It was true, she hadn't seen either of them for days now.

"Well, I hope their alright" she said, taking another swig.

Marigold looked into her cup. There was only a small bit swirling around the bottom. Her brown eyes looked away.

"I think" she said, getting up.

"I think I need more ale"

Pimpernel continued to pull out all of the feathers. She smiled.

"Help yourself" she said.

Pimpernel couldn't help noticing that Marigold was getting a bit drunk. The cellar door was opened. Nelly looked over at May.

"I think Mari might be getting drunk"

May smiled and nodded.

"Me too"

The two of them smiled as Marigold knelt down at a large barrel. There was a small tap that had been attached to the barrel. Marigold turned the tap on and ale poured out.

The liquid hit the bottom of the mug. The small cup filled up quickly. Marigold then turned the tap off and took away the mug. A drip fell and hit the tiled floor.

Marigold then got up. She swayed a bit, holding onto one of the shelves. She shook her head and carried on. The hobbit remerged and closed the door.

The ale sloshed around the mug as she sat back down. Pimpernel had gotten most of the feathers out of the chicken.

Marigold sat down and smiled at her friends. May then stood up. she walked towards the cupboards and opened them. Nelly smiled. The chicken was looking more and more ready.

May bend down and got out metal pans with wooden handles. The inside of the pans were small stains. But that didn't both any of them.

"May, could you get the tray please?" asked Pimpernel.

May looked around and smiled. Her eyes then looked into the cupboard. She moved some of the pots and pans. May then saw what she was looking for. a grey tray leaning on the back wall. May smiled as she reached for it. she made sure that none of the other pots and pans fell out.

May then stood up and handed the trey to Pimpernel. Nelly put it on the table. But she wasn't going to use it yet. She picked the large chicken up and walked over to the sink.


	20. Day Ten, Part Two

Water ran down in a small stream, Origo was shivering, his fur was wet and the wind made him colder then ever. Origo did know it, but there were more large puddles in his way. The forest was wild and cold. The wind was picking up.

The wind and the trees created a sound that scared the pup. The wind sounded like a large group of orcs charting and yelling at the top of their voice.

Origo's fur was drying, but that didn't mean he was getting warmer. A few spots of mud were drying on his fur. His paws were really mud and cold.

The puppy would stop every so often, looking around. Ori was continually whimpering. There was no one around to help him.

His mind went back to Diamond. He really needed her, but the pup was going to give up hope. But, what Origo didn't know was that Diamond was getting nearer and nearer to him.

She was in a cart on her way back to the Shire. But she was not alone. Her husband, Peregrin Took, was with her. Another hobbit was with them. Her name was Dolly. Dolly had come along with Pippin as he went to Rivendell.

Diamond was holding a small bundle in her arms. There was a tiny baby in the warm bundle.

This was Faramir Took. The first and only son of Peregrin.

Faramir had a full head of fine hair. It was the exact same colour as Pippin's. Faramir's eyes were closed, he was sleeping peacefully in mother's arms.

"I wonder how the others are doing" said Pippin.

He had been looking at his wife and son. Diamond looked over at Pip.

"The others?" she asked.

Pippin smiled.

"At home. Sam and Merry" he answered.

Diamond smiled and looked away. She had completely forgotten about her friends back home. She wondered what they were all doing.

"Do you think their alright?" asked Pip.

Diamond took a deep breath, her eyes slowly ran down to look at her son.

"Yes Pip, I do"

Faramir started to stir, his small hand rubbed his face. But his eyes didn't open. Diamond smiled as he moved. The first time since they had left Rivendell.

Near by, Dolly was sleeping near by. A blanket had been pulled over her body, but her feet had been exposed. The wind blew her hair as the cart moved along.

There was a basket by Dolly's feet. The basket was a wicker basket, with a handle rising over and meeting the other side of the basket. Inside were packets of Elven bread. The bread was wrapped in a brown cloth, wrapped in the middle by a small bit of string.

Diamond yawned and put her hand over her mouth. Pip looked over at her. He could see Diamond yawning and looking tired.

"Should I take him and you can rest?" asked Pip.

Diamond smiled.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Pippin nodded. So, Diamond slowly placed her hand under Faramir's head. Pippin held his hands. Diamond carefully past her son over to Pippin.

"Watch his head" Diamond said.

Pippin smiled as he held the small bundle in his hands. Diamond looked at him. It was the first time that she had seen him in a different light. He seemed to be older some how.

Diamond yawned again and settled down. The cart rattled on, bumping over stones and small rocks. Diamond settled down, her head rested her head on the planks of wood that made up the bottom.

Her head rattled as the cart rolled on.

Her thoughts were deep. The Shire's beauty came into view. The trees and rolling green grass hills, the small lake that she had grown up near.

The warm breeze ran over her face. The sun was shining and the leaves were still on the trees. Their greenness was brilliant in the sunlight. They waved in the gentle breeze. Flowers blew in gentle wind.

A hobbit walked though a large, open field. He was young looking, with golden hair. He holding a basket full of food. There was a bottle of wine or two.

Pippin's eyes darted over to the side. Beside him was a girl. Diamond Took was her name. she was shorter then Pippin.

"What about here?" Pippin asked, stopping.

Diamond stopped as well.

"What about the trees over there?" asked Diamond.

She nodded towards a small forest on the field. Pippin smiled.

"Sure" he said.

So, the two of them continued walking again. The sun was high in the sky. Pippin and Diamond's feet were bare, for hobbits didn't wear shoes.

A few minutes later, the trees came closer and closer to where they were. There were shadows laying on the floor. The sun was beating down on the two figures walking towards the trees.

Pippin and Diamond reached the shadows. It was much cooler in the shade. Pippin looked around.

"I think here should do it" Pip said.

On the ground were pinecones. Diamond smiled as Pippin put the basket down. He then picked up a large blanket. He unfolded it and laid it on the grassy floor.

"Wow" Diamond said, she had been looking over at the grassy plain before her.

Pippin was getting plates out when he stopped. He looked over at the girl standing there.

"What?" he asked.

Diamond put her hand on her forehead, blocking the sunlight out.

"We're quite a way from Hobbiton" she said.

Pippin looked where Diamond was looking. The large Party Tree could be seen peaking over the ridge of the hill. Clouds sailed over head. On the ground, their shadows quickly ran. Birds flew over head, tweeting as they go.

Pippin smiled and turned around. He then walked back to the basket and got out a bundle of knives, forks and spoons. Diamond then looked around as well. She smiled.

"I hope your brought enough, I'm really hungry" Diamond told him.

Pippin smiled.

"I hope I did too" he answered.

Diamond smiled as she sat down on the rug. Pippin sat down as well. He picked up one of the plates and handed it to Diamond. Diamond then placed it on the soft rug.

The rug had creases in it that ran like canyons along the surface. The rug was white and clean. But it had a few small stains in them.

"You know, I could get these stains out for you" Diamond told him.

Pippin had started to get small packets out of the basket.

"Oh, Diamond, it's alright for now. You don't have to" he answered.

Pip then got out a small package. He smiled as he put it in the middle. On the rug, there was a stick of butter and a pile of bread rolls. A small packet of fresh chicken, packets of vegetables. There were also jars of honey and fresh jam. Pippin popped open the jars and placed them down. He then picked up two knives and placed one in each jar.

The wind blew around them as Pip got out two mugs. He placed them down, then picked up the flasks.

He then placed the lid down and smiled.

"I brought some ale with us" he said as he poured.

The ale started to bubble as it filled.

"Your not going to get drunk and make me carry you home, are you?" asked Diamond.

Pippin stopped pouring the ale.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Diamond looked at her feet that were in front of her.

"Last time you went out drinking, you drank so much that I had to carry you back to your home. Do you know how hard it is to carry you?" asked Diamond.

Pippin was now very confused, he then continued to pour the rest of the ale into the two mugs. He then handed one to Diamond.

In the real world, Pippin was watching his wife. His mind was asking a lot of questions. But the biggest one was the most important.

When was the right time?

Gondor was on his mind again. He missed the white city. Pippin had so many memories of that city. The many towers reaching up to the sky. The many levels that the city was built upon.

He could see the sun hitting the white stone. For miles around, the city glinted in the sun light.

Pippin took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the wind touch him.

Pimpernel bent down and opened the oven door. The heat touched her face. The flames were flickering in an evil heat. Nelly slid the trey into the small oven. She then shut the door with a small click.

The girl then stood up. May and Marigold had been cutting vegetables. The carrots had been done along with the potatoes, parsnips, sprouts. The stuffing was waiting to have water added to it.

"I think I'll go and set the table" Pimpernel told them.

The sisters nodded. The two of them were cutting the potatoes up. There was a pan of cold water on the table as well. When ever they would cut it into two, they would put it in the water.

Pimpernel was as the cupboard. She reached up to get the plates down. They scrapped against each other. Nelly placed them on the work surface. She then picked them up again, having a better grip.

The girl then walked out of the kitchen, along the small corridor to another room. She opened the door to revile a large, round table. There were seven seats around it, each with their own space.

The wood was bare and polished. There were very few marks on the wood. Pimpernel carefully placed the plates on the surface of the wood. She then walked around the table to a small chest of draws.

She opened up one of the draws and looked inside. Inside, there were small table cloths and table mats. Pimpernel smiled and took out the large table cloth. She walked back over to the table and place it on the table.

Pimpernel pulled out of the chairs and placed the plates on the chair. She then picked up the cloth and unfolded it. She placed it on the table. It took her a moment to get it into place. The draw was still open as Pimpernel got the table mats out.

A few moments later, she had placed the seven mats in their position on the table. Pimpernel then went back to the kitchen. She smiled as she saw the pan full of potatoes.

"Are you done?" she asked.

May nodded.

"We just need to do the parsnips and sprouts now" May answered.

Elsewhere in Hobbiton, Pearl and Pervinca were on their way to their sisters. It was the norm for hobbits arrive early for dinner. Vinnie had a basket with her. She had chocolate muffins as well. Yet, she did not know that May had brought some as well.

The wind blew in their faces as the cloud gathered. The sun was now lowering it's position in the sky.

"Feels like it's going to snow" said Pearl.

She sounded very cold as she tried to warm herself up. Pervinca smiled.

"Don't you like snow?" she asked.

Pearl shook her head.

"I like the warmth better" she told her sister.

A minute or two later, the two of them reached Pimpernel's gate. There was a small round window letting some light out. Pearl unlatched the gate and opened it. She walked though and held it open for her sister.

"Thank you" said Vinnie, walking though.

Pearl smiled and closed the gate behind.

"I hope we're not the first ones there" Pearl said.

Vinnie smiled and knocked on the door. The two of them waited for a moment before hearing quick foot steps coming near to the door.

The door swung open. Before then, Pimpernel was standing.

"Vinnie, Pearl, your early" Nelly said.

Her two sisters smiled and walked inside. Nelly could feel the gathering coldness rushing into the house. The candles flickered as the wind touched them.

Pimpernel had no idea that in a few hours, her life would be at risk. Her beautiful house would be destroyed in a raging fire.

But first, she would have dinner with her friends and her family.

"Cheers" said May and held up her goblet.

The rest of the girls did the same. The seven of them drank up. Marigold drank most of hers in one go. She was the last to put her down.

Pimpernel picked up her knife and fork. Her plate was full of food. Roasted chicken was pilled onto her plate. The sound of knives and forks hitting plates. Each of them were eating happily. Silence was rare at hobbit meal times.

"This is good" May said.

Pimpernel smiled.

"I agree" said Estella smiling.

Pimpernel poked the fork into the crisp parsnips. They had been coated in honey before being roasted. She bite a bit off and chewed. The taste of honey met her. But it was sweeter and more delicious then normal.

She finished the parsnips and the spouts. The chicken was left untouched. Gravy had been poured over everything on her plate. May Gamgee picked up one of the many bowls of food. She picked up the spoon and scooped up some of the parsnips that were still in the bowl.

After a few spoonfuls, she placed the spoon back and put the bowl down.

Pimpernel had nearly finished her plate of food when she started to feel thirsty. Her eyes fell on her mug. She picked it up and looked inside. The last little bit sloshed around in the bottom. She downed the last bit.

She took the bottle of ale. The cork had been taken out and discarded.

Pimpernel poured the ale into her mug. The liquid bubbled as she poured the last bit in. Nelly then placed the bottle back. The other girls were still eating.

To the left of her, her sister Vinnie was sitting. Estella was next, followed by Daisy and May. Marigold and Pearl sat to the right of Nelly.

Each of the seven girls ate and ate. The food was almost all gone, only one or two lonely sprouts were left. But they were soon picked off.

Pimpernel was the first to finish. She placed her knife and fork down. Nelly then picked up her mug of ale and held it. She watched her friends eat. Pearl still had a large plate of food before her. She had piled more food back onto her plate.

"You not going to eat any more?" asked Vinnie.

Nelly looked around.

"I've had enough" she told her sister.

Vinnie then poked a sprout and ate it. Estella was the second one to finish, followed by Marigold and May. Daisy, Vinnie and Pearl were all still eating.

Soon, all of the hobbits had been fed. Their plates had been cleaned of food. Only the gravy and a few small crumbs were present. The bowls were in a similar state. It was the norm for hobbits to eat everything that was in front of them.

Pimpernel smiled and talked to her sisters.

"That chicken was lovely, how did you do it?" asked Pearl.

She had her mug in her hands.

"I just covered it in honey and roasted it. It's from one of my old cooking books. I didn't think it would have worked as well as it did" she answered.

Pearl smiled.

"Well, you'll have to give me that book or write down the recipe for me" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel smiled and nodded.

"I'll do it tomorrow" she told her sister.

"Could you make me one as well?" asked Pervinca.

Pimpernel looked around.

"Of course" she answered.

For the next few minutes, the seven of them talked. The light in the window had been dimming over the day. The sun was setting to the west. The clouds sailed over head, making the air even colder.

"Right, I think I will get the muffins in here now" said Pimpernel, getting up.

There was a hum of activity as the plates and bowls were gathered up. Pearl had stood up and gathered the plates up. she picked up the knives and forks and placed them on the plate.

She piled up the plates and picked them up. Pimpernel had already gone into the kitchen. She looked around as her sister came in. Pearl placed them on the table.

"I'll just go and get the bowls" Pearl said.

Pimpernel smiled as she got out two plates.

"OK" she said.

Pimpernel picked up the two wicker baskets and placed them on the table. She uncovered the two batches of muffins and smiled. Pimpernel turned around and got out two large plates. From the corridor, laughing could be heard. Pimpernel smiled, knowing that they were having fun.

She placed two plates on the table.

She then started to pile the muffins onto the plates. It took her a few minutes to do so. Pimpernel then picked the two plates up and walked though into the dining room.

Then placed them on the table and went to her seat.

"Tuck in then" she said, reaching over and picking one up.

The other did the same. The muffin mix had been put into small baskets made of paper. There, they rose and filled the paper.

Pimpernel took hers off. A small bit of the muffin stuck to the sides of the paper. Nelly took a bite and chewed. The chocolate taste met her. She liked the taste.

"This is good" she said.

Pearl took a large bite. A small crumb stuck to her lip as she chewed.

"Hmm" was her reaction, not up to much talking while she ate.

The muffins started to disappeared quite quickly. The empty paper cups were piled up in front of each of them. Crumbs scattered the area before each of the hobbits.

All of the muffins had been eaten. The hobbits sat back in their seats. Pearl yawned and sat back in her seat. Her tiredness was greater then ever.

"I think" she said, yawning again.

"I think I should be getting home now"

Marigold was looking tired as well, her hunger had been tamed. For now.

"I agree" she said, yawning as well.

Pimpernel smiled and got out of her seat. The other then got up as well. The lit candles had been getting shorter and shorter. The wax created what looked like stalactites. The small beads of fire flickered as the hobbits got up.

There was now no light coming in from the outside. Marigold was the first one to leave the room, followed by May and Daisy. Pearl and Pimpernel gathered up the small bits of round paper. They placed them on the empty plates. Pimpernel picked up the two plates and walked out of the room. When she got to the kitchen table, she placed the plates down and walked back out.

The girls had now gathered at the front door. May, Daisy, Estella, Pearl, Marigold and Pervinca were all getting their coats out.

"I'll come and pick up my basket in the morning" said May.

Pimpernel nodded and hugged her. She hugged each of the girls there. The door was then opened and the six of them walked out.

"See you tomorrow" said Nelly as they walked away.

She waved and shut the door. Pimpernel took a deep breath. The hobbit then walked back to the kitchen.

It would be only one hour until the house was destroyed.

Pimpernel ran a large bowl of warm water. There was a lot of cleaning up to do before she could rest. The plug hole had been covered by a wooden plug. The water could not escape down the hole.

Pimpernel walked back over to the table and picked up the plates that they had used for dinner.

Meanwhile, Estella had reached her home. She opened the door and walked in. The whole house was cold and dark. The candles had been blown out when she had left.

The hobbit walked though to the kitchen where the fire was burning. But it was not a raging fire, it was now in crackling embers. Estella had a small cup full of thin bits of wood.

She picked one out and walked over to the fire. She poked the small stick into the fire and waited for a few seconds. Flames caught a hold of the wood. It instantly started to burn, turning black as it went up the stick.

Estella then stood up, her eyes on the flames. For she did not want it to go out.

The girl then walked over to the first candle and make the flames touch the wick. The flame seemed to jump over to the wick. It started to burn as she extinguished the small bit of wood. There was a small bit of smoke, but not much. The candle flickered merrily as she picked it up by the stand. Estella took the next couple of minutes lighting each one. The heat started to heat the house.

Estella then went to her room.

"I think an early night is in order" she told herself.

She had placed the candle back in it's holder. On her bed was a white gown. Estella got into her gown and folded her cloths and placed them on the floor.

But, she didn't get into bed right away. She walked over to a small writing desk. A book was laying on it. The book was her diary that she had been writing for a few years.

She sat down on the seat that was facing the desk. She picked up the book and opened it. Her fingers ran over the pages. Estella suddenly stopped at a random page. Her eyes ran over the date.

9th Winterfilth.

Her eyes then ran over some of the words.

Dear Diary, it was my birthday today. Presents were wonderful. Merry was really nice to me. I still think he likes me, even though he is not admitting it.

Estella gave a small smile. She had forgotten about Merry and his disappearance. This mad her quite upset, she had started to like him. Deep down, she wished that he would come back.

Estella flicked though the end of the book. There were not many pages left. Estella looked on the page opposite. The date read 19th Foreyule.

A quill had been resting on the top of the table. An ink well was sitting on top as well. It had a lid on.

Estella picked the small glass jar up and took the lid off. A drip fell back into the liquid below. She smiled and placed it back. The quill was then picked up.

Estella dabbed it in the liquid and looked down at the blank page before her. The candles flickered around her, they made the shadow of the quill dance around the page.

The tip of the quill touched the paper. Ink started to run off of the end of the quill. She looked down and wrote the date.

19th Foreyule.

The quill was taken away from the paper. Estella dipped the quill back in the ink. Unlike the other times that she had gone to write about her day, she did not take as long.

Dear Diary, today has been better then ever. I have just had a meal with Pimpernel and the others.

(Note: ask Pimpernel for recipe)

The rest of the day has been good as well. I think it might even snow tomorrow. I have my nice big coat and a warm house.

I might even visit Fredegar tomorrow as well. I'm sure that he'll need a good dinner if he is going out in the snow.

Estella then stopped. Merry had been pushed into her mind. Estella dabbed her quill in the ink again, then continued to write.

I'm started to worry about Merry. I haven't seen him around Hobbiton in a few days. He doesn't normally wonder off by himself. I have thoughts of bad things happening to him. I do hope that he is alright.

Estella stopped writing. She looked at the words that she had just written. They felt strange to her now. In her mind, they seemed to make sense. But out on paper, they were silly.

Estella had to tear herself away from ripping the page out and starting again. She quickly closed the book. Estella quickly got up and walked away. After a few paces, she stopped again. The book was calling to her. Estella slowly turned around and looked at book that lay on her table. The urge to go back over to it came in waves.

But she resisted the urge to do so. Estella walked out of the room and closed the door. It clicked, sending the sound though the house. The candles flickered as she walked past them. Her gown flowed as she walked to the kitchen.

Outside, there were lots of hobbits moving about. They were all looking in the same direction. Estella caught a glimpse of a massive fire. Her eyes were fixed on the flames.

Estella quickly walked though the corridor to the front door. She opened it quickly, letting it bang against the wall. The flames leaped up into the sky. The smoke was invisible against the dark sky. Embers floated into the air.

Estella was hypnotised by the flames. She knew exactly who was involved.

The coldness had deepened as the sun had gone down. Estella rushed back into the house and grabbed her coat. She put her arms though and quickly did up the buttons.

She then went back out of the door and closed it. On the hill, figures could be seen running in front of the fire. it took Estella a few minutes to get up to where Pimpernel had lived.

The heat from the flames rose the nearer she got to the burning hill. She could make out two figures. Pearl and Pervinca were standing there.

Near by, an unconscious Pimpernel and a coughing Hamson. Paladin took was ordering his daughter to be carried to his home.

"No buts Pearl, go and get the spare room ready" Paladin said.

Pearl and Pervinca turned around.

"Pearl?" asked Estella.

Pearl looked over and saw her friend.

"Pearl, what happened?" Estella asked.

The two of them embraced in a hug.

"I… I don't know" Pearl answered.

"We just saw the house on… fire and…" she stuttered.

Pervinca was quiet. She was looking back at the flaming house. There were books and pictures in there that could not be replaced. Cookery books that Nelly had been coping and using were all lost. Bottles of wine and ale that were generations old had exploded and been lost to the flames.

"Where are you going?" Estella asked.

Pearl took a deep breath, she felt so helpless.

"We have to go to my father's and set up the spare room for her" she answered.

Estella gave a small nod.

"She'll be alright" Estella told them.

Pearl gave a small smile. A smile that was of little hope.

"We have to go" she said, a hint of accepting the worst could be heard in her voice.

So, the two girls walked off. Each as silent as the other. Each were thinking of the worse scenarios that could have happened. Neither of them talked as they walked away from the fire.

Pearl took a deep breath. She still couldn't believe that it had happened. It took a few more minutes to get to their father's house. Pervinca opened the door and the heat hit them.

The two of them walked inside. The door closed.

"Oh, hello girls" said a happy voice.

It was their mother. The two girls were silent, they slowly took their coats off slowly.

"Your father is out, something must be happening"

Eglantine smiled. But her smile slowly vanished.

"Mum, it's Pimpernel" said Pearl.

Her eyes were not looking at her mother, but at the floor.

"What's happened to her?" she asked.

But there was no answer.


	21. Day Eleven, Part One

A hobbit lay on a small bed. Her eyes were closed. The cloths that she was wearing were dotted with dirty marks. A few holes lined her dress. The smell of smoke lingered in her dress.

Her dress was blue with a flowery under dress. The dress showed a bit of her legs and her feet. Her feet were big and hairy. The hair on her feet had been brushed the morning of the day before. The bottom of her feet were grey with muck.

Besides her, a hobbit was sleeping. His face was black and dirty. This hobbit was Hamson Gamgee. He had been the one that had saved Pimpernel from the burning house.

Candles were burning on the wall, giving off heat. Hamson snored gently. The time was now in the small hours of the morning. Snow battered the window, it started to carpet the land. Each snow flake had it's own path to taken.

The house had a sombre mood to it. There was little or no talk in the house hold. The light from the candles seemed dimmer then usual. The candles that flickered. Normally the mood would be of a gentle nature. But all was quite and still.

A man was sitting in the kitchen. His eyes stared into nothingness. Thoughts were running though his mind. Scenarios of the worst kind were strong and haunting. Many things could have happened that night.

It had only been a few hours since the incident. His mind replayed what had happened. The flames had engulfed the entire hill side. Paladin knew that he could have lost one of his daughters.

Pimpernel was much more fragile then her sisters or her brother, Pippin. The whole family would protected and tried to keep each other safe. But they had failed.

The fire had shown Paladin that he could not keep his family safe. A mug of ale was standing in front of him. The liquid stood still in the mug. Paladin took a deep breath.

The door slowly opened, the door hinges creaked as the door opened. Standing in the door way was a girl. Her eyes were glittering in the low light.

It was Pearl.

Pearl took a deep, sorrowful breath. A small hanky was held in one hand. Pearl sniffed and slowly started to walk forward. Paladin took no notice of her walking towards him. After a few steps, Pearl stopped. For a few seconds her eyes lay on nothing but her father. His eyes were not looking at her. One of his hands was wrapped around the mug. He made no sound or no big movements. His eyes darted away from Pearl.

"Dad?" she asked.

Her voice echoed around the dark room. Her hand moved and gripped the back of the chair. She slowly pulled it out from its place, trying not to make much sound. Pearl slowly sat down.

"She's going to be alright, isn't she?" Pearl asked.

It was a question that Paladin could not answer. He didn't know what was going to happen. He slowly lifted the mug of ale up to his lips. He then started to drink. He took one sip and placed the mug back down again.

But he still didn't answer. Pearl looked away, she didn't know what to do or say. None of them could have possibly seen what had happened. Never had a fire been sparked in Hobbiton. The houses in the hill side had stood there for many generations.

Neither Pearl or Paladin said anything. The silence was deafening. Words floated around, but it was not the words of tongues. There was a mute acceptance that it happened.

"It was my fault" Paladin said.

Pearl's eyes slowly looked over at her father. She could no understand what he was saying.

"No" she said.

"No, it's not your fault at all!"

Paladin took a deep breath.

"I should have gone into the house when it was…"

He stopped midsentence. His voiced echoed around the room. Small patters were coming from the window. Snow flakes were being driven against the glass. A small bit had settled on the small ledge on the other side.

The warmth was greater then outside. The road had a delicate sheet of snow building up. The county side around was slowly being covered in a white sheet of snow. Animals came out of their burrows.

Foxes slowly came out, looking at the area before coming out. Their ears were trained on any sounds that might meet him. His ears pointing in any direction that he heard sound.

Mostly it was branches or twigs snapping. The fox made small foot prints in the soft snow. Flakes continued to rain down on him. They stuck to his red fur. Yet the animal did not feel the coldness of night like either hobbits or humans.

His fur kept heat in. The burrow that he had come out of was home to his family. The fox cubs in on of the few chambers that had been dug out.

Five cubs were keeping warm together. They had now grown to half the size of their mother and father. Every so often, one of them would move to get into a more comfortable spot. They slept with head resting on fluffy paws.

The snow dared to entre the hole, the warmth fought it back.

Roots grew out of the mud. The foxes constantly bit them off and put them outside. The chambers had been filled with grass in the summer. But it had now all turned brown. Fur that had fallen off the foxes had been piled in the chamber as well.

The foxes den was a mile or two away from Hobbiton. Lights could be seen though the vast curtain of snow. the wind made the snow move in columns. It almost looked alive as it sailed though the air.

The vast fields below started to turn from black, to grey as more and more snow was dumped on it. The lights of Hobbiton looked like small jewels in a rough sea.

Inside of one the houses, two hobbits sat at a table. Pearl was still quiet. The fire had been put out a few hours ago. But its effects were still burning hot.

Pearl could still see the fire burning in her mind. She knew that it would be a while before everything would settle down.

Pearl was sitting down at a table. She was facing her father.

"You did what you could, no one could have stopped that fire from spreading!" Pearl told him.

Paladin took another sip. The level of ale was dropping every time he drank. Pearl, on the other hand, had no ale to drink.

"I did not do enough" he said.

He hated himself for not doing enough. If he had just acted quicker then he had, maybe Pimpernel would have been saved quicker.

The fire flashed across his eyes. The smell of smoke and the heat of the fire. The vision lasted only a split second. Fear had been running though his veins. But he had been routed to the spot. Water was being thrown at roaring flames.

But it was not working. The flames continued to grow. The flames continued to destroy everything it touched. It did not care for the people it hurt. The fire ate everything. Paper and cloths were its favourite things to eat. Hobbits, elves and humans alike all thought that they could control fire. But, every so often, the fire would control them.

"I did not do enough to help" Paladin said.

He was going through a range of emotions. They would come and go in waves.

Anger.

He was angry because of what happened. Paladin felt like that he had not done enough. After all, he was Thain of the Shire. The others had looked up to him to make things better. But he had failed.

Sadness.

He was upset. Upset at the fact that his daughter had been involved. Everything that she owned had now been destroyed. Things that had been in the Took family for many generations.

Confusion.

He had no idea of how the fire started. That was the most important question that needed answering.

But how would he find out?

How would he get the answers that he need?

"Pearl, you should get to bed. We will have a lot of work to do over the next few days" Paladin told her.

But his daughter did not move. Paladin took a deep breath. The silence was louder then ever.

"Move now" he said.

Pearl looked at her father. She felt a small bit of anger towards him. The girl took a deep breath and slowly got up. Pearl pushed her seat back. The noise echoed the quiet room.

The house was quiet. All though out, the mood was very different from earlier in the day. All good feeling had set like the sun had earlier.

Pervinca had been sitting in the lounge all night. Her mother had sat with her for most of night. But she had gone out of the room now. The clock ticked as it hung on the wall. The time showed two thirty in the morning.

Normally, everyone would be asleep and the snow outside would be a nice surprise in the morning. But that was not the case.

There would be no playing with snow in the morning, only questions.

Pervinca looked into the crackling fire that burning merrily. Her mind was busy. Like everyone else, she was thinking about what had happened.

So much had been risked in the fire. Vinnie knew that her sister could have died in the fire. All of Pimpernel's books had been lost. Yet, they were not as important as Pimpernel.

Yes, some of the things that had been lost were family heirlooms. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was Pimpernel and her well being.

The door slowly opened. Vinnie glanced towards it. Pearl was standing there. She stood there for a few seconds before coming in.

The girl slowly closed the door. It clicked shut. She then walked slowly over to the couch and cuddled her sister. The two of them instantly began to cry.

"I thought… I thought she was…"

But Pearl couldn't say it.

"I know… I know, I did too"

The two girls were embraced in a big hug. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes.

"She'll be alright, wont she?" Pearl asked.

The two of them looked at each other. There was a small smile over Pervinca lips.

"Yes" Pervinca answered.

"Yes she will"

But Pearl was still not sure.

"But, how do you know?" she asked.

A tear ran down her face. Pervinca took a deep breath and looked towards the fire.

"Because she will. I just know it"

The clock continued to tick on. The minute hand ran though the small dots. The hour hand slowly moved around the surface of the clock. It chimed every hour.

The snow was not going to give up with a fight. The flakes continued to fall from the black sky. But the black sky was slowly turning grey.

Above the clouds, the sun started to rise. Stars that were normally seen on a cloudless night were starting to vanish. Below, a white sheet of cloud stretched for the horizons in every direction. The land was being covered in fresh, cold snow.

Forests of big trees made the pristine sheet of snow break up. Small bands ran along the land. But they did not go all the way across. They were square fields used for farming. But farming had stopped for now. The fields had been left as they were for the last couple of months. It was too cold to farm the ground.

Rivers trickled their way across the lands. Some were as old as civilisations. Even the most hardened rocks would be turned to sand.

A small party of beings were walking though the snow. The light of the sun could now be seen fighting off the darkness. The snow continued as heavily as it was a few hours ago. Flakes landed on the hair of the three wonderers.

Two were small. One was a hobbit from the Shire and the other was a dwarf. Both were shivering in the coldness. There was a tall elf walking along with them as well. His eyes scanned the area ahead of them.

His name was Legolas.

Legolas had blond hair which always seemed to be clean what ever he was doing. Elves could not feel coldness, so the snow did not bother him. Legolas had never felt tired.

Gimli, on the other hand, was freezing. The toes in his large boots barely moved. His hands were as stiff as wooden beams. Flakes had settled in his large beard that ran most of the way down him.

Droplets of ice cold water fell to the snow on the ground.

There was a third figure. He was the same height as Gimli. Yet he was younger looking. His name was Merry Brandybuck.

He lived in Hobbiton, a small village miles away from where he was now. The three friends were on their way to Bree. Between them, they had only had an hours sleep all night. Merry was still shivering. Even though he had an Elven cloak on, it did not help. The coldness was still getting to him.

"We need to… stop… now!" Merry half shouted though the wind.

The light level had been creeping upwards for a few hours. Yet it was still dark enough to slow the three of them down.

"Bree is only three days away, we will rest soon" Legolas said.

Merry grumbled something, but Legolas took no notice of it. Gimli was making no noise.

"You best not argue with the elf, lad" he said.

Merry looked over at him.

"Why?" he asked, the coldness was present in his voice.

Gimli took a deep breath.

"Because he'll always win" Gimli said.

The two of them looked over at the elf. Only two tracks of foot prints trailed behind the three of them. Legolas was the only one not making prints in the snow. He seemed to be lighter then the other two.

The light made it easier to see. To Legolas, the darkness and the light had no change. A few hundred meters down the road, a figure came out of the woods.

To Merry and Gimli, it was invisible. They would not even know it was there. But Legolas did. The fox's eyes darted around. in the distance, three figures were walking towards him. but the animal didn't move. He watched them coming nearer and nearer.

The fox then darted across the road. Legolas gave a small smirk, not visible to his two friends. Snow flakes continued to fall from the sky. The wispy clouds above were showing themselves. Yet there was still a lot of darkness. The snow still falling in curtains across the land.

Hobbiton was getting covered in more and more snow. The flowers had been cut back weeks ago, their stems were the only visible. The green grass had been covered by the mounting snow.

A large empty hole ran though the hill. It had once been a lovely hobbit hole, full of nice furniture and old books. But now, all that had gone. The remains were scattered around the floor.

Snow drifted in and settled on the black wood. Small bits of paper were scattered around the house. They were once parts of hundred year old books.

The light of day started to reveal the damage done by flames. Hobbits started to emerge out of their homes. All eyes were on the burnt out hill. Tongues started to wag as they took in the damage.

"It's a sign. Something bad is going to happen, you mark my words!" said one of the elders.

Some of the young hobbits moved closer. The gate had been closed over night, but it was now open. The snow put out what fires had been left burning during the night.

Estella Bolger yawned as she opened her front door. The whiteness of the snow made her stop in her tracks. The flakes were the largest that she had ever seen. For a moment, she was lost in it's beauty. She then started to feel something very strange.

Happiness was in short supply. No snowballs were being thrown. The flakes started to hit Estella on the face. Her eyes scanned the area. Though the snow, a group of hobbits could be seen standing there. They were standing in front of a burnt out house.

Estella then knew what had happened and why no one was happy. They were all looking at the burnt hillside. Snow now entered the area that had once had a roof.

A figure rushed out of the mist. It was a man, an old man with greying hair. He had a large coat on, his arms had been put though the sleeves.

This man was Pimpernel's father, Paladin Took. Paladin had been up for most of the night. He had had many mugs of ale. The old man was drunk, it effected his walk.

Estella closed the door behind herself and took a deep breath. She tried to warm herself. But it wasn't working. The coldness still got to her. The hobbit then started to walk forward. She reached her gate and opened it. the wind struggled to close it again. Estella walked though and let the gate swing shut.

"Paladin?" she asked, walking towards him.

The man stopped. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the girl standing there.

"I've failed them" he told her.

Estella could hear that his voice was slurred. He had bags under his eyes and they were red. Snowflakes had settled in his hair.

"Come on, lets get you home" Estella said.

She put a hand on his shoulder. But Paladin pushed it off.

"I do not need your help, girl" he said.

Estella blinked, having a snowflake land on her eye.

"Is this how your going to deal with it?" asked Estella.

"Is this how your going to help?"

Paladin stopped in his tracks. Yet he did not looked around. He was taking in what had just been said. Paladin slowly turned around. The snow was now pounding at his face. The two hobbits looked at each other.

Paladin slowly walked back to Estella.

"What do you know about anything?" he asked.

Estella could smell the ale on his breath.

"I know that Pimpernel and your family are lots and confused. You are the only one that they look towards when they need help" Estella answered.

There was a moment of silence between the both of them. the two of them looked deep into each other's eyes.

"You know nothing of what it is like to loose someone" Paladin said.

Estella looked away. She knew exactly what it was like. Her grandmother, Jessamine Bolger, was one of the most friendly hobbits in Hobbiton. Estella had looked up to her Grandmother and often stayed at their home.

Every year, Jessamine would put on a rich Yule feast. But that had long stopped. There had been no feasts for years.

"Yes I do" Estella answered slowly, snapping back out of her small day dream.

Paladin laughed and grumbled.

"Leave me alone" he said and turned around.

Estella stood there and watched him walk away from her. She knew that he was heading for the Green Dragon. But there was nothing she could do to stop him from going.

Estella took a deep breath, turned and walked the opposite direction. She headed towards Paladin's home, knowing that Pimpernel was going to be there.

Meanwhile, in the house, Hamson had woken up. Yet he still looked very tired. A bowl of water was laying on the floor near his feet. But it was not for him. He had been dabbing Pimpernel's head, trying to make her wake up. But without success.

A hobbit came into the room. She was holding two large cups of tea. Hamson looked over. The woman was smiling.

"Here you are love" she said.

This woman was called Eglantine Took. She was the mother of Pimpernel. There was another chair standing at the wall. She pulled it out and sat on it. Hamson was holding his cup of tea and looking down. He took a deep breath.

"She's not woken up yet" Eglantine said sadly.

Hamson looked up, he was leaning forward. He gave a small shake of his head, then looked down again.

"You should go and wash your face" Eglantine said.

Hamson took a deep breath. He slowly placed the cup of tea on the floor, having not touched it. He left his seat and walked out. Eglantine took a deep, sorrowful breath and took a sip of her hot tea.

It was then that a knock at the front door echoed around the house. Eglantine looked up and out of the room. She got out of her seat and walked out of the room.

The front door loomed into view. The wind could be heard whistling though the small gaps. The hobbit held the mug in her other hand and opened the door.

Standing on the outside was a snow covered Estella.

"My dear Estella, do come in!"

Estella smiled and walked in. She was shivering from head to toe. Snow had settled in her hair and on her cloths. Every so often, a drip would fall to the floor. The door closed, keeping the cold out again.

"Is she awake?" Estella asked, taking off her coat.

Eglantine shook her head.

"No, but I'm still hoping it will be soon" she said sorrowfully.

Estella hung her coat up.

"Where are Pearl and Vinnie?"

"In the lounge, dear"

Estella nodded and headed towards the sitting room. There were many doors in this house, yet she knew which one to go to.

The hobbit reached the door and opened it. The hinges creaked as she pushed it. Estella slowly walked in. On the large sofa, she saw two hobbits. One was leaning on the other and they were both asleep. The other had tilted her head back.

Estella smiled. She felt bad for waking them up, but she had to do so. It was almost breakfast. So, she walked over to two of them. Pervinca was the nearest one.

"Vinnie?" she asked in a whisper.

But the hobbit did not wake. She continued to snooze. Estella smiled. She reached out her hand and tapped Pervinca. It was then that she was plucked out of her sleep. She groaned and looked up. standing above her was her friend.

"Estella?" asked a sleepy Vinnie.

Estella smiled.

"Hello" she said.

Pervinca yawned and looked down. Pearl was still sleeping happily.

"Pearl?" asked her sister.

Pearl slowly woke up, she was still very tired. Her hand rubbed her face. She then looked up and saw Estella standing there. A yawn came over her lips.

"What time is it?" she asked, looking at the clock.

The clock read eight o'clock in the morning. Pearl groaned, she knew that she could have still been in bed. The fire crackled in the fire place.

"I saw your father heading down the hill" Estella told them.

Vinnie suddenly looked more awake then she had been.

"What? When?" she asked, getting out of her seat.

"Only a few minutes ago, I don't know where he was heading"

Pervinca then quickly walked out of the room. Pearl didn't understand what was going on. She stood up as well. Estella looked back at her.

"How's Pimpernel?" she asked.

Pearl was in a large yawn, she had closed her eyes and her mouth was wide open. She then shrugged her shoulders.

"She's still asleep, I don't know for how long"

A bang then came from the front door. It echoed all around the house. Both of the hobbits knew that Vinnie had gone to find her father.

Hamson then walked past the door. His face was now clean, yet his cloths were the same as last nights. He headed back to the room. But, when he walked in, Pimpernel's mother was holding her hand. It took him a few seconds to realise that Pimpernel's eyes were open.

"Pimpernel!" he said and rushed over to her.

A small smile came over her lips.

"Hello" she said quietly.

Hamson took Pimpernel's other hand. A small tear ran down her face.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly.

The tear ran down her perfect face. Hamson was confused.

"Sorry for what? For the fire?" he asked.

Nelly took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. She didn't want to talk about it.

"Pimpernel, dear, it was not your fault. It was an accident" Eglantine told her daughter.

But Pimpernel remained quiet. Her eyes were in a million mile gaze. Tears had stopped flowing from her eyes.

"Nelly?" asked Hamson.

He waited for a few seconds, but still had no answer.

"Would you like something to eat?" asked Eglantine.

Pimpernel looked over at her mother and gave a small nod. Eglantine smiled and got up. She left Hamson and Pimpernel by themselves. The door closed behind her.

Meanwhile, as one door closes, another is open. Pervinca had reached the Green Dragon. The wind made it more difficult to open the door. Snow had gathered all around the outside. The markets had been not been set up.

Pervinca closed the door behind herself and looked around. Her eye then fell on a figure sitting at a table all by himself.

So, she started to walk towards him. She stopped on the other side of the table from where he was sitting.

"Is any one sitting here?" she asked.

Paladin looked up, saw that it was his daughter then looked back out the window again. The glass that made up the window was steaming up. There was a patch that had been cleaned of condensation.

Pervinca pulled up and seat and sat down. She stared at her father. Paladin didn't look at her, but he could feel her eyes piercing him like a knife.

The more he tried to get rid of the feeling, the more it went deeper into him.

"What do you want?" he asked after a few minutes.

Vinnie was looking angrily at her father.

"Pimpernel" she started.

Paladin rolled his eyes and picked up his mug of ale.

"Pimpernel is up there, in your home and she is not very well" Pervinca told him.

Paladin had been drinking his ale as his daughter had said that. He took the deep breath as he took the mug away from his lips. He placed the mug down on the table.

He rubbed his lips with the back of his hand.

"I do not care" he said, his speech even more slurred then before.

Pervinca shook her head in disbelief.

"Don't you know what your saying?" she asked.

"I know exactly what I am saying!" Paladin snapped.

The few people that had braved the coldness to come looked around. Paladin was Thain of the Shire. But the resent events had pushed him beyond what he could handle.

"You are meant to be Thain of the Shire. You, out of all hobbits, said you would keep us safe" Pervinca argued.

Some of the hobbits, who had been having a quiet drink, walked out. This did not bother Pervinca nor Paladin. An old hobbit smoked in the corner. He was watching the developing events.

"What happened to that heroic hobbit that I saw when you and the others resisted against those ruffians?" she asked.

Paladin had fallen silent. He could remember what had happened back then. The sound of sword clashing and hurtful screams came to his ears.

His eyes glazed over. Pervinca watched him, knowing that he was day dreaming. She took a deep breath.

"You need to go home" she said.

Paladin shook his head.

"I cant" he told her.

"I cant go back there. I have let all of you down"

Paladin sounded sad. Vinnie couldn't understand what he was on about.

"No, no you haven't. you did all the best that you could, fires happen. It was an accident" Vinnie told him.

She leaned in and looked right into her father's eyes. Paladin looked right back. There was something deep down inside that Paladin could feel that his daughter was trying to help.

"Will you come back home?" Vinnie asked.

Paladin took a deep breath. He knew that the times had changed. He knew that there was nothing he could do about it.

He slowly nodded, taking a deep breath. He drained his mug and stood up. It took him a second or two to find his legs again. The ale was taking more of an effect on him.

Pervinca helped him. The old man that had been looking at them shook his head and looked away. Smoke was rising from his pipe. It rose like a long, fragile ribbon.

The two hobbits reached the large, closed door. Wind whistled though the small gaps. The candles flickered by themselves.

The door was pulled open. A wave of cold air hit them. The warmth was taken away and replaced with the cold. Paladin and Pervinca both walked out and shut the door.

Back at the house, Hamson was sitting near Pimpernel. He sipped his tea, which had now lost all of its heat. Pimpernel was still on the bed, but now she was sitting up in the bed. A plate lay on her lap. A sandwich was held in her hand.

The bread was white, butter had been spread thickly on the white bread. The slices were thick and soft. The crusts were thick, yet soft.

In the middle of the two slices of bread were slices of bacon. The thin slices of meat had been cooked till crisp and brown.


	22. Day Eleven, Part Two

"Is it alright?" asked Eglantine.

Pimpernel smiled and nodded.

"Yes" she answered.

Hamson looked very tired indeed. He also had a plate, but crumbs were the only thing left on the plate. He had had a bacon sandwich as well. His spirits were lifted just a small bit.

Everyone had a disruptive nights sleep or no sleep at all.

"You need to change your cloths" Eglantine told her daughter.

Pimpernel looked down and noticed that she still in the cloths she had on yesterday. Eglantine had gotten up and walked out. Hamson and Pimpernel were now left alone.

They looked at each other.

Just then, another knock came at the door. Hamson looked over.

"I'll get that" he said and left the room.

Pimpernel was now left on her own again. Her eyes travelled around the room. The event that she had been involved in had not hit her yet.

The small flames of the candles looked more evil then before. Pimpernel didn't know what it was, but they seemed to be against her. They flickered like evil eyes watching her every movement. She slowly looked away from it. something about the flickering made her uneasy.

Eglantine came back in. She was carrying a pile of clean cloths.

"Here you go dear"

The front door slammed, making Eglantine looked around.

"I wonder who that is" she said, placing the cloths on the chair and walked out.

Pimpernel waited a few seconds before getting up off of the bed. She slowly closed the door. Pimpernel then turned around, her eyes meeting the candles. But she did not know how to blow them out.

Her hand slowly reached up, a small tingling came to the tips of her fingers. Speaking came from the other side of the door. She started to wonder what they were talking about.

The voices started to grow. Pimpernel looked back, her hand pulled away from the candles and went to the bed. But, having thought that her mother was coming back, but she was wrong. Her focus then turned back to the candles. Fear rose more then ever. Her heart rate was rising every seconds. She could feel her heart pounding away. She started to reach up again, but a creak of the door made her jump.

Yet again, her hand was taken away from her goal. Every time it happened made her more and more upset. Something deep down was stopping her.

Pimpernel felt the lowest that she had ever been. Normally fire would not be a problem for her. But her confidence had been taken away from her.

She was scared. But she was too cowardly to admit it. The girl went and sat on the bed. But she didn't lay down. Instead, she rested again the head board and tucked her legs up.

Pimpernel could smell the smoke on her dress. Short flashbacks came across her eyes. Panic and despair came across in her flashbacks. Pimpernel could see the red glow coming from cracks in the door way. But she knew that there was nothing she could do.

Just then, the door opened again. Her mother walked back in.

"Oh, you haven't changed yet" she said.

Her eyes saw the cloths still left on the chair. Eglantine then looked over at her daughter. She knew that something was wrong.

"Pimpernel?" she asked.

Eglantine slowly walked towards her daughter. She took a deep breath and sat on the bed.

"I couldn't do it" Pimpernel told her.

Eglantine took one of Pimpernel's hands. Nelly didn't resist.

"Listen, Pimpernel, you are stronger then you think. But you'll get over it, I am sure of it" her mother told her.

Pimpernel took a deep breath, her eyes were looking down at the bed.

"Come here" her mother said.

The two of them embraced in a big hug. Pimpernel's sorrows and fears went away. For a moment, she was happy. Pimpernel loved her mother dearly. There was a sort of energy that she only felt when hugging her mother.

"Could you put out the candles?" Pimpernel asked.

Eglantine gave her daughter a warm smile.

"Of course" she said.

Pimpernel and her mother then broke their hug as Eglantine went over to the candles. There were ten in the room altogether. Pimpernel watched her mother extinguished each one. The room fell darker and darker with each candle that went out.

Eglantine put the last one out, sending the room into darkness. The only light entering the room was from the small, round window.

Eglantine then looked around, her daughter still on the bed. Pimpernel gave a small smile.

"It'll be lunch in an hour, would you like it in here?" Pimpernel was asked.

She nodded. Eglantine smiled and walked out. The door closed, leaving Pimpernel on her own. The window was being pounded by snow flakes. All of the hobbits that had gone back in. the snow was getting heavier. The flakes were large and settled on the ground.

The hills of Hobbiton were snow covered. The fields around the small village was covered in snow as well. For miles and miles around, the snow was getting deeper.

A cart was travailing along the great east road. No snow had landed where they were, but it would soon come. Diamond had long since woken up. Dolly was holding Faramir. The coldness around them was getting deeper. The clouds above them rolled on. Diamond could see them rolling in like one big wave blocking out the sun.

To the east was the sun still rising. But where Pippin and Diamond were, the sun would be hidden away behind the clouds. Warmth would struggled to over power the cold today.

It was now Pippin's turn to sleep. For a long while had just lay there, trying not to sleep. A few times, he had drifted off. He shuffled himself into a better position.

The cart suddenly started to slow down. Pippin, who was now very tired slowly sat up. Diamond and Dolly both looked around at him.

"Why have we stopped?" Pip asked.

There was no sound coming from the drivers end. Pippin took the blanket that was over and moved to the end of the cart. unknown to the hobbits, Elladan had gotten off from seat.

He had seen something moving on the path ahead of him. Pippin, though the small gap, could see Elladan walking away.

"What is he doing?" he asked.

Diamond and Dolly sat there. Faramir was sleeping once again. Pippin suddenly jumped out of the cart. Diamond said nothing to him.

Pippin continued to watch as the elf bent down and picked something up. Pippin continued to watch and Elladan came back. In his hands was a small pup.

Origo.

Pippin's eyes lit up.

"Origo!" he said in amazement.

The end handed the small puppy to it's owner. Pippin could feel how warm the pup was.

"Ori, where have you been?" Pippin asked.

But, all he got was whimpers.

"We have to move, snow is on the way" Elladan said.

Without a chance to talk to the elf, he was walking back to the drivers seat. Pippin smiled and went to back of the cart. Diamond watched him come back. She saw Pippin first and was just about ask what the small stop was about. But she was stopped. The question she was about to ask was answered.

Pippin placed the pup on cart. Origo looked around, he was shivering and had mud on his paws.

"Origo!" said Diamond.

She couldn't believe that Origo was sitting in front of her. She reached over and picked her puppy up. Diamond snuggled her puppy.

"I was so worried about you" she said.

Pippin got onto the cart as well. He had only been on a few seconds before it moved off again. Diamond looked over at Pip.

"Your lucky that he's safe. He could have been killed"

Pippin took a sorry looking smile and looked down. Diamond smiled and kissed the top of Ori's head. Origo was not looking any different from when she last saw him.

"You don't smell very nice pup, we have to get you cleaned up when we get back to the Shire" she told him.

Origo's head looked up. His eyes met Diamond. Diamond smiled and kissed his nose. Origo then whined sadly, he didn't like water.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Origo tilted his head and yawned.

"Or sleepy?" she asked.

Origo whined. He then looked over at the basket, wondering if they had any turkey with them. Diamond smiled and reached over. She grabbed the basket and slid it over to her. There was a white cloth that had been put over it. Diamond took it off and looked inside. Laying inside the wicker basket was a brown packet. The hobbit then picked it up and sniffed it.

Turkey.

She smiled as she placed it on the wooden floor of the cart. Origo was taking yet another yawn. Diamond, with one hand, placed the cloth back and slid the basket to the other side again.

Diamond then picked up the packet of turkey again and smiled. Origo was laying on her legs as she unwrapped the packet. Diamond picked out a piece and held it up. Origo instantly perked up. The pup seemed to be more aware of what was going on.

Origo's eyes were trained on the meat in Diamond's hand. He whined, really wanting it. Diamond looked down and saw that he was focused on the turkey. She held her hand down and let Origo take it.

The pup started to eat the meat. The first time he had done so in days. He chewed, Diamond smiled as she watched him eat.

"More?" she asked.

Origo looked up and nodded, making his little ears flop. Diamond smiled and got out another bit of turkey. She held it up. Origo whined, wanting it quicker.

Faramir started to whine, his little hands rubbing his eyes. Diamond's eyes looked over at him.

"Uh oh, little Faramir wants his mummy" Dolly said.

Diamond smiled and fed the pup. Origo was then moved out of the way and Faramir was whining, having just woken up. Origo backed away, his eyes watching what was happening.

His owner was past a noisy thing. Origo wondered what it was. It seemed to be getting more attention then him.

Had he really been replaced?

Origo whimpered sadly and back away from his Diamond. She was now busy with the noisy puppy. She seemed to take no notice of him.

Dolly was also talking to his Diamond. Pippin was asleep. Origo had no other option. He went to the corner of the cart and curled up. His eyes continued to watch as the other puppy grew louder.

Origo wished that he had not fallen asleep when they had stopped at the inn. Diamond was too busy trying to make Faramir happy to notice him whimpering in the corner.

Meanwhile, back in Hobbiton, the time was slow. Pimpernel was sitting quietly by herself. She was deep in thought and sorrow.

Her house had gone, burnt down in a fire. She could see the smoke coming into the bed room. It rose though the gaps in the door.

What happened after that was a mystery to her. Everything went black. For what seemed a few seconds, she had past out. But it had been hours. She had awoken in a different room. Hamson had saved her.

But the fact that everything had gone from her house hurt her the most. She knew that the fire would envelop the whole house.

Pimpernel could feel the heat coming off of the flames. she breathed heavily and coughed. She could hear nothing by creaking and bangs. Bottles of hundred year old wine and ale exploded.

The smoke continued to take Pimpernel's breath. She coughed and breathed heavier. Her eyes glazed over, she could no longer keep her self up. Pimpernel fell. But she did not fall to the floor. Luckily, the bed stopped her from hurt.

The image of the fire kept replaying in her mind. It seemed to be looped. The door to the room then opened. A figure stood at the door way.

It was Eglantine.

She was carrying a tray with a plate on. She smiled as she placed it on the bed.

"I've done a roast for everyone, I'll be back with your ale in a minute" she said.

Pimpernel looked at the meal in front, but didn't say a word. Eglantine took a deep breath and walked out again. The door clicked shut, making the room darker again. Pimpernel could see the light from outside reflecting on the plate. It curved with plate.

Pimpernel wished that the fire didn't happen. All of her books had been destroyed. Talking could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Their probably talking about me" Pimpernel told herself.

The door opened again for the second time. The light again flooded in. It hit the plate, lighting it up. Potatoes could be seen drowned in hot gravy. The plate showed the other bits that had been put on. Chicken, stuffing, carrots and parsnips. All were ready to eat.

Eglantine put a mug on the trey and stood there.

"Why don't you eat up dear" she said.

Pimpernel didn't answer. She took a deep breath and continued to stair at the plate in front of her. Eglantine stood there for a couple of seconds, then finally turned around and walked out again. The door closed for the second time. Eglantine stood outside the door for a few seconds. She listened to any sounds that came out from the room. But there were none.

The hobbit slowly walked away. Pearl and Pervinca were sitting in the kitchen. Paladin was there as well. His clothes were wet and he was shivering.

"But we have to" said Pearl.

Eglantine walked into the room.

"Do what?" she asked, stopping in her tracks.

Pearl looked around and looked at her mother.

"We have to go up to the house and salvage anything that belongs to us" she answered.

Eglantine thought for a few seconds.

"Yes, yes that is a good idea"

But Paladin did not think so.

"There will be nothing left, it will be all gone"

He put too much emphasis on the word "All" then was needed. The alcohol was still taking effect on him.

"Don't be silly. You will be the one to go up there and see what you can get back" Eglantine told him.

"But why me?" he asked, his voice was slurred.

Eglantine shook her head, she couldn't stand him when he was drunk.

"Mother is right, you have to go up there and see what you can recover" Pervinca said.

She was planning to go up there as well. The fire crackled in the fire place. Pearl was day dreaming again, she was back at the fire the night before.

Estella had been sitting quietly in a chair around the table. She listened to the family argue. A mug of ale was standing before her on the table.

The hours ticked by. Lunch had come and gone. The table had been cleared away. The mood around the house had not lifted all day. The candles seemed to dimmer.

Nearly all of the family had been up all night. The fire that raged had now been put out. Snow covered the black bits of wood.

The clock ticked on. The hour hand getting ever closer to five. For a few minutes, no one talked. The fire crackled and ale was drunk.

Pimpernel was left alone in the room. The plate of food untouched by her. The ale was still on the trey as well. The heat from her roast dinner had been lost. The gravy now had a thin skin on it's surface.

The light from the window was dimming. Snow was still falling, but not as much as before. The night was only two hours away.

"Well, we can go up there tomorrow morning" Vinnie told them, looking out the window.

The light was getting dimmer and dimmer each passing hour. Eglantine took a deep breath.

"I guess I should started getting dinner ready" she said.

Pearl and Vinnie got up and walked out of the room. They knew that their mother did not like people around when she was cooking. Estella drained her mug and got out of her seat as well. The three of them headed towards the lounge.

Estella was the last one into the room. Pearl closed the door and walked away. The three of them sat down on different seats. The candles were flickering as they burned.

None of them talked. Only the clock ticked. Estella looked over at the wooden clock. The clock read five past six. Normally the hobbits would be having the first of their dinners. But their day had been disrupted and their hunger was stronger then ever.

"I wonder how she is" Estella said.

She was now looked down. Vinnie looked over for a split second.

"She'll be alright in a few days" she told her.

Estella was slowly shaking her head.

"It could have been any of us" she said dully.

"What do you mean?" asked Pearl.

Estella took a deep breath.

"Well, it could have happened when we were all in the house. It could have been a lot worse" she answered.

Pearl didn't like what she was hearing.

"A lot worse?" she asked.

"It is a lot worse, Pimpernel lost her house!"

Estella knew that Pearl did not understand what she had meant.

"Pearl, that is not what I meant" she said.

But Pearl wasn't taking any of it.

"Then what did you mean?" she asked.

Estella fell silent. She could feel an argument coming on.

"Can we talk about something else?" Pervinca asked.

The cart continued to roll on. Its for passengers were shivering in the coldness. The snow was on it's way and the coldness was deepening. Pippin was getting more and more hungry. His heart was missing the Shire more and more each second.

Origo had fallen silent. He was curled in a small, fluffy ball. The wind blew his fur as he lay still. But he wasn't sleeping, he was eyeing the bundle in Diamond's arms.

He didn't like that thing. It was too noisy. Something about it made his owners attention over to it. No matter how hard Origo tried, he was brushed aside.

There was a small packet blowing in the gently in the breeze. Half an hour earlier, it had been wrapped around slices of cooked turkey. But now, Origo had eaten all of it.

Pippin had a small slice of lambas bread in his hand. A bite had been taken out of it. Lambas had a special property about it.

Yes, it was bread. But it was only made by the elves. It cured hunger for the eater. It was like having a full meal in one bite. Pippin took another bite. It was a large bite.

The hobbit started to chew, his eyes darted around the cart. Dolly was yawning, her hand over her mouth. Pippin looked down at the piece of bread he had in hand. He took a deep breath.

"Here" he said, handing the piece to her.

Dolly looked over and saw that Pippin was holding something out. A smile came over her lips.

"Thank you" she said, taking it from him.

Dolly took a deep breath and looked over at Diamond. Diamond had been the happiest that she had been in ages. Dolly ate a bite of the bread. Pippin had a flask near him and was now drinking.

After a few gulps, he took it away from mouth. He took a deep breath and smiled. The light around had began to fade quicker then ever.

Small snowflakes started to fall from the sky. But it would be a few hours until the blizzard would finally hit them. On the driver's seat, Elladan was looking at the sky. He could sense the blizzard was coming. A small tingling in his stomach told him that the snow was coming for them.

Back in Hobbiton, the snow was easing off after a few hours of being blown on the town. Hobbit children had now been let out.

"But don't you think about going to the burnt home, you hear?" said their parents.

The children promised as they got their coats and scarves on. Front door opened and quickly closed. The snow was still falling. As soon at the children got outside, they would pick up a large handful of soft white snow.

Hobbits did not have gloves, they did not feel the coldness like humans did. Yet, after while, they would feel it. Elves were the only beings that could not feel the coldness of winter.

Hamson had gone back to him own home for a while. There, he had a bath. He had gone into the fire to help save Pimpernel.

The water hit the bottom on the bath tub. It took the best part of half an hour to fill. The water rippled as he poured last load into the bath. The kettle he used dripped its last few droplets of hot water.

Hamson took a deep breath and placed the kettle down on the floor. There were a few white towels piled on near the head of the bath.

A few minutes later, Hamson got into the bath. He let the hot water run over him. But the water was too hot for him. His skin started to hurt as he made his way deeper into the bath. It showed on his face. But he took it in. He was now fully emerged in the water.

Hamson looked down. He could see his feet at the end poking out of the water. He moved them, sending small ripples along the surface of the water.

The hair on his feet swayed in the water. The heat of the water was getting to the hobbit. His eyes slowly drooped the longer he lay there. His hands had started to wrinkle like they always did in water.

A yawn came over him, the silence was soothing. Without knowing, Hamson's eyes closed. He was too tired to do anything about it.

The tips of his golden brown hair were swaying in the water. The hobbit in the water slowly drifted into a deep sleep. The water slowly started to turn colder and colder without feeling it.

The hobbit was in a dream. A dream unlike any he had seen. The visions were dark and friary. Smoke touched his face and his throat hurt.

Coughs came to his throat. The smoke rose into the air. Hamson was now standing in front of a long tunnel. His eyes could see the flames licking the side. Crashes and bangs echoed down the long tunnel.

Without warning, he seemed to be pushed. The tunnel seemed to come towards him quicker then ever. The flames were now very near him. Fear gripped him now. The tunnel had fire on every side for what seemed miles.

Wind blew though the tunnel towards him.

The noise of the fire blocked out most things. But what it didn't block out were screams. Screams of terror and pain.

Hamson knew exactly who it was.

It was Pimpernel.

Hamson had now one goal. To save Pimpernel. But the task at hand was greater. He could hear her, yes. But he did not know where she was.

Without a second thought, he started to make his way inside the flaming tunnel. The screams grew ever louder as he made his way in. The heat was hurting his face. The screams echoed around him.

They seemed to be getting closer and closer. His eyes could see nothing by flames and darkness.

In reality, the clock was ticking ever onwards. It past though six and seven. It continued though seven and around to eight o'clock.

The water was now losing a lot of heat. Yet Hamson could not feel it. The snow outside had now stopped. But the darkness deepened.

Pimpernel's house had been left. It's contents now covered in snow. there were no hobbits outside. Except for a few hobbits either coming from or going to the Green Dragon.

Pimpernel was now laying down on her bed. Yet she was not asleep. Her eyes were open. The candles had been put out hours ago. The light coming in from the outside had been dimming and was now non-existent. The snow had stopped.

Thoughts were running though Pimpernel's head. A small tear came from her eye. Like Hamson, her eyes closed without her knowing. The day had warn her out. Unlike her fiancé, she did not have a dream.

It would be a long and uncomfortable night for everyone.


	23. Day Twelve, Part One

Origo had fallen asleep. A small blanket had been lain down for him. Snowflakes were falling around the cart. The ground had now been covered in a blanket of snow.

Across the land, the snow had covered all of the land. Lakes and rivers stood out like black stains on a perfect land. The sun had set a few hours before, but now it had rose in the opposite horizon.

The night had been hard on the hobbits in the cart. Neither of them had had a good nights sleep. Faramir had kept waking up and disturbing them. Diamond yawned and rubbed her eyes.

She then looked over at the sleeping puppy. He had been quiet ever since Faramir had woken up. She started to wonder if he didn't like Faramir.

"I wish he could talk to me" Diamond said to herself.

She loved all of her family. Pippin, Faramir and Origo. She didn't like to see them hurt, even if she couldn't understand them. Diamond took a deep breath. Faramir had been asleep for an hour. He had been waking up every few hours, crying his eyes out.

Diamond's eyes were drooping again. But, subconsciously, she knew that her son would wake up again at any moment. Her head slowly started to drop. But she caught herself every time she did so.

Faramir started to whine, he gave a small "Waa" which grew louder and louder. Origo heard this as well. Only one of his eyes opened to see what the matter was. He could see Diamond looking tired and looked down at her son. Origo opened the other eye and then yawned. The coldness was now getting to him now that he was awake. The wind was stronger then normal.

Elladan was driving the cart. This gave the hobbits a chance to recover from their journey. Elladan was an elf, the son of Elrond of Rivendell. He was one of the few elves left in Middle-earth. The rest of his kin had gone to the Undying lands. He and his twin brother, Elrohir, still resided in Rivendell.

Their younger sister, Arwen, was now living in Gondor. She had become Queen after marrying Aragorn. Both Pippin and Elladan had been at his ceremony.

Pippin was still thinking about going back to Gondor. He missed the white city, Minas Tirith, very much. He had been made guard of the citadel when he had been there.

Not that he wanted to be. He was not thinking right at the time. Mordor had attacked the city when he had been there. Pippin could still see the orcs and trolls killing men of Gondor.

Dead bodies littered the floor. Orcs and men and trolls alike. Rocks that had been launched from catapults that had been made by creatures that had never be heard in the Shire before.

Creatures that had never been imagined by even the most intelligent hobbit. But some of the residents of Hobbiton had seen them.

Samwise Gamgee was the only hobbit in the village to had been to Mordor. He had helped Frodo Baggins to destroy the One Ring. But had not come at an easy prise.

Gollum, also known as Sméagol, had been tracking the two hobbits as they made their way to Mordor. But Sméagol's mission had taken a turn. Frodo had been able to destroy the ring. But, in the process, killing Sméagol.

The world had now come to peace.

Origo stood up, he was still very tired. He stretched and yawned widely. He shook himself and looked over at his owner. Diamond was smiling.

"Did you get woken up as well?" Diamond asked him.

A blank looked came over the pup. His eyes were looking right at the baby in Diamond's arms. Faramir's arms were free and he was babbling away. His eyes were darting around.

Diamond was smiling.

"I don't think Faramir has seen his puppy yet, has he?" Diamond asked, her voice had changed in the last few words.

Origo didn't like the new puppy at all. Diamond slowly and gently placed the baby on the floor of the cart. The pup continued looking at it. Diamond was smiling.

"Ori, meet Faramir" she said.

Origo was being cautious now. He slowly moved up to the bundle on the floor. His eyes seemed wider and he was more aware then normal. Origo put one paw in front of the other.

A hand came out of the blanket that Faramir was in. Origo moved back suddenly. His little eyes had a hint of fear in them. It took Origo another few seconds to get his courage back. His paw moved forward as another sound came from the bundle.

Origo was now close that he could see Faramir's eyes darting around the place. They fixed on his. For a few seconds, the two of them looked at you. Faramir had stopped babbling. His brown eyes were looking at the pup. Faramir's hand reached out, Origo quickly moved back and looked at Diamond. She was watching the two of them. Faramir, who had been curious about the creature that he had seen started to cry. His bottom lip started to quiver.

Origo looked at Diamond.

"Uh oh" she said, lifting up Faramir.

She smiled, knowing that Origo and Faramir would have to get used to each other. Origo yawned and shook his head, tiredness was getting to him again. Faramir whimpered and looked up. her mother stroked his chin.

"Ori isn't that bad" she told him, her eyes looked at the pup.

"He's a good puppy, aren't you Ori?" she asked.

Origo's little tongue poked out and he barked. Faramir instantly started to cry. Diamond looked down.

"Oh, did puppy scare you?" she asked.

Origo back away, he didn't like the noise coming from the other puppy. He looked around and saw his blanket there. With his head hung low, he walked back to it and laid down. He curled up yet again, wishing that he had a cuddle from his Diamond.

Meanwhile, Merry was still walking. The snow had fallen all around them. That night had been the toughest night of his journey yet. The temperature had fallen below zero for most of the night. For a few hours, the three of them were walking in a blizzard.

But it was only Legolas who could have kept going. Gimli was complaining silently, grumbling came from him every few minutes.

Legolas' eyes scanned the area ahead of them. He was still weary of what might be out in the wild. Birds that flew by caught the elf's attention. Big black crows and small robins and starlings flew by.

The light had now come up enough for the dwarf and hobbit to see as well. The snow blew their feet crunched as they walked.

The wind around them blew the surrounding trees. Small flakes continued to fall, but they were not from the sky. They were from the many branches over head. The flakes had been dislodged from they had landed hours before.

Merry Brandybuck continued to shiver. The Elven cloak was now wet and heavy. It had been wrapped around the hobbit all on the night.

Normally, the Elven cloak would keep in the heat of the being it was wrapped around. but the coldness and the snow did not help Merry to warm up.

Legolas looked around. he suddenly stopped.

"We will stop here" he said, looking around.

The road was covered in snow for miles. Tracks of many creatures crossed the road. Some prints were bigger then others. Some were different.

Bird prints were the most common. Yet they were the most complex paths. They seemed to start from nowhere and weave all over the place.

Bigger prints were straighter then the bird prints. They belonged to foxes. They had been hunting in the snow. but without success.

There were no human foot prints. No one had come out in the middle of the night. The snow had kept them at bay. But, now that day light had come, people awoken to a blanket of snow.

Carts had started to move, snow was not a problem for people of Middle-earth. Children of every age in all of the towns were out. Snowballs and snowmen were being built and thrown.

The clouds above were as thick as ever. They threatened to dump more snow on the land below. Hobbiton was busy. There were no market places set up. Hobbits did not like standing in the snow.

The Green Dragon was bustling with activity. Hobbits were sitting down for lunch. A variety of dishes and bowls were being carried out.

It was breakfast time in the Shire and most hobbits were busy eating. The children, who had been playing outside, had come in. every hobbit hole had multiple chimneys. Each one was smoking, sending grey smoke into the atmosphere.

Hobbiton was built on a few hills. Large coloured doors lined the hill side. From a distance, they looked like beads of chain that lined the hill. The road was snowy, foot prints lined the road. Some foot prints ran up the hill and onto the roves of the houses.

But now, everyone had gone in for their first lunch of the day. The children were handed towels as they came in. Some of them were shivering and dripping with water. Their hair looked no different from when they went out. For all hobbits had natural curly hair.

The Gamgee house hold was quieter then normal. Samwise had gone to the Took's home. His older brother, Hamson had gone into the fire to save Pimpernel.

"I hope she'll be alright" he said.

A cup of tea was before him on the table.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" asked Pearl.

Eglantine and Paladin were present as well.

"I think the best thing to do is make Pimpernel as comfortable as possible" Sam told them.

Hamson was also in the room. But he was not looking at his brother. His eyes were in a million mile stare. Sam knew that his brother had risked a lot to go back in the house.

Hamson then broke his gaze and looked around. The room had just come back to him. Samwise took a deep breath and picked up his cup of tea. He took a sip and a deep breath afterwards.

"She seems to be… more quiet then usual" Pearl told him.

Sam took a deep breath.

"Well, I will leave it up to you to do what you seem fit" he said.

His eyes then ran over to the clock. It was eight in the morning. Rosie had cooked up a nice big breakfast for them. the smell of bacon drifted around the house. Candles burnt on their stands.

"Well" said Sam, getting up.

"I should be heading back home now" he told them.

Paladin, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, got up. Samwise smiled and walked out. But he did not follow Sam. They both went the same way until Paladin stopped. Sam went to the front door and opened it.

He then turned around, having opened the door a little way.

"You'll give my love to Pimpernel, now, wont you?" he asked.

Paladin smiled and nodded.

"Of course" he answered.

Sam smiled and opened the door more and walked out. The door then closed, keeping the heat in.

Paladin opened the door to the room where Pimpernel was staying. There were no candles burning in the room. Pimpernel's eyes were larger in the darkness. They darted over to her father, then back to where she was looking before.

Paladin stood there. He was lost for words. The silence around them was deafening. He could hear every creak and bang around the house. Eglantine was in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready.

A trey that had been left on Pimpernel's bed was now on the floor. It had been dinner from the night before. The mug of ale was left as well. It had been a full day since she had eaten.

Yes, she was hungry. But she was too upset to eat it. Her stomach was hurting and the food was looking more tempting by the hour.

Paladin continued to stand there. He had no idea about what to say to his daughter. He knew that "sorry" would not be enough.

Pimpernel tried not to notice him. But his figure was dully light by the light pouring in from the outside.

"I'm…" Paladin started, but didn't finish.

Pimpernel took no notice of him. It seemed much easier to do so.

"I'm sorry" he said.

To himself, he sounded stupid and small. He knew that nothing to could bring back anything that Pimpernel had lost.

"You don't have to be" Pimpernel said.

Her voice was dull and upset. She didn't like company around her at that time. Thoughts ran though her head. She had failed to stop the flashbacks happening. They were getting worse and worse.

"No, I do" Paladin said.

He took a step forward. The old hobbit slowly sat on the bed and took a deep breath. He looked at his daughter.

"I know I was the one who should have gone into the fire to get you" he said.

He looked over at his daughter. Pimpernel gave a small glance his way.

"It is not your fault, you did the best that you could" she told him.

Paladin took a deep breath. His eyes pointed towards the window. Running from left to right and from the top to the bottom were two black lines.

The sky outside what white, mixed in with light grey. The snow had been and gone. Deep snow covered the land. Most was untouched and would stay that way until it melted.

Birds flew over head. Sparrows twittered in the trees as doors started to open. The hobbits had been fed and water. Children were now coming out into the snow again. Half finished snow hobbits were finished off.

Samwise Gamgee was sitting at the kitchen. Rosie was serving up his lunch now that the children had had theirs. There was a pile of plates near the sink. Rosie had a spatula in her hand. Four thick slices of white bread were sitting there.

Butter had been spread on the surface of the slices. The sizzling subsided as the bacon started to fry. There were four slices of bacon sizzling merrily in the hot pan.

Rosie then lifted the cooked slices of bacon and placed two on each slice of bread. She then placed the spatula down and placed the two slices together.

A plate was sitting by the two sandwiches. Rosie cut the two into four triangles and placed them on the plate.

"I think I might go and help the Tooks clean up the house up the way there" said Sam.

Rosie placed the plate down. Sam already had a mug of ale near him.

"Thank you" he said.

He picked up the first triangle. he took a big bite and chewed.

"Mmm" he said in satisfaction.

The clock then chimed.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Nine times. Sam looked over at it and smiled. He took many more bites. Sam was half way though his small breakfast. Small in hobbit terms. When he picked up his ale.

The hobbit took a drink and then placed it back down. Sam continued to eat. The bacon crunched as he ate it. Rosie then sat down with her breakfast. She had been up for many hours. She was taking care of the children when Sam had woken.

Rosie had cleaned the floor and fed the children. They were now either asleep again, playing by themselves around the house or outside.

The youngest, Pippin Gamgee, had started to cry in his cot. Rosie had just started to eat her breakfast when her son's cries. She took a deep breath and was just about get up when Sam stopped her.

"Don't worry, you have you lunch and I'll get him" he said.

Rosie smiled. Sam pushed his chair in and walked out of the room. Bag end had lots of rooms. Sam was planning to build more due to his growing family.

Samwise slowly opened a round door. The room behind was warm and dark. It was the room where his youngest child, Pippin, had been sleeping. But now, he was crying.

"Alright, dads here" Sam said as he picked Pip up.

Laughing could be heard coming from the corridor as Frodo and Rose ran past. Sam smiled. He liked to see his children happy.

How ever, Pippin Gamgee was still crying.

"Come on, lets go and see mummy" Sam said.

He then walked out. He closed the door as Pippin whined. Bag end was much more different to when Bilbo and Frodo Baggins had been living there. There were less books stacked in piles. They had all been given away or sold. Yet, there was one book that was more valuable to Sam then any other.

It was called "The Red Book Of Westmarch"

The book had been started off by Bilbo Baggins. But it was not called the Red Book. It was called "There And Back Again: A Hobbits Tale"

Bilbo had started the tale just after he had come back from the Lonely Mountain. The story had been written by hand, like most books had been.

The title page looked messy. Frodo had a bit of trouble figuring out a title. There were many crossed out titles. Above them was a line of writing. This had been done by Bilbo when he had started his book.

There And Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale

Frodo's handwriting came next. Most of it had been crossed out.

My Diary.

My Unexpected Journey.

There and Back Again.

And What Happened After.

Adventures of Five Hobbits.

The Tale of the Great Ring,

compiled by Bilbo Baggins from his own observations and the accounts of his friends.

What we did in the War of the Ring.

The Downfall

Of The

Lord Of The Rings

And The

Return Of The King

(as seen by the Little People; being the memoirs of Bilbo and Frodo of the Shire,

supplemented by the accounts of their friends and the learning of the Wise.)

Together with extracts from Books of Lore translated by Bilbo in Rivendell.

Samwise had never read the two books. He didn't have to. For he knew them all off by heart. When Bilbo had been living at Bag End, Sam would be told tales of trolls and wood elves.

The book had been put in a box under their bed. Sam knew that it would be safe there. The children were not allowed into their bedroom.

A few times, Samwise had taken the book out. He had opened it to the last page and read. A quill in hand, the son coming though the window.

There was a fire place warming up the air around him. A mug of ale was sitting by him. smoke rose into the air from the end of his pipe.

Sam was deep in thought. He had read the last page that he had written.

"Now, what happened after that?" he asked himself.

Samwise had finished another chapter was now on his last. He gave a small smile and dabbed the end of the quill into the ink well.

He then started to write.

The Grey Havens

Sam left a space between the title and the rest of the writing.

The clearing up certainly needed a lot of work, but it took less time then Sam had feared. The day after the battle Frodo rode to Michel Delving and released the prisoners from the Lockholes. One of the first that they found was poor Fredegar Bolger, Fatty no longer.

Sam smiled. He was still friends with Fredegar. Ever since his release, Fredegar had been putting on more and more weight.

Fredegar was now the same weight that he had been before his capture.

Sam continued to write.

He had been taken when the ruffians smoked out a band of rebels that he led from their hidings up in the Brockenbores but the hills of Scary.

"You would have done better to come with us after all, pour old Fredegar!" said Pippin, as they carried him out too weak to walk.

He opened an eye and tried gallantly to smile

"Who's this young giant with the loud voice?" he whispered.

"Not little Pippin! What's the size in hats now?"

Samwise smiled. He knew that both Merry and Pippin had grown. In fact, they were the tallest hobbits that ever lived. It is said that they were taller Bandobras Took. Bandobras reached a grand height of four foot, five inches. Sam puffed his pipe, sending smoke into the air.

"Now, what shall I put next?" he asked himself.

Then there was Lobelia. Poor thing, she looked very old and thin when they rescued her from a dark and narrow cell. She insisted on hobbling out on her own feet; and she had such a warm welcome, and there was such clapping when she appeared, leaning on Frodo's arm but still clutching her umbrella, that she was quite touched, and drove away the tears.

It was then that Sam had stopped for the day. Over the next few weeks, he had hardly worked on it. it got to a point where he had not worked on it for weeks.

The days turned into weeks and weeks to months, then months to years. Sam had been busy with lots of things. He now had a family.

Five of his thirteen children had already been born. By this time, Sam had been elected to be the Mayor of Michel Delving.

The Red Book lay untouched for many years. Until now.

The fire that had happened a few nights ago got Sam thinking. The Red Book was still under his bed. Sam walked into the his bed room and shut the door. the candles were burning and the fire was also.

He walked around to his side of the bed and looked down. He then bend down and reached under the bed. His hand searched for the box.

A few seconds later, he dragged it out. The top of the box was dusty. It was obvious that it had not been opened in quite some time.

Sam unlocked the box and opened it. Inside, a red book made of leather. Sam continued to look at it for what seemed a few minutes. He then took the book out, the crisp paper crumpled slightly. The pages looked worn and the book well read.

Sam the flicked though the pages to the end. His eyes read over the words.

"Not much more to do" he told himself.

The children could be heard though the house. Pippin Gamgee had stopped crying. Sam took a deep breath and took the book to a writing table in the corner of the room.

He carefully placed the book down and sat on his chair. The floor was bare tiles. A bit of dust had accumulated around the legs of the chairs. But the room was relatively clean and tidy.

Sam opened the book again and flicked though until the end. There, the words stopped half way down the page. His eyes scanned the last words.

He gave a small nod and looked at the blank spaces.

"Right" he said.

But instead of getting a quill, he got off of his seat, leaving the book open. He walked over to the door and opened it. Walking out, he closed it behind him. He walked though the corridor to the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty. The table had been cleared of all plates and table mats. Samwise headed for a cupboard. There, he opened it and looking inside. Mug and glass cups were standing there. The hobbit smiled and got out a mug out.

Sam then turned around and walked towards the cellar door. Opening the door, he looked inside. The cellar was stocked with many things. Eggs, meat, small barrels of wine, beer and ale. Milk in glass bottles. Vegetables and fruit were resting in wicker baskets.

Cakes and bunches of cookies lay on the top shelf, away from the children's prying hands. Samwise walked past all of them.

The small barrels had taps on them. The barrels were made of wood. The ale inside had been a few weeks. The drink did not last long and they only had two or three barrels at a time.

Sam placed his mug under the tap. The tap was then turned on, the ale started to fill up the mug. Samwise took a deep breath and looked around.

His eyes then landed on a packet of cookies. Sam started to think.

"It's still a few hours until lunch, it wont hurt to do so" he told himself.

The mug was half full. The hobbit took his hand off of the mug and walked over to the packet. He picked it up and looked around. the mug was now full to the brim with ale.

Sam quickly walked back and turned off the tap. A few drips fell, making the surface of the ale ripple. Sam placed the packet in his pocket.

The hobbit then walked out again and to his room. He placed the packet of cookies and the mug of ale down on a small table by the writing table.

The seat was made of wood and had wooden arm rests. San sat back down and looked at the empty pages. He took a few seconds to think of what he was going to write next.

Sam took a deep breath and picked up the quill. Memories were coming back to him. the quill was then dabbed in the ink.

Sam started to write where he left off.

"Yes" said Gandalf; "For it will be better to ride back three together than one alone. Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep: for not all tears are an evil"

Then Frodo kissed Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and went aboard; and the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass of Galadriel that Frodo bore glimmered and was lost.

It took Sam a couple of minutes to get to the ending paragraph. He knew that the end was near. His mug of ale had not even been touched.

His hand slowly reached out and picked up it. He gave a silent toast to Frodo and the nine members of the Fellowship.

Sam took a large gulp and placed the mug back down.

"Right, lets get on with it then" he told himself.

The quill had been set down. The nib still had ink on it. the nib was then dabbed into the sea of ink again. Sam continued to write.

At last they rode over the downs and took the East Road, and then Merry and Pippin rode on to Buckland; and already they were singing again as they went. But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill, as day was ending once more. And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap.

He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said.

At that, Sam put down the quill. He had finally finished the work of both Bilbo and Frodo. Sam picked the ale and downed it. He did not stop until he reached the bottom. He took the mug away from him and took a deep breath. Sam's eyes then fell on the packet of cookies.

His hands then ripped open the packet to reveal chocolate cookies. He picked one out and started to eat. A few crumbs landed on his lap. The chocolate was sweet and the dough had been cooked to perfection.

The book lay closed in front of him. Memories lay in it's folded pages. The packet was being emptied by the minute.

Hobbits could be heard from the other side of the window. Children ran around, laughter was in the air. Hobbiton seemed to be normal. Many families were out, enjoying the snow. small wheel barrows had had their wheel taken off and was now being used to slide down the side of the hills.

But there were some that were stuck indoors. Not because they chose to, it was because they were scared. A girl sat on the bed. On the floor was a trey full of food. She could hear the people in her house.

The door to the room she was staying in opened. Light poured into the dark room. Eglantine was standing there. For a moment, she stood there for a few seconds.

"Hamson is going up to the house to see if there is that we can save" she told her daughter.

Pimpernel said no words, nor even looked at her mother. Eglantine took a deep breath and walked out again. The room was then bathed in darkness again. The light from the window was not very bright.

The room was losing heat. Pimpernel was now cold, but she didn't do anything about it.

On the other side of the door, Eglantine was waiting for Paladin, Hamson, Pearl and Pervinca to come. A few moments later, the four of them went out.

Eglantine smiled as they came towards her.

"Sam is going to meet us up there" Eglantine told them.

All of them had their coats on. Outside, the temperature was very low. The wind around the lands were making the air twice as cold as it would have been. The lake in the middle of Hobbiton had a thin sheet of ice around the shallows. The rest of the lake was rippling from one side to the other. Tall blades of tall brown grass danced in the wind.

The ripples of the water licked at the cracked ice. The clouds above sailed over like they were on ice. Their shapes changed slowly and quietly. There were many shades of grey and white dotted in the sky.

The once green fields were now grey. Foot prints crossed the fields. Snow hobbits dotted around the town. Some were half finished, others were larger the most real life hobbits. The bottom ball of snow was just over half the size of a hobbit standing at full height. A second one had been made. This one had been put on top of the first.

But there would be no snow hobbit making today. The group of five headed up the hill. Along the hillside, a door opened and Samwise Gamgee emerged.

He had a coat on. He closed the door and looked around. His breath travailing up into the air. His eyes then fell on the group walking up the snow covered hill.

Sam then walked towards them.

"I guess you'll be heading for then house then" he said as he walked towards them.

Eglantine nodded.

"Yes" she answered.

The group had now increased in number. Six of them continued towards the burnt out house. It took them a few minutes to do so.

As the party came around the hill, the house came into view. Paladin stopped. He didn't want to go any further. Eglantine was beside him, she stopped as well.

"Paladin?" she asked.

She could see many things in his eyes. Fear, anger, hatred, loss, sadness.

"Come on, we have to go up there" she said.

Paladin took a deep breath, the condensation rose into the air and was never seen again. The old hobbit moved on again. He hated having to go there.

Young hobbits were gathered around the burnt out building. Tongue wagging and rumours flew around like birds scared of their predator.

But that soon stopped as the six of them approached. Some of the hobbits moved away from them as they came to the gate. Sam was the first one to reach the gate. He opened it and walked though. But he didn't leave it closed for the others. Instead, he stood there, keeping it open for the others.

He then closed it and walked with the others up the short stone path way. Grass grew all around the small garden. There were beds of flowerless soil. The fire had burnt them all away. The door, which had been opened, was hanging off of it's hinges.

There was a noise coming from within. Someone was already in the empty shell of the home. What sounded like crockery was being moved.

Sam watched the corridor inside. He wondered who was in there. Chard wood scattered the ground. The threshold of the house was none recognisable. The back of the door was black and crumbly.

"Hamson?" asked Sam.

The sounds stopped. For a while, there was nothing. Sam was just going to step onto the many pieces of wood when someone came out of one of the rooms.

It was Hamson.

He stopped and looked at Sam.

"Did you call?" Hamson asked.

Sam smiled and nodded. Hamson looked down and slowly made his way towards them. The wooden shards lay on top of one an other.

A few times, Hamson had to move some of them out of the way.

"What were you doing in there?" asked Pearl.

Hamson didn't answer.

"It'll take a lot to clean this up" Sam said glumly.

"We better start then" Hamson told him.

Hamson's hands were black, it was obvious that he had been routing though the rubble. But Sam didn't think starting at that very moment was a good idea.

"I think it'll be better to wait a few weeks and then start" he told his brother.

Hamson was confused and a bit angry at what had been said.

"But, why not now? Now is a better time then ever" he argued.

"Hamson, it'll take weeks to clear this up" said Pearl.

The front door creaked a little bit as it was pushed by the wind.

"I can not understand why you would want this house be left as it is. Someone could be hurt and I'm sure you don't want that"

Samwise now to choose. His brother had a point in what he had said.

Yes, they could leave it until Yule had come and gone. That had been Sam's plan all along.

But then, what it someone was hurt? What if there was another accident?

Sam's mind was trying to weigh out the situation. His breath rising into the air like the others. His hands were in his pockets. They were warmer there then in the open.

His nose was running, sniffing came to the hobbits. Their noses started to turn red.

"Alright, we'll have to clean it up" Sam finally said.

Hamson nodded.

"But what about the rubble, we only came up here to see if there was anything that we could save" Pervinca told them.

"There is nothing, I checked when I was in there" Hamson answered.

Lunch was fast approaching, Eglantine was thinking about going back to get lunch ready. But she knew she had to help with the clean up.

"Alright, lets get some wheelbarrows and start carting this away" Sam said.

A sudden wave of movement came over the group. Pearl stood still, Sam was watching the hobbits moved off.

"Should I go and get Marigold, Daisy and May?" she asked.

Samwise nodded.

"The more hands we can get, the better" he answered.

Pearl nodded and looked at the others. Paladin was looking around, he looked a bit lost. But Pearl did not confront him. Instead, she walked back down the stone path and though the gate.

The girl walked away from her sister's destroyed house. A minute or two later, she arrived at another. her hand knocked on the door.

Inside, May was sitting at the kitchen table. A plate of cookies were at the side and she had an empty book before her. Another book lay open. An ink well and a quill were there on the table as well.

The knocks echoed though the house. May, who had just taken another bite of her cookie, looked up. Taking a deep breath, she got out of her seat and walked out of the kitchen.

She walked down the corridor and to the door. Upon opening it, she smiled.

"Pearl, is everything alright?" she asked.

Pearl smiled.

"We're cleaning the debris from Pimpernel's house and we need all the hands we can get" she told her.

May smiled.

"I'll be happy to" May told her.

The door was left open as she went to the pegs to get her coat. The coldness continued to seep into the warm house. A minute later, she came out with a large woollen coat on. The black buttons had been done up.

The two girls walked away from the warm house.

"I need to go and get Mari and Daisy as well" Pearl told her friend.

"Alright" May answered.

The two of them walk along the way to where Marigold was living. Like before, Pearl knocked on the door. The door opened and a similar looking hobbit to May appeared.

Marigold had the most golden hair of all of the Gamgee siblings. She was the youngest as well.

Pearl explained what was happening up at Pimpernel's home. Like May, Marigold went to get her coat without a complaint.

There were now three hobbits in the group.


	24. Day Twelve, Part Two

Daisy was in her home, unaware that she would be called upon. The time was nearing noon. Hobbits everywhere were preparing lunch like that always had done.

A pan had been lain over the cooker. A rasher of bacon was crisping in the pan. With a spatula in hand, she flipped over the cooking bacon.

The redness in the meat had started to whiten. The sizzling grew louder and louder. A small bit of water vapour snaked it's way up and into the air around the kitchen.

The window was covered in water vapour. But only a small bit had come from the bacon. The rest had come from Daisy herself.

The kitchen was warm, warm enough for a hobbit to feel cosy. For hobbits liked living in peace and quiet. Food and ale was on their minds near enough all of the time.

The chimney smoked, sending a grey pillar into the sky. It was carried away in the wind like all the other pillars of smoke.

A knock echoed though the quiet house. The noise met Daisy's ears. The hobbit looked around, the bacon was still in the pan. Daisy took the pan off of the heat and walked away. she had a white apron on.

The hobbit walked to the door and opened it. standing there, was Pearl.

"Hello Pearl, I wasn't expecting you" Daisy said happily.

Pearl smiled.

"I cant stay, we need help clearing Pimpernel's house" she told her friend.

Daisy looked surprised.

"Sure, I'll help" she answered.

"But I have just made lunch. So, could I meet you up there?" she asked.

Pearl nodded.

"Sure, your sisters will be up there along with me and a few others" she explained.

"Well, I don't want to be left out, so I'll see you there"

Pearl smiled and walked away. She went back to her friends who were waiting there.

"Daisy will meet us up there" Pearl told them.

The cold wind blew across them, lifting some of their curly hair over their faces. The clouds were slowly starting to build up again. The level of light was slowly dimming. Not only because of the clouds, but because the sun was doing down.

Midday in winter was not like midday in summer. The sun had less power over the land at this time. Colder winds blew across the lands and the leaves of trees fell to the floor.

The nights got longer at the days got shorter. Hobbits spent more time in doors then outside. The bitterness of the wind drove them into the comfort of their homes.

But for one hobbit, Yule would not be fun. Sadness would overpower the happiness that would have been present at that time of year.

Pimpernel had lost a lot of her belongings. Books that had been past down generations and ones that she had been copying up for generations to come.

Presents for Yule had been lost. They had been stored in a spare room. Cloths had been burnt away. Furniture that she had brought had been engulfed in flames.

Bottles of wine and barrels of ale had been destroyed. The bottles of wine over heated and exploded. It send glass flying everywhere. The liquid would seep to the floor. But the fire would slowly eat up the wine.

The wooden barrels that held the ale would slowly be eaten away. Small leaks would immerge and turn to small torrents until they had no more to give.

The fire continued to eat up the whole house. Pimpernel's memories were running back to the time when she had her friends over. She could remember them leaving her to go home.

Cleaning came into her mind. She could see the sink before her with a large bowl of warm water. She could remember placing the dirty dishes into the water.

The cleaning took a few minutes. She knew remembered. The plates had then been cleaned and placed on the side. Her hand reached into the water and picked out the plug. The water slowly started to drain. The level lowering by the second.

The plates were dripping with water. Their surfaces were clean and shiny. The candles flickered merrily. The house was in perfect condition. There were two wicker baskets sat on the table. They were to be given back to their rightful owners the next morning.

Pimpernel hummed merrily to herself as she made a pile of dishes to be put away. the last one was placed on the pile. Pimpernel put the washing cloth on the back of the seat like she always did.

The hobbit picked up the plates and walked to over to the cupboard. There, she opened the wooden door with the metal handle that was attached.

Inside, plates that had not been used were still stacked there. Pimpernel lifted the plates in careful and then shut the door again.

The pans were still standing there, waiting to be cleaning along with the bowls that held the food. Night had fallen outside.

The coldness was even sharper then the night before. But no clouds were in the sky. The twinkling stars were looking down on the earth like small all seeing spies.

When Pimpernel had been younger, she thought that they were fireflies that had got stuck on the surface of the sky and couldn't get back down again.

Pimpernel started to run a clean bowl of water for the rest of the crockery she had to clean.

In reality, Pimpernel was now very worried. She had just remembered what had caused the fire that lead to her house being burnt down.

It was the towel on the back of the seat.

"But how did it catch on fire?" she asked herself.

Her memory went back to the fireplace again. it had been happy crackling away when she had left the kitchen. But that was the last time she had seen the kitchen intact.

A piece of wood must have fallen just a few inches sending embers into the air. One, she thought, must have made it's way to the towel which had been drying on the back of the chair.

There, it must have caught the threads of woollen towel. The small flames must have started to eat the strands of wool.

It was like a chain reaction. The towel was now on fire, the wooden chair started to burn as well. Smoke filled the room. The fire still continued to grew. The chair caught fire, the table was next in line.

The fire grew and grew and grew. Soon, the whole room was now on fire. The copper sink was getting hotter and hotter. The cupboards started to get hotter and hotter.

Pimpernel had now gone out of the room and into her room. To her, the kitchen was not any different. But she would soon find that out.

A loud crash came from the kitchen. This met Pimpernel's ears.

"That's strange" she thought.

She slowly walked to the closed bedroom door and put her hand on the handle. The door slowly opened. She looked down the corridor. A think sheet of black smoke was making its way towards her. But Pimpernel could not see it.

Curiosity got the better of her. Pimpernel left the safety of the room and walked towards the kitchen. She was only feet away from the door when she stopped. A red glow could be seen around the door frame.

Pimpernel could hear cracking that she couldn't hear when going out. A crash of crockery came from inside the kitchen.

Pimpernel looked at the handle. She wondered what was going on behind the door. The girl reached out her hand and touched the metal handle. It was scolding hot.

She quickly took her hand away to save her from more pain. The smoke was coming though nearly every crack it could find.

The kitchen was now a mess. The fire threatened the rest of the house. The roof was on fire too. The chimney that came out of the ground where the kitchen had been was sinking into the ground. The roof would soon give way, spreading the fire all around the house.

Pimpernel started to cough, her hand went over her face. She quickly made up her mind to go back to her bed room.

"Maybe the fire will burn itself out" she thought.

Panic came as a louder crash echoed around the home. Pictures on the walls were left, Pimpernel had no time to save them. they would be lost forever in the angriness of the fire.

Pimpernel got into her room and closed the room. The fire outside past from room to room. Books, sheets of writing, crockery, flowers, ale, wine and priceless artefacts that had been past down for many generations were all lost.

The quietness of reality deafened Pimpernel. She hated the fact that she had lost everything. She had been proud of her house. She had made it her own. But now, it had been taken away from her and she didn't knew why.

She knew that her friends and family had gone up to the house. The clean up effort had begun. Samwise Gamgee was ordering people to make piles of wood on the field nearby. Many hobbits were now helping. Many wheelbarrows were being pushed to the field.

The hill was busy with hobbits pushing large loads of wood down the hill and pushing empty barrows back up the hill.

Pearl and Pervinca were looking though the rubble before they would take it away. a few times, they would find a metal stand that once belonged to a candle that had been lit.

Pages of hundred year old books were scattered around the area. Their pages had been burnt and their writing lost. Broken plates that had been stored away were now laying in groups on the floor. The kitchen was not recognisable any more.

The chimney that had been made of brick was now resting on the brunt wooden table. The chairs lay in a heap where they stood. Wood scattered the area. Large sleepers of wood were laying on the ground. They once held up the ceiling above.

"There's so much damage" Pearl said, throwing a piece of wood back to the ground.

It was instantly lost in the sea of wood. Plates had been smashed as they impacted on the floor.

"There's nothing here to save" she told her sister.

Else where in the house, a wheel barrow was being filled with wood and other material. Samwise and Hamson were throwing wood into the barrow.

The wood piled up quite quickly as they put it in. Patches of tiled floor started to emerge from under the pile. Sam picked up a sheet of burnt paper and looked at it. He took a deep breath as he screwed it up and threw it in along with all of the other wood and burnt material.

Paladin was walking around the house. He had not done any work to help. More hobbits had come with brooms and wheel barrows. His hands were hurting as the coldness touched them. His skin had started to turn read. His wife, Eglantine, had gone back to the house to get their lunch ready.

No one was talking to him, they were all busy with clearing up the house. In the field near by, a large pile of wood had been made in the middle. It was getting bigger and bigger by the house.

Sam put the last bit of wood in a wheel barrow and wiped his forehead. Sweat had gathered in small beads. The air around him was cold, yet he was hot.

"Alright, I think that would be enough for now" he said.

He sniffed and looked around. Hamson had picked up a pile of wood and looked at his brother.

"What? We need to get this all cleaned up by night fall" he told him.

Hunger was not a problem for Hamson. Most unusual for a hobbit not to be hungry at lunch. But Hamson wasn't hungry.

"We need food and strength, why don't you get out of the cold?" asked Sam.

Hamson took a deep breath.

"I'm not hungry" he answered.

But Sam wasn't taking anything that he said.

"But you need…"

"I'm not hungry!" Hamson said, throwing the wood on the ground.

Samwise's eyebrows narrowed as he looked at his brother.

"Fine" he said, not wanting to argue.

Sam took the wheel barrow away as he went. Hamson stood there, looking at his brother walk away. He still had one piece of wood in his hands.

He looked down at it and took a deep and threw it in the air. It continued to rotate as it reached its highest point. The gravity took control and sending the wood back to the ground.

The wood impacted on the floor. Small chards broke off and flew in the air. Hamson walked out of the broken room and out of the house.

Pearl was struggling with a wheel barrow on the hill. The wheel barrow tipped over, Pearl groaned as she took her hands off of the handles.

Hamson was walking towards her. Pearl smiled.

"Ah, Hamson, would you mind helping me?" she asked.

But Hamson didn't help her. He walked right past her. Pearl continued to watch him walk past, not understanding what was going on.

Pearl shook her head and started to pick up the wood.

At the house, the door was open. Pervinca, Sam and Paladin had come in. The coldness was then shut out by the door.

"Lunch is just about ready" Eglantine told them.

Vinnie took off her coat and scarf. Her eyes ran over to the closed door of the room Pimpernel was staying in. Vinnie still felt sorry for her sister for she had seen the damage caused by the flames.

The others had made their way to the kitchen. A large lunch had been made. Chicken that had been cooked a few days before had been set out in a bowl. Most things had been prepared before the day had begun. Rolls of bread from the markets had been put out.

Plates had been set out for them. A single one lay on the work surface. It had already been filled with food from the table. It was for Pimpernel.

"Is that for Nelly?" asked Vinnie coming into the hot kitchen.

Eglantine looked up and nodded.

"Yes, it is. She didn't eat her dinner or lunch. She's never gone this long without food" she told her daughter.

Pervinca looked around at the door.

"I could try and get her to eat" she said.

Eglantine was now in her seat.

"By all means, please try" she said.

There was sound of worry in her voice. She cared very much for her family. She loved them all very much. Pervinca then picked up the plate belonging to Pimpernel and walked out of the room.

Pimpernel was still sitting on the bed. She had been crying for most of the day and no one had come to see her. Just then, there was a knock at the door. The door slowly opened up.

The room was dark and cold. Pimpernel's feet were cold and she had goose bumps on her arm. Pervinca walked in and shut the door.

She walked over to the bed and placed the plate on the bed.

"Pimpernel, you have to eat" Pervinca said.

There was no answer from her sister. Pervinca moved the plate down the bed and sat on the edge. Pimpernel took a deep breath. Pervinca sat next to her.

"Why wont you eat?" she asked.

Again, Nelly didn't answer. Pervinca wrapped her arms around her sister. A tear ran down her face. She gave a small mumble which her sister did not catch.

"Excuse me?" she asked gently.

Pimpernel took yet another breath, trying to fight back the tears.

"It's my fault" she said.

This time, it was clear. Pervinca knew that her sister was taking it harder on herself then she had thought.

"Look, Pimpernel, it was not you fault. It never was you fault. Things like this happen" she told her.

Pimpernel was slowly shaking her head.

"I must have done something bad to deserve this" she said, more to herself then to her sister.

Pervinca could not believe what she was saying.

"You have to get that thought out of your head, it's madness!"

Pimpernel's eyes looked over at her sister. There was a hint of anger in them.

"I did not see in the house at the time of the fire" she said angrily.

It was not like Pimpernel to get angry. She didn't like anger or hatred. There was silence for a couple of seconds before Pervinca got up.

"I just want to help, but if you choose not do so, it up to you" Pervinca walked away and stopped at the door.

"I was only trying to comfort you Pimpernel. We are all worried"

The door then opened and she walked out. Without another word, the door was closed again. Pimpernel was now alone again.

Hamson meanwhile was looking in cupboard. His eyes fell on what he wanted. A bag. He picked it out and stood up again. he then placed it on his bed.

The hobbit then walked back to the wardrobe. There, his cloths were hanging up. different coloured shirts and coats and trousers. He picked them off of their hangers and folded them.

He already knew where he was going to go. He had an uncle in Tighfield. It was a few days walk away. Hamson knew that it was best that he did not tell anyone.

It took him a few minutes to pack all of his cloths. He lifted the bag onto his shoulders and walked though his home. Candles burned on the walls. There were black marks where the flames had blackened the wall.

The hobbit placed his bag on the table. He knew that he needed food for the journey. He opened the cellar door and walked inside.

Hamson picked up a few rolls. He placed them in his pocket and looked around. There were a few apples in a basket on the other side. Hamson picked those out as a well.

"Maybe I would need more food" he told himself, looking back at the rolls of bread.

A minute later, he walked out. In his hands were the apples and the rolls of bread. He placed them on the table. The bag was then opened again and he placed the apples in.

The bread rolls came after. He closed the bag by a string that had been weaved around the neck. There was a small clip that slid down to close.

Hamson did this and threw it on his back. He started to walk towards the door, but stopped just before he opened it. The hobbit looked around at the cellar door.

"Maybe one for the road" he told himself.

So, Hamson walked over to the cupboard and opened it. inside was a mug. He picked it out and shut the door again with a bang.

The hobbit turned around and looked at the still cellar door. The house seemed quieter then normal. Everything was still. Even the candles seem to risk moving.

As the hobbit walked in, his feet slapping on the cold tilted floor. The air was colder in this room. There were no candles here. Only the light from outside lit up one side of everything in the cellar.

Hamson walked to the back and spotted the barrel of ale. It was laying on it's side on a shelf neat the floor. A tap had been hammered into the wood.

There was just enough space to fit the mug under. Hamson did so and turned on the tap for the last time. The ale started to fill up the mug. Hamson stood there, waiting for the mug to fill up.

When there was enough for him, the tap was turned off. The drips rippled the surface of the bubbling ale. Hamson then picked it up and walked out.

The bag was still on the table along with some tables mats that had been left out. A chair was then pulled out and the hobbit sat in it.

He carefully not to spill any. Hamson took a deep breath and looked at his bag. A whole new life away from Hobbiton was in there and waiting to be explored.

But was it the right time to go?

The future he had once had come back into play. He could see Pimpernel at the wedding. She looked more beautiful then ever.

But now all that had been taken away from him. Pimpernel had been in an accident. It was the event that lead to their partings. Hamson knew that he couldn't do anything about it. Pimpernel had stopped talking and eating, it had effected her the most.

Everyone was coming to terms with what had happened. Pimpernel's house had been totally destroyed. Hamson saw the fire engulf the house. He could still feel the heat.

The hobbit's hands were still black from picking up the charcoaled remains. Barrow loads had been taken away from the empty shell. Nothing saveable was left. The fire had eaten it all.

Hamson then picked up the mug and started to drink. He did not stop until the end. When there was no ale left, he placed the empty mug down.

He took a deep breath and got up. He closed his bag and put it on his back. There were small pots were dangling on the back of his pack. Strapped to the top was a blanket, but it would not be much help in the coldness of night.

Hamson picked out a walking stick and walked towards the door. But he stopped before he opened it. He took one last look at his house before opening the door and walking out.

The door closed and the band echoed around the now empty house. There was a wave of coldness that entered the house was quickly fought off by the warmth.

Hamson had one more thing he needed to do before going on his journey. He was heading for Paladin's home. Hamson knew that Pimpernel would still be there.

It took him a minute or two to get there, the road was very icy as the sun set on the west horizon. When he was nearing the home, the door opened and out came Sam, Vinnie and Pearl.

Sam was the first one to spot him coming down. He then noticed the straps around each shoulder.

"Where are you going?" he asked his brother.

"I need to talk to Pimpernel" Hamson answered.

Pearl stood next to Sam.

"Why have you got that bag?" she asked.

Hamson took a deep breath. There was a hint of annoyance present.

"Please, I'll only be a few minutes" Hamson said.

Without another word, he walked past them. Sam watched him. His brother opened the door and walked in. The door then closed, blocking out the events inside.

Pimpernel was still in her bed room. The bang of the door had echoed and faded. A few seconds after, the door to the room she was staying in opened.

Hamson came in. The pots jingled as he walked in and closed the door. an empty plate lay near Nelly's feet.

"Pimpernel?" asked Hamson.

"Are you alright?"

There was no sound from the girl. Hamson walked slowly to the seat, took off his pack and sat down. There were no other sounds in the house.

Pimpernel took a quick glance at the bag now laying on the floor.

"What is the bag for?" she asked.

Hamson looked down at it.

"That's what I was here to tell you, I'm leaving Hobbiton" he told her.

Pimpernel then raised her head and looked over at him.

"Leaving? Why?" she asked.

Hamson took a deep breath. But he didn't answer. There was still a ring on his finger. Not a magic ring, an engagement ring. Pimpernel had one as well. They were both gold. On the inner side of the ring, it had both of their names engraved.

"Because there's no love any more" Hamson told her.

He was fiddling with his ring. But did not take it off. Pimpernel couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her fiancé was leaving her.

"But…" she said.

Hamson slowly took off his ring. He held it in his hand. The two of them looked at each other.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Pimpernel.

Hamson looked away.

"I don't know, maybe we could work it out in years to come. But… But at the moment, I cant…"

Pimpernel was now speechless. A feeling came over her. She turned her head away.

"You don't… love me anymore" she said.

Hamson lowered his head and took a deep breath.

"Maybe if we could take a break from each other, we could get our spark back" he said.

Tears ran down her face. They dripped off and fell on her cloths. Hamson slowly got up and walked over to Pimpernel. He sat on the end of the bed and looked at her.

"Pimpernel" he said, taking her hand.

"Please take the ring and keep it safe. I know that it may seem now, but it will get easier. I promise that I will never stop loving you"

He placed the ring into Pimpernel's hand and closed it. The two of them looked into each other's eyes. For a split second, Hamson was going to change his mind. But that feeling went as quickly as it came.

Pimpernel suddenly through her arms around him. the two of the hugged for what seemed hours.

"Where… where will you go?" asked Pimpernel.

Tears were running down her face.

"I have an uncle in Tighfield, I'm going to see if he has a job for me there" answered Hamson.

Pimpernel had never heard of Tighfield before.

"Where is that?" she asked.

She whipped away some of her tears and looked at Hamson.

"It's a few days away from here, near the Sarn Ford" he explained.

Pimpernel knew where the ford was.

"Will you come back?" she asked.

Hamson looked down.

"We will just have to see what the future holds" he answered.

There seemed to be silence. Pimpernel was slowly starting to accept what was happening.

"I'll wait for your return" she said.

A small smile came over her lips. Hamson hugged her again.

"I have to go" he said weakly.

He slowly got off of the bed. The two of them held hands for as long as they can. But their grip was finally prised apart. Pimpernel watched Hamson put his pack on again.

Hamson looked back at Pimpernel. There was a moment of silence between them. They both knew that this had to be done.

Without another word, he walked to the door and opened it. He walked though and slowly started to close it. The two hobbits looked at each other, the door continued to shut.

Hamson went out of view and the door clicked shut. Hamson took a deep breath and took his hand off of the handle.

He stood there for a few seconds before walking off. Pimpernel was looking at the ring that was once on the hand of her fiancé. She somehow felt lighter and had more hope.

Hamson opened the front door. As he opened it, a small puppy ran past his feet. His eyes followed the pup in, but didn't question why it was going in.

Origo was sleeping on a warm blanket. His little eyes were closed as the cart rolled on. Faramir had been asleep for a few hours. But that was all about to change.

The coldness was making Faramir whine again. Diamond was sleeping as well. But she was woken up. Her eyes opened to the ever darkening surroundings.

Her feet were bare and the hair was waving in the wind. Faramir was crying in his cot. Diamond groaned and kneeled up. he was on the other side of the cart.

"It's alright Faramir" she said.

She carefully picked the baby up and sat back down. She wrapped him up again and tried to quieten him.

"Shh shh" she said, rocking him.

Origo, who had been sleeping, woke up again. His eyes looked over at Diamond. he yawned widely, his eyes closed as he opened his mouth.

Diamond looked over him.

"He woke you up again too?" she asked.

Origo nodded, a few times his little eyes started to close. But he caught himself. Faramir was now getting quieter again. Diamond was looked down at him. She was fighting back a yawn.

Faramir's eyes were brown and large. The hair on his head was golden brown, just like Pippin's. Diamond still couldn't believe that Faramir was hers.

She had loved children ever since she was a child herself. It was in her nature to care for growing things. Faramir was now falling back to sleep. The warmth of the blanket was making him sleepy again. Origo slowly made his way to his Diamond.

She looked down at Origo.

"You OK?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whine and looked towards the basket. Diamond knew exactly what he was trying to tell her.

"I'll get you some in a minute" she told him.

Origo looked down and sniffed the floor again. There were a pair of feet sticking out from a blanket. Diamond continued to watch him, knowing what was going to happen next.

Origo stopped as he came across the pair of feet. His eyes surveyed the dirty feet. His little nose sniffed the feet and moved away quickly. Diamond giggled quietly.

Pippin's foot moved, but he didn't wake up. Origo then looked around at his Diamond and whined. He looked back at the two feet sticking out.

"I know, they do need a wash" Diamond said.

Faramir was now asleep. Diamond looked back down at him. she then placed him back in his cot and wrapped him up nice and warm.

Origo was now sitting near the basket, waiting for his turkey. Diamond looked over at him.

"Your not very patient" whispered Diamond.

The pup tilted his head at her. Diamond reached over him and picked up the basket. Origo watched the basket fly over him and down in front of him.

Diamond picked out a packet of turkey. Origo was now looking very excited. His little tongue was sticking out of him mouth.

The ripping of paper met his ears. Diamond picked a bit out and looked down at the pup.

"Not all of it, OK?" she asked.

Origo whined sadly and put on cute little puppy eyes. But did this not work on Diamond.

"Those don't work on me" she said, handing Ori the meat.

Origo took it and started to eat. He chewed and chewed. After half a minute, he had eaten the bit of turkey and was now looking for more.

Diamond smiled and did the same. She did this with another five pieces. But each time, the puppy wanted more.

"Alright, there will be none left for dinner later on"

Origo whined and looked down. He was still very hungry. Diamond folded the end of the paper up and placing it back in the basket.

The pup had now walked over to her and jumped on her lap. Diamond's hand stroked her puppy. She then lifted him up.

"Your so cute" she said, kissing him on the nose.

Origo stuck his tongue out and whined happily. He loved his cuddles from his Diamond. The hobbit then started to feel tired again. She looked to her right and saw the empty blanket. She reached over and grabbed it. With one hand, she unfolded it.

Origo was watching her. Diamond yawned as she pulled the sheet over both of them. Diamond laid down on the hard wooden planks that made up the door.

The pup poked his head out and rested it on his paws. Diamond smiled as she fell more and more tied. Her eyes started to drop as the warmth heated her.

The coldness was deepening. The sun was on the horizon. The level of light was dropping quicker and quicker. But the cart rolled ever onwards.

The hours rolled on.

Midnight rolled around. Diamond and Origo were still asleep. Everything was calm around the three hobbits. Faramir had been asleep for a couple of hours.

Origo slept with his Diamond. both of them snuggled up to each other. They shared each other's warmth. The night was now full on. The coldness was creating a thin sheet of ice. The ground crunched as the wheels ran over them.

Spider's webs had crystals dotted around the web. The grass that made up the fields were still like fossilized bones. Foxes roamed the land, looking for that unlucky mouse or rat that crossed their path.


	25. Day Thirteen, Part One

Pimpernel was laying on her bed. The darkness had fell inside and outside the room. There were no candles giving off light. Pimpernel had wanted them to be put out.

Something had happened to her a few day ago. The hobbit had been in a fire that destroyed all of her home. Pimpernel had seen it build up. The whole house had gone up. Cloths and old books had both been eaten up by the fire. she had been left with nothing to call her own.

Hamson Gamgee had been the only one to be brave enough to go into the fire. both Pimpernel and Hamson had nearly lost their lives. But luckily they had both survived.

Hamson had then left Hobbiton.

"Please take the ring and keep it safe. I know that it may seem now, but it will get easier. I promise that I will never stop loving you"

Pimpernel kept playing those words over and over in her mind. Nelly was sleeping on one side. Her eyes were closed and her head was resting on a white pillow.

Her hair was a little bit greasier then normal. It had not been washed for a few days. The stale smell of smoke lingered in her cloths.

The window let no light in from outside. The sun had gone down hours before. Birds and hobbits alike had started to feel tired. Pimpernel herself had been getting more and more tired. Her eyes had started to get heavy.

Outside of the room, a young looking girl stood. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were hazel brown. The girl had come into the house uninvited and unexpected.

The coldness from outside flooded into the house. The candles that were near the door flickered as the wind touched them. The door was quickly and quietly closed.

The girl listened to any sound that came to her hears made her stop. The tiles of the floor were cold as the girl walked down the corridor. The candles created dancing shadows as the girl walked towards her target. A closed door was set into the wall.

The girl stopped as she reached the door. Her eyes looked down at the handle. The candles glinted in the polished metal.

The girl's hand then wrapped around the cold metal. The door was then slowly swung open. Inside, there were no candles burning. The room was colder then the rest of the house.

On the bed was a hobbit. The girl stopped and looked at the hobbit sleeping on the bed. A small smile came over the girl.

What happened next was seen or heard by anyone. The door was slowly shut, the girl made sure that everything was back the way it was. The figure of the girl was then plunged into darkness.

The next second, the girl vanished. There was no sign of her in the room. Instead, a small pup was standing where the girl had been.

The pup looked fluffy and warm. Her little pawns were brown, as were a the patches over her eyes. The pup could see onto the bed. A hand was hanging over the edge of the bed.

But the pup would not go onto the bed. Instead, the pup saw that there was a small space under the bed. There were a few small boxes dotted the floor under the bed. Some had cloths in and some had books. They were very old books, unread for many generations.

The pup was small enough to fit under the gap between the bed and the floor. The pup ducked and walked under. The tiled floor was very dusty. It stuck to her paws, but did not bother her much.

There was a large space near the head of the bed. The pup surveyed the area and thought that it was good enough for her. She then laid down and waited for the sun come up.

Pimpernel continued to sleep, unaware that a puppy was sleeping under her bed.

The clock continued to click on. One o'clock in the morning was followed by two o'clock. Two was followed by three and three by four.

Meanwhile, the sun slowly started to shed light on the lands below. The shadows of the trees were stretched out across the land. Clouds started to build up. Fog covered the land in a carpet that made the air colder.

Hobbiton lay in a magical mist. The blades of once green grass now had a silver coating. Invisible cobwebs now hung from every advantage point. Water was gathered in small beads all along sticky web. The spiders that had once called it home had long since moved or died off.

The lake in the middle of Hobbiton was icy. The shallow areas of the lake contained small shelves of fragile ice. Blades of brown grass stood out. They had small droplets of water on them.

Ripples crossed the lake, hitting the thin layer of ice. The bottom of the lake was murky and dark. Clouds reflected in the surface of the water.

Homes over looked the lake. A few roads and paths crossed the land around Hobbiton. Stone walls ran along both sides of the road. Every so often, a small gate would be set in the wall of rock. Round doors had been placed into the side of the hill.

It was the only sign that hobbits actually lived inside. Chimneys sprouted out of the ground. Some were smoking and others were not.

The chimneys send smoke up into the air. But there was one chimney was no smoking. It led into a cold room. Pimpernel was still sleeping. The ring had now fallen to the tiled floor. It had rolled part of the way under the bed. There was other movement in the house. Eglantine was making breakfast.

The cooker was very hot. The small round hobs of fire were heating the pan above. Eglantine placed a few slices of bacon in the hot pan. They instantly started to sizzle.

A spatula had been set down on the work top a few meters away. the smell of bacon slowly filled the room. Paladin Took was already sitting at the table along with Pearl.

In the middle of the table was a rack of toasted slices of bread. The rack that they rested on was made of silver metal.

A few crumbs lay at the bottom of the of the trey that made up the bottom of the toast rack. A hand reached over and grabbed two of the pieces of toast.

Pearl put it onto her plate. There was stick of butter resting on a dish. A knife was laying by the side. It already had a bit of butter stuck to it's surface.

The knife was then picked up. she took a bit out of the butter and started to spread it on the cool toast. The sizzling bacon started to quieten as Eglantine placed them on the cut and buttered slices of bread.

The second piece of bread was placed over the first. There was a knife near by. Eglantine picked it up and started to cut the sandwich.

Paladin had just finished his sandwich and smiled. A mug of ale sat before him. It was picked up and drank out of. He didn't stop drinking until there was no ale left.

He placed the mug down and looked around at his wife. There was another plate being stacked onto the plate.

"Any chance that you could do us some more?" Paladin asked.

Eglantine looked around.

"You've had your fair share" she answered.

Paladin gave a deep breath and looked back around. he was just about to reach over for another piece of toast when his hand was tapped.

"That is for Pimpernel" Eglantine said.

She then took the four remaining pieces and placed them on the plate. Paladin was still hungry. He needed more food to satisfy his needs.

All of the bacon had been used up. There would be a large delivery of food that after noon. The dwarves had been sent to get more food for the Yule feasts.

"Could you take that in for Pimpernel?" asked Eglantine.

Paladin suddenly changed his mood. He seemed to be scared by that question. It was obvious that he was still blaming himself.

Pearl, on the other hand, was looking at him.

"I'll take it" she said.

Eglantine smiled and past it over to her. Pearl got out of her seat, still with a bit of her breakfast to eat in her hand. She was handed the plate. The chair scrapped along the floor as she got up. At the same time, she took a bite of her sandwich.

She then walked out into the corridor. The house was very warm. Pearl came to the door of the room Pimpernel was staying in.

She placed the last bit of the sandwich in her mouth and used her free hand to knock.

Inside, Pimpernel was still asleep. But not for much longer. The knocks met her ears. Pimpernel slowly opened her eyes. The door was slowly opened, letting a bit of light in.

"Nelly?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel covered her eyes. She could make out the outline of her sister. Pearl made her way over to the bed.

"Mum made some bacon today, this is for you" she told Pimpernel, holding the plate.

Pimpernel slowly sat up. Pearl held out the plate for her. Nelly took it and put it on the bed in front of her.

"Thank you" she said.

Pearl smiled.

"I'll go and get you some ale" she told her sister.

But Pimpernel slowly shook her head.

"I don't want any" she told Pearl.

Pearl, who had turned and had started to walk away, looked back.

"But, you always have ale with breakfast" Pearl pointed out.

Pimpernel still didn't look at her sister.

"I would not like ale" she repeated.

There was a slight hint on anger in her voice. Pearl, who didn't not want to argue, picked this up straight away.

"Alright" she said.

The girl turned on the spot and walked to the door. She opened it and went though. Pearl's hand wrapped around the metal handle and pulled. The door swung shut with a small thud.

Pimpernel was now left in darkness again. The plate was resting on the duvet. Little did Pimpernel know that some other creature have been listening in to what went on.

The pup had been sleeping peacefully under the bed when Pearl had walked in. The bed above her creaked as Pimpernel sat up.

Voice could be heard and light could be seen. The puppy's brown eyes could see a pair of feet near the bed. She could hear talking for a minute or two, then the feet went away and the light vanished as well.

Pimpernel was sitting there, her hands wrapped around her knees. Her fingers twiddled, something let the memories of Hamson come back to her mind.

This made her even more upset. Memories of him sitting just a few feet away came back. She remembered him giving her the ring.

Pimpernel's eyes suddenly grew bigger.

"Oh no!" she said.

The ring was not in her hand or on her finger. Pimpernel quickly got off of the bed and looked around the floor. Her eyes were quickly moving around the floor. The light from the window would show up on the polished metal.

But there were no reflections on the floor.

Pimpernel started to get even more worried. She got onto her hands and knees and looked under the bed. The area under the bed was even more darker then up above.

Her small hands then started to sweep the area. She could feel the dust sticking to her hand. Yet there was no ring. Her hand then touched something warm and fluffy.

Her hand stopped, the ring was then pushed out of her head again. Her hand then slowly went away as she knelt up. a small whine came from where Pimpernel had searched.

After a few seconds of silence, a small figure came out from under the bed. Pimpernel could clearly see that it was a small puppy.

"Oh my" she said.

She was shocked to see a puppy coming out from under her bed.

"How did you get in?" she asked the pup.

It tilted its head and yawned. Pimpernel found this very adorable. Her heart just melted. The pup looked up at the girl kneeling before her.

Their eyes met. Pimpernel had loved puppies ever since she was a child. But Eglantine had not given in for many years.

"You can have one when you get your own hole" she told her.

But, now Nelly was a bit older, there was no harm in keeping it.

"Are you hungry?" Pimpernel asked.

The pup looked around, the light was dim. The puppy yawned widely and shook her head. Pimpernel just found the pup even more cuter then before.

"You must be tired, I am as well" Pimpernel told her.

The puppy looked around, the room was very cold and big to the pup. Pimpernel slowly extended her hand. The pup slowly turned to look at it.

Pimpernel had a large smile on her face. The puppy looked at her hand, she looked a little bit scared.

"You don't have to be scared pup" Pimpernel told it.

The pups eyes took a quick glance up, then moved a bit closer. Pimpernel tried not to make any sudden movements.

The cold nose of the pup started to sniff Pimpernel.

"She seems alright" the pup thought.

Pimpernel could feel the soft fur of the pup. The plate of bacon sandwiches continued to sit on the bed. Pimpernel's hand was now rubbing the soft fur of the pup.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked.

The pup nodded her head. Two large hands picked the puppy up. The pup was then placed on Pimpernel's shoulder.

Nelly had never been happier at that moment. She knew that Hamson had gone, but she had gained one of the cutest puppies she had ever seen.

Pimpernel looked at the small pup and kissed her on the head. Her fingers slowly moved over the warm and fluffy fur. The hobbit then sat on the bed and placed the puppy on her lap.

Pimpernel's free hand picked up the sandwich. The pup watched as Pimpernel took off the top slice of bread. There, resting on the second, was a warm piece of crisp bacon.

The bacon was then take off and held in Pimpernel's grip.

"Would you like some?" she asked the pup.

The puppy nodded, her eyes still focused on the bacon. It was slowly lowered to her mouth. The pup gave a big bite and ripped a bit off.

Pimpernel felt the small tug and smiled as the pup started to chew.

"This isn't so bad" the pup thought to herself.

She saw that Pimpernel was holding the other bit. The small pup looked up at Pimpernel and gave a small whine.

"More?" Nelly asked.

The pup nodded its head, making her fluffy ears flop as she did so. The bacon was the held in front of the pup again and she continued to chew.

Meanwhile, Estella was looking in a small cupboard. Just like every other household in Hobbiton, today was cleaning day.

A broom had been placed on the wall besides the small door. A bucket and some dusters were being carried out as well. Estella then got up from kneeling down. She picked up the broom and duster in one hand and the bucket in the other.

The tiles that made up the surface had small bits of muck and dirty on them. A few leaves had been carried in by her feet. Some had been there for a few weeks others had been there for days.

The kitchen was warm and light. The sun had now come up and was now shining though the window onto the dirty tiles.

The broom was then propped up against the table. Estella placed the duster onto the table. The bucket was then carried to the sink. Estella put the wooden bucket into sunk. It was just small enough to fit under the tap.

Estella the turned the hot tap on and watched the water rush into the wooden bucket. The water started to heat up as the level of the water rose higher and higher.

It took one or two minutes to fill right up. The tap was then turned off. The surface of the water rippled as Estella picked it up. She was now struggling with the weight of the bucket.

Estella placed the bucket on the floor and stood up. The bucket was filled with clean water. Estella walked over to the table and picked up the mop.

The hobbit then walked back to the bucket, picked it up and walked out of the room. Estella's arm started to hurt as she walked out to the corridor.

There were a lot of rooms to clean in the house. Estella's house contained eight rooms.

There was a library full of books that Estella had been given or brought.

A study full of old books and new ones

A kitchen that contained a cooker and table

Three bedrooms, one for her and two for her friends or visitors

A wash room which was home to a large bath and a sink

A lounge with a sofa and a few more book cases. There was a small table with candles and table mats on.

A dinning room with a large round table inside, big enough to have nine hobbits sit around.

The last room was a cellar. It had shelves stacked with food. On the floor was a chicken in a pen. He had his own bowl of food and water.

Estella had brought the chicken a few months ago. She had kept him in the cellar ready for her Yule feasts. He had grown very big and fat. Hobbits knew how to get the most out of them.

But Estella was not thinking about food at the moment. She was more worried about cleaning the house. There was a thin layer of dust on nearly every surface. But Estella was focused on getting the floor clean.

The hobbit had reached the front door. she would start from there and work her way to the different rooms. The bucket was then placed down. A droplet of water flew up and over the side of the wooden bucket.

Estella was glad to have put the heavy bucket down. The hobbit took a deep breath and surveyed the floor. The light was reflecting on the tiles. They had once reflected more light, but they were dirty.

"Well, I best get started" Estella told herself.

The mop was the dunked into the hot water. The water swirled around and was picked up by the mop. Estella then took it out of the water. A few drops splattered onto the tiles. Their colour instantly turned a darker red.

The mop was then placed on the floor and swept around the area of floor before her. The tiles started to look cleaner already. The candle light seemed to reflect brighter then normal.

Estella was not the only hobbit cleaning up the entire house. Other households were being cleaned top to bottom. There was rivalry among the hobbits. The cleaner the house, the better the hobbit family was.

This was the only time of year that they would open up their homes to other hobbits. Many meals were held at this time of year.

Sometimes, the most popular hobbits would get invited to five or six meals on each of the Yule days. The Green Dragon would hold one meal over the two days.

The whole of Hobbiton looked forward to the feasts at the Dragon. Only thirty invitations would be sent out. Rosie Cotton was in charge of sending the invitations out to the thirty lucky hobbits.

Thirty decorated cards were stacked on the table. An ink bottle and a quill were on the table near by. A small baby was held in Rosie's arms.

This was the youngest of the Gamgee children and his name was Pippin. Sam had named him after his very good friend Peregrin Took.

Pippin Gamgee had been crying since he had woken up. this had stopped Rosie from putting the finishing touches to her invitations.

Sam had been getting washed. He had gotten up later then normal. He came into the kitchen. Sam was just getting his green jacket on.

"Sam, could you take Pip for me?" Rosie asked.

Pip had started to fall asleep. Samwise smiled as he took his son and held him. The baby stirred, but didn't wake up. Rosie watched her husband walk back out of the room.

Rosie smiled and looked back at the table. There was a piece of parchment laying there. The hobbit picked it up and read the names on it. Some had been crossed off.

Rosie smiled and placed the parchment down again. The feather quill was then picked up and dabbed in the ink. Rosie then started to write a name. The quill touched the paper. The ink started to seep slowly onto the paper.

The letter "P" was made. Rosie then moved onto the next. "I" was the next letter. It took Rosie longer then normal to write out the name.

When she finished, Rosie picked the card up and looked at it. The card was made of pale pink paper. It had a border of ivy which had been drawn onto each one.

In the middle was a short message:

The Green Dragon

Would Like To Invite

To Our Yule Feast

Yule One

Five O'clock.

All that Rosie needed to do was to write the name of who she wanted to invite. Fifteen invitations had already been done. Yet, there were still forty five others to go.

Rosie took the bit of parchment and looked at it. the quill was still in her hand. She dabbed the quill back in the ink and then crossed Pimpernel's name off.

The card was then placed on a different pile. This one was smaller then the other one. Rosie picked up another from the larger pile.

It was exactly the same as the one she had picked up before. It had a space for the next name. Rosie picked up her quill yet again. She repeated the process many times.

But she was not the only one to do it. in all the house holds, the invitation cards had either been made or were in the process of being filled out.

She then came to the last name on the list. Diamond Took. Rosie couldn't remember that last time that she had seen her. It had been a week or two, she couldn't remember.

"Maybe they've gone away for Yule" she thought.

She was now had a choice to make: either to make an invite for her or to leave her out this year.

"I'll give it to her when I see her again" she told herself, putting it to one side.

Rosie and the rest of the hobbits did not know where Diamond and Pippin had gone. The two of them had left in the dead of night.

Diamond had fallen ill or unconscious, Pippin did not know which. Out of a moment of panic, he had rode Diamond to Rivendell.

It had been and long and dangerous journey for them. Especially Pippin. He had driven though the coldest nights. Snow fell around him. all that Pippin had left was the hope that his wife and best friend would be saved.

His determination paid off. Diamond recovered and Pippin now had a son. Faramir Took.

The coldness was waking Faramir up every few hours. But it was him that woke up. Everyone was now awake, Diamond was looking very tired as she ate a bit of lambas. She had just finished her first bite and was onto her second.

Pippin had finished his bread and was now unscrewing the lid to the flask he was holding. The weather around the cart was cold and grey. The wind was cold and sharp.

Pippin placed the flask to his lips and started to drink. The water was no normal water. It was Miruvor, an Elven drink. It had a sweet aroma to it. Even though it had been sitting around for a few days, Pippin noticed no difference in taste or effect.

Pippin took the flask away and took a deep breath. He looked over at his wife.

"Morning" he said.

Diamond smiled.

"Morning Pip" she said.

Pippin then picked out a bit of lambas and held it out. Diamond smiled as she took it.

"Thank you" she said, taking it.

The cart rolled on. Elladan had been driving for a few days now. Elves were not like mortal men or elves. Time did not effect them. Their appearance had changed little over their lives.

Elves could not feel tiredness like other races of Middle-earth. Coldness did not effect the elves as well. Their eyes were sharp, seeing movement even in the thickest of fog.

Elladan had a small bag with him. It was used to keep his food and his flask of Miruvor in. The elf didn't seem to show any signs of the coldness of the night before.

The clouds over head were gathering. The wind blew though the forests of trees. Weathertop was a few miles away. It marked half way between Hobbiton and Rivendell.

But this time, Pippin would not get to see Weathertop. He was in the back of the cart. A blanket had been thrown over his feet and legs.

Origo, Diamond's puppy, was waking up. The cold wind was getting to him, along with the hunger that he was now feeling.

Origo was laying on a blanket that had been put out. He had gently curled up on it. The heat from his fur made him sleepy. But now, his little eyes were opening. His head was raised from resting on his paws.

Small whimpers came from the pup. Diamond looked around and gave a small smile.

"Morning Ori" she said.

The pup then got onto all fours and shook himself all the way down his body. A large yawn came over him. His ears pointed back and his eyes closed.

Diamond, who had been watching, thought that this was extremely cute.

"You've had a nice long sleep" she said wearily.

The pup slowly walked over to her. Diamond then started to stroke his warm head. Faramir was asleep in Pippin's arms. Diamond then gently picked up Origo and placed him on her shoulder.

The pup yawned again and rested his head on her shoulder. Her left hand stroked the top of Ori's head. Pippin was smiling and looking at the two.

"I think he's got competition" Pip told her.

Diamond smiled.

"I think he does" she said, taking a quick glance down at the pup.

Origo lifted his head and licked Diamond's cheek. His cold and wet nose touched her skin.

"Oh, but Origo is cute in his own way"

The pup was then kissed on the head. Small whimpers came from Origo again and he turned to look at the basket. He then looked up as his Diamond.

"Ah, food"

She reached over and grabbed the basket with one hand. She held Ori with her free one. Diamond sat back down again and looked inside. The food was getting low. Only a few packets of bread were left. They had been wrapped in crisp green leaves.

A few leaves had nothing to cover, so they were put to one side. The others were wrapped around flat bread. Lambas bread had been packed for the journey. But now most of it had gone from the first basket. A few pouches of Elven water had been put into the basket as well.

There were a few more packs wrapped in brown paper. These were packets for Origo and they contained turkey. For he would eat nothing else but turkey.

Diamond reached down and picked an open packet from inside the wicker basket. She placed it on her lap. When she went to push the basket back, she felt Origo suddenly try to move.

"Ah, no" she said, holding him back.

Origo was now fully awake, his eyes were now concentrated on the packet of turkey before him. Diamond's hand held his mouth shut.

"Are you going to be a good puppy?" she asked.

Ori was whimpering, Diamond knew that he really wanted it.

"Ori, are you going to be a good puppy?" Diamond asked again.

Origo's eyes were darting around. Diamond took her hand slowly away. The pup whined and tried to get the turkey. Diamond then picked out a small piece of meat from the paper packet.

The puppy was whimpering even more. The hobbit picked up the meat and smiled. She held it up for Origo to eat. The pup took the turkey from her grip and instantly started to chew.

The pup instantly started to behave. Diamond watched her puppy eat. He finished the peace and whined for more. Another piece was picked out.

It took a few minutes before Origo had enough. The packet had been emptied and a second had been opened. The pup continued to eat and eat and eat.

The second packed was emptied of all turkey.

"Alright, I think that's enough for you" Diamond said as she put the empty packets into the basket.

Origo was now awake, he lay on Diamond's lap. He could see the outside world rushing by. His little eyes could see the trees getting bigger, then smaller.

The road would ever onwards. Weathertop had come and gone. The clouds were now threatening to dump a thick carpet of snow on the cart and surrounding area.

But no one was in more trouble then Merry. The coldness was deepening. His breath could be seen coming out of his mouth. His teeth were chattering.

Bree was two days away. This meant that he would have to spend another few cold nights in the open. Not for the first time Merry's mind went back to his warm home. He had left it a few days ago. The hobbit had now started to regret it.

But then, Merry would regret it even more if he didn't try to find Pippin. The trees around the path stretched on for miles around.

Deer roamed around, eating grass that had been poking out of the ground. Small herds of deer roamed around. Foxes and birds also roamed the land. Squirrels bounced from branch to branch.

Some of the jumps that they did looked very difficult. They would run along the very thin and fragile looking branches. The pounced, flew in the air and landed on the wood thirty feet away.

Yet no one was around to see them. houses were rare in the old forest. Only the road ran though. The ground was covered in rotting and decaying leaves.

Fog made it harder to see though the pillars of black trees. Figures moved though the fog. They were seen for a second, then vanished.

Merry was starting to feel hungry again. His pack had no bread in it. yet Legolas' and Gimli's did. Lambas bread was abundant in their packs.

"Legolas?" asked Merry, walking a bit faster to keep up with him.

The elf moved his head to look down at him.

"You need food" Legolas answered, giving a small smile.

"I need some…" but Merry stopped.

"How did you know?" he asked.

Merry was shocked to hear what Legolas had just said.

"The elf knows more then most" Gimli said.

Legolas then stopped in the middle of the path. His eyes quickly scanned the area.

"Alright, just a few minutes" the elf told them.

Merry was then handed the bag and opened it. Legolas walked on a bit and looked around. His eyes pierced the curtain of fog. A deer was by itself in the middle of the forest. It's ears shot up at every small noise.

Merry had opened the bag and now had a bit of lambas bread in his hand. The bag was then past back to the elf. Merry broke a piece off.

"Thank you lad" Gimli said, taking the bit of bread.

Legolas was then broken off a small bit. He took it and started to eat. Merry's feet were getting colder and colder the more he stood there.

The snow was slowly moving towards them. A cart was heading towards them as well. Merry knew that the snow would get here first. The clouds moved over head with the wind.

A few flakes started to fall, it was the first sign of things to come. Merry took a bite of his lambas and looked around. A small bit of him missed the Shire.

The hobbit took a deep breath and looked around. A few flakes landed in his hair. They started to melt, making his hair wet in places.


	26. Day Thirteen, Part Two

A cold snow flake landed on his yellow jacket. He wiped it away and took another bite of the bread. Gimli was looking around. Like always, he had his axe with him.

His hands had been placed in large leather gloves. His armour had been taken off. There was no need for killing any more.

Gimli's beard had changed over the years. It had not grown in length, but the greyness had become more noticeable. His face seemed to be more older looking.

The dwarf then got out a wooden pipe. There was a bowl at one end. In Gimli's other hand was a pouch of tobacco.

The pouch was then put back in his pocket. A small wooden box had then been taken out. Gimli opened it. There were small hinges on the back. Inside were small sticks of wood. They were matches that he had picked up from Minus Tirith.

There was a square of coarse paper inside as well. Gimli took one of the sticks of wood out. It had a purple head to it. Gimli then held the paper on top of the box and lit the stick of wood.

A small flame erupted from the end of stick. Gimli lit the tobacco. The small bits of tobacco started to burn, sending smoke into the air. Gimli then started to draw in some of the smoke.

The hobbit was watching him. It had been a few days since Merry had had a smoke. And he was feeling it. the hobbit had had a headache all day. the smoke coming out of the Gimli's mouth was so tempting.

Merry looked back down at the small bit of bread in his hand. He took a deep breath, he started to think of his home again.

Hobbiton was now being dumped in snow. Flakes were falling to earth. They settled on the grass and the road. All of the chimneys were now smoking.

Pimpernel was holding a puppy, she was thinking about showing her mother what she had. The puppy was laying on her lap. Her hand was subconsciously stroking the puppy's ear.

Two voices were arguing in her head.

"Just tell her, Pimpernel, you need to. She'll find out sooner or later!"

"But if you do, she might not let you keep her!"

"But you'll never knew if you don't to it"

"Then again, you might be wrong. She might not let you keep her!"

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked towards the door. Either path was tempting. She knew that her mother would not take lightly to the pup. But Pimpernel thought she could persuade her.

So, the puppy was picked up and carried. Pimpernel walked towards the door and stood there. She was scared of going out of the room. The bed looked more tempting now.

Hamson's ring had been forgotten for the moment. Pimpernel's hand was resting on the handle. The hobbit took a deep breath and opened the door.

The door creaked as she opened it. On the other side of the door was a corridor. It was large and bright. There were wooden panels running half way up the round wall. The other half was plastered.

There were a few candles flickering on their holders. They shed light on the surrounding area. Pimpernel looked either way. But none of her family were around.

The hobbit left the room, the first time in days. She walked towards the kitchen. The warmth was very noticeable here. The fire had been burning merrily by itself. The kettle had been placed back on it's hook.

There was a window showed only a small patch of sky. It had grey clouds. The puppy was looking around as well. She could still smell the bacon from earlier.

Pimpernel wondered where everyone was.

"Mum?" she asked.

Her voice echoed around the house. There was a pile of cards on the table. Each one had a name on it. There were not as many as Rosie's pile. Yet, there were still twenty cards there. The ink bottle and feather quill had been put back in their rightful place.

A noise came from the corridor. It met Pimpernel's ears, it made her look around. Just then Eglantine came though the door. She suddenly stopped, spotting her daughter standing there. A large smile came across her face.

"How are you?" she asked.

The puppy was looking at the new person who had come into the room. Eglantine was just about to hug her daughter when her eyes met the puppy's eyes.

Eglantine looked down at the small eyes.

"Pimpernel, where did you get the puppy from?" she asked.

Pimpernel was looking away from her mother.

"I found her" she answered.

"Found her?" asked Eglantine.

"Where?"

Pimpernel took a deep breath, she knew that she was on the brink of losing her new puppy.

"She was under the bed" Nelly answered.

Her mother looked deep into her eyes.

"Nelly, are you telling me the truth?" her mother asked.

She had a look on her eyes. There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Alright" she said.

Eglantine knew when her family was lying to her. But Pimpernel wasn't. The puppy rested her head on Pimpernel. Her small fluffy ears were tickled.

"So, am I allowed to keep her?" Pimpernel asked, she knew that she was touching on a very difficult subject.

Eglantine took a deep breath and walked away. Pimpernel's hopes were dashed.

"You know what I think of dogs" she answered her daughter.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"But mum, I'll take good care of her" she explained.

Eglantine walked over to the cupboard and opened it. inside, there were pots and pans. Lunch was coming up and Eglantine needed to get lunch ready.

"But Pimpernel, dogs smell. I don't want her stinking out the house"

This made Pimpernel very upset. Her eyes started to fill up with tears. The puppy was resting her head oh her. The pup looked sleepy.

"But why cant we have one? I'll take good care of her!" Pimpernel pointed out.

There was a crash as her mother got out pans for cooking. A roast dinner was in order. But the chicken had yet to be cooked.

"I'm sure you will, but you cant have her" Eglantine told her.

She looked around at her daughter. There was a tear slowly ran down her perfect face. She then turned and walked away.

"Pimpernel, please come back" Eglantine said, holding a pan.

But it was too late. The door was slammed shut, the bang echoed around the kitchen. Eglantine took a deep breath. Some how, she thought she had hurt her daughter even more.

"Maybe I should let her keep the puppy" she thought.

She placed the pan on the worktop. Eglantine walked towards the cellar. She opened the large wooden door and walked inside.

The cellar was colder then the rest of the house for it never had candles in. Eglantine picked out what she needed and walked back out.

The coldness was deepening outside. Large snow flakes fell to the ground. They had started to fall a few hours ago. Most of the hobbits that lived in Hobbiton had gone inside. Not only because of the cold, but due to it being lunch as well.

The lake was rippling in the bitterly cold wind. There seemed to be no birds flying the air. They had all nestled down, away from the on coming snow.

There were a few figures walking in the increasing snow. They had small cards in their hands. The hobbits walked to different houses.

A knock at the door. Samwise was waiting in the snow for an answer. He looked around the small garden he was in.

"That doesn't look very nice" he thought, eyeing an untidy bush.

The large door in front of him opened and reviled Estella Bolger. She gave a smile.

"Hello Sam, would you like to come in?" Estella asked.

"Thank you miss Estella" Sam answered, walking over the threshold.

The coldness rushed into the house, flickering the burning candles.

"I brought you this" Sam said, holding out a card.

It was a very well decorated card. It was pale pink with an ivy boarder. Estella's eyes scanned the card. She read the passage in the middle.

The Green Dragon

Would Like To Invite

Estella Bolger

To Our Yule Feast

Yule One

Five O'clock.

Estella smiled, knowing how extravagant their feasts were. She looked up at Sam bearing a smile.

"Thank you Sam" she said.

Samwise smiled as well. He stuck his hand in his pocket and got out the list that Rosie made. Sam then felt around his pocket a bit more. He was trying to find his quill and small ink pot.

"You don't suppose you have a quill I could borrow, do you?" asked Sam, looking a little bit embarrassed.

Estella smiled.

"Of course" she said.

The hobbit walked away, Sam followed on afterwards. The two of them then entered the cluttered study. Books were stacked onto many shelves. There was a fire place built into the wall. There were small flames dancing around in it.

The smoke rose up and out into the cold, snowy air outside.

"Here you go" said Estella, handing him a ink well and a feather quill.

Sam smiled.

"Thank you" he said as he took it from her.

The ink well had now top. The ink ripped inside as Sam looked down at the paper. It was very tricky to do so. Estella watched him tick off her name.

"Right then, I better be off. It'll be lunch soon" Sam told her.

Sam's nose was red, he sniffed as he turned and walked out. This time, Estella was following Sam. Sam opened the door. Another large wave of cold air was let in. the candles started to flicker again.

"See you later Sam!" Estella said, then closed the door.

Sam walked to the closed gate, opened it, walked though and then closed it. The wind was blowing snow flakes into Sam's face. They felt like small needles hitting his face.

The road was covered in snow. Sam's foot prints from when he walked up were now covered up. the flakes feel like feathers in the wind.

The snow started to fall around the cart. Origo was still laying on Diamond's lap. Faramir was now in the arms of his father. Diamond's hand stroked him. Her hand ran over his soft fur.

She looked down and saw her pup looking around. A yawn came over him. He rested his head on his paws. He was very tired. He could still feel Diamond hand running up and down his back.

His eyes started to get heavy. The coldness was not effecting him like they were the hobbits. Faramir was wrapped up in a massive blanket. His little feet and hands were tucked up in the warm blanket.

Origo's eyes slowly started to drop. The puppy was now sleeping. The sounds and movement from outside ceased. Diamond looked down at Origo and smiled.

"I think he's asleep" Diamond said.

Pippin smiled and watched Diamond gently place Ori on his blanket. The cart continued to roll on. Lunch came and went. The snow had started to fall and the temperature plummeted.

One o'clock past seamlessly into two. To Diamond, every mile ahead looked like the mile just gone.

Two o'clock ran all the way around to three o'clock. Faramir have been placed back into his small cot.

Three o'clock seemed to take forever to turn into four o'clock. Diamond was now getting very cold. The sun was now going down in the west.

Five o'clock brought an increase in snow and wind. The darkness around the cart was deepening.

Six o'clock. Pippin was getting hungry again. There were only a few pieces of Lambas left in the first basket.

Origo had started to wake from his sleep. He whined, the coldness was getting to him. The pup was now not being cuddled or stroked by his Diamond.

His little brown eyes slowly opened. The darkness around him made it harder to see. Ori could see figures laying down on the floor of the cart.

"Diamond?" he whimpered, the coldness was making him shiver.

The pup then stood up on all fours. The blanket he left behind was very warm. He slowly walked away, looking around in the darkness.

The puppy sniffed the wooden planks. There were a pair of bare feet sticking out of one of the lumps. Origo wondered who it was.

His little nose sniffed the bottom of the foot. The pup whined at the smell.

"Defiantly not my Diamond" he thought.

His eyes scanned around and came across the second lump. Origo walked over and sniffed. It was certainly his Diamond.

Her eyes were closed, a few snowflakes had landed in her dark hair. Origo came up to her face and started to sniff. His small tongue then started to lick her face.

Diamond, who had been in an uncomfortable sleep started to wake up. She groaned at first. Her eyes slowly opened to see a small puppy standing there. A warm smile came over her lips.

"Hello pup" she said.

A large hand scooped the puppy up and cuddled him closer. There was a blanket over Diamond. Origo cuddled up, he was very cold.

Back in Hobbiton, Pimpernel was laying on her bed. A puppy was laying next to her. Her figures tickled the pup's ears.

Just then, the door opened slightly. A girl stood there, looking in.

"Nelly?" she asked.

Pimpernel looked up, but didn't answer. The pup looked around. The door was then opened more and the girl walked in. it was Pearl.

Pearl slowly and quietly closed the door. Pimpernel said nothing. She didn't want to.

"Mum told me about the puppy" she said.

The puppy stretched and lay on it's side. Nelly gave a small smile.

"She said that you cant keep it" Pearl told her.

"I know what she said and I am keeping the puppy" Pimpernel told her.

There was a small hint of anger in her voice. Pearl slowly sat down on one of the chairs. The pup yawned widely.

"What are you going to name her?" Pearl asked.

But Nelly didn't answer. In fact, she didn't like Pearl being there at all. The silence was the only thing that the two of them could hear.

"It's snowing outside" Pearl said.

Her voice was instantly blocked out instantly. A invisible smell started to seep though the gaps in the door. a roast dinner had been prepared.

A large chunk of beef had been cut and cooked for their dinner. Vegetables had been either cooked or boiled. Parsnips, sprouts, carrots, roast potatoes. All have been cooked.

Plates were now being set out. One for each of the family. Apart from Pippin. Knives and forks had been set out. A knife had been on one side of the white plate and a fork had been set out on the other.

There were larger bowls on the work top. Eglantine had large gloves on. But they were not for snow. instead, they were for lifting the hot treys out of the oven.

The oven door was then opened. The heat hit Eglantines face. She had already had a cloth to pick them up on. The hobbit then slid the trey out.

The fire was licking the trey underneath. Eglantine got out the first and placed it on the work top. The hot trey had parsnips resting on it.

Another trey was brought out from the friary cooker. Potatoes had been roasting in the heat. They had a crisp coat on them. A small bit of stream snaked it's way into the air.

The door to the oven was then closed. On top, a pan was bubbling. Water had filled up most of the pan. Inside the bubbling water were sprouts. They had only been in the water for a few minutes.

Eglantine was not yet going to serve them up. Eglantine still had the cloth in her hand as she got a large serving spoon. She then started to scoop the roast potatoes into the white bowl. They were still piping hot.

After a minute or two, Eglantine had placed all of the roast potatoes into the bowl. She picked it up, turned around and placed it in the middle of the table.

Eglantine did the same with the parsnips. The boiling pot of sprouts was lifted off of the hob and carried it over to the sink. She removed the hot glass lid. It had a few hot drips of water running off of it.

Eglantine used the lid to drain out the water. A column of stream rose into the room. Just then, the door opened and in came Pervinca.

She had come in from the freezing cold weather outside.

"Hello" she said, closing the door behind her.

"Hello love" Eglantine said with a smile.

Pervinca had a large smile across her face.

"I could smell that when I came in" she said, looking over at the oven.

Eglantine walked over to an unused bowl and tipped the sprouts into the bowl. They steamed gently in the bowl.

"Would you call everyone please?" she asked.

Vinnie smiled.

"Sure" she answered.

Pervinca's large coat had been left on the hooks near the front door. A small table had been place near by. A glass vase had been placed on the table. Flowers had been placed in the vase along with water.

The flowers looked very old and the water was murky. Pervinca walked down the clean looking corridor. She past closed wooden doors.

But she didn't stop at them. She was heading for one door. On the other side were her two sisters. Pimpernel and Pearl.

When Vinnie got to the door, she raised one had and knocked three times. Inside, both of the girls looked at door. it slowly opened.

"Hello" Pervinca said brightly.

She could see her two sisters there.

"Hello Vinnie" Pearl said.

"Dinner is ready now" Vinnie told them.

Her eyes then lay on Pimpernel. She could see her sister holding a fluffy bundle in her hands.

"When did you get a puppy?" she asked.

Like her sister, Pervinca had always liked dogs as well. She took a few steps forward. The puppy was looking right at her. She smiled.

"Can I hold him?" she asked.

Pimpernel was laying on the bed.

"It's a her" corrected Pearl.

Vinnie walked over to the bed and reached out a hand.

"It's alright pup, I wont hurt you" Pervinca said softly.

The puppy looked a little bit scared. Her little nose started to sniff Pervinca's fingers. Vinnie could feel the cold, wet nose touch her.

"See, I wont hurt you" she told it.

Pimpernel had a small smile on her face.

"Can I hold her?" asked her sister.

Nelly gave a small nod. Pervinca picked the puppy up, her hands were under each of the pup's front paws. The pup was then held in her arms.

"She's so warm and fluffy" Pervinca told them.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked away. She knew that she couldn't keep her. Vinnie was smiling, she kissed the top of the pup's head.

"Does she have a name yet?"

"Yes, Pimpernel chose the name Abira" Pearl answered.

Just then, a voice echoed down the corridor to the room.

"Dinner is ready!" it said.

Pearl looked over at the door. She then stood up.

"Are you coming this time?" she asked Pimpernel.

All she got was a shake of the head.

"Do you want me to bring your dinner in here?" Pearl asked her sister.

Nelly gave a small nod. Pearl then walked away. Pervinca kissed the puppy's head one more time and placed her down on the bed.

"I'll see you and Abira later" she said.

Pearl was then followed out of the room. The door was then shut, blocking out the small bit of light from outside. The puppy had watched then walk out. her attention was now back on her owner.

Pimpernel could hear her whimper. A small paw touched her back.

"Come here, pup" Nelly said glumly.

She picked the puppy up and set it down on the bed before her.

"I cant keep you" Pimpernel told the pup.

"Mother is too strict and she doesn't went me having you"

The puppy tilted it's head and looked at her. A small whine came from the pup. Pimpernel's hand was running over Abira's small ear.

"I wish I could keep you" she said.

The puppy then moved forward and licked Pimpernel's face.

"I love you too pup" she told the pup.

In the kitchen, there was much activity. Pearl, Pervinca, Paladin and Eglantine were all piling food onto their plates. The beef had been cut into slices. Paladin was now putting a few of them onto his plate.

Pearl was piling the honey roasted parsnips onto her plate. A few spouts had been placed on the plate as well. Eglantine was at the opposite end of the rectangle shaped table to Paladin. A few roast potatoes had been put on her plate.

"Pearl, could you pass the sprouts down please?" she asked.

Pearl, who had just put them down, picked them back up and past them over to her mother. The bottom of the bowl was very hot.

"Thank you dear"

A spoon had been left in the bowl as well. It was set down. Eglantine started to scoop the green sprouts onto her plate.

"Mum?" asked Pervinca.

Eglantine, who had been pouring gravy onto her dinner, looked up.

"Yes dear?"

"Well, I want to know why Pimpernel cant keep her puppy"

Eglantine rolled her eyes, having already told Pimpernel why.

"Because she isn't allowed to!" Eglantine answered.

"But why? Why wont you let her have a puppy?" Pearl asked.

Her mother took a deep breath.

"Because dogs smell Pearl. They ruin houses and if she's stays here then the puppy cant"

Pearl had stopped cutting her meat.

"But…"

But Pearl was interrupted.

"No "Buts" she can not have one here and that's enough"

Pimpernel had been standing at the door. She could see and hear her family arguing.

"How? How could she say this?" she asked herself.

She felt anger in her blood. It was rare for hobbits to feel such a feeling. The door slowly opened. Pearl, who was sitting in the seat that faced the door, looked up.

She could see Pimpernel standing there. A few tears were running down her face.

"You just don't know what I've been though over the last few days!" Pimpernel said.

There was a lot of emotions in her face and voice.

"I'm just…"

"No!" Pimpernel shouted.

The room was now quiet. Pervinca and Paladin had stopped eating. They were looking between Pimpernel and Eglantine.

"You have to understand that I don't want a puppy in the house" Eglantine told her.

Pimpernel was shaking her head.

"Well, if you don't want a puppy in the house, maybe I should…"

Pimpernel stopped.

"Maybe I don't belong here either"

Without giving her mother a chance to argue back, Pimpernel turned and walked away. Both Eglantine and Pearl got up. They followed her back towards the spare room.

The noise of the door slamming echoed though the house. Their dinners had been left.

Eglantine got to the door first and opened the door. Pimpernel standing there. She was in a flood of tears.

"Pimpernel, dear…"

She walked over to her daughter.

"Get away!" Pimpernel shouted.

Her mother was very shocked. She had never been shouted at. Pearl placed her hands on the shoulders of her mother.

"Mum, I think Pimpernel wants some alone time" Pearl whispered in her ear.

Pimpernel looked angry and upset.

"I'm leaving" she told them.

Eglantine looked confused.

"Leaving? But where will you go?" she asked.

Pimpernel thought quickly.

"I will go to Pearl's house" Nelly answered.

Pearl looked surprised. Her mother looked around.

"Is this true?" she asked.

Pearl looked at her sister. She couldn't turn her sister away. not after what she had been though.

"Yes, yes she can" Pearl told her mother.

Eglantine took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Pimpernel, I just don't like dogs" she told her.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Eglantine walked out. Pearl and Pimpernel looked at each other.

"Are you really going to?" asked Nelly.

Pearl was confused.

"Really going to what?" she asked.

"Are you really going to let me stay with you?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl gave her sister a warm smile.

"Of course, I'll do anything for my sisters" she answered.

Pimpernel smiled.

"You best get back to your dinner, I can go on to your home" she told her sister.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait for me?" Pearl asked.

"No, I'll be OK" Nelly answered.

Pearl smiled at her sister.

"I'll see you beck at the house"

Both of the girls walked out of the room. Pimpernel went one way, towards the door. While Pearl headed back to the kitchen.

Pimpernel, who was holding Abira with one arm, opened the door. The coldness did not hit her until she crossed over the threshold.

The hobbit closed the door behind her. Lots of snow had fallen since it had started a few hours ago. A good few inches now lay on the ground. The wind made the temperature even colder.

Pimpernel's face was stinging a bit. Her hands were really cold now. She walked past houses that had light pouring out of them.

In the middle was a large black hole. It used to belong to her. The hobbit stopped suddenly. Her eyes fell on the burnt home. The snow fell around her, landing in her hair.

Pimpernel still could not believe that it had happened. All of her belongings had been taken away from her in a matter of minutes.

She took a deep breath and started to walk again. Her sister's house was not that far away now.

Estella Bolger was at the small cupboard a empty bucket and a wet mop had been put back. The small door was closed and Estella stood up.

She was exhausted. The whole house had been cleaned and dusted. The house looked very clean indeed. The tiles that made up the floor were reflecting light like they had never done so.

Estella walked back to the clean kitchen. The fire place had been scrubbed clean. There were no black marks clinging onto the wall above.

Hunger was now gripping her. Food was now in her sights.

"And then bed" she told herself.

The cellar door was then opened and Estella walked in. Her eyes looked around and picked up a small packet. Just like nearly every hobbit in Hobbiton, each cellar had a large array of food.

The packet contained cookies. Estella walked out again and closed the door. She walked out of the kitchen, back down the corridor to her room.

The room was light and warm. The window showed the darkness outside. Estella's room was very well decorated. There was a large book shelf along one wall. A few candles were dotted around the room.

The ceiling was curved, the ceilings and walls seemed to blend into one. A bed had been placed in the middle. Estella had made it when she had cleaned the room.

There was a small writing table in the corner. The papers that had been cleaned away into a box. A small book lay on table.

It was Estella's diary. The hobbit walked over to the table. Tiredness was getting to her now. She yawned as she sat on her seat. There was a small rug under the seat and table.

There were a few ink stains that Estella failed to get out. The cookies that had been wrapped in brown paper were placed down.

Estella's focus was now the small book. She opened it's pages. Every page had been written in. Memories and feelings had been put down in words.

Her hand writing changed from the beginning to the end. Estella now opened the next blank page. A few dots of ink had leaked onto the next page.

A quill was then picked up. it was made from a feather. There was an ink well on top of table. The table was made so that it had a slope to it. It made it easier to write on.

The small top of the ink well was then taken off and placed next to it. Estella took the quill in her hand and dabbed it into the ink.

She then lifted it out and then started to write.

23rd Foreyule

She wrote. The hobbit dabbed the tip of the feather quill back in the ink. Estella then continued to write.

Dear Diary, I've been invited to the feast at the green dragon!

I'm really excited. It will be my first time there. I do not know who else may be going. The card that Rosie made was very well decorated.

Today I cleaned the whole house. I washed all of the floor and dusted all of the surfaces. I think I can rest tomorrow.

Estella smiled and ripped open the paper bag. Inside, chocolate chip cookies. The girl picked one out and took a bite. She started to chew. The taste of rich chocolate. The doe had been cooked until it had turned a light brown colour. It was crispy as well.

Estella finished her mouth full and took another bite. It took her a minute or two to finish. She then started on her second.

The clock ticked on. Ten o'clock fast approached. Hobbiton was falling quiet again for another cold night. Ice started to form on the surface of the lake.

"Time for bed" Estella told herself.

She got up from her writing desk. The book had been shut and the ink well had it's lid put back on. Estella yawned as she walked out of the room to go to the bath room.

She washed her hands and face, then came back to the warm bed room. The snow outside was creating a deep carpet on the floor.

The snow flakes came down as big as feathers. Each chimney on the large hill was bellowing with smoke. There was an eerie silence around the land.

Estella pulled the duvet away and got into bed. Tiredness had won. Her eyes closed quicker then normal. She had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes.


	27. Day Fourteen, Part One

Abira was sleeping in a nice warm bed. The snow outside was deepening. Foxes were up and about in the coldness. Yet their fur kept the cold out.

A nose sniffed the ground. Although it was the early hours of the morning, there was a lot of life outside. Hobbiton was asleep. Most of the lights had been put out.

Large, warm duvets had been thrown over the hobbits. Their windows were closed and locked. The fires had been stocked up. they were spreading their heat around the house.

Abira was asleep under a large duvet. Her eyes were closed and her fur was nice and warm. Her small head rested on a large arm. Pimpernel was sleeping in the bed as well.

She had been cuddling her new puppy. But now, they had both fallen asleep. Pearl was sleeping in the next room. She had changed into her night gown.

Earlier that night, Pimpernel had moved in with her. Eglantine took, their mother, had banned puppies and dogs from her house.

So, Pimpernel had moved in with her sister. Earlier, the two of them had been in the warm kitchen. The candles were burning. The fire place had been flaming for the last couple of hours.

Pearl had been busy cooking up a small snack for them. Abira had been set down and was now discovering the rest of the house. The pup's nose ran over the floor as she scurried around.

A few times, she stopped and looked around. The pup could see dark pictures hanging on the walls. A small cold breeze running though the house.

Noises echoed around the house. Pearl had placed a plate on the kitchen table. A bacon sandwich had been made and set in front of Pimpernel.

Nelly was still a bit upset. She took a deep bread as her eyes looked down at the sandwich. Pearl took the pan off of the heat and looked around. Pimpernel took a deep breath. She looked very glum.

"You alright?" asked Pearl, placing her plate on her table mat.

Pimpernel seemed to be staring into an invisible spot.

"I don't think mum loves me anymore" she answered.

Pearl was a little bit shocked.

"Nelly, of course mum loves you" she told her.

Nelly's eyes flashed towards her sister.

"Well she doesn't show it very well"

There was a small hint of anger in Pimpernel's voice that Pearl picked up. Not wanting an argument, Pearl didn't answer. The hobbit ate her sandwich in silence.

The bacon was crisp and had a slight smoked flavour to it. Abira then scurried into the room. The smell of bacon was now hitting her nose and she wanted some.

Pimpernel smiled and looked down to her side. A small pup was wagging her tail and looking upwards. Two large hands picked up the pup. Pimpernel placed the excited puppy on her lap.

Abira's little tongue was sticking out of her mouth. Her eyes were wide and her fur warm. A small whine came from her, Nelly knew that she wasn't quick enough.

"Alright, sit there like a good girl" she said.

Abi watched as Nelly took a bit of bacon out of her sandwich and fed it to her. Abira seemed to calm down quite quickly. Pimpernel yawned and put her hand over her mouth.

The darkness had fallen around the small village. The snow continued to carpet the ground.

"I think I should get ready for bed" Pimpernel said.

She did indeed look tired. Pimpernel slid the chair back and stood up. the small puppy whimpered, she was still hungry.

But Pimpernel did not stop. She walked straight out of the room. Pearl was left sitting by herself. The fire crackled. The tiles under Pimpernel's feet were cleaner then normal.

Pearl had been left on her own as she heard Pimpernel walked into the spare room. Pearl continued to eat her sandwich.

The small bit of hunger had now been satisfied. There was still two triangles of the sandwich. She picked up the second piece and took a bite. Her eyes were now very heavy.

Pimpernel was now getting washed in the bath room. Water had been filled in a sink. A small bit of water vapour snaked into the air.

Ripples crossed the surface of the water. A mirror had been put on the wall. Pimpernel was looking at her reflection. Her hair was very greasy. She still had small black marks on her skin. It was the only evidence of the fire.

The mirror showed how old Pimpernel looked. Her eyes had small bags under them. Pimpernel's attention was now turned to the water that was now resting in the bowl. It was hot, hot to the point of pain.

The water started to run over the palms of her hands. Her hands were pushed deeper and deeper in to the hot water. The water trickled over the backs of her hands and fingers.

The heat of the water showed on her face. But she kept it locked up.

After a minute, she took her hands out of the hot water. Both had a small hint of redness about them. a few drips fell back into the bowl. The sounds around her seemed to be clearer somehow.

Pimpernel looked back into the glass mirror. Her hands were raised to her face. After a few seconds of rubbing, she took her hands away.

The black marks have vanished. Her eyes seemed to brighten. A small smile came over her lips. She knew that life could only get better.

Her hand then went back into the dirty water and pulled the plug. The water level slowly started to lower. After a minute, all of the water was gone. Only a trickle was left running down the hole in the middle.

Pimpernel had walked away from the sink to the towel rack. She picked out one of the small towels and started to dry off her hands and her face.

A minute later, she walked out of the warm room. Pimpernel could feel the temperature changing as she walked down the corridor to her room.

She opened the large wooden door. Candles were burning on their holders. Some of them had wax seeping from the top of them. The wax looked like droplets of water trapped in time.

The room had a bed and on the bed was a small puppy. The puppy was laying down, her eyes were looking around. As Pimpernel came in, the puppy's eyes homed in on her.

The pup then stood on all fours and looked happily up at her. A hand came down and started to stroke her head. Pimpernel then lifted her up.

"How are you pup?" Nelly asked.

The pup whined and licked her. Nelly smiled and kissed her puppy on her small, fluffy head. The duvet was then uncovered and Pimpernel got in. The puppy was held in her arms as the hobbit laid down.

Abira snuggled down as Pimpernel placed a big duvet over her. Everything went darker then normal. Abi could feel the weight of the duvet was heavy for the pup.

Pimpernel heard whimpering coming from under the large duvet. A small bit opened to revile the puppy trying to get out. a smile came over her face.

"Come on then" she said.

A small hint of tiredness was in her voice as the pup crawled up. Abira's little head was now pocking out of the top of the warm duvet. She was resting on Pimpernel's arm.

Pimpernel was getting very sleepy now. There were now sounds echoing though the house. Only the small patters of the snow flakes hitting the window met her ears.

Pimpernel's eyes closed and she went into a deep and peaceful sleep.

The hours continued to tick away. Midnight came and went, the only difference was that the snow strengthened. One o'clock in the morning came next. Hobbit children and adults alike were tucked up in bed. Chimneys continued to throw smoke into the air.

Two o'clock past with no trouble. Small mice ran along empty and unused corridors. A second came the other way. The two of them met. A few squeaks were directed at each other and then away.

Three o'clock and, outside, foxes now roamed the market place. The snow was coming down worse then ever. Noses sniffed the snowy ground. Hunger gripped the foxes. Their coats were ruffled by the winds.

Four o'clock continued the eerie silence. The trees around the small town of Hobbiton had snow resting on them. Icicles pointed down like fragile stalactites. Small droplets of water fell down to earth.

Five o'clock brought the first faint sign that the sun would soon be upon them. The only evidence of there being any animals awake would be their foot prints. For all of the foxes scurried back to their warm homes under the ground.

Six in the morning brought first signs of activity in the homes of the hobbits. A pillar of smoke snow emerged from one of the chimneys. The fire was being built up again.

Most of the windows had steamed up with condensation over the night. Curtains had been drawn over the flat glass windows.

Pimpernel was still sleeping. But her sister was not. Pearl had woken up earlier then normal. Yet she was not standing up. she remained laying under her duvet. The dream had disturbed her deeply.

It had been on the fire that happened a few days ago. Pearl had been standing outside of the burning hill with her sister.

The fire raged on as angrily as before. But there was no movement outside. All of the figures were still and silent. No noise could be heard. Everything seemed to be still. Apart from Pearl. Her eyes were darting around. Her head then moved and her eyes lay on her sister.

"Vinnie?" Pearl tried asking, but no sound came out of her mouth.

Fear started to flood her. The only thing that moved was her and the fire. Sounds were nonexistent. Pearl tried to arouse the people around her, but without success.

Noise suddenly met her ears. Screams of terror and pain. It was coming from the other side of the fire. Figures failed to moved. Pearl was now on her own.

So, she started to run forward. The surroundings moved. The fire continued to eat up the house. The screams grew louder and louder. Pearls panic grew as well. She arrived at the open gate. She could see her father standing there. Fear was written across his face.

Pearl stopped. For what seemed like an hour, she looked at her father's face. The screams had now died down.

Thoughts ran through her head now.

"But why is everyone standing around?" she asked herself.

There seemed to be a large black curtain over Middle-earth. The blackness only grew darker. The figures started to blend into the black abyss. Even the fire was swallowed up.

It had been then that Pearl had awoken. She suddenly sat bolt up right on her bed. Her breathing was fast and heavy. Bead of sweat were running down her face. The darkness was still deep around her. A single candle was spreading what light it had.

Pearl slowly got out of bed. Her breathing had started to calm down. For a moment or two, she had wondered why she had awoken. But the dream was quickly pushed back into her mind again.

Taking the burning candle, the hobbit made her way out of the warm room. Pearl walked quietly to the kitchen. There was a table in the middle of the room. It was clear, save for a lonely plate. Pearl started to light the other candles on their stands.

"Now that I'm up" she told herself.

"I might as well stay up"

Firstly, the candles were lit, making the room lighter. The fire was then stocked up again. It had looked very hungry. The fire fed the rest of the room with its warmth and light. Pearl yawned as she placed the extra candle on the table.

It was not like Pearl to be awake so early. Another one or two hours sleep was normal for her. But sleep was not what was on her mind.

The dream had now started to make it's way back into her mind. A chair was then pulled out from under the table. Pearl sat down, both of her elbows were placed on the table. Her eyes focused on an distance spot.

The time ticked away around her. The candles were burning surely but slowly. Pearl continued to sit. The light outside started to get brighten. The candles continued to flicker.

Forty five minutes had past since Pearl had awoken. Yet Pimpernel continued to sleep. The candles were now only three quarters of their original height. The string that had been embedded in the middle continued to burn. The fire was eating up the logs that it had been fed.

They were turn white hot. Smoke continued to pour out of the chimney above. Birds were now awake and flying about.

The day was just starting. Black figures of trees started to show their shapes. Large branches stood out from the sky. Their silhouettes stood out like giant fingers. The wind did not touch them for they were too heavy for the wind to move them.

The snow continued to fall. It was getting deeper and deeper as the light started to give up the secrets of the night. The tops of the hills were covered in a whiteness that stretched for miles around. the roads around Hobbiton were still untouched.

Pearl took a deep breath after sitting at her seat for almost an hour and a half. The light from outside was now visible.

The seat was then pushed backwards. It scrapped along the rough floor. Pearl then walked away. She was getting hungry now. Breakfast was only an hour away, but she thought that she could make Pimpernel something nice to eat.

The cellar door was swung open. The hobbit walked inside. There were shelves stacked with different foods. A few barrels had been lain on their side. Only one was standing. There were no taps hammered into it.

Pearl smiled. She knew that ale was in order. But first she would have to make lunch.

"But what to make?" she asked herself.

There were small packets of many different foods. Pearl started to pick out a few of the packets. Inside them were sausages, rashers of bacon and mushrooms. Her eyes scanned the rest of the shelves. A few eggs were in another paper packet a few shelves away.

She carefully picked them up and placed them on top of her large handful. She then walked out again. The worktop she put them on was clean and clear. She placed all of her packets down.

The next thing Pearl did was get a chopping board out of the draw. She placed it onto work top near by. A loaf of bread that had been used yesterday was sitting in a paper blanket.

It was then unwrapped. Pearl looked at the fluffy insides. She poked it. The surface was hard and stale. Pearl placed it on the chopping board.

The kitchen had only a few cupboards and draws. One of the cupboards was full of glasses and mugs and bowls and plates. The second was full of bottles of wine and very old ale.

Below was a few draws. One was of spoons, knives and forks. The other was small loose bits such as string and corks.

Pearl did not have to open the second draw. She found what she was looking for in the first. A large cutting knife with a wooden handle.

In another part of the house, Pimpernel was waking up. The small puppy that was laying down under the duvet was not waking up. Her small chest was gently rising and falling. Her little brown eyes were shut.

Pimpernel could hear echoes coming from down the corridor.

"Pearl must be up" she thought.

With a tired breath, Pimpernel threw off the covers. The small puppy started to whimper.

"Oh, sorry Abi" she said.

The puppy's eyes were now a little bit open. Abira continued to whine as Pimpernel picked her up. the pup was put of her shoulder.

"Shh shh"

Abira was very tired. The light outside was getting bright by the minutes. Pimpernel could see a small bit of snow that landed on the window sill outside.

Pimpernel yawned and thought about the fun that she could be having outside. But instead, she was now homeless and she had stopped talking to her mother.

Pimpernel eyed the door. A faint sound of metal on metal. Abira, who was now resting her head on Nelly's shoulder, was now snoozing again.

The door was slowly opened. Nelly looked either way down the corridor. She took a second before heading to the kitchen. The house looked cleaner then normal. The light from the candles reflected more brightly then before.

The door to the kitchen had been left ajar. Pimpernel arrived at the threshold and stopped. She started to think that coming out of the room was a bad idea.

After a minute or two, she placed a hand on the door and pushed. The metal hinges creaked. Pearl, who had been small chunks of butter, looked behind her.

Pearl stopped cutting. The two sisters looked at each other. A smile came over Pearl's lips.

"Good morning" she said.

Pimpernel remained quiet. She didn't move over the threshold.

"Pimpernel, are you alright?" asked Pearl.

She placed down the knife and walked over to her sister. Pimpernel looked away, she didn't want to tell her sister. There was a moment of silence between the two of them.

"I'm making a nice breakfast for you today, would you like that?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel looked down. A hand came and rested on her shoulder.

"Nelly? Everything will be alright, you know you can talk to me when ever you feel like it" Pearl told her.

A small smile came over Pimpernel's lips. She knew she was lucky to have sisters that cared for her.

"What is for breakfast?" Pimpernel asked.

She seemed very glum indeed. Conversation was something that she didn't want to have at the moment.

"All your favourites. Sausages, bacon, eggs, fried bread" Pearl answered.

Pimpernel smiled. Pearl indeed knew that she liked a fry up.

"It will be ready in about half an hour" Pearl said.

Pimpernel nodded. She slowly walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. Pearl then continued to get the breakfast ready.

Elsewhere in Hobbiton, families were waking up. Chimneys that had been silent now spewed out columns of smoke into the air.

All along the hill side, small windows started to light up. The snow around the chimneys had started to melt. Below the surface of the hill were many rooms. Some had beds in, others had books.

In one of the beds was a hobbit. He had golden brown hair and was heavily built. His eyes were closed. His name was Samwise Gamgee.

He had had a good nights sleep. But he was to be unexpectedly woken up. The door to his room swung open and in ran two children ran in.

"Daddy!" said one of them.

She jumped onto the bed. Sam woken instantly. His eyes shot open.

"Elanor! Frodo!" Sam said, sitting up.

His two eldest children seemed to be really excited.

"Daddy! There is snow outside! Hurry up!" Elanor said.

She jumped off the bed and ran outside of the room again. Sam was now awake. He looked up at the ceiling. A yawn came over him.

"Alright, now that I'm up, I might as well be up" he told himself.

The duvet was then thrown from him and Sam sat up. The warmth of the duvet had been very nice. The air in the room was colder then he would have liked.

A fireplace had been built into the wall. There was a metal basket full of small wooden logs. Samwise stood up and slowly walked towards it.

Tiredness was still trying to force his eyes closed. But Sam kept them open. He looked into the fire and saw that it was getting very low on wood to burn.

Samwise picked one up and placed it in the fire. The fire started to catch the wood. Sam stacked a few more small logs into the fireplace. The fire slowly started to grow.

Samwise smiled and stood up. His dressing gown was hanging up one of the pegs. He took it off and put it on. The small cord was then done up.

The hobbit then walked out of the room. Samwise rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Ah!" he said.

A sharp pain had erupted from one of his feet. He looked down, his foot seemed fine. But what he had stepped on was not. The shape of it had once been of a bird. It's feathers had been carved out of wood. But now, it was broken.

Sam picked up it, the head of the bird fell back to the tilted floor. It bounced a few feet away. Sam quickly picked it up.

Rosie Gamgee, Sam's wife, was busy in the kitchen. Elanor had rushed back to her. The broken bird was quickly placed in the pocket of Sam's gown.

Rosie was busy feeding baby Pippin Gamgee. He was crying in his mothers lap. Elanor and Frodo were running laps around the table.

"Calm down you two" Sam said as he watched his two children run around.

"Hurry up Daddy!" Elanor said running up to him.

Sam took a tired breath.

"The snow will still be there after you've had your breakfast" Sam told his daughter.

But Elanor was too excited.

"But I'm not hungry!" she whined.

Rosie had now finished feeding the crying baby that she had sat on her lap. She stood up, placing the baby on her shoulder. Pippin was really crying now. She walked out of the room.

Sam was left alone with Frodo, Elanor, Rose and Merry. Merry and rose were playing on the floor. Rose had just started to talk, she was talking to herself. A small wooden horse was being galloped around.

A chair was then pulled out and Sam sat down. A plate had been put on the table mat in front of him. on the plate was a bacon sandwich. Sam picked it up and took a bite.

Meanwhile, Rosie was in her own room. A small cot had been placed in the corner. She placed her youngest son, Merry, in the cot. A small blanket was then put over him.

Rosie smiled.

"Shh shh" she said.

Merry's small face was screwed up. The sounds of his crying echoed though the house. Rosie walked out and quietly closed the door.

"Mummy! Mummy!" came a loud voice.

It was Elanor.

"Mummy I want to go out in the snow!"

Rosie smiled.

"Alright, go and get dressed and then you can go out" she said.

Elanor smiled and ran away.

"Frodo!" she shouted.

Her younger brother came rushing out into the corridor.

"Mummy said we can go out in the snow" Elanor squealed.

Frodo smiled.

"But mummy said we have to get dressed"

So, the two of them scurried off to their own rooms. It took them a few minutes to get dressed. Elanor put on her flowery dress as quickly as she could. Frodo got dressed in the room next door.

It took Frodo minute or two longer then her older sister. Elanor was standing at the door along with her mother.

"Right, you two be careful" Rosie told them.

"And don't go over the bridge, that means you Frodo"

Frodo smiled.

"Ok mummy" he said happily.

Rosie kissed both of her children and opened the door. the coldness instantly hit them. Elanor and Frodo stood there for a few seconds and then rushed out. the warmth of the house was escaping quickly.

"Lunch will be ready in a few hours" Rosie called out after them.

The door was then slowly closed, blocking out the coldness again. Icicles hung from nearly every surface. There was a large layer threatening the small garden below.

The gate was swung open, which was quite hard due to the amount of snow on the ground. Foot prints had been made in the snow. Unlike the prints that were left by men, Hobbit foot prints were smaller and more detailed. Five toes could be seen instead of one large block.

There were many hobbits already out in the cold snow. A few of the children were already making and throwing snowballs. Elanor stopped and smiled.

"Frodo, come on!" she said.

Her brother was walking along the wall. His hand was running along the surface. Snow either gathered of fell to the floor.

The on the other side of the road was a small stile. Elanor climbed over and jumped the small step onto the ground. Her feet sank into the cold snow. but it didn't seem to bother her much. Just like every other hobbit, their feet had thick souls to them. Temperature did not bother them as much as if a man were to do so.

The snow crunched under her feet as she walked towards her friends. Frodo was gathering up snow. He started to make a ball out of the snow he had in his hands.

Frodo then started to walk again. His feet were soaking wet. The small hairs on the top of his feet were sticking to his skin.

There was a group of children standing around.

"Hello Elanor" said one of the young girls.

She had amazingly blue eyes with brown, curly hair. Elanor smiled.

"Hello" she answered.

Frodo went and stood with the boys.

"And all you have to do is get back to here" said one of the boys.

"And we're allowed to throw snowballs at you" said the other standing near him.

Elanor didn't like the idea of that.

"That's not very fair. We always have you running after us. Why cant we run after you?" she asked.

The group of boys started to laugh.

"Because girls are silly and wear silly dresses" answered the boy.

Elanor didn't like the boy very much.

"We do not wear silly dresses. Mummy says I look very pretty" Elanor told him.

The boys snickered again. The lead boy started to whisper into the ear of the boy next to him. His expression changed.

"Alright, we'll give you a chance to catch us this time" he told her.

Elanor knew that they were planning something. But she didn't know what.

"No snowballs" said the boy.

Elanor was now forming her own counter plan.

"Of course not" she said.

There was a moment of silence.

"Count to one hundred, if you can" the boy told her before he and his friends ran off.

Elanor gave him a scowl that boy. But Elanor had no plan on counting. She watched them run off to the stile and over. They continued to run down the road and around the shallow bend.

She knew exactly what to do.

"We need to get them back" Elanor told her friends.

"Get them back?" asked her friend.

Her friend was shorter then her. Her eyes were large and had a royal blue colour to them. her dress was green with small yellow flowers on it.

"We have to make snowballs" Elanor said.

Other hobbit children and families were having fun in the snow. Large balls of snow were slowly being pushed down the hill. The elders were watching the younglings play. A few times, one of the youngling slipped and fell. They were then helped up by their friends or family. They were brushed off and went back to play.

Elanor was making snow ball after snow ball. Her hands were getting colder and colder by the minute.

"Alright, lets go and find them" Elanor said.

There were three other girls with her. Elanor carried two while the other girls carried the rest.

Elanor's brother, Frodo, had gone with the rest of the boys.

"Are they coming?" asked Frodo.

He had one of his friends on look out.

"No, not yet!" he answered.

There were groves in the deep snow. Snowballs were being made and piled up into a large pile behind one of the bushes. Both the group of girls and the group of boys had the same idea.

Ambush.

Frodo continued to make some as quickly as he can. One of his other friends was over the road. He was ducked down making snowballs as well.

Elanor came around the corner. She was instantly spotted by the look out.

"She coming!" whispered the boy.

Frodo looked up. He stood up, but made sure that he was not seen. Sure enough, Elanor was coming towards them.

"Get down" said Frodo.

The boy ducked down and picked up two of the snowballs. Frodo had two as well. He looked over at the wall, he could see a small head poking out. Frodo signalled that the girls were coming.

Meanwhile, Abira was waiting on the bed. Her little head was resting on her paws. Pimpernel was out of the room. She was in the study. Her eyes were scanning the book shelves for a book to read. She needed to take her mind off of what was going on.

A few times, she got out a book, opened the first page but did not like it. She placed it back and got out another. Again, she did not find it to her taste.

By the third book, she was starting to feel like none of them would agree with her. But then, she found it. A purple cover kept the pages in good condition.

The cover was open. A few blank pages before the writing started. There was a grand title.

The Frog Prince.

A smile came over Pimpernel's lips. She hadn't read it in a while. Even though she had been read it every day for a year when she was younger, she still loved it.

Pimpernel walked back to her room. The door opened and, on the bed, was Abira. Nelly smiled and walked over to the bed. Abira stood up and looked at Pimpernel.

"Would you like a story?" Nelly asked.

Abira whined happily and nodded her head. Nelly sat down on the bed and turned the pillow so that it was standing up on the head board. Pimpernel made herself comfortable.

Abira waited. She slowly made her way across the bouncy bed. She was then picked up and placed on her owners lap. The puppy snuggled down and yawned.

"Right" said Pimpernel.

The candles were not lit, but the light coming from outside was enough for her to see the words. The book was then opened to the titles page. Pimpernel held it so that Abira could see it as well.

"Do you see that pup?" she asked.


	28. Day Fourteen, Part Two

On the page was a picture of a princess. She was standing by a pond. There were trees standing in the back ground. While in the foreground was a frog on a lily pad.

Abira's little eyes scanned the picture. Her head then pointed towards Pimpernel. The two of them looked at each other for a second.

The puppy then went back to looking at the picture. Pimpernel turned the page to revile the first few words. She scanned the first couple of lines.

"You'll like this story pup" Pimpernel told her.

"I did when I was little"

The hobbit then started to read. The puppy looked around, Pimpernel continued to pretend that the puppy could understand what she was saying. Even though she knew that she couldn't.

A puppy, identical to Abira was being cuddled by his owner. Lunch time was nearly upon the hobbits coming back from Rivendell.

Diamond was snoozing under a blanket. Origo was covered in a large blanket. His eyes were closed and his nose wet. His fur could have been cleaner. But he was excused.

Small bits of mud were embedded in his paws. It had been a few hours since he had last been fed. And he was getting hungry.

His snooze was broken by a large, cold gust of breeze. It touched his fur. The puppy instantly started to whimper. He didn't like being woken up. his small eyes slowly started to open.

The light was now brighter then last time he had been awake. He could see his Diamond sleeping again. Pippin was sitting up. Origo had been wrapped in a large Elven blanket.

Origo, who was still very tired, didn't notice it. He tried getting up, but was held back. The puppy, unaware that he was still wrapped up, tried again.

Pippin noticed the pup struggling. He smiled and helped Origo get out. Pippin held Ori.

"You alright there pup?" he asked.

But Origo was more interested about getting to his Diamond then he was in Pippin. Pippin sighed as he placed Ori on the floor of the cart again.

He watched the pup walk over to Diamond. she had been asleep for just a few hours when Origo started to lick her. Diamond slowly, but surely, awoke from her sleep.

She opened her eyes to see a puppy standing there.

"It must be lunch" she said.

Tiredness was still gripping her. Origo had now scurried over to the basket and was now waiting for his Diamond.

"That pup doesn't like me" Pippin said to his wife.

Diamond, who had now sat up, gave her husband a confused looked.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The basket was then handed over. It was light and near empty.

"He just seems to ignore me" Pippin told her.

Diamond picked out the last packet of turkey in the basket. Diamond pushed it away and smiled. Origo always got excited at the sight or even smell of turkey.

His little tail wagged quickly. Diamond ripped open the packet and got out a small piece. Origo bounded towards her and placed his front paws on her leg. His eyes were now only focused on the white meat in his owners hands.

"Take a bit of turkey and he might start to like you" Diamond told him.

Diamond went to pass a piece of turkey over to Pippin. But it never made it to him. Origo, who had been watching what Diamond was doing.

When she had extended her hand, Origo saw his chance. He snatched the piece of turkey out of his owners hands before she could anything about it.

"Oh Origo!" said Diamond.

Origo started to chew as fast as he could. Diamond smiled.

"Naughty puppy" she said.

It only took a few seconds to eat the full thing. Pippin smiled and watched the pup beg for more.

"Sit Origo" Diamond said.

But the pup wasn't listening. He stood there, eyeing the turkey.

"Sit"

There was a hint of order in her voice. Pippin now had a large smile.

"Ori, why wont you sit?" Diamond asked.

She sounded a bit disappointed that she could get her own puppy to sit. Pippin watched his wife and her puppy. Origo was fed another piece, he was becoming happier and happier.

After a few minutes, Origo had had his fill of food. He was now in a playful mood. His eyes were now fully open and his energy was full.

Diamond sat there, yawning, wishing she could go back to sleep again. Pippin's eyes were drooping down.

"Ori, why have you go so much energy?" Diamond asked, watching Origo spin around, trying to catch his tail.

The cart continued to roll on. The snow before them was untouched by any humans. Tracks of different winter birds and animals criss-crossed the path.

The track left prints in the snow. Two solid lines a few meters apart and lots of hoof marks. The snow crunched under their large feet.

The snow had been lain on nearly every inch of the land. The white carpet covered the whole of the Shire, including Long Cleeve, Hardbottle, Michel Delving and Little Delving. Waymeet was also covered in a deep snow blanket. So was Tuckborough, Bywater and Hobbiton.

Stock and Scary seemed to had less snow then the other parts of the Shire. Yet there was still enough to create good snowballs with.

The day continued to go on. In Hobbiton, there were still lots of hobbits out. But lunch would be ready in a small while. The elders had gone back to their homes. Lunches were being made.

Elanor Gamgee was now back inside her own home. She was sulking in her room. Her hair was dripping wet along with her cloths.

She had been ambushed by her younger brother and his friends. Snowballs had been thrown at her and her friends. Elanor had one snowball right in the face. It had knocked her back, making her fall.

Her friends had run away from the bombardment of balls. Elanor was laying in the snow. Her arms over her face. The balls had stopped.

Frodo and the rest of his friends had laughed and ran off. Elanor had began to cry. She knew that they knew she didn't like getting wet.

The snow around her was cold.

"Elanor, Elanor!" said a voice.

It had been one of her friends.

"Are you alright Elanor?"

But Elanor was angry. She quickly got up and walked away. a tear ran down her face.

The door to her room opened and in came Samwise. He slowly closed the door and walked over to the bed. He gave his daughter a smile.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sitting down on the bed.

Elanor sniffled and grumbled. Sam gave a warm smile.

"Lunch will be ready soon, it's your favourite" he told her.

A small smile came over her lips.

"Is mummy making them?" Elanor asked.

Her voice was small and glum.

"Yes, she's doing them now"

Sam looked at his daughter. She was looking more and more like Rosie every day. Her golden hair was getting longer and longer.

Sam then stood up and lifted his daughter up. the two of them then went out of the room.

Pimpernel, meanwhile, continued to read. The small puppy that had been placed on her lap had now fallen asleep again. The pup's small eyes were closed.

Pimpernel's free hand had been stroking her puppy subconsciously. Nelly closed the book and placed it on the bed next to her.

Abira's little chest was rising and falling. Her ears were flopped over the side of her small head. Pimpernel took the pillow and placed it flat on the bed again.

The knocks then came at the door. Pearl burst in.

"Lunch is…"

But Pimpernel silenced her. Pearl looked down in her hands and knew what she meant.

"Oh" she mouthed.

The puppy was carefully placed her small and very cute puppy on the pillow. Abira gave a small whine, cuddled up by herself, but didn't wake up.

Pimpernel found this very adorable. But knew that she couldn't wake her puppy up. she got slowly off of the bed and walked towards her sister.

"Lunch will be ready soon" Pearl whispered.

Pimpernel nodded. For some reason, she felt happier. Pearl smiled and walked away again. Pimpernel slowly closed the door. She knew that she had nothing to do. Normally, she would have cleaned the house by now, but hers had been destroyed.

She walked away from the room. Pimpernel's feet carried her to her sister's small library. Shelves of old and new books lined the walls. Nelly's eyes scanned the shelves. She needed another book to read. Sounds echoed though the house. It was of Pearl getting lunch ready.

Pimpernel needed something to read for what she thought would be the rest of the day. The sound of plates being taken out of their cupboards echoed though out the house.

Elsewhere, hobbits everywhere were getting ready for lunch. For some of them, it was their third or even fourth meal of the day.

Yule was now firmly set in everyone's sights. Presents had been hidden from the prying eyes of the children. The stress level started to rise.

The post man was working harder in this time of year then before. Some of the hobbits had posted their invitations by themselves. Large bags were filled with letters and invitations. The bags were heavy as he put them over his shoulder. They weighted him down, his shoulder started to hurt a few seconds later.

The post office was a bit empty. A woman hobbit sat behind a table that ran all the way along the wall. There were no fireplaces in the building. A metal chandler hung from the ceiling. The candles had been lit and were now flickering.

A large gust of cold wind came into the post office. The candles flicked as the wind died out.

Abira continued to snooze as the hours rolled on.

Lunch time came and went. Pearl had called her sister in. a large lunch had been prepared. There were many things to eat. Parsnips, carrots, potatoes, sprouts, a boat of brown gravy.

The sisters ate to their fill. Pimpernel didn't eat as much as she normally did. Pearl noticed that her sister had only helped herself to two more servings.

Pearl had helped herself to four of five. There was hardly anything left in the bowls. Pimpernel's loss of appetite had not gone unnoticed.

"Not hungry?" asked Pearl, finishing up her dinner.

Pimpernel slowly shook her head as she laid her knife and fork down. A mug of ale sat before her. A hand wrapped around the handle and she picked it up.

Pearl finished a few minutes afterwards.

"I guess you'll want some cake then" Pearl said, clearing up the table.

"Yes please" Nelly answered.

Pimpernel took a few gulps of her ale. If there was one thing that would make her happy, cake would. Pearl placed every bowl, dish, plate, knife, fork and spoon onto the work top.

"I wont be a minute" she said.

The cellar door opened. Pimpernel watched her sister vanish from sight. A knock echoed though the door. Both of the girls heard it. Pearl, who was busy finding the cake, heard the knock as well. A scrape of a chair on tiles came to her. Pimpernel had gotten up and was now walking out of the room.

As she walked though the house, three more knocks came though. Nelly's feet slapped on the tiles as she reached the door. the door swung open. Cold air started rushing into the house.

Standing before her was the post man. He had two rectangle pieces of card. He smiled and handed the two cards to Pimpernel.

"Thank you" Pimpernel said.

The post man smiled and walked away. The door was slowly closed. Pimpernel was looking at the cards that she had just required. Her eyes skipped over the well decorated card.

A small smile came across her lips. Pimpernel slowly walked back to the kitchen where Pearl was.

"Who was it?" Pearl asked as her sister walked back in.

Pimpernel and her sister looked at each other.

"This came for you"

Nelly extended her hand. Gripped was a small card. Pearl looked confused. She slowly walked over to her sister. The card was then taken out of Pimpernel's hand. Pearl's eyes quickly scanned over the few words. Her eyes slowly looked back up at her sisters.

"Have you got the same?" Pearl asked, trying to hide her excitement.

Pimpernel smiled.

"Yeah" she said.

Nelly seemed excited too. Pearl was now reading the words over and over again.

The Green Dragon

Would Like To Invite

Pearl Took

To Our Yule Feast

Yule Two

Five O'clock.

Pimpernel had exactly the same one.

"It'll be our first Dragon feast" Pearl told her sister.

The hours rolled on. One o'clock came, Pimpernel had sat back down on her chair again. The cake was still sitting there, on the table.

"I think" said Pearl, picking up the cutting knife.

"This calls for a large slice of cake"

Pimpernel smiled and sat up. She adored for sisters cake making. Pearl started to cut the round cake into eight. Two plates were by the cake. Pearl lifted a piece over to the plate. She then picked it up and handed to her sister. Pimpernel smiled as she took it. There was no need for knives or forks.

Pearl had cut her piece and placed it on her own plate. She placed the knife down. The chair was then pulled out and sat.

Pimpernel had already taken her first bite. She could instantly taste the chocolate. Pearl started to eat as well. The two girls were now eating in silence. Only the crackles were present in the room. Small crumbs fell down to the plate.

Nelly took her last bite and looked at her fingers. This was the best part. She started to lick her fingers, getting all of the chocolate off of them.

Pimpernel then started to eye the cake again. Two pieces were now missing out of it. Pearl looked at her.

"You can have another piece if you want" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel smiled and picked up another. She didn't place it on the plate, she instead started to eat it straight away. Pearl took her second piece a moment later.

Once again, there was silence once again.

Half past one came upon them. The girls had now been fed and were now filling up their mugs. Pimpernel continued to sit as her sister got the drinks.

Her eyes were now focused on the card that she had been given. The writing was very well done as well as the decoration. The card was then looked at a bit more closer.

The ivy was very well drawn on. To Pimpernel, it looked almost printed. Pearl walked out of the cellar with two mugs full to the brim with golden ale.

She placed it on the table as Pimpernel looked up. The card was placed on the table as the drinks were. Pimpernel smiled. It had been a few days since she had had a drink of ale.

The sun outside was lower in the sky then normal. The winter coldness was in full gear. Snow was laying on the ground. Birds and hobbits alike were outside.

Lunch had come and gone. The hobbit children were now outside again. Their snow hobbits were still being finished off. Snowballs were being thrown at each other.

But there was one hobbit that was not enjoying the snow. Elanor Gamgee was still sulking in her room. Her hair was now dry and had been combed by her mother.

A small wooden horse was laying on it's side in front of her. The horse was in mid gallop. The candles around her reflected in the polished wood. The door to her room then opened. Rosie then walked in.

"I'm going to Auntie Marigold's, would you like to come?" Rosie asked.

Elanor took a deep breath.

"Will Frodo be there?" she asked.

Rosie shook her head.

"No, he's grounded for today" her mother answered.

Elanor thought quickly for a moment.

"Alright" she answered.

The young girl made her way off of the bed and onto the floor. Rosie smiled and followed her daughter out of the room. The door was then closed as Elanor walked down the corridor. Rosie, on the other hand, headed towards her room.

The room was cleaner then the rest of the house. The bed had been made and the candles had been lit. The fire place was harbouring a mature fire. It crackled every so often. The clock was ticking merrily by itself.

The clock started to chime once, then again. Two o'clock had just come.

Rosie walked over to her wardrobe and opened the door. There were cloths neatly folded on their shelves. The summer things had been put away and replaced with the heavier and more warmer winter cloths.

A large coat was then pulled out. the door was then shut, leaving the rest of the cloths tucked away. Rosie then walked out of the room. With her other hand, she took the door handle and closed the door behind her.

Elanor was already got her coat on and was waiting for her mother. Rosie walked towards her, stopped and put her coat on.

"Ready?" she asked.

Elanor nodded. Rosie then held out her hand and her daughter held onto it. The door to the freezing outside world was then opened. The cold wind started to push it's way into the cold house. Rosie and Elanor stepped out. Behind them, a small boy. Frodo had come out of his room. He had been crying and begging to be let out.

The door slammed on him, blocking out all of the sound that came though. Frodo stormed off to his room and slammed the door.

Abira was still asleep. The hours seemed quick to the small puppy. She continued to sleep though two o'clock. Pimpernel came back into the room, but she was not disturbed from her sleep.

Nelly sat slowly on the bed. The puppy was still snoozing on her pillow. The book was then opened. Pimpernel started to read.

Two o'clock continued to tick over to three. Everything around Pimpernel was still. Only a few echoes met her ears. But she was in a different place. Pictures, only visible to her eyes. Fair princess' and evil ogres raged across the pages.

Castles, trees and lakes were all projected into her mind. The book was long. Every so often, she would turn the pages. Sounds started rushing though her head too. Hooves and firing arrows rushed past her.

Pimpernel loved reading. It was the only time she could cross the boards of the Shire without having to be late for lunch or dinner. But then again, a few times she had been late for both.

The hobbit had learnt to read and write by her mother. For hobbits did not have schools or universities. They were simple folk. Only learning what needs to be known.

Three o'clock came a bit too quickly for Pimpernel.

"Has it really been that long?" she asked herself, looking up at the clock.

She had only read the first few chapters. The story had gripped her so much that she needed to continue reading. Her eyes were then pulled back to the words.

For sentence after sentence her eyes rolled over the words. The paper was turned again. Her eyes then started to take in the words again.

Meanwhile, there was a knock at the door. The hobbit looked up.

"I wonder who this could be" she said, getting up from the kitchen table.

A warm mug of tea had been left. A few more bangs echoed though the house. The door to the was then swung open. Standing before her was a child and her mother.

"Rosie?" Marigold asked.

"How are you? Come in" Marigold said, standing away from the door.

Elanor was followed in by her mother. The door was then closed.

"I've just put some tea on if you would like some" Marigold told her.

Elanor took off her coat, her mother had done the same. Rosie took her coat and hung both of them up.

"Oh, thank you that would be very nice" Rosie answered.

The three of them walked through the house. Marigold's tea was still sitting on the table. The kettle was hanging over the fire.

"There is enough water in the kettle for you" Mari told her.

Rosie and Elanor pulled out their seats and sat in them. Marigold got out two mugs and placed them on the table.

"Does Elanor want tea as well?" she asked.

Her niece smiled and nodded.

"Yes please auntie Marigold" Elanor said.

Mari smiled and picked up the cloth. She then turned around and picked up the kettle. The fire had kept it hot enough to make tea with.

The two cups were then filled with water. A few large tea leaves were then placed in the water as well. A drop of water hit the wooden table.

There was a clunk as Marigold placed the lighter kettle down on the hook. The tea leaves that had been put in the water were now floating. They were going around and around, sinking slightly.

Marigold handed Rosie and Elanor their own small spoons. They were to stir around the tea leaves to get the most out of them.

Mari sat down in her seat. Her tea had already been made. A small glass of milk for the tea had been placed in the centre of the table. There was also a small bowl of white sugar. A small spoon, much like the ones Rosie and her daughter were holding, was sticking out into the air.

"So, are you getting everything ready for Yule?" Rosie asked.

Marigold, who had been sipping on her tea, put it down on the table mat.

"Well, I've sent my invites out, but I have not had any word back yet. Then again, the post man did look like he was struggling with the load"

Rosie nodded.

"It gets very busy down there, I sent Sam around with the invites the other day" Rosie told her.

Marigold took a deep breath.

"I was hoping that I would have been invited" she said glumly.

Rosie started to feel guilty. She knew that the system would leave some of her friends out. But she had to write down the names that she was given. It was not up to her. If it were, she would have invited all of her friends all of the time.

"I'm sorry Mari, but I have to write the names that are given to me. Maybe you'll be on it next year" Rosie told her.

The mood was now very awkward. Elanor was looking between her mother and her aunt.

"Mummy?" she asked.

Rosie looked down at her.

"Mummy, I'm hungry" she told her.

"Alright dear, Auntie Marigold will get you some cookies" Rosie told her.

Marigold nodded and slowly got up. She was still a bit upset at not being invited. Marigold got out of her seat and walked towards her cellar. She opened it and walked inside. Elanor watched her walk out of sight. A few seconds later, she came back. Marigold shut the door and walked over to the work top. Elanor wondered what she was doing.

Her queries were soon answered. A plate had been set on the work top. The cookies were now being placed onto the plate. The empty packet was left on the work top as the plate was taken away.

Marigold placed the plate on the table. Elanor's sprits were now lifting. She started to reach for them. but her hand was stopped.

"What do you say to Auntie Marigold first?" asked Rosie.

"Thank you for the cookie Auntie Marigold" Elanor said.

Mari smiled.

"Your welcome" she said.

Elanor was then allowed to have a cookie. There were small chocolate pieces embedded into the cookie. Elanor took a bite and smiled. Rosie then picked one up.

"Are you not hungry then?" Rosie asked.

Mari shook her head.

"No, I had a big lunch an hour ago, I might need another one soon" she answered.

As the day wore on, the light from the sun was dimming. The snow on the ground had been well trodden into the path. Yet, during the night, more would come.

The coldness was now getting to them more then ever. The snow men had been made and left. Some were right in the middle of the road. This had been done purely by mistake. But they were now too big to move.

Smaller balls of snow had been raised to the top of the larger ball. This was the head of the snow man. Stones had been placed for it's eyes. There was a line for a mouth and a pipe had been stuck into the snow.

Birds flew over head.

Three o'clock ticked over. Three chimes came out from every clock in Hobbiton. Pimpernel had been reading now for a few hours.

The small puppy continued to snooze on her pillow. Abira's small, fluffy head was resting on her little paws. Every so often, she would change her position.

The candles were burning ever lower. The light that had once flooded into the room was now turning to darkness. The candle light lit the room more then ever.

Pimpernel's eyes were getting used to the low level of light. Her story was long and well detailed. There were no pictures in the book. The words alone were enough to transport her from the very room.

That's what she liked about reading. The sense that she could be who ever she wanted, when ever she wanted. At this time especially, it was more important for her to be someone else.

Origo awoke. Yet he did not want to. Unpleasant sounds met his ears. His large brown eyes slowly opened. The coldness was coming back to him. The wind was stronger and colder then ever.

Diamond, Pippin and Dolly were awake as well. Diamond was holding something that Origo did not like. A small noisy puppy. It seemed to be getting more attention then he did.

"He's not even cute" Origo thought sadly.

The pup had been sleeping on a woollen blanket. Ori had curled up on his own. His Diamond and Pippin had been talking. His energy had been spent on running long the small cart. To Origo, it was big enough.

Diamond looked over at the pup. He had now awoken. A smile came over her lips.

"That was a long sleep Ori" she said.

The pup shook of the tiredness as he got up. The blanket was very warm where he had been sleeping. His fur kept the coldness from effecting him like the hobbits. Faramir Took was whining in his cot. He seemed to be waking every hour or so, night and day.

It showed on Diamond's face. She and Pip had had only a few hours sleep in the last couple of days. But it would have been even worse without the help of Dolly and of their driver, Elladan.

Elladan was an elf. He was the son of Elrond. His brother, Elrohir, had been left in Rivendell until his return. The cart continued to rattle ever onwards.

Diamond and Pippin had now past Weathertop. Weathertop signalled the half way point. The Forsaken Inn was only a few miles away now. They would be able to stop there for a while before heading out again.

"I cant wait to have an ale" Pippin said.

Diamond smiled. She knew that it would have been hard for Pip to last this long without a drink.

"When we get there, do not drink the inn out of all it's ale" Diamond told him.

Pippin's eyebrows raised in surprised.

"Now when have I ever done that?" he asked.

He then started to think.

"I'm not saying you have" Diamond answered.

"I'm just saying don't drink a lot"

Pippin looked a little bit relived. For a moment, he had thought that one of his water holes had closed down. Origo slowly walked over to his Diamond. His head was hung low, he was still sleepy.

Diamond smiled warmly at her adorable pup. She then picked him up, her hands grabbed under his front paws. He was then placed on her shoulder.

Ori was whimper. He was cold, hungry and tired. Diamond kissed him on the top of his furry head.

"You OK pup?" she asked.

Origo yawned widely and whined. The first basket of food had been emptied of all food. The cover of the second basket had been pulled away. there were many bits of Lambas still inside.

There were packets of rich and juicy turkey in there as well. They had been put in paper packets. The Lambas bread filled up the rest of the basket. A few flasks lay at the opposite end to the turkey. They were full of Elven water.

It was very useful for these cold conditions. Only elves knew how to make the Elven water. The water was not normal water that hobbits or men drank. This type of water was special. It was revive the drinker of all tiredness and pains.

In cold weather, it would warm the drinker up so that he or she could continue with their journey. And in this time that Pippin and Diamond were in, it was more important then ever.

Diamond was handed the basket. The packets of untouched turkey were laying at the bottom. A pack was then picked up. The paper rustled as Diamond placed it on her lap.

But Origo didn't try and get it before the packet was open. He didn't seem to want any. Diamond ripped open the packet and waited for Ori to bound towards it.

But he didn't.

Diamond felt this was very odd. She knew that turkey was mainly the thing that he wanted. Origo was then slowly taken off of Diamond shoulder.

"What's up Ori?" she asked.

She hadn't noticed it, but Origo had been whimpering. He wasn't feeling very well. Diamond placed him on her lap.

"I don't think Origo is up to himself" she told Pip.

Ori was now laying on his side of Diamond's lap. Her hand slowly and gently ran up and down his fur. The pup closed his eyes again.

Abira suddenly woke up. Her eyes could not see anything in the darkness of night. A large cover had been drawn over her. Something big was laying to the side. It was Pimpernel.

The hours had past away. Abira had slept for almost twelve hours. But now, she was hungry. The pup tried standing up. but the duvet that lay over her was too heavy. She whined and then slowly started to crawl upwards. Pimpernel's eyes were shut and her breathing was calm. A small puppy emerged from the covers.

Outside of the duvet was much lighter then the inside. Abira could now see her Pimpernel's face. The puppy whined, but Nelly did not stir.

Abira then whimpered sadly. She then started to lick Pimpernel's face, hoping that that will get her to wake up.


	29. Day Fifteen, Part One

After a minute or two, Pimpernel eventually woke. The dark was still wrapped around her. The candles had been put out. The fire was crackling, sending heat into the room and smoke up the brick chimney. Snow had started to fall outside again. the carpet that had already been lain down before now had fresh snow falling on top of it.

A fox moved though the empty town. There was an eerie quietness about Hobbiton. The Green Dragon was silent. Snow covered it's roves.

The sign near the entrance was swing in the wind. It creaked at it moved back and forth. Snow hobbits were standing like small scarecrows with nothing to scare.

A curious fox would wonder up to one. It's eyes would scan the creature in front of it. The fox then got onto its two hind legs. Its two front legs rested on the neck of the snow hobbit.

"Well now" he thought, looking at the stones for eyes.

"Very strange"

The snow started to give way on one side. The fox quickly got off as the head started to roll. But it stopped. The fox was walking away. Flakes continued to land on his fur.

The fox then made his way nearer to the line of houses that had been built into the hill side. There were black windows dotted in the hill side.

Walls had been build along either side of the road. The fox trotted along the road for a while. A gate was swinging open in the breeze. The snowflakes continued to fall to the ground as the fox approached it.

The fox sniffed the wooden panels. The scent was unfamiliar to him. The foxes ears poked up. Sounds that not even a hobbit could hear met his ears.

His eyes looked around. his from paw lifted, then moved forward. It was then put down in the soft snow. It sank a little way in. The foxes eyes were still darting around, it was vary weary of what was going on around it.

There were no flowers in the small garden. A tree stood to the left of the big front door. Snow was still being piled onto the ground.

Pimpernel was just on the other side of the wall. Neither the fox nor the hobbit knew that the other existed. The animal continued on wondering. Only it's tracks would be seen in the light of day.

"Abira, you alright?" Pimpernel asked.

She sounded very tied. A yawn came over her, her free hand rubbed her eyes. Abira whimpered. It was now that she got hungry. Whimpering came from the puppy.

"Are you hungry?" Nelly asked.

The pup, who was difficult to see in the dark, nodded her head. A weary sigh came from Pimpernel.

"Alright then" she said, taking the duvet off.

The coldness hit her straight away. All the warmth that had been stored up had now escaped into the room. The fire was still burning, but it was battling with an ever present draft coming though the small cracks in the doors. Pimpernel sat on the edge of the bed. She picked the small puppy up. Abira was very warm indeed.

Nelly then stood up, the warm mattress was left behind. The hobbit slowly walked over to the door and opened it by the handle.

Outside, the fox froze. He stopped dead in his tracks. A sound had just met his ears. He didn't know what it was. It seemed to be coming from deep inside the large round thing before him.

After a few seconds, the fox ran. He bounded over to the stone wall that kept Pearl's garden from her neighbours. The creature landed on the other side. It stopped again. no sounds could be heard, not even from other foxes around him.

Pimpernel was now in the kitchen. The room was much warmer then the bedroom she had been staying in. the fire was still sending lovely heat into the room. It was much lighter then the room she had just left.

Abira, who had been slowly drifting back to sleep, was placed on the floor. She whined, sleep was what she wanted now.

The cellar door was opened and a sleepy Pimpernel walked in. Abi whimpered and curled up on the floor. Her paws were rested on by her head. She could hear her Nelly getting the bacon out.

"I guess I need to start cooking" she told herself as she walked out of the cellar.

The door was closed quietly. Pimpernel placed the packet of fresh bacon on the work top. Below her were cupboards. There were also cupboards in front of her as well.

Pimpernel raised her hand and gripped the handle of the cupboard. She opened it. Pots and pans met her eyes. The fire was creating shadows on the edges of the pans and in Pimpernel's eyes.

Her hand then wrapped around the handle of one of the pans. Nelly slowly lifted it. but what happened next scared not only her, but Pearl and Abira too.

The pans below started to fall. Pimpernel was too busy with getting the pan out to notice the pans starting to fall. The pans hurtled towards the floor. The first of the many pans hit the work top. The others followed on quickly.

The once quiet house was now very noisy.

Pearl, who had been sleeping in her room, a few doors down from the kitchen, sat bolt up right in her bed. Tiredness had been instantly taken away from her. The sound was still ringing in her ears.

In the kitchen, Pimpernel was holding her breath. There were no other sounds coming from the house.

"I hope there isn't anything wrong" Pearl told herself as she slowly lifting the duvet off.

Pearl slowly walked towards her door. For some reason, she was now scared for her own house. Her heartbeat was louder and faster then ever.

The low level of light made everything seem more scary. Like it were to jump out on her. Her hand gripped the handle.

The door was slowly opened, it's hinges creaked. The door slowly opened. Pearl was scared to go out of the room. The corridor on the other side was dark, but warm. Candles had been flaming gently, casting their light over a small area.

Pearl poked her head outside and looked up and down the corridor. There was no sound or movement coming from anywhere.

The hobbit then started to slowly walk down the small tiled corridor. There were many rooms and many doors in Pearl's house. Old pictures had been placed along the walls. Some were of hobbits that were in Pearl's family. Portraits of her mother and father were there, hanging up.

There were a few small wooden tables had been stood next to the wall. On each one, there was a glass vase. Inside the vase was water and flowers. Some looked like they were no their last legs, others looked healthy.

The door to the kitchen came into view. It was shut, just like she had left it. Pearl had started to wonder if there had even been a noise.

On the other side of the door, a small puppy was whimpering. Abira had been really frightened at the loud noise. Pimpernel was slowly moving towards her.

"Please pup?" she asked.

"I didn't mean to scare you, it was an accident"

Abira was whimpering by the wall. She had gotten as far back as possible. Her small ears were flopped over her head and her eyes were darting over the place. Just like Pearl, the tiredness that she had felt had now vanished. Pimpernel took a deep breath. Her heart rate was now falling again. But she could still feel the suddenly adrenaline still rushing around her.

"Please pup? I'm making you something to eat"

Abira continued to whine. The kitchen door then opened. Pimpernel knew exactly who it was. the pots and pans that fallen were still laying on the floor.

"Pimpernel?" asked Pearl, looking in.

Pimpernel looked over. She had been right, Pearl had been woken up.

"I'm sorry Pearl" Nelly started.

"What are you doing up?" she was asked.

Nelly looked down at Abira.

"I was…"

She paused for a moment.

"I was hungry" she told her sister.

Pearl looked unconvinced. But she was too tired and it was too late to argue.

"Alright, what are you having to eat?" Pearl asked.

"Bacon" she answered.

Pearl gave a tired sigh.

"Alright" she answered.

"Just, make sure you clean up after yourself, OK?"

Pimpernel smiled and nodded.

"Sure" she answered.

Pearl smiled and then walked out, shutting the door behind her. Pimpernel looked upwards. She was thankful that her sister was not angry at her. An echo came though the house. Pimpernel knew that her sister had gone back to bed.

"Abi, are you going to come to mummy now?" Pimpernel asked.

The puppy looked liked she was calming down. Her eyes were still darting around.

"Come here, mummy is going to make you some bacon"

At this, Abira seemed to calm down dramatically. The small puppy stood up and looked at her owner. Abi's head tilted to one side and she whined. A smile came over Nelly's lips.

Abira was then picked up.

"Lets get these pans away, shall we?" she asked.

Abira whined in agreement. So, Pimpernel walked over to the first pan and picked it up. The surface inside looked warn and a bit burnt. It had seen many good years of cooking.

Many meals had been cooked over the years. It was then placed onto the work top. Five more pans were laying on the floor. They were all different sizes and had different uses.

It was harder for Pimpernel to pick them up with one hand free. Abira yawned as she was carried to the work top. Abi yawned and whined, she now wanted to go back to bed.

"Right" said Pimpernel, looked down at her puppy.

"You still hungry?" she asked.

Abira looked up and licked her. Pimpernel smiled and kissed her very cute puppy on the head. She then picked up the pan that she wanted and placed it on the cold stove.

The stove was made from metal. The door would have been hot if there had been a fire inside. The door creaked as Pimpernel opened it. The fire was now in embers from the last time that it had been used.

Pimpernel looked over to the side. She placed Abira on the cold tiled floor. A metal basket full of wood was standing near the fire place. A few logs were placed into the oven. Nelly knew that it would be a while before it would be hot enough to cook the bacon properly.

The metal door was shut. Abira was whimpering at her feet, she needed a cuddle again. Nelly picked her up and kissed her on the head.

"Oh I know your hungry, the bacon will be ready in a little bit" she explained.

The night wore on. The fox that had once been outside was now safe and warm in it's burrow. The snow flakes were melting on his fur. The drips slowly weaved their way though the red hairs.

The foxes head was resting on its paws. Its bushy tail was wrapped around, keeping the warmth of his body in. A cold wind blew down his den. Snow flakes landed in the entrance.

The fox continued to sleep during the cold night. Day light started to rise a few hours later. The snow had once again stopped, but the gloomy weather had not.

The snow had created an even deeper carpet of snow. Faint foot prints were still visible. Lights began to turn on in different windows. Chimneys were bellowing out black smoke. Pearl, who had been woken up during the night, had hardly any sleep. She just laid there, looking up at the black ceiling.

On the other hand, Pimpernel had quickly gone back to sleep. She had been the reason why Pearl had awoken in the first place. Abira had been hungry. She had woken Pimpernel to get what she wanted. The two of them had gone into to the kitchen.

All was well and quiet until Pimpernel had gone to get the pans out from one of the cupboards. Nelly safely removed the first two pans. They had been placed on the work top below. Without noticing it, the pans below had started to slip.

The noise echoed though the house. All three of them had now been scared. Their tiredness had been stripped from their eyes, their heart rate increased dramatically.

But, now morning had came. Pearl was sitting at the kitchen table. There was an unwashed pan in the sink, waiting to be washed and dried by Pimpernel.

Just as Pearl was taking another small sip of her tea, the door opened. Pimpernel walked in. For some reason, she showed no signs of having been up. Nor did the small puppy she held.

Abira was resting her fluffy head on her owner. Pearl looked around, her eyes were still trying to close.

"Good morning" Pimpernel said brightly.

She walked around the table to the other side and sat down.

"It would have been" thought Pearl.

Pimpernel didn't receive the same cheery answer.

"Pearl, what's wrong?" she asked.

Her sister gave a deep sigh. She was just about to tell Pimpernel what she thought. She opened her mouth. But she closed it again. she stopped herself just in time.

"No, nothing it wrong" she answered.

But Pimpernel was not so easily convinced. She knew that Pearl had lost some sleep over the night.

"Pearl, I'm sorry for last night" she said.

Abira could barely see over the top of the table, even though she was sitting on Pimpernel's lap.

"No, Pimpernel, its fine"

Pearl picked up her mug of tea and drank.

"It was just, she was hungry" Pimpernel told her.

The mug of tea was placed back down on the table mat.

"Pimpernel, I said I didn't mind" Pearl told her for what she hoped was the last time.

Nelly smiled and looked down at her puppy.

"Are you hungry again, pup?" she asked.

Abira looked up and nodded her head. Pimpernel's smile widened. One of Nelly's fingers had been tickling Abi's soft fur.

"Alright then, come on"

The hobbit then stood up and walked towards the cellar. Abira's eyes were darting around. a look of confusion mixed in with the will to explore came across her eyes.

With her free hand, she pulled open the door. Abira watched the door swing open. The warmth of the kitchen gave way to the coolness of the cellar.

Nelly walked pasta few shelves, the stopped. A small smile came across her.

"Do you want to help me find the bacon?" she asked.

A small disagreeing whine came from the pup. Pimpernel looked down at her. Even though Abira could not say a word, her eyes told Pimpernel that she didn't want to play.

"Alright then" said Nelly.

The packet of thinly sliced bacon was picked up. Abira seemed to perk up instantly. Her eyes were focused on the packet that was in her owner's hand.

Meanwhile, Merry was only a few miles away from where he wanted to get to. Merry had set off from his home in Hobbiton to find his friend, Pippin Took. Merry had no idea where Pippin had gone.

But Merry was not alone. He had with him two companions. An Elf and an Dwarf. Wet and dry mud clung onto all three of them. The hem of Merry's cape was wet and muddy. His bare feet and legs were no better. The cold wind made them feel even colder.

Hunger was now gripping Merry again. He wished that the coldness would just go away. But he knew that more snow was expected. Legolas was leading the three of them down the road. The snow seemed to stretch into the distance.

Legolas seemed fresh and awake. He did not feel the pain of the cold wind or the distance like his friends. Legolas looked more, alive, then his two companions.

Gimli, the dwarf, had been grumbling to himself since the night before. Water vapour rose from his mouth every time he said something.

"Walking, great idea"

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. A few times, Gimli would deliberately rose his voice. But the elf did not take notice of him. the trees around them had grown massive. The sun light struggled though the clouds above.

Birds flew over head. Crows in small groups flew over. Their call echoed around the quiet woods. Small red breasted robins sang their song in the lower branches.

One or two would swoop down to the soft snow. Their small feet sunk into the snow. The birds small head looked around quickly. Another song came from the small bird. The volume was larger then normal for a bird of its size.

Its eyes scanned the ground. Only a few of the larger blades of grass stuck out from the snow. The robin hopped around for another few seconds before setting off into the air again.

The bird beat it's small wings, it sang as it weaved though the forest. It was then that his eyes caught something. Three figures walking along the road. The small bird made a b-line towards them.

The trees around had small branches. The robin flew and perched high above the ground. Merry was struggling to keep up with the pace of the elf. His hood covered the rest of his face, but his feet were exposed.

"Legolas?" Merry asked.

He was shivering and numb. His hands were holding the coat tight around him.

"Legolas?" Merry asked again, this time a little bit more desperately.

The elf then stopped and looked around. His eyes fell upon the cold and wet hobbit before him.

"You are cold" Legolas said.

Merry did not like the way that Legolas spoke. He seemed to know exactly what was wrong without being told. The hobbit nodded.

"Bree is only a few hours walk away. We will be able to reach it by night fall if we don't stop"

Merry now didn't like the options he had been given. To either stay, but not reach Bree quicker. Or to keep walking onwards.

Merry then sighed and knew exactly what Legolas wanted to do. The elf gave a small smile and turned around. Merry looked down, he missed his home terribly.

His feet were aching from the walk that he had had to do. Legolas seemed not to understand that hobbits needed more steps to the yard then they did. Even Gimli was suffering.

His boots, which were made of leather, were wet. There were drips of cold water running down his greying beard. His feet sunk into the snow. For miles his foot prints could be seen. Merry's were right beside the dwarves.

Legolas made no sign that he had walked the distance.

Coming toward Bree was a cart. it had a cargo of hobbits and a puppy. The hobbits inside were all very weary. But the fact of making it to Bree made them happier.

Diamond looked very tired indeed. The fact that the cart was so jumpy and uncomfortable made her sleep disturbed. Faramir Took was sleeping in his cot. A small bit of golden brown hear was laying on his forehead. The blanket he was in was warm and dry.

Hobbit babies were much smaller then human or elf babies. For hobbits only grew half the height of men. But this did not mean that they could not do things that their counterparts did.

In fact, it had been hobbits that had destroyed the Ring of Power all those years ago. Men had doubted that they could even resist the power. But it had been the same men who fell under it's power.

But those days had long since past. The Shire and the rest of the world had been saved from an evil that would last for near eternity. But the adventures had not stopped for the fellowship.

Pippin was asleep. His eyes closed, small snores came from him. The cold wind was being blocked out by a blanket that he had over him. Dreams had been playing across his eyes every time had fell deep enough to sleep.

His dreams were kept silent. But he knew that he couldn't for long. They were getting worse again. Pippin, for some reason, didn't really like Yule any more. The dreams would reach their peak on the eve of Yule.

Many times he had had only an hour or two sleep. He knew that Diamond had her own idea of what was going on. But they were nowhere near what was really going on.

Pippin felt the pain of the Palantír, as Gandalf called it. Curiosity had got the better of Pippin. He couldn't help himself. The scene was still fresh in his mind.

The room had been dark. Snores echoed around the large room. There were many men sleeping there. Pippin had lain awake, lifting his head up from time to time. His eyes were set on the wizard.

The room was large and a bit cold. A bed had been made for all of the company.

There was no ceiling above. Beams of wood crossed the small space. There was not much light in the big room. A cold breeze ran though the gaps in the wooden doors.

Pippin could not take the temptation any longer. The hobbit quickly got up, sweat was running down his face. Pippin started to walk towards the wizard.

But something happened that made him jump.

"What are you doing?"

A voice came from behind him. Merry was also awake. Although Peregrine's heart rate was already high, the fact that Merry was now watching made what he was about to do even more dangerous.

Pippin slowly and quietly made his way towards Gandalf. The hobbit then noticed that the wizard's eyes were open. Now Pippin did not know if he was asleep after all.

But the wizard did not move or ask any questions. Pippin's eyes then fell on the bundle that was held by the wizard.

The Palantír seemed more forbidding in the semidarkness. Carefully and slowly, Pippin reached out to the ball. His fingers touched the blanket that had been wrapped around it.

"You still have a chance of turning back" a voice inside of Pippins head told him.

For a moment, he agreed with the voice. But then curiosity came back, stronger then even. The ball was taken away and replaced with a near by chamber pot.

There was no turning back.

Merry was now sitting up in his bed. He had watched Pippin from the moment that he had got up. Pippin was shaking worse then ever. His nerves had rocked, making his knees shake. There were butterflies in his stomach.

The hobbit then knelt down. Merry had gone very quiet. He couldn't believe what his friend was doing. Both Pippin and Merry knew what a dangerous time this was.

The blanket was then taken away to revile a perfectly round ball of dark marble. It seemed to be dark at first. But as his fingers caress the smooth marble, small glimmers of light started to erupt from inside.

The light grew and grew, his fingers seemed to be drawn towards it. Pippin tried to struggle, but the invisible grip was too strong.

His eyes closed. Pictures were flashing across them. Sauron was flashing before his eyes. The images started to change. A city flashed before him. Fire, death and darkness.

Pippin would later learn that he had seen Minus Tirith.

Merry was on the outside, he could see pain on the face of his friend.

"Pippin?" he asked, he still didn't know if he was just putting it on.

It was then that Pippin's dream ended. Everything turned black and a loud scream came to his ears. The hobbit suddenly sat up.

It took Pippin a few seconds to realise where he was. The cart had rolled on though the night. The sun was now up, as well as his wife.

"Pippin?" she asked.

For some reason, Pippin felt like she knew what had happened.

"Pippin, what's wrong?" she asked.

Sweat was running down Pippins face. He started to think back to the dream he had just had. He, for years now, wanted them to stop. Yule was not as fun as it used to be.

"Nothing" he said.

His eyes seemed to be drawn to a distant point.

"Nothing is"

The cart continued to roll ever onwards. Origo had been quiet for most of the day. He had curled up in a blanket over night. The pup didn't feel well. But no one noticed.

Diamond, who had been drifting back to sleep, looked over at her pup. She knew that something was up with him, she just didn't know what.

The hobbit then sat up and gently picked up Origo. Ori whimpered sadly, he was now cold again.

"Origo, you don't look so well"

His little eyes didn't have that fire that he normally had. He didn't moved, he let Diamond carry him. Origo was then placed on his owners shoulder.

Two small sneezes came from the pup.

"Bless you pup" said Diamond, kissing him on his soft head.

Origo whined and whipped his little paws on his nose. A yawn now came over him. He shook his head afterwards and whined.

Neither Diamond, Pippin or Origo knew that they were going to meet old friends. Pippin, who had been sleeping, yawned like Origo did.

"I'm getting hungry" he thought.

His eyes scanned down to the small wicker baskets beside him. One of them was empty, the other was full. A cloth had been lain over it. It was white, but had lost a bit of its colour.

The cloth was then taken off. Lambas bread had been wrapped up in crisp green leaves. Pippin lifted it out and took a piece.

The small piece of bread reminded Pippin of home and what it meant to him. All the small things were more important then ever.

He did not realise it, but his family and friends were the most important thing to him. Pippin made a pact with himself never to leave Diamond or Faramir.

A small bit of Lambas was broken off. Diamond was looking down at Origo. His arm then extended towards her.

"Here" he said.

Diamond looked over at him. She saw the bit of lambas in his hand. A warm smile came over her lips.

"Thank you Pip" she said, taking it.

They smiled at each other. The cart continued to roll on. Above them, a crow flew. It's eyes scanning the ground below.

It too was following the road towards Bree. With a beat of its wings, it glided though the air. Below, it could see the cart. But did not go to investigate.

Bree was on the horizon. The land was white, but the crow could make out the smoking chimneys. But the buildings were hard to make out. there were many trees between the crow and the small town.

The wind rushed past the bird. To people on the ground, the sight of a crow was normal. As the bird flew near to its destination, the houses grew larger and larger.

The sun glinted in their windows. Snow lay on top of the thatched houses. the trees stopped at the wall of Bree. Though some were dotted around inside it's walls.

The crows swooped ever downwards.

The bird flew past the first couple of houses. Water dripped down onto the street below. Each house stood along a muddy road. Smaller roads snaked off around the rest of the town.

One building had people walking in and out of it. the crow swooped down even more. There was an old sign swinging over the door way. A plank of wood had been secured to two metal chains.

The chains had rusted over the years. Creaks came when ever the wood swung. Upon the board, a picture had been carved. It was on a white horse, but now the paint had been eaten away over the many years it had been there. Words were visible. Three in number, but faint.

They read "The Prancing Pony"

This was where Merry was heading. It was the only place that could have news of his friend. But the coldness was still getting to Merry.

His pace had slowed right down. Legolas was still walking at his pace. Both the dwarf and the elf were now a few meters in front of the hobbit.

Merry staggered as some uneven points. A few times, he had stumbled to his knees. This only made things worse for him. His cloths were soaking wet and cold.

His hands hurt as he placed them in the snow. Pain came across his face as he slowly got up. Gimli had stopped.

"You alright there lad?" he asked.

His voice had a hint of Scottish in it. It had been the exact same one when Merry had first met him. Although Gimli's appearance had changed ever so slightly.

The redness of his large beard had started to turn. There were now, weaved within the red hairs, greying ones as well. His helmet had been taken off, yet his main axe had been brought with him.

A strong looking hand then reached out to Merry. The hobbit took it and stood up. Gimli's grip was very strong, so strong that it hurt Merry's hand.

"Th.. Thank you" Merry said, shivering.

Legolas had stopped, he was now looking back.

"You alright?" Gimli asked.

Both of them were now the same height now. Merry and Gimli looked at each other.

"I'm sure old Pippin will be safe" Gimli told him.

Merry took a deep breath and looked down. Water vapour rose into the air.

"I hope he is alright, I don't know what I will do without him" Merry said weakly.

Gimli put a heavy hand of the hobbits shoulder. The two of them then looked into each others eyes. For a moment, there was silence.

"He'll be alright" Gimli said.

The dwarf then looked over at the elf. Merry looked down again. The snow crunched as Gimli walked away. The hobbit followed on a few seconds later. The coldness was still bothering him, but a small bit of hope had come back.

The hobbit started to walk onwards again. He could hear the snow crunching under Gimli's heavy boots. The area around them was eerily quiet. There were no or few houses around them.

The world was still waking up. Clocks around the land chimed eleven times. Breakfast had come and gone. Plates were being put back into their cupboards.

Estella Bolger placed the last plate in and shut the door. The door shut with a thud. A cup of tea was waiting for Estella on the table.

The hobbit then sat on the seat. It scraped along the tiled floor. There was an oven behind her. A chicken was being cooked inside.

Its skin was browning by the minute, juices seeped down the outside. Honey had been rubbed all over the bird before it had been shut in the oven.

It would be later that day when Estella would finally get to eat it. Her friends were coming around for dinner and a chat. It was common to do so. Last time, it had been Pimpernel's turn. Estella knew what had happened to Nelly's home afterwards.

But Estella kept telling herself that it was only an accident. But she couldn't help checking every minute. The fire made the kitchen hotter and lighter.

The chimney drove up though the ground to the outside. The chimney was made of red bricks. The smoke poured out of the top. It was carried away by wind. The hill had a layer of thick snow around it.

Children were already outside in the snow. Their snow hobbits had been left in perfect condition over night. One of them had collapsed.

"Elanor" said one of the children.

Frodo Gamgee had been let outside again. For he had been grounded yesterday. His friends had continued to build the snow hobbit when he had gone inside.

"I'm telling mummy" he said, then walked off.

His friends walked behind him. The hill rose, doors opened and closed as hobbits walked in and out.

"Wait here" he said as they reached the gate.

He opened it and walked over to the front door. he reached up to the handle, which was quite hard for him, and opened the door. The warmth started to rush over him. But the cold air started to rush the other way in a battle.

The door was closed, breaking the battle. The house was warmer then the outside.

Frodo walked though house. Rosie, his mother, was in the kitchen. Rosie was in her lovely blue dress. She was at the sink. Water had been filled into the metal sink.

Plates were dripping wet on the side.

"Mummy?" Frodo asked, trying to get her attention.

Rosie looked around and smiled. Her hands were soaking wet.

"Hello dear" she said brightly.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Mummy, Elanor has destroyed our snow hobbit!" he said.

Rosie looked a bit confused.

"That's now like her" Rosie told her son.

"But it was her! She did it yesterday" Frodo argued.

Rosie took a deep breath and lifted her hands out of the warm water. Plates lay inside the water, bubbles hid them from view.

A towel had been drying on the back on a chair. Rosie walked to it, her hands dripped small drops of water. The towel was picked up. Rosie started to rubber her hands dry.

"Right, come with me" she said.

So, her and her son walked out of the room. Toys were scattered around the floor. The two of them walked towards one of the door. Rosie stopped and knocked on the door. Inside, Elanor was sitting on the bed. Her sprits had raised since yesterday.

She looked up as the door opened. She could see her mother standing there. A smile came over her lips. But it was short lived. Another figure came into view. Her smiled disappeared as quickly as it came.


	30. Day Fifteen, Part Two

"What is he doing here?" Elanor asked.

Rosie walked in. Frodo didn't.

"Elanor, did you knock down their snow hobbit yesterday?"

Elanor shook her head.

"Yes you did!" Frodo said, his voice raised.

"No I didn't!" Elanor argued.

She was getting angry now.

"How could he stand there and tell lies?" she thought.

"Yes you did, I saw you!" he lied.

Rosie's eyebrow raised.

"Saw her do it?" she asked.

Frodo had now thrown himself into it too deep. He knew that he couldn't lie to his own mother, she would look right though him.

The hobbit didn't answer. Elanor had now slid off of the bed and was now standing there. She scowled at her younger brother.

"He's lying mummy, he didn't see me do it" she told her.

Rosie was now stuck between two places. She hated to see her children fighting, but one of them had to be wrong. She knew that Elanor would never lie to her.

Rosie then took a deep breath and said.

"I don't think it was Elanor"

But Frodo wasn't giving in.

"But are you going to make her stay in?" he asked.

Elanor scowled even more. She didn't like Frodo being here.

"She can stay in if she wants to, but she is also allowed out. Unlike you, you will be allowed out after lunch"

Frodo was shocked.

"But mum!" he said.

"No buts, you'll be allowed out after lunch"

Frodo opened his mouth to open, but then closed it, knowing that he couldn't win. He whined and walked away. Elanor was smiling.

Rosie smiled back at her.

"Lunch will be ready in an hour" she told her daughter.

Elanor nodded and turned around. A door slammed down the corridor. It was a sign that Frodo had gone to his room. Rosie walked out, the front door was a bit ajar. She walked towards it and opened it fully.

Standing at the gate were a few hobbit children.

"Frodo will be out after he's had his lunch" Rosie told them.

The boys slowly nodded, it took them a few seconds before they started to walk away. Rosie walked back into the house and closed the door.

Meanwhile, Origo was asleep again. He had not eaten all day. Diamond was stroking him. The puppy was ill. Whimpers came from him. A packet of turkey laid beside Diamond.

She had tried to get him something to eat, but Origo would not take it.

"Please Ori, for me?" she asked, holding to him.

But the pup wouldn't take it. He turned his head and whined. Diamond sighed and placed the meat back in the packet.

"He doesn't want it" she said sadly.

She knew that he loved his turkey. Diamond was worried due to him not taking it.

"He's just ill" Pippin told her.

The puppy was then lifted up to her shoulder. Origo's fur was still warm and soft. But his spark had been lost. Diamond then kissed him on the head.

"Shh shh" she said, comforting him.

The pup seemed to be breathing quicker and heavier then normal.

"How far are we away from Bree?" Diamond asked.

Pippin shrugged.

"I don't know" he answered.

Dolly was sitting there, looking though a small gap in the cart. Trees rushed past them. A few times, she saw houses. the snow looked like a white sheet covering the land.

Dolly's eyes moved with the trees, bird flashed over the small gap. A gentle breeze was hitting her face. Wrinkles crossed her face, making her look old. Her hair, which once had been dark brown, was now grey and thinning.

A blanket had been drawn over her bare legs and feet. Dolly yawned and looked back around.

Origo was now falling asleep again. His whimpers had died down. His small eyes were closing. Diamond continued to stroke him.

She smiled and looked down at him. Very slowly and very carefully, she took him off and placed him on his blanket. A small whimper came from the pup. Diamond continued to stroke his little ear.

The puppy curled up, not to wake until night fall.

Meanwhile, a coat was taken off of the hook. Pearl was getting ready to go to Estella's home.

"Oh, why wont you come Nelly, it'll be fun" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel, who was holding Abira, said:

"I just don't feel up to going" she paused.

"Outside yet"

Pearl put her arms though the sleeves, her hand popped outside the ends. She started to do up the buttons. A small wicker basket was by her feet.

It was full of muffins that she had baked. They had small chocolate drops embedded within the cooked dough. Pearl did up the buttons and picked up the basket.

"Alright"

Pearl hugged her sister with one hand. She then kissed Abira on the head.

"See you later"

The door was then opened, letting the cold air in. But the coldness stopped a few seconds later when the door was closed. Pimpernel was glad that she wasn't going out judging by the coldness of the wind coming in.

Pearl was at the gate. The coldness was getting to her, even though she had her large coat on. The coldness began to effect her hands.

The basket was swinging in her right hand, while her left was tucked up inside the sleeve. Her nose started to run, she sniffed as she walked along the road.

Foot prints criss-crossed the path ahead. Pearl looked over the land that lay around her. It was very beautiful. The clouds above were now clearing, the night would be clear and the stars bright.

A minute later, a bang came at the door. Estella, who had been sitting at the table, looked up. She had not expected anyone this soon.

Pearl stood there, she looked down at her feet. The fine hairs on top of her feet were now wet and lying down. The door then opened, making her look up.

"Oh, hello Pearl. I wasn't expecting anyone this soon" she said.

"Come in"

The hobbit was then shown inside and the door was closed.

The day wore on, the clouds continued to clear. The sky above was blue, but was slowly changing to a deep inky colour. The clouds on the west horizon took on a pink colour to them. they continued to sail across the sky at the sun started to sink.

Origo was still sleeping. The world around him grew ever darker. The day seemed to go faster the more he slept. A small lantern had been lit at the front of the wooden cart. Its light spilling out on the snowy road ahead.

The night was now winning over the day. The day slowly sank with the sun, the coldness only deepened. Diamond had fallen back to sleep. Faramir was now in the arms of a tired Pippin.

A few strands of Diamond's hair blew gently in the wind. Pippin looked over at her. He was scared to sleep. He knew that the dreams would come back and he didn't want that.

Pip would rather stay awake over the night, then to sleep. Faramir, on the other hand, was snoozing peacefully. Pippin seemed to be the only one awake.

Diamond was sleeping, her head resting on her arm. Origo was sleeping on his small blanket. He was curled up.

"I bet he's warm" thought Pippin.

Dolly had fallen asleep resting against the wall of the cart. The only other person awake was Elladan, who was driving the cart.

Bree came ever closer to the cart goers. But they were not the first to reach it. Merry, Legolas and Gimli had come across the first bit of the wooden wall. Snow had been driven up against the wall.

The road ran along with the wall for a small distance. Half way down was large wooden gate.

On either side of the gate were mounted two burning lamps. They shed their light around the small area. The snow seemed to make the night lighter then normal. Even Merry could see a small distance in front.

Houses had been built on the other side of the wall. The once soft and sticky mud was now hard and uneven. Foot prints crossed every which way. There were cart trails as well. Hoof marks were common. They ran in and out of the town.

For some reason, Merry felt intimated. The large walls bore down on him. Legolas and Gimli were a few meters away from him. the hobbit struggled to keep up.

As the three of them rounded the shallow corner, the flaming torches came into view. The gate was large and made of wood. It looked exactly the same as last time Merry saw it. The walls were made of large rocks, a sleeper of wood ran right along the wall. It was half way up and parallel to the ground.

The gate had been reinforced by flat metal bars. Their rivets poked out of the other side. There were two small squares, one high and one low, had been cut into the wood.

Legolas was the first to reach door. Merry and Gimli followed. The elf knocked three times and waited. A few seconds later, someone could be heard on the other side.

The small window was opened. There, stood an old man. His hair was grey and his face looked like it had been carved out of wood.

"What do you want?"

Merry recognised that voice.

"We are heading for the Prancing Pony" Legolas said.

The door slowly opened, its hinges creaked slightly. The man stood there for a second, looking at the three wonders.

"He is not allowed in here" he said, pointing.

His weedy finger pointed towards the hobbit.

"Why not?" asked Legolas.

The man looked back at him. for a moment, the man didn't answer.

"It is due to what happened years ago. Hobbits are cursed" he told them.

Gimli looked over at Merry. Merry knew exactly what he was talking about.

"That was an accident!" the hobbit told him.

The man laughed.

"Accident?" he asked and chuckled.

"Getting hit by the door is no accident!"

Merry took a deep breath.

"Your now wasting my time, you'll have to leave"

"Have you seem any other hobbits in the past week?" Merry asked.

The man, who placed a hand on the door and stopped.

"Aye, I did see a few hobbits a week or two ago, now you mention it. They were kicked out as well. I watched them head down the road there"

He nodded, Merry looked around.

"But, that's towards Rivendell" Merry said.

He didn't like the idea of walking so far away from his home.

"Aye, towards Rivendell they went"

The was silence. The flames of the torches were flickering in the gentle wind. The door was closed, Merry could hear the man walking away.

Merry was now stuck. He did not know what to do. The darkness made the trees big and intimidating. Merry, a few times, though he could see black figures running between them. But he knew that it was just his imagination.

"What shall I do now?" he asked himself.

His eyes were darting around. Pippin was out in the coldness without him. Merry had never felt so lonely and lost then he was at that moment.

Legolas and Gimli were watching him.

"Merry, you could always come with us to Rivendell" Gimli told him.

The hobbit turned around.

"But what if he's not there?" he asked.

Gimli took a huff and looked away. Both of his hands rested on the axe that was propped before him.

"I think it is best" Legolas started.

"To make your way back home and wait for him there" he told him.

That was another option. One that he knew he must do. But a sudden thought came to him.

"I cant go home, I have no food" he told his two friends.

Meanwhile, Origo was waking up again. The night around him was cold and dark. A cool wind was blowing his fur. His eyes slowly opened to find himself back on his own blanket.

The darkness had now set in, meaning he couldn't see anyone. The cart, however, was still rolling. The snow was some what crunched more then a few hours ago.

The low temperature of the night had hardened them. the hooves of the horses could be heard. Their breaths could be seen rising into the air.

Origo was still not feeling himself. He whined, trying to attract Diamond's attention. But she didn't answer.

"Diamond?" he whimpered.

He didn't feel like getting up. His eyes moved around. The pup could see the cot over on the opposite side to Diamond. Dolly was sleeping near by. The bottom of her feet were very dirty. None of the passengers had had a chance to clean up.

Diamond's once shiny hair was now dull and dirty. It was the same story with the pup. Ori had dried mud attached to small paws. Yet his fur seemed to be clean and fluffy.

The pup then sneezed twice and whimpered. Origo didn't like being ill. He wished he could play with his Diamond. The other puppy seemed to get more attention then him.

Ori had noticed that every time that it made a noise, one that Origo found annoying, Diamond and Pippin would cuddle it.

"But what if I made that noise?" he asked himself.

A yawn came over him. The darkness was getting deeper every minute. The cart was now an hour or two from Bree.

Pippin and Merry would finally be reunited again. While Pippin was as warm as he could get, Merry was freezing. His lips were slowly turning blue. Legolas was standing there.

"We can not go into Bree, you heard that man" he said.

Gimli was standing there as well.

"If only we have Elven water, we could at least put off the cold for a small while" Legolas explained.

"But that would mean going to Rivendell, he wont last!"

Legolas knew that Merry only had an hour to live. Shivers took a hold of Merry's whole body. His breathing was decreasing rapidly.

"Alright" Legolas said.

He came up to Merry and picked him up.

"What are you planning?" Gimli asked, knowing the answer already.

"We're going to Rivendell" the elf answered.

The elf started to walk away silently. The dwarf watched him, resisting to go with him without a rest.

"Alright then" he said.

The snow crunched under his feet as he started to walk away again. His breath rose into the air. A soft bang came from the door. The dwarf looked around, but there was nothing there.

So, he continued to walk. The silhouette of the elf could be seen quiet away up the path.

"I'm never going to keep up with him if he walks that fast" Gimli said to himself.

In Hobbiton, Elanor and the rest of her brothers and sisters were being put to bed. Rosie opened the door to a room. Inside, Elanor was already laying in her bed.

The candles had already been put out. yet the fire was still burning. Like every room, there was a metal grill over it. That was for the safety of their children.

Elanor smiled as her mother came and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Good night mummy" Elanor said.

Rosie smiled.

"Good night petal" she said, her hand slowly and gently swept away hair from her daughters face.

The two of them hugged.

"See you tomorrow" Rosie said.

Elanor gave her mother a smile.

"Love you" she said.

"Love you too"

Rosie kissed her daughter on the forehead and got up. She walked out to the door and looked back. The door was slowly and silently shut, blocking off the light to Elanor's room.

The corridor had been cleared of all toys. Rosie started to walk though her house towards the kitchen. There, Sam was sitting at the table. He had made Rosie and himself a nice cup of tea. Rosie smiled and closed the door to the kitchen.

Samwise looked very tired. the tea leaves had been taken out and placed on the plate. A small bowl of white sugar had been placed on the table too. There was also a plate of cookies.

Crumbs on the table mat told Rosie that Sam had already taken one or two. The chair was pulled out and Rosie sat down.

"Are they in bed?" asked Samwise.

He sounded as tired as he looked. Rosie smiled and nodded.

"Yes" Rosie answered.

"I might get an early night tonight" Sam told her, yawning mid way though the sentence.

Rosie picked the small spoon. She scooped up a spoon full of sugar and tipped it into the tea. She did this a few more times. Sam smiled as he watched her. Rosie noticed this.

"What?" she asked, stopping.

Sam smiled and shook his head.

"Oh, nothing" he answered.

Rosie then continued to put sugar into her tea. Samwise counted a total of ten spoonfuls. The spoon was then put back into the sugar. There was another small silver spoon for stirring.

The sound of the spoon hitting the edge of mug. The brown tea inside in swirled around. bubbles swirled around the surface, coming together in the middle. All of the sugar that had been put into the tea was now dissolved.

It was then that Rosie took her first sip. The tea was warm and sweet. It was exactly what she needed. The day had been tiring. But now, she could relax and have time to herself.

The fire crackled as the two of them sat in silence. Every so often, they would drink their tea. The clock on the wall continued to tick. Nine o'clock came and went. The clock chimed softly nine times.

Samwise seemed to be getting more and more tired by the minute. But he continued to sit there.

"I'll have to go to the market place tomorrow, we need another chicken" Rosie told him.

Sam smiled and gave a small nod.

"Could you get some bacon as well? I wouldn't mind a bacon sandwich" Sam told her.

Rosie smiled.

"Of course" she answered.

Sam looked into his mug. There was only a small bit of tea left. He swirled it around and downed it. Sam took the mug away and took a deep, refreshed breath. He placed the mug down and looked at the clock.

"Well, I'm going to get ready for bed" he said.

Rosie smiled as she watched her husband stood up and push the chair in. The sound of the wood scrapping against the tiles filled the room. Sam picked up the empty mug and placed it near the sink to be cleaned up later.

He then walked around the table, kissed Rosie on the cheek and walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Estella was standing at her front door. A coat was got off of its hook, but it was not her hand that picked it off. Pearl was the last one to leave the home.

She had come for dinner with her and some of her friends. Pervinca, Pearl's sister, had left already. Marigold, May and Daisy had all came along. But Pimpernel had chosen against it.

"Thank you for the dinner" said Pearl, doing up the last button.

Estella smiled.

"It was my pleasure" she said.

Pearl and Estella hugged for a few seconds.

"Be careful out there" Estella told her.

The friends let go of each other.

"I will" Pearl answered.

She then picked up the basket and opened the door. Cold air rushed into the house. When Pearl had walked to Estella's, the sun had been up in the sky. Now, darkness gripped the land.

Pearl walked out, the coldness instantly started to hurt her face.

"See you tomorrow!" Estella said.

Pearl looked around.

"Bye" she answered.

The door was then shut behind her. The coldness really started to sting Pearl's feet. She walked faster then normal, not wanting to be out in the coldness very long.

She opened the gate with her free hand and walked though. She shut it again, making sure it clicked. The snow underfoot was now turning to ice. A few times, Pearl nearly slipped. But she was able to save herself.

It took her longer then normal to get to her own home. The road snaked across the hill, going up and down slightly. Pearl reached the gate and opened it. she pushed it open and quickly walked though.

The coldness seemed only to get deeper. The basket was then switched to her other hand and the door opened. The warm air fought off the cold air trying to come in.

Pimpernel, who had been in the kitchen, heard the door slam shut. The kettle was being heated up over the flames of the fire. Abira had been exploring the rest of the house. She came rushing into the kitchen and looked up at her owner.

"Pearl must be home, pup" Nelly told her.

Abira wagged her small tail and rushed out again. but the pup stopped at the door way. Pimpernel took a piece of cloth and picked up the hot kettle.

She started to pour the water in the two mugs as Pearl came around the corner. Pimpernel looked up. Pearl spotted the two mugs of hot water.

A clunk came as Pimpernel placed the kettle back.

"Did you have a good time?" Nelly asked.

Pearl placed the basket down near the cellar door.

"Yes, it was very good" Pearl said, walking to the seat.

She sat down and pulled it in. Pimpernel did the same. Abira had come back, she was now standing beside her owner.

Pimpernel looked down and, with one hand, scooped her off the floor and placed her on her lap. The pup whined happily and sat there. The pup stretched out her front paws and snuggled down.

Nelly put some tea leaves in the water. A spoon had been set out by each of the mugs. Pearl picked her up and started to stir.

The clock showed the large minute hand on the three and the smaller hand was on the nine.

"Its getting really cold out there" Pearl said, starting the convocation.

Pimpernel stopped stirring and took the spoon out. She tapped it three times against the side of the mug.

"I know, I wouldn't like to be out in it. Even in the day time!"

She said this, not knowing that her younger brother was in fact in it. but they were oblivious to that fact. Pimpernel took out the tea leaves and placed them on the small dish. Abira yawned and curled up.

In the middle of the table, like Rosie's table, was a small bowl of sugar. But Pimpernel did not take it. It was only for Pearl. She had also fished out her leaves. The water had taken on a light brown colour.

The smell coming off of it was rich. Pearl picked up the small silver spoon in that had been dug into the white grains. She then shovelled them into the swirling drink.

The grains started to dissolve into the hot liquid. She did not put as much as Samwise in, but it was enough for her. The spoon was then set down and Pearl started to drink.

Abira was resting on her owns lap. A small yawn came over her. She snuggled up even more. Pimpernel looked down at the small pup on her lap and smiled.

"You tired girl?" Nelly asked.

Abira raised her head and looked up. A smile came across Pimpernel's lips.

"We'll got to bed soon, alright?" she asked, stroking Abi's fluffy head.

The puppy whined happily as the hand ran all the way down her back. The puppy the rested her had on her paws again.

Both of the girls continued to drink in silence. Pimpernel was the first to finish. She downed the rest of her tea and placed the cup on the table mat.

"Right" she said.

"Lets get you some food and then we can go to bed"

Abira whined happily as she was picked up and gently placed on the floor. Pimpernel then got up. her sister finished her tea before Pimpernel could open the door.

The curious pup followed her owner to the threshold of the door. But Abira didn't cross it. She just stood there, hiding behind the edge of the round door way.

Her eyes were darting around the dark room in front of her. Pimpernel vanished from sight. For a few seconds, Abira started to wonder where she had gone.

Pimpernel then came into view again, Abira's little tail started to wag. Behind the pup, Pearl got up from her seat. She had a mug in her hand. Pimpernel's empty mug was picked up as well.

"I'll wash them up in the morning" Pearl told her sister.

Pimpernel, who smiled, placed the packet of bacon on the side of the work top. Her eyes then landed on the flaming fire.

A small bit of déjà vu came over her. The fire now looked menacing and too powerful for her.

"Pearl?" she asked slowly.

Her eyes continuing to focus on the fire. Pearl looked around and saw her sister looking at the fire. She knew exactly what her sister wanted her to do.

"Nelly, I can do it if you want" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel slowly turned her head.

"Could you?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl smiled and nodded.

"Why don't you go and wait in your room and I'll bring it in to you"

Nelly smiled.

"It's for the pup, so you can just leave it on the plate. I don't think she likes bread"

Pearl nodded and watched her sister walk out. the small pup followed her quickly. Pearl then looked back at the packet of bacon that lay on the work top.

"Well, she might want all of it" Pearl though.

The cupboard door was opened and a pan was got out.

Legolas was still walking in the snowy land. Two small hands were around his neck. They belonged to Merry Brandybuck. His small hands gripped as tightly as they could.

But it was not tight enough. Legolas could feel him slipping again. The elf, who was walking faster then he normally did, heaved Merry back up.

Gimli was walking behind them. He was tired and wet. The coldness was getting to him. the poor hobbit was drifting in and out of conciseness.

But neither of them knew that a cart was on the horizon. It was led by a horse. Inside was the hobbit Merry had been searching for.

One mile away.

The road started to climb a shallow hill. The trees around had snow sticking to them. but it was melting, sending drips falling to the floor of the forest.

The floor of the forest was covered with inches of snow. Below, sticks and brown leaves lay. In the light of day, birds had been busy trying to get their food.

Robins mostly hopped from tree to tree. Silent and graceful owls had now come out to play. They sat perched high in the trees. Their figures were still against the whiteness of the clouds above.

As the sun set, their silhouettes started to merge into the blackness.

Three quarters of a mile.

Bree was shutting down. Men, women and children were confined to their houses. yet, some of the braver men ventured out into the cold wind.

Their faces started to sting as they made their way towards the Prancing Pony. Lights flickered as the door opened. A freezing cold wave swept into the building.

"Cold outside tonight" one of them said as he walked in.

The bar owner smiled.

"It seems to be" he answered.

The Prancing pony was less busy at this time of night. A few shady characters sat around the room. Their heads were held down and their voices low.

Half a mile now lay in between Merry and Pippin. The road straightened out. Legolas could see a cart coming towards them. but he knew nothing of who was in it.

The only sounds that the elf could hear was the crunching of snow under Gimli's boots and the ever louder horses making their way along the road.

Without warning the elf just stopped. Merry was clinging on around him. Gimli, having no idea why he stopped, walked up beside him. the dwarf looked up at his friend.

"What is it?" he asked.

It took a few seconds to answer.

"It is the son of Elrond" Legolas told him.

Gimli still didn't understand. But he knew that he would never.

"We have to move" said the elf.

Without another second wasted, Legolas moved off. This was easier said then done for the dwarf. The stop had ceased up the joints in his feet and legs. They hurt every time they moved.

Soon, Gimli found enough strength to move. Legolas was now quite away from him. The elf could clearly see Elladan driving.

Elladan saw Legolas coming towards him. But they still had a quarter of a mile between them. Gimli could finally see the cart.

"It's a bit late for a cart to be out" Gimli thought.

"I guess they wont be able to give us a lift"

But Legolas had things to do. The cart slowly rolled up to where Legolas was. A smile came over his lips. Elladan looked down he slowly wrapped the reigns on the small hook.

The elf then got down. Elladan's long dark hair lay cleanly on his head. It was much more different to Legolas'.

"It is good to see you again" Legolas told him.

Elladan nodded.

"And you, but what brings you to Bree?" Elladan asked.

His eyes then spotted Merry holding on.

"A hobbit?" Elladan asked.

He knew that there three more hobbits in the back of the cart.

"This is Merry, he is looking for one of his friends"

In the cart, Pippin was slowly waking up. But he had stopped midway though. He had heard a familiar name.

"Merry?" he asked himself.

But he did not fully trust himself.

"I don't suppose you've seen his friend on your travel here?" asked another voice.

Pippin was now paying full attention. He knew who's voice that belonged to.

But it couldn't be, could it?

The hobbit sat up and shuffled to the edge of the cart. His blanket was taken off and left. The cold air seemed colder then normal.

His feet hung over the edge. He pushed himself off and landed in the thick snow. His breath rose into the air. Pippin then walked to the side of the cart and looked around the corner.

There, standing before him was a dwarf and two elves.

"Gimli?" he asked, hardly believing that he was there.

"Legolas?"

A third new figure could be see. He had his hands around Legolas.

"Merry?"


	31. Day Sixteen, Part One

There were no lights to speak of, save for the candle light flickering as it sat in the lantern. It swung gently in the slow breeze, creaking every so often.

Figures were gathered around the cart. There were three short figures and two taller ones.

Two horses had been leading the small cart on for many days now, over muddy paths and icy rivers. Their hooves were muddy and wet. But their job was to pull the cart and they did it without hassle.

Voices came from the small party.

"He's ill, we need to get some Miruvor. Have you got any?" said one of them.

He was kneeling on the snow, looking down at another figure laying before him. This figure was smaller then he was and his stomach was more larger. This was a hobbit and he very ill.

Merry Brandybuck was his name. He had very light brown, almost akin to golden, hair. Like all hobbits, it curled wildly. His once green jacket was now muddy and brown. Merry's hair was very wet. A few drops fell from it.

"Ill?" Pippin asked.

There was worry in his voice and in his heart. He slowly walked over to his friend as Elladan got the flask from his bag and came back.

Miruvor was a clear drink made by the elves. Little was known about how it was made, although ideas and suggestions had been made. The top was unscrewed, sending the aroma of a hot summer's night into the cold winter air.

Elladan handed it to Legolas. He took the it with his spare hand. The clear water inside sloshed around. The smell of the water grew even stronger.

Merry's head was held up and the neck of the flask was placed on his blue lips.

The reviving water started to seep down Merry's throat. A small bit ran down the side of Merry's cheek and dripped onto the snowy floor. It took a few seconds for the hobbit to react.

Merry moved his head just slightly. It was the first sign of any life that was in him.

"Will he be alright?" asked Pippin, looking down at him.

But there was no answer. Both of the elves knew that he would.

"Get him home" Legolas said in Elvish.

Pippin couldn't understand him. But Elladan could. Merry was then picked up and carried to the back of the cart. Pip looked at Elladan for a split second before going after Legolas.

"Is he going to be alright?" Pippin asked again.

But again, Pippin's question was not answered. Merry was limp and looked lifeless. Yet, there was a bit of colour coming back to his lips.

"You need to get home" Legolas told Pip.

Everything was happening to quickly for Pippin. He was still trying to come to terms with what he was seeing. Two of his oldest and dearest friends were standing in front of him.

But Pippin didn't know what to say.

"You need to go home" Legolas repeated, holding out the flask of Miruvor.

Pippin nodded as he took it. Emotions were now running though him again. They seemed to be stronger then ever before.

"You'll… You'll come to visit me, wont you?" Pippin asked.

Legolas looked away for a split second. He could not see what the future held for him.

"We will try, but don't expect us any time soon" he answered.

Pippin gave him a small smile, it was good enough for him. Elladan had already got back onto the driver's seat and there he waited. Pippin looked back to the cart. Merry was now laying on the edge. One of his arms was dangling out into the cold night.

"I have to go now" Pippin said.

For a few seconds, the hobbit just stood there. He was rooted to the spot, resisting to move. Something deep inside him wanted to stay. But he knew that he had to go.

Without another word, he turned and got into the cart. Elladan looked back, he some how knew that Pippin had got in safely.

The reigns were then unhooked. With a few seconds of delay, the horses started along the road again. The sound of their hooves filled the air once more.

Pippin looked back at his two friends standing in the road. The cart was now getting back up to full speed.

Legolas and Gimli watched as the cart roll away. There were two big wheels on either side. A metal rim had been tightly fitted around each of the wooden wheels.

Pippin had started to regret not saying more to his friends. For now, he had lots to tell them. He wanted to go back and just talk to them for hours. But he knew he couldn't.

The hobbit took a deep breath. He watched his friends get smaller and smaller. The darkness had soon swallowed them up.

But now, Pippin had to look after Merry.

A yawn suddenly came over Pippin's lips. He was now very tired. His sleep had been disturbed yet again. His eyes were getting more and more heavy as the minutes past.

Slowly, Pippin fell back to sleep. His eyes closed and all around him, the world past him by.

The day had started brightly over the Shire. Snow was still laying thickly on the ground. Hobbits had started to show signs of being up when the smoke coming out of the top of their chimneys got thicker and darker.

The Gamgee household was getting very busy indeed. The three youngest children, Rose, Merry and Pippin, had already been woken up.

Elanor and Frodo were still asleep in their beds. Their duvets were still drawn over them. The two were old enough to stay in bed for a bit longer.

Rosie, their mother, was in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table. A small bowl was sitting in front of her. In her arms was a baby. Not a new born, but not an old baby either.

This was Pippin and he was being fed. A blanket had been wrapped around him. Rosie smiled as she fed him. He seemed chubbier then her other children.

The baby then started to cry suddenly. Rosie smiled as she placed the small spoon back in the bowl and lifted her child to her shoulder.

Samwise was sitting at the table as well. He had an empty plate in front of him.

"Right" said Sam, getting up from his seat.

"I'll go and wake the other two" he told his wife.

He had, in his hand, the last bit of toast.

Jam had been spread all over the surface of the warm, toasted bit of bread. He ate it as he walked out of the room. The cries from baby Pippin started to subside.

There were many doors in Bag End. Sam had been in here many times when he was younger. The halls were filled with memories, good and bad, about what had happened all those years ago.

The halls echoed his foot prints as he stopped at a large wooden door. He slowly opened it. The room was indeed very hot, much hotter then the other rooms in the house.

There was a small bed running along one of the walls. A child lay there, fastest asleep. She had golden hair growing from the top of her head. A small bit of light was flooding in from the window.

Sam smiled as he walked over to his oldest child.

"Elanor?" he asked.

Elanor was still dreaming, but it would soon be over. The dream was taken away from her. Her eyes slowly opened.

"Elanor?" Sam asked again.

Elanor turned her head up, her eyes were hurting from the light pouring in from the window.

"Daddy?" she asked.

Tiredness clung to her voice. A yawn came over her.

"Breakfast is ready" her father told her.

The girl smiled tiredly. Those words unlocked her hunger. Sam smiled.

"Be quick, or it'll be all gone" he joked.

Elanor smiled, knowing that he was only being silly, but a small bit of her started to worry. Sam left the room and quietly shut the door. He smiled as he went towards the second room.

The second room belonged to his oldest son, Frodo Gamgee. He was the second child of Rosie and Sam. Sam knocked three times on his son's door.

A few seconds later, he opened it.

Inside, was a bed. A window looking to the outside world.

Sleeping in the bed was Frodo. He looked exactly like his father. His hair was brown and curly, his cheeks showed signs of being well fed.

"Frodo?" asked Sam, placing a hand on his son.

Frodo whined, but did not wake.

"Frodo, get up now"

Sam then walked away, trusting that his son would get up. The small boy turned in his bed and snuggled down again. His pillow seemed to be more comfy all of a sudden.

The door to Frodo's room was left ajar. Light from the candles outside was pouring in. The tiles reflected most of the light.

The flames flickered like fairy dancers, looking down on the corridor or room below.

The wax had continued to melt, making the wick inside shorter and shorter as the hours past. Running down the sides of the candles were drips. But they were not like water. These drips were of wax frozen in time.

Sam had gone back into the kitchen. Four pieces of toast and a bacon sandwich were just not enough for him. Hunger was still yelling at him and he needed to quieten it.

All across Hobbiton and the Shire, hobbits were filling up for another day of coldness. Chimneys threw their smoke high into the crisp, clear air of the morning.

The sky was clear and cloud free. The air seemed cleaner and sharper then normal. Yet there was still a bit of mist hanging on the ground. Robins perched on trees, singing their morning song for everyone to hear. Their red breasts were glowing against the whiteness of the snow.

Bacon wafted though the Gamgee house. Frodo was still laying in his bed. The sounds of his younger brother echoed though the house.

It was very annoying to him. He tried to ignore it, but could not.

"Come on Frodo, breakfast is ready!" came his mother's voice from the kitchen.

Frodo groaned. The smell of bacon was now getting to him. The duvet was thrown off of him. Frodo couldn't take it any more.

His feet hit the cold tiled floor. A small breeze came though the house. The breeze was due to small cracks in the wooden frames of the door.

Frodo yawned as he walked out of his room. The sound of Pippin had now gone quiet.

Sam, Elanor and Rosie were all sitting at the table as he walked in. The smell of bacon was even stronger now. Rose and Merry were both playing on the floor. Pippin was now asleep in his mothers arms.

There was a spare seat next to Sam. Frodo walked over and sat upon it.

On the table mat was plate and, on top of the place was a delicious looking bacon sandwich. Two slices of bread made up one of the sandwiches. There were two sandwiches in total, one on top of the other.

Butter had been spread thickly onto each slice.

Three crispy slices of bacon had been placed inside each sandwich.

Frodo picked up the first bit of his breakfast. It was still warm.

He took a bite, chewing off some of the crispy bacon. The child's tiredness slowly, but surely, started to fall away from him.

The taste of bacon was very rich. The meat had been fresh and had been stored in the cellar.

Sam, meanwhile, had a mug of tea before him. A small bit of water vapour was coming off of it, showing how hot it was. Tea leaves were drying on the saucer. Sugar had been put into the hot water.

A small spoon was resting on the side of the saucer. A small drip of dark brown water resting on it.

Samwise watched his son eat. Half of the sandwich had gone already.

A mug of cool water was sitting on the table before him. But it had not be touched yet.

Elanor, on the other hand, was looking at her brother in a different light. She didn't like her younger brother very much. She was eating her bacon sandwich as well.

But she stopped for a few seconds. Her free hand picked up the mug of warm tea. Rosie had decided that her daughter was now old enough to drink tea at breakfast.

Lots of sugar had been put into the drink. The tea was then sipped and placed back down on the table. The eating continued until all of the sandwich was gone.

Elanor then drank the rest of her tea.

She smiled at her mother.

"Could I be excused from the table mummy?" Elanor asked.

Rosie gave the exact same smile.

"Sure you can" she said.

The small girl then got off of her seat and walked out of the room. Elanor gave an evil and angry stare at her brother. But he didn't notice.

Rosie looked down at her son. Pip was now sleeping in her arms.

She took a deep breath and got up from her seat. Pippin had been wrapped in a small blanket. His little eyes were now shut. He had been fed and had fallen asleep again.

Rosie walked out of the kitchen. She continued to walk all the way to her room. The door to her room was closed. With one hand, trying not to wake Pippin up, she opened it.

Inside the room, there was a small writing desk. A few papers were laying on there. Evidence that Sam had been working there. There were a few full ink pots were sitting on the top of the sloping desk. A quill was resting there as well.

A small cot had been placed in the room. Rosie walked over to it. She slowly and gently placed her youngest son down in it.

In the kitchen, Sam had now clearing away the plates. They were placed near the small sink. Water dripped from the tap and hit the bottom of the bowl. He yawned as looked around.

The fire crackled on the heath.

In the other rooms, Frodo was getting ready to go out. He was getting changed into his large coat. There were large brass buttons running all the way up.

Six of them in total. Each were reflecting the light of the candles and of the fire. The child did them all up. He smiled as he scurried out of his room, leaving the door ajar. He stopped outside of his room and looked around, wondering where his mother was. He then went deeper into the home.

Rosie smiled as she walked away from her son. There was noting else to do in her room. The bed had been made and everything was clean. Her sprits were high, she was looking forward to this years Yule.

The hobbit then walked over the threshold of her room. Small feet met her ears. Frodo was there

"Mummy, I'm…"

But Frodo was hushed. Rosie put her finger over her lips. The door was slowly and quietly closed.

"I'm just going out mummy" he said a bit calmly then before.

Rosie smiled.

"Alright" she answered

"Make sure your back for lunch" Rosie told him.

Frodo nodded and scurried off again. Rosie walked in his wake. The house seemed to be quieter then normal. The sound of the front door echoed though the house.

Rosie yawned as she made her way to the kitchen. The clinging smell of bacon hit her again. Sam had now Rose and Merry were with him. Rosie saw that the plates and mugs had been cleared away.

The fire was burning merrily in the fireplace. It crackled every so often. The smoke rose in the brick chimney and into the cold air above.

The wind outside was blowing the smoke gently away from the chimney. Snow had built up around the edges where the bricks met the ground.

Small prints from where the birds had been were printed all over. Their tracks were the only evidence that they were there. Blades of grass were poking out through the carpet of snow.

It was the same story all over the land. Yet, slowly, the snow was slow melting. The lake in the centre of Hobbiton was near overflowing.

Inside the cart, Merry was slowly waking. Sounds and feelings started to come back to him. Different and scary they were. The feeling of emptiness was ebbing away.

Out of the blackness came a small bit of light. Not a strong, bright light. But a gentle and distant one. The sound of wind and of talking met his ears.

But Merry couldn't make out what they were saying. He had never felt like this before. The voices grew louder and louder. They were unfamiliar to him. All of his muscles had started to feel again.

"Well" said a voice.

It echoed inside his head. It felt like there was a great empty void that nothing could fill.

"We'll be home soon" said the voice.

Deep within Merry, he knew that he should know who they were.

But he didn't.

The sounds seemed to come at him like a wall of water. The coldness started to touch his body. Thoughts flooded back to him. Questions flooded in faster then he could think of them.

Diamond and Pippin were sitting on the wooden planks that made up the floor of cart. Two wicker baskets were standing near the end of the cart.

A cot had been placed in for the journey back. At this moment in time, it was empty. Faramir Took had been born just a few days ago. But he was not laying in the cot. Instead, he was in his mothers arms.

Diamond was smiling. She had her two favourite people around her. She loved Pippin and her son both very much. Faramir was giggling at his mother.

Origo, Diamond's puppy, was snoozing in a blanket. His paws and fluffy head were poking out of the large blanket. The pup had been asleep for almost twenty four hours. Even the events of the night before had not awoken him.

The pup had had nothing to eat in a day now. It was just not tempting for him. There was a packet laying inside the basket, a bit had already been ripped off of the top.

Inside were fresh pieces of turkey for Origo. But it was left untouched. An illness had gripped the poor pup. But now, he was getting better.

"I hope we are" said a voice.

It was his Diamond's. A small whine came from the pup. He was now very hungry and still very sleepy. But he was not the only one to wake up. Merry slowly moved his head.

Diamond looked over.

"Pippin" she said.

Pippin looked around, noticed she wasn't looking at her. A movement caught his eye. Merry was moving his head.

"Merry?" asked Pippin.

But his friend didn't answer. Merry's eyes slowly opened. Pip watched.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Merry looked at him. What happened next shocked both Merry and Pippin. Merry suddenly looked very frightened. He scrambled back, his heart rate rose dramatically.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he asked in quick concession.

His eyes darted around the cart. Pippin started to wonder what Merry was doing and talking about.

"Merry?" he asked.

"What are you doing?"

Merry's eyes continued to dart around.

"Merry? Who's Merry?" he asked.

Now Pippin was confused as well.

"Well, you are, remember?" Pip told him.

Diamond was looking between the two of them. she could see the fear in Merry's eyes. There was also something much deeper then that.

"Pippin, do you know what I think happened?" Diamond asked, looking over at her husband.

Pippin shook his head.

"I think he's lost his memory" she told him.

The night was deep and the house quiet. Rosie was sitting at the table all alone. Worry was strong in her heart. The conditions outside were worsening. Snow was coming down on the small town.

There were no lights to speak of, save for the candle light. The fire had been left to burn down to red hot ash. The candles were still burning, flickering gently.

Rosie was sitting at the kitchen table. There were no noises around her. All of her children were now in bed. All of them, apart from one.

This was the reason why Rosie was up this late and was this worried. Her son had gone missing. She didn't know when, but it must have hours before.

The front door suddenly opened up. Rosie, who had been looking into a invisible spot before her, looked up. Samwise was home. Rosie stood up and scurried out of the room.

Standing near the door was Sam. But there was no sign of Frodo anywhere.

"What happened?" Rosie asked.

Sam was shivering and wet. Drips were falling from his cloths and hair alike. A few flakes had not melted yet. But they were slowly seeping into the cloth.

Sam didn't answer his wife. He didn't want to talk about what happened. His coat was taken off. The brass buttons were undone. Six in all. Sam took it off and hung it up.

Sam's mind was on trying to find his son. But there was no start to his search. The snow outside was getting thicker and thicker. Tracks of hobbits that had walked there had been hours before had been nearly covered up. Rosie needed news.

"Sam, did you find him?" Rosie asked.

Sam shook his head slightly. He didn't want to speak or look at his wife. Rosie put her hand over her mouth and turned away. She feared the worst. But there was nothing she could do.

Hours before, Frodo had gone outside. The door shut behind him. A smile came over his lips. His hunger had been tamed, for now.

The small boy ran down to the gate and opened it. There were more people about at this time of day. some were talking to their friends. Others were enjoying when they thought would be the last of the snow.

The snow had started to loose its brilliant whiteness. The paths that had been used by the hobbits in the past few days had turned the snow into slush. The night time had refrozen it. The path was now like a cold mirror. It reflected the sun light, yet was smooth and icy. Yet, there was a few patches of fresh, untouched snow on the sides.

Snow hobbits dotted peculiar places around Hobbiton. Snow were big and would take time to melt. Others were small and looked like they would fall over it the wind was strong enough.

Frodo slowly and carefully made his way down the path from his home. A few of his friends were waiting for him. they were standing in a group and talking.

"I bet you cant" said one of them.

Frodo, who had arrived, wondered what they were talking about.

"Frodo would do it" said one of them.

The boy was looking at him.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Go over the bridge" he was told.

The words of his mother flooded back to him.

"And do not go over the bridge!" her words echoed.

Frodo shock his head.

"I cant" he said.

"My mum said I cant" he told them.

The other boys started to laugh at him. Frodo didn't like this one bit.

"Frodo is scared" they said.

Frodo scowled at his friends. Something deep inside him wanted to prove that he was better then them. After a few seconds, Frodo walked off down the road. He pushed past his friends and walked away.

For a moment, his friends didn't know what he was doing. At once, they all set off after him.

Hobbiton was now very busy. The coldness was not as deep as the days before. Yet there were clouds on the horizon. The sun was high in the sky, but struggled to heat the land below.

Birds sang and searched for what food they could. The snow had lifted enough to expose the wet soil below. The birds would hop around, trying to catch the worms that slithered too near to the surface.

The Green Dragon had its doors open. There were many chimneys sprouting out of the top. Each one was throwing smoke into the air. A gentle breeze blew it away.

Frodo and his friends walked past it. The small bridge came into view. Tracks from the carts that came and went from Hobbiton could be seen. The snow seemed to be thicker here. The once small river running under the bridge was now higher then it had ever been. Its colour had changed from clear to a muddy brown over night. Sediment had been picked up from the bottom in the ever powerful torrent.

The water wheel had continued to rotate at an increased speed. Its sound echoed around the area. It was not an unpleasant sound, but a very calming sound.

In fact, most of the residents of Hobbiton had gotten so used to its sound, that they did not hear it.

Frodo stopped at the edge of the bridge. His friends stopped a few seconds after. They were still not convinced that he was going to do it. Frodo himself doubted that he would do it.

But then, his friends were watching him, so he could not back down.

"What are you waiting for?" a voice asked behind him.

Frodo looked back. It was one of his friends.

"Are you going to come as well?" Frodo asked.

His friend smiled.

"Of course" he answered.

Frodo believed him. his friends walked up near by.

"You go first" Frodo was told.

The hobbit looked around, checking one last time for any signs his mother or father. Yet there was no signs of them around.

Frodo, without a second thought of what the consequences would be, walked forwards. His heart rate rose, a small bit of him knew that he would get into a lot of trouble if he was caught.

The hobbit looked back. He could see his friends walking behind him. They too would get into trouble. Frodo looked down at the river.

"Wouldn't like to fall in there" he told himself.

The snow crunched under his feet. The tracks from the few carts could still be seen. The bridge rose and fell slightly in the middle. Frodo was now at the half way point. He stopped.

"Should I go on?" he asked himself.

On one hand, he wanted to. But on the other, he didn't. He was in enough trouble at home.

"But I'll never get this chance again" he told himself.

The hobbit continued to argue himself for a few more seconds. He then started to move off again. His friends were whispering behind his back.

Frodo had no suspicions on what was going on.

"When are we going to do it?" whispered one of them.

"Soon" he was told.

Frodo was now a meter from the other side. A tingling sensation started in both of his bare feet. Excitement was now running in his along with fear. Fear from his mother finding out.

The path levelled off, a few stones and blades of grass could be seen poking out of the thinning carpet of snow. Frodo turned around and looked at his friends.

"OK, what now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" asked one of his friends.

Frodo looked around.

"Well, what do you want to do now?" he asked.

"Now that we're here, we might as well go further" he told them.

Lunch was in one hours time. But Frodo was not hungry at the moment. He was excited and wanted to explore.

"But what if we're not home in time for lunch?" he was asked.

Frodo smiled.

"We will" he said.

The hobbit looked around. The trees at the top of the shallow hill that lay in front of him. On the top were large trees. Frodo wanted to see them.

"Lets go there" he said, pointing to them.

Frodo's friends looked where he was pointing. They saw the large still trees standing there.

"Why there?" asked one of Frodo's friends.

He was a lot fatter then Frodo was. His cheeks looked puffed and his stomach was big. The hair on his head was long and brown.

"Well, because I want to" Frodo told him.

Without another word, Frodo set off. His friends continued to follow him. the snow crunched under his feet. The town looked smaller from where they were.

The tracks from the many carts continued to lay in the snow. The hobbit's foot prints were etched in the snow. The smoke from all the chimneys in Hobbits could now be seen.

The surrounding areas were near enough empty. All of the homes had been built up around the lake in the middle. The mill was the only thing that was built on the other side of the lake.

As the small group of children walked further away from the bridge, the more they started to have fun. The snow on this side was, near enough, untouched by hobbits. Frodo and his friends laughed and ran up the shallow hill.

Frodo was the first to reach the shadow of the trees. He stopped and looked up at them. They were much bigger then the trees other their side.


	32. Day Sixteen, Part Two

On the other side of the woods, there seemed to be another hill. This one was steeper and rose higher. The trees seemed to have shielded the ground beneath them from the snow. Pinecones and their pins scattered the floor. Frodo walked deeper into it.

The tree's trunk was very large. Frodo looked up. All along the face of the trunk were small branches that had been broken off. All kinds of animals depended on the woods being there.

In the summer, the trees would be home to numerous animals. Woodpeckers made their homes high up and deep inside the tree. Their younger were safe from most predators there.

Squirrels climbed the trees as well. Sometimes, almost to the top. They scurried along precarious looking branches. Pinecones were hanging from the tree. Some were green and hard, others were brown and had gaps in them. Some fell to the ground as the squirrel continued to run.

There was a large gap to the other tree. But the squirrel did not stop. Instead, he continued to go faster. Without warning, the animal took off.

Thirty feet separated it with the hard ground. The animal grabbed onto an even more precarious branch. The animal then scurried on again, as fast as ever.

But now, there were no squirrels running over the branches. They had all hidden away in any warmth that they could find. Their large bushy tails curled around them. Their small brown eyes were closed.

Frodo, however, was not asleep. He had walked further into the forest. A pinecone was in his hand. His friends were walking behind him.

"Maybe we should get back, it'll be lunch soon" said one of them.

But Frodo didn't want to leave. He liked this new place he was in. He craned his neck upwards. The canopy was high above him.

"Lets go a bit further" Frodo told them.

But his friends stayed where they were.

"Frodo, we need to go back" said one of them.

A crow flew over head and perched on the branches high above. Its black eyes scanned down and looked at the hobbits.

Frodo moved though the small woods, but his friends didn't. Frodo stopped at an even large tree. His ran his hand over its coarse bark. A small bit broke off in his hand. He looked at it.

The bark just seemed to crumble in his hand. The small bits fell to the ground and were never seen again. The boy moved on again.

"Frodo, wait" said a voice behind him.

He stopped and looked around. All of his friends were walking up to him.

"We'll come with you" said the boy.

Frodo smiled.

"Come on then"

The small group started to run. They dodged trees and laughed as they ran. After a few minutes, they were reached the other side.

Frodo, being the fastest, reached it first. He stopped. His heart rate was quick as well as his breathing. His friends joined him. The were all looking at the view.

The land seemed to stretch on for miles upon mile. Trees seemed to break up the line of the horizon. Everything seemed to be white, save for a single river running a few miles away.

Neither one of them knew what lay over the horizon. Deep down, neither of them wanted to. They knew that they were safe in their own home.

"Lunch will be ready soon and I'm cold" said one of Frodo's friends.

Frodo nodded and looked back. A small part of him wanted to go on further, the other wanted to go back home.

"Come on, I'm going back"

His friends started to walk away. But Frodo didn't.

"I'll meet you back home" he said to them.

He wanted to explore a while longer. The hill that was before him looked like the perfect place to explore. So, the hobbit looked back, his friends were now nowhere to be seen.

Now was the perfect time to explore.

The snow built up again. a few times, Frodo slipped. The ground was much steeper on this side. There were a few trees dotted around, Frodo Gamgee held onto one as he tried to stop himself from going any faster.

It was an hour until he had to be back for lunch. Rosie was standing at the shelves in the cellar. A large turkey was clucking in a pen near her feet.

Elanor was sitting at the table. She had a large bowl before her. Smaller jars were dotted around. flower, sugar, a few eggs and a small bar of rich chocolate.

In the bowl, there was a small mountain of white flower. Rosie had come back and closed the door. Held in her hands was a big, uncooked vegetables. She smiled as she walked over to the work top. The chicken that they would be eating had already been put in oven hours before. A crispy brown layer had formed on the juicy bird.

Elanor started to mix all of the dry ingredients. She had been taught to cook by her mother. But Rosie still did not trust her daughter near the cooker.

Samwise was sitting in the lounge. Pippin Gamgee was in his arms. The baby had woken up yet again and needed attention. Sam held his youngest in his arms.

Held in his free hand was a book. He was reading it to himself, looking down at his son every so often. Sam was on the last few pages. It had taken him a week or two to get though it.

The hours seemed to quicken the more he read. The smell of cooking meat started to seep though the closed door. The last page of the book was only half full.

Sam's eyes ran over the last few words. All of the book, to the picture at the front, to the very last word, was hand written. The book was then closed, Sam had completed it for the countless time.

Foot prints were hear coming down the corridor. But they did not go past. Instead, the door opened. Standing there was Elanor.

"Daddy, lunch is ready" she said.

Sam smiled.

"Alright" Sam said, gently getting up.

Elanor scuttled off. As Sam walked out of the room, a new smell hit him. The muffins were still cooking in the oven as well. The bird had been taken out after hours of being cooked.

It was still very hot. A large cutting knife was held in Rosie's hand. She cut large chunks and placing them on six different plates. Pippin was the only one who wasn't allowed to have proper food yet. He was still too young.

The vegetables were still piping hot as they sat in the bowl. Silver spoons had been placed in the bowls.

Elanor was now sitting at her place. She was very hungry indeed. It had been a few hours since lunch. Frodo was not present at the table.

Normally, he would have been the first to take his place. But not today.

"I wonder where Frodo is" said Sam.

Rosie was thinking this too.

"Maybe he's just having fun" she told him.

Sam smiled. He knew how distracted his son got. But he couldn't help wonder where he was.

"Maybe I should go and find him, tell him his lunch is ready" Sam told her.

Rosie nodded.

"Alright, I'll save you both a bit" she said.

Sam smiled and got up from his seat. Pippin was still in his arms. So, he walked back to his room and placed the now crying Pippin in his cot.

A coat was got out of the wooden wardrobe and put on. The coldness outside seemed to deepen as the day wore on. The clouds that had once sat on the horizon were now only a few miles away. The sun now being blocked out by the clouds. This made the coldness even more deep.

"Well, I'll see you in a few minutes. He couldn't have gotten far" Sam said.

He kissed Rosie and walked out of the room. The smell of chicken and different vegetables dulled as he walked further away from the kitchen.

The front door came into view. The cold wind from outside was stronger here then anywhere in the house. Sam opened the door. a large wave of coldness rushed over him. A tingling sensation came to his cheeks. But the hobbit continued on anyway.

The door was closed, blocking out warmth and the smell of his lunch. The snow crunched under foot as Samwise headed towards the gate. He opened the gate and walked though.

The coldness showed water vapour rising into the air. Sam looked around. At first sight, he failed to see his son. The hobbit now had two ways to go on. One would bring him towards the centre of Hobbiton and near the bridge. The other would bring him around to open country side.

Sam stood there for a few seconds and then set off. The snow seemed to be compacted more this way. Hundreds of footprints were imprinted on the now hard snow.

But there was still no sign of Frodo. Sam continued on his small journey. His eyes started to water and the tingling in his face had cessed to get worse.

Sam's eyes darted around. Most hobbits had gone back in for lunch. Hunger was now getting to him.

"Frodo?" he called out.

He looked around more. But there was no signs of him.

"Where could he be?" Sam asked himself.

The road turned the bend, but Sam didn't go down it. he some how knew that his son wasn't there. An idea then popped into Sam's head.

Maybe he should ask Frodo's friends.

So, Sam spun around on the spot and started to walk back the way he came. But he did not go home. Instead, he walked to a different home further on.

This hobbit hole had a different coloured door to his own. His own front door had been left green, just as it had been when Frodo and Bilbo had been living there.

But this one was brown and unpainted. Footprints went to and fro from the threshold. There was a small windows either sides, a flickering of candle light could be seen though the pain of glass.

Sam knocked three times on the door and waited. The garden around him looked in a state of disrepair. Weeds poked their ugly heads out of the carpet of snow.

Sam loathed weeds. Temptation was nearly strong enough to get down on his hands and knees and pull them out. but he was able to force the temptation down for now.

The door slowly opened. Standing there was an old woman with greying hair. She smiled.

"Hello Sam" she said, opening it up more.

Sam smiled.

"You haven't seen Frodo at all have you?" he asked.

A confused looked came over her face.

"I thought he came home when my son did. Normally they are together"

The woman looked back for a few seconds, then back at Sam.

"Well, he didn't come in here" she told him.

Sam took a deep breath and looked around.

"Would you know where he would be?" Sam asked.

The woman shook her head.

"Sorry, he might be at his other friend's homes" she answered.

Sam smiled and nodded.

"Well, thank you for your help" Sam said.

"Not a problem" the woman answered.

The door was closed as Sam set off again.

"Well, that's not where he is" he told himself.

The gate creaked as Sam shut it.

The clouds were now thickening over head. The first sign of flakes started. Small white dots floated down to earth and became one of the millions already there.

Sam made his way to Frodo's friends home. The large front door came into view. It was different from the last. The door was pained red. A chimney was bellowing out black smoke.

Sam's thoughts went back to his nice warm dinner and his nice warm house. But he had to find Frodo first.

But all of his walking would be in vein. For his son was now at the top of the next hill. The side of the hill was slippery, so it took him a longer while.

The hill was large and normally had grass on it. But at this time of the year, snow. The grass had been covered by a carpet of snow. Yet it had started to melt.

The vast country lay before him. Clouds were gathering everywhere that he could see. A few trees grew on the hill, other then that, it was treeless.

Frodo stood there, admiring the view. The world seemed much bigger the he had first thought. There seemed to be much more to explore.

"Just a little further wouldn't hurt" Frodo thought.

The consequences did not enter his head. The wind blew him as he looked around. His hair rustled as his eyes fell on where he had come from.

Only the tops of the small hills could be seen though the black pillar like trees. The smoke that rose from the chimneys could not be seen. Frodo wondered how his friends were doing.

The fact that his father was looking for him didn't matter to him. He seemed to think that he knew what he was doing. So, carefully, he made his way down the other side.

"Not too far, I don't want to get lost" he told himself.

A few time, the hobbit slipped. Like going up, the hobbit was slower going down then normal. A few flakes started fall around him. Frodo looked up at the sky.

On one side, clouds blocked out the sun. The coldness started to deepen more then ever. The clouds stopped to reveal a clear sky. But that would soon disappear.

Sam was at the next house. His questions were exactly the same. He expected different answers, but got exactly the same. Sam was not getting worried.

Frodo was with none of his friends. Sam looked around as the door slowly shut. The coldness was now getting to him again.

After a second or two, Sam headed off again. He opened and closed the gate, then walked back towards him home. Sam still continued to look around, but there was no sign of his son.

The door to his house opened. The warmth from inside started to fight off the coldness from outside. It was then that he noticed how numb his feet and fingers were.

The door closed with a click. Rosie came out of one of the rooms.

"Did you find him?" she asked, looking at him.

Sam shook his head.

"None of his friends have seen him. There's no sign of his anywhere" Sam said, taking off his coat.

Rosie was now getting worried. It was not like her son to go missing like that.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine" he said.

Hunger was now on his mind. He hung his coat on the hook and walked past his wife. Sam entered the kitchen. Frodo's and his own plate were on the work top. Sam picked his up and poked it. it was now cold. Sam took a deep breath and walked over to the cooker. It was still a bit hot from when the lunches were made.

A small cloth lay on the back of one of the chairs. Sam picked it up, then opened the oven. A small bit of heat hit him. Sam slowly placed the plate on the trey and closed the door.

A bit more wood was placed in the fire. The plate then started to heat up, heating the food as well. Sam stood up and looked around. he couldn't help but think of his son.

"I'll find when I've had something to eat" he told himself as he waited.

Miles away, a small cart was slowly making its way towards the town. The horses had been walking for day after day with only small breaks.

The cold wind blew into the cart. sitting on the wooden panels were four hobbits. They were all awake. Pippin was looking at his friend, Merry.

Merry had indeed lost his memory. He just sat there, eyes still darting around. Pip wondered what his friend was going though.

"What's that?" Merry asked.

He sounded like a small child. Diamond smiled.

"That's the floor of the cart, we're sitting on it" she answered.

Pippin noticed that she sounded more like a mother to him then as a friend. He led as she took a glance towards him. Pippin was holding Faramir. Faramir was snuggled up in a large blanket. Warmth surrounded him. the coldness didn't bother him as much as it did the others.

Elladan, who had been driving the cart since they had departed from Rivendell, was scanning the area ahead of them. Te clouds throw down the first of their many flakes.

The elves eyes followed a flake as it floated gently to the whiteness below. When it hit the ground, it was lost in a sea of snow. the snow that had fallen before it was already melting. A fresh carpet was now expected.

Pippin could see out of the back of the cart. Trees rushed past them. Snow carpeted the ground. Pippin started to wonder about who else had gone down these roads.

Foot prints followed the road. Hundreds of people seemed to use this road. Pip's thoughts grew even deeper.

He wondered where they were going and how many of the foot prints belonged to people who knew each other. There seemed to be thousands of different stories to go along with them.

The wind seemed to pick up, Pippin could see snow flakes falling though the sky. The grew in number with every pasting minute. A few of them some how made their way into the cart.

One floated and hit a small bundle laying near Diamond. This small bundle was a puppy and his name was Origo. The cold snow flake touched his little nose. His sleep was taken away from him.

The little puppy started to whimper, his eyes still heavy. Diamond looked around and saw that he yawned.

"Oh, come here Ori" she said, holding out her hands.

But Origo did not move. He lay there, waiting to be cuddled. He didn't want to leave the warmth of his blanket. His little eyes blinked and looked up at his owner. Two large hands scooped him up.

Origo was then placed on Diamond shoulder.

"You alright pup?" she asked.

The puppy whined and snuggled down again. The coldness of the air started to make the puppy shiver. He still wasn't up to himself.

Diamond started to tickle the top of his fluffy head. Merry was looking at the two of them.

"What is it?" he asked.

For a split seconds, Diamond thought Merry was just being silly. But then it came back to her as quickly as it had gone.

"This is a puppy" she told him.

Merry smiled.

"Is he friendly?" he asked.

Diamond nodded.

"Very, do you want to hold him?" she asked.

The hobbit nodded. Diamond slowly picked the puppy back up. Ori whimpered, but was too small and weak to fight back. Diamond handed him to Merry.

Merry took him and placed him on his own shoulder. The puppy started to whimper more then ever. He didn't like this new person. He was too rough. The pup turned his head. His Diamond was looking at him and smiling.

"Its OK Ori" she said.

But the puppy didn't think so. He wanted to go back to his warm Diamond. But he knew that she didn't want him at the moment.

The cart continued to roll on. On either side of it was a large forest which seemed to stretch for mile upon mile. Leafless branches sprouted out from trunk like large fingers. All of the leaves had fallen to the muddy and untamed ground below.

Drips and now snow flakes were falling down to the ground. There were pockets of snow of the ground. It seemed not to stick as much as it did on the fields.

Birds and deer both wondered the woods in search of food. For the woods were deserted and had no houses, pubs or inns. Most of the large forest had been untouched by man.

The Brandywine river snaked its way past the forest. The roots of thousand year old trees dug deep into the soft mud at the bottom of the river. Fish and, in the summer, frogs, would be seen swimming around.

All of the summer birds and beasts had either flowed off to a warmer climate or hibernated. Hedgehogs had found a large pile of leaves and curled up. their eyes were closed as they slept for months on end.

There were many unexplored areas of the forest. Small streams harboured life such as tadpoles when the weather was warm.

As the day slowly turned into night, the snow increased and the wind strengthened. All of the hobbits in Hobbiton were now inside.

"Did you find him?" asked Rosie.

All of her children were still awake. They had all been fed their lunches and dinners hours ago. Samwise was very hungry and cold indeed. He had only been in once before this. He had eaten his cold lunch and went back out again.

"No, I need a lantern" he said.

Elanor was standing at the door way to her room. She was a bit worried for him. Frodo's dinner was now cold and was going to be thrown away. Most hobbits couldn't dream of throwing away food.

"Where have you checked?" Rosie asked.

A small bit of panic was now imbedded in her voice. Her son had never gone this long without coming back

"I've checked all of his friend's homes and he's in none of them. He just seemed to…"

But he couldn't bring himself to say it. For a moment, there was just silence between the two.

"I'm going to check over the river" he said.

"Over the bridge"

Rosie shook her head.

"He knows that he's not meant to go over the bridge!" she said.

Sam nodded.

"I know, but we have to find him" Sam told her.

Rosie fell silent. Bad scenarios were running though her head. Images of her child's body laying in the snow flashed in her eyes. Sam was now looking in the small cupboard. Inside the cupboard were small shelves and, sitting on them were small lanterns.

Sam picked one out and closed the door. there were cobwebs on the thin glass. The candle inside looked like it had been used many times before. There was a small chain attached to the top. It was made from light grey metal. Sam rubbed his hand over the glass, clearing it of webs.

He then walked away, towards the kitchen. Sam placed the lamp on the now clear table. There was a small pot of long, thin sticks that had been planted on the brick wall.

Sam took one and placed the end to the naked flame of candle. It took a few seconds to catch, but when it did, Sam took it away. The flame had multiplied onto the stick and was now burning it.

Sam walked over to the table. The lid of the lantern was then lifted up and the flaming stick put in. the wick of the candle inside caught fire.

Rosie was standing at the door way.

"Sam, you need a rest" Rosie said.

There was sorrow in her voice. But Sam didn't answered. He was focused on going out into the cold again. but before he could do that, he needed to get one more thing.

The cellar door was then opened. The coldness was noticeable against the heat of the kitchen. Sam walked in and stopped. Before him were bottles of beer, wine and whiskey.

Some bottles were made from dark glass. This held wine. The dark glass kept out most of the light. Light was not allowed to reach it otherwise it was spoil.

The whiskey glasses were made from clear glass. Inside, an amber liquid. This was what Sam needed. So, he picked out a bottle and walked out.

The lantern was sitting on the table. The flame was dancing like a small fair trapped in a bottle. Sam placed the bottle in his pocket.

"What have you got that?" Rosie asked.

She had been the neck of the bottle sticking out of his pocket. Sam picked up the lantern.

"It's to keep me warm" he answered.

He walked over to her and kissed her.

"I'll find him, I promise" he said.

Without another word between them, Sam walked out of the room. The house felt emptier then normal. A cold wind swept though the house as Samwise opened and closed the door.

Rosie stood on the spot. She was looking around.

"Where are you Frodo?" she asked herself.

Rosie pulled out a chair and sat in it. She would wait for both Sam and Frodo to return.

Sam continued to walk down the snowy path. Fresh snow was being dumped on the older layer. The small snowless patches were now being covered with a fine dust.

Lights from the windows of the houses seemed brighter then usual. A few times, flakes hit his face. His spare hand reached up and wiped away the water that was melting on his face.

Night was now full, the sun had gone down an hour or two before. Frodo had been missing since lunch time that day. Even his friends didn't know where he had gone to.

The Green Dragon loomed into view. It's doors were closed. Lights were flickering in its windows. Sam sniffed as he got to the small space before the building. There were a few empty tables outside. These would be sat upon by the elders in the warm weather of summer.

Sam past these without a second look. The lantern he was holding tickled the first bit of the bridge. The sound of running water then started to erupt as he got closer. The light from his lantern fell upon the waves.

The water was higher, stronger and faster then normal. Near the edges of the lake, ice could be seen. Around the edges of the pillars that held up the bridge were small sheets of ice.

Sam did not stop as he reached the bridge. Foot prints that had once shown the way were now covered. His hands were starting to hurt beyond what he could handle.

The bottle of whiskey in his pocket was now very tempting. He freezing hand reached into his pocket. His strength seemed to be sapped from him.

Sam continued to walk as took the cork out of the top. His hands were shaking as he held it too his lips. He took a sip. It was just enough. The strength of the liquid made his caught. But it did exactly what he wanted it to do. He could feel the warmth inside of him.

"I mustn't drink all of it" he thought as he looked at it.

He placed the cork back in as well as he could and carried on, placing the bottle back into his pocket.

Samwise was not the only one awake at this time of night. Animals went about their business under the cover of darkness.

Owls swooped feet away from trees as they hunted. Small mice and rats scurried away. Some went into small logs and hid. They kept quiet as the snow outside increased.

Deer were wondering the snow. The flakes were landing on them. Their large ears pointed up every so often. There was an eerie silence in the height of the snow fall.

Foxes were once again hunting in the snow. every so often, one of them were call out into the night. There was a large curtain of darkness around them.

An answer came from a distance point. The foxes large ears were perfect for listening to it. a human would have struggled to do so.

But neither the foxes or deer's were any danger to the inhabitants of Hobbiton and the Shire.

Along the Brandywine, there was a pack of hungry animals. Their eyes were used to seeing in the dark. Their fur was black as well as the nature of their business.

A tree had fallen across the river, yet the water still flowed like it wasn't there. On one side, two creatures were standing. They were looking out into the darkness. On the opposite bank, were eight more.

The leader seemed to be the biggest out of the eight of them. He was looking at the other side. Snow continued to fall around him.

The scouts then came back. The leader knew that the time was right. Without warning, the leader jumped on large tree trunk and made his way over. The other seven creatures followed him, all doing the same thing.

The wolves had entered the Shire.


	33. Day Seventeen, Part One

Rosie was sitting at the kitchen table. There were no noises around her. All of her children were now in bed.

All of them, apart from one.

This was the reason why Rosie was up this late and was this worried. Her son had gone missing. She didn't know when, but it must have hours before.

The front door suddenly opened up. Rosie, who had been looking into a invisible spot before her, looked up.

Samwise was home. Rosie stood up and scurried out of the room.

Standing near the door was Sam. But there was no sign of Frodo anywhere.

"What happened?" Rosie asked.

Sam was shivering and wet. Drips were falling from his cloths and hair alike. A few flakes had not melted yet. But they were slowly seeping into the cloth.

Sam didn't answer his wife. He didn't want to talk about what happened. His coat was taken off. The brass buttons were undone. Six in all. Sam took it off and hung it up.

Sam's mind was on trying to find his son. But there was no start to his search. The snow outside was getting thicker and thicker. Tracks of hobbits that had walked there had been hours before had been nearly covered up. Rosie needed news.

"Sam, did you find him?" Rosie asked.

Sam shook his head slightly. He didn't want to speak or look at his wife. Rosie put her hand over her mouth and turned away. She feared the worst. But there was nothing she could do.

The snow outside was now as worse as last time. Flakes filled the sky. They hit the small windows. Sam was wet and cold. There was a whiskey bottle in his pocket and a flaming lantern in his hand.

The small flame flicked and was blown out. Sam walked though to the dark kitchen. The fire in the heath was now low. Rosie had slowly followed him in.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"We cant leave him out there all night, especially in the cold"

Sam was thinking, he placed his hands on the back of the chair. He took a deep breath and looked around.

"I don't know, we need to stay in the warmth for now" Sam told her.

Rosie now had to make the hard decision to either stay in or to help find her son. There were no sounds in the house. All of the children were now tucked up in their warm beds. The snow silently fell outside.

But there were still creatures awake. A small pack of wolves were getting ever closer to their target. The country side stretched on for mile upon mile. Snow was coming down thick and fast.

The wolves continued their pace all though the land. The sun would still be hours from coming up. The leader was at the helm of the pack. A small rumble went with them as they ran.

Owls that had nested or perched on the branches high above eyed them. The owl moved its head as the wolves continued on their journey.

The snow seemed to be coming down heavier then ever. The leafless trees failed to keep the barrage of snow at bay. It landed on everything below.

There were logs resting on the ground among the countless number of black and browning leaves. On the surface of the log was a layer of green moss.

The log had been laying there for the past few years. A few layers of bark had broken off of its surface. The summer, it would be home to hundreds, if not thousands of known and unknown species of bugs and insects. Some would fly and some would crawl.

But now there were no bugs or insects around. The weather was too cold for them. normally, slugs and snails would roam the wood. Small holes and crevasses were home to ants, wood lice and spiders.

This was happening all of the lands of Middle-earth and all of the time.

A cart had rolled past many logs and dead trees. Neither one of the travellers were awake to notice the forest was thinning on either side. A mile away was a river. It rushed under a small bridge.

The Brandywine had swollen almost to breaking point. But the banks kept it at bay.

Driving the cart was an elf. Snow battered him constantly as he say on the seat. But it bothered him none. For he could not feel coldness or fatigue. Yet could still feel hungry and thirst.

Elladan was his name.

The elf had been at the helm of the cart for many days now. A small pack with lambas bread in and a small flask of Elven water called Miruvor had been placed in the pack.

But his supplies were slowly running out. More then half had been used up on the journey already. The road was ever on going.

Out of the darkness came a small rise. The sound of water grew louder and louder. Large rough stones made up a small curb so that carts did not fall into the river.

Elladan looked over the side of the bridge. He could see the inky water below him. but he did not stop. Hobbiton was now only a few hours away.

The bridge came and went. The hobbits inside continued to sleep. Blankets were pulled over them. Four hobbits were sleeping on the floor of the cart.

Diamond was sleeping on her side. Her large blue eyes were closed. Her hair was gently waving with the wind.

Pippin was sleeping nearby. He was very uncomfortable. The coldness was getting to him more then ever tonight.

Dolly was the third sleeping hobbit. She had been forced on the cold and dangerous trip to Rivendell. She had a duty to do and that was to help Diamond. Sometimes, as she and Pippin travailed towards Rivendell, she had regretted her choice to come. But another part of her needed to go with Pippin.

The last hobbit had only been in the cart a day. He was well known to the other three. But they were not known to him.

Merry Brandybuck was his name. Atop his head lay almost golden hair. A green jacket lay on his back. His arms had been placed though. There were brown dots of mud stuck to the back on his jacket.

The party were slowly and surely made their way home.

The light of the sun started to rise above the clouds. The snow was now thick again. There seemed to be no end to the barrage of snow. The clouds above seemed to become grey as the sun rose higher.

The night had been long and cold for the small party in the cart. But now, they were ready for another day. Surprisingly, Pippin was the first to awake from his uncomfortable slumber. The hobbit sat up where he lay. The light had now come up around him. Out of the back of the cart, he could see the country side racing by.

A few times, he thought that he recognised it. But he past it off as being similar, but not the same. Pippin yawned and was just about to reach for the lambas bread when something happened.

The cart had started to decrease in speed. Yet it took a few more seconds to stop. The wind seemed to be stronger then they realised.

Pippin seemed not to be the only one who noticed the cart had stopped. A sleepy looking Diamond slowly sat up too.

"Pippin?" she asked.

Tiredness was clinging to her voice like mist over the green meadows.

"Why… Why have we stopped?" she asked.

At this moment in time, Pippin knew as much as his wife did. Pip then shuffled to the edge of the cart and moved the hanging cloth out of the way.

Standing on the other side was the elf, Elladan.

"I can go no further" he said.

Pippin was confused.

"What?" he asked.

"I can go no further" Elladan repeated.

Pippin got off of the cart. Diamond was confused as well.

"Are we home?" she asked.

"Not yet, Frogmorton is a mile or so down the road" Elladan told them.

There was a strange silence.

"And what will you do?" Pippin asked.

Elladan's eyes flashed towards him. a small smile came across his lips.

"If you want me to come with you Peregrin Took, I can not. You are safe in these areas" the elf answered.

Diamond slowly moved to the edge of the cart and looked down. A few seconds later, she jumped down. Faramir had been left sleeping in his cot.

The hobbit stood there, her large blue eyes looked up at the elf. Elladan knelt down so that he was the same height as her.

But Diamond did not know what to say.

"Thank you" she said quietly.

She seemed to be shy and more quiet then was normal.

"Thank you very much"

The hobbit and the elf looked into each others eyes. For a moment, Diamond was lost in his eyes.

"It was my pleasure Diamond Took" Elladan answered.

Pippin suddenly turned around and hopped back into the cart. for a moment, neither the elf nor the hobbit standing outside knew what he was doing.

Inside the cart, Pippin was looking though the baskets. There were a few more bits on uneaten lambas bread. Pip picked out a few packets and then got out of the cart again.

His feet touched the cold, crunchy snow. Pippin looked up at the elf.

"Here, take it" he said.

He held out the packets of lambas. Elladan nodded.

"Thank you, Peregrin" the elf said, taking the bread.

The green leaves had preserved the bread surprisingly well over the last few days. The elf placed them in the pack that had been put on his back. Elladan closed it and placed it back on his back.

"You'll be able to find you way home from here" Elladan said to them.

Pippin smiled.

"And what about you?" asked Diamond.

Elladan looked down at her.

"I see you have not as much knowledge as Peregrin" he said.

But Diamond still didn't get the answer she wanted.

"Us elves do not feel the same as mortal men, dwarves and Halflings. Never has an elf died due to old age. The coldness that you are feeling at present will no effect us"

Diamond had heard something that she did not understand.

"You said that no elf has ever died of old age" Diamond quizzed.

Elladan nodded.

"That is correct" he answered.

"If that is so, why are there so few of you?" Diamond asked.

"We are few in number for our time here is ending. My kin had sailed to Valinor, the Undying Lands in common speech. There, they will spend the rest of time" he explained.

The area around the cart was somewhat quiet. The wind whistled gently around them. The sounds of the two ponies that drove the cart could be heard every so often.

Birds sang around them like they had always done. The snow had yet again covered their food source. Yet they tried to do so. The birds swooped down and landed on the soft snow.

There was a lot of movement around them. other birds, big and small, were swooping down to the carpet of snow. songs rang out though out the lands. Foxes had gone back into their holes. They had settled down, eyes closed and large tail wrapped around his body. The warmth was much better then the coldness outside.

But foxes were not the only four legged animal that were asleep. A small pack of wolves were resting near the town of Hobbiton. Their presents were unknown to the hobbits. To the inhabitants of Hobbiton, it was just another day.

The sun had risen yet again, Yule was a few days away. Excitement rose among the youngest hobbits. But for one family, it was a time of worry.

Samwise was sleeping. But he was not in his bed. Instead, he had fallen asleep in the kitchen. His head was resting on the polished table he was sitting at.

There was a glass bottle laying on the table. There was a still a bit of amber liquid inside, but most of its contents had been spilled over the surface of the table. A puddle had gathered on the table. A bit of it had started to drip onto the floor below.

Rosie, Sam's wife, was now awake again. She had had a rough nights sleep. She felt as tired as she had done when she finally gone to bed.

Pippin Gamgee, Rosie's youngest son, was now awake and crying. Rosie picked him up out of his cot and hushed him.

"There, there" she said.

The baby seemed to calm down a little bit, then start up again.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

She knew that he was.

"Come on then, lets get your breakfast"

So, Rosie, carrying her youngest child, walked out her their room. The hall way seemed much colder then the rest of the house. A vase of drying plants sat upon a small table.

Pictures of scenery and of hobbits hung from their hooks. Some had started to lose their colour. Some looked brand new. Candles flickered as a gently breeze as Rosie walked towards the kitchen.

No other sounds came from the house. A faint bird call could be heard from outside. Rosie continued to walk until she reached the kitchen. The door had been left ajar. With one hand, she opened the door.

On the other side was Sam. Rosie stopped in the door way. Her eyes fell on her husband. Pippin had stopped crying now.

Sam seemed to be more peaceful here then she had ever seen him. She then noticed the drips falling from the table surface. Rosie took a deep breath and slowly walked up to Sam.

"Sam?" she asked quietly.

But Sam failed to wake from his slumber. A hand slowly reached out and touched the hobbit. Sam snorted.

"I didn't do it!" Sam said as he woke up.

His hand lay on the bottle of whiskey that had spilt. Sam raised his head. His eyes looked around. He seemed not to know where he was.

"Sam?" asked Rosie.

Both of them were as tired as one another. Sam turned his head and looked up at her.

"Good morning" he said, sitting up.

Rosie gave him a small smile and walked around him. She headed for her seat. Sam rubbed his eyes as Rosie sat down.

There seemed to be a strange silence. The two of them both knew that Frodo had been out over night. But they had no idea where he was.

Sam gave a yawn as he looked over at his wife. He then noticed the bottle.

"I guess I'll have to clear that up" he said.

Rosie nodded. Her eyes were still drooping. Sam got up, the chair scrapped along the tiled surface of the floor. The hobbit walked over one of the many draws and cupboards that had been fitted into the kitchen.

The draw was opened and inside were cloths. Sam picked out a white folded cloth and closed the door. He walked back over to the table, unfolding the cloth as he went.

His mood was not a very good one. Sam felt as though he had left his family down. The whiskey was then wiped away and the cloth watched.

Rosie was attending to her son. She had now gotten up from her seat. With one hand, she opened the cupboard door. Stored inside were lots of bowls and plates. Rosie took out a bowl and placed it on the work top.

Pippin then started to cry again.

"Alright, alright" Rosie said, quickening a bit.

There was another large bowl on the work top. Rosie slid it towards her and took off the lid. Inside there was an orange puree. Rosie had done it herself.

The puree was made up from apples and oranges. Rosie got out a spoon and started to scoop the mix into the bowl. There was a lot of mixture in the bowl by the end of it.

The silver spoon was then left in the bowl. Rosie walked over to her chair and sat down. She placed the bowl before her. Rosie then noticed that she didn't get another spoon.

Just as she was about to get up, a sleepy looking Elanor came into the room.

"Morning mummy" she said happily.

Rosie gave a forced smile, not wanting her daughter to worry about her.

"Morning darling, could you get me a spoon from the draw?" she asked.

Elanor nodded and smiled.

"Sure" she said.

Elanor opened the draw. Inside were knives, forks, spoons of different sizes put into their own compartments. Elanor picked out a small spoon and closed the draw.

She handed it to her mother.

"Thank you, dear" Rosie said.

Pippin Gamgee had fallen asleep again. He whined as Rosie made his lay on his back in her arms. The baby then started to cry again.

"Oh I know your sleepy" Rosie said.

The baby continued to whine. Elanor sat upon the seat and watched her mother. The spoon was then picked up. on it was a small mound of orange puree. Rosie placed it at the lips of Pippin.

"What is for breakfast mummy?" Elanor asked.

Rosie looked up.

"Bacon dear, I'll get it on when I've fed Pip" she answered.

Meanwhile, Samwise was getting his coat on again. He was going to go outside again. The buttons were done up yet again. Sam then looked in the large cupboard that had been put in the room.

Inside were bags and spare coats. Sam took one of each. The cupboard was shut and he walked away. Sam placed the bag on the bed.

The duvet straightened when Rosie had made the bed. Sam folded and placed the coat into the bottom of the bag. Sam then picked the bag up and walked out of the room, closing the door as he went.

Sam entered the kitchen to see three members of his family there. Rosie looked up at him.

"Where are you going?" Rosie asked, eyeing Sam's pack.

Sam gave her a look that said it all. Rosie got the message straight away.

"I'm going back out, back out to find Frodo. I need food, I wont be back until I've found him" Samwise answered.

Rosie took a deep breath. Sam placed the bag on the back of the seat. Elanor watched him walk towards the cellar. The door opened and Sam went out of sight.

Elanor then turned to look at her mother. The child had never seen her mother so depressed and worried before. Elanor's tummy was now rumbling. She really needed some breakfast now.

Sam came out of the cellar holding two loaves of bread and a few apples. Sam placed them in his pack, then walked over to the cabinet. He opened it and took out another bottle of whiskey.

"Well" said Sam, placing the pack on his back.

"I'll see you when I am back"

The hobbit kissed his wife and daughter. He then took a deep breath and walked out of the room. Elanor watched him, but didn't ask any questions.

Sam walked though the house. He was ready for another few hours in the bitter coldness of the outside world. The front door was opened, sending a cold wave over him. it seemed even colder then he remembered.

Icicles hung from the small lip above. Sam stood there for a moment, admiring the beauty of the white landscape that lay before him.

He gave a small smile before turning around and gently closed the door. Sam did not know how long he would be away from home.

Abira was standing at her bowl. There was a sound of sizzling bacon around the kitchen. Abira's small tail wagged as Pearl turned the hot bacon over.

Pimpernel was sitting in her room. She was now very scared of going into the kitchen. Instead, she was sitting on her bed in a dark room. She could hear the sound of the bacon sizzling from where she was. The door had been left ajar. A small bit of light could be seen snaking in though the inch wide gap.

A wave came over Pimpernel. But it was not of water or coldness, but the smell of bacon. Nelly lifted her head and took a deep breath. Deep down, something was scratching at her soul.

Pimpernel loved her mother dearly. But Nelly felt like her mother had disowned her. Disowned her in Pimpernel's time of need.

And for what?

Abira was the reason for her mothers decision for Pimpernel to go. It had been a testing for days for Pimpernel. But now, she was settling down to Pearl's home.

Nelly looked up. The sound of the bowl being placed on the floor echoed down the hall way. Pimpernel got up and walked towards the door. The smell of bacon got stronger. A smile came over her lips as she started to walk down the corridor.

Pimpernel walked into the kitchen and saw her little puppy eating her bacon.

"Thank you" Nelly said to Pearl.

Pearl smiled.

"Your welcome" Pearl answered.

A sound of crumpling paper met Pimpernel's ears. Pearl was crunching up the paper that had been used to wrap up the bacon.

"Well, that's the last of the bacon" Pearl told her sister.

Pimpernel took a deep breath. Her hunger was strong after a nights sleep.

"What about bread? We could have some toast" she said hopefully.

Pearl smiled and walked towards the cellar. She opened the door, which creaked slightly and walked in. Like always, the cellar was colder then the other rooms in the house.

Pearl shook her head as her eyes fell on where the bread should be. She took a deep breath as she walked out.

"We need more bread, we haven't got any left" Pearl told her sister.

Abira had now finished her bacon and was now looking at the two girls.

"Well, I'll be back in a few minutes" Pearl said, walking out of the room.

Pimpernel smiled and picked up her small puppy. Abira started to lick her. Pimpernel smiled.

"Alright, stop it" Nelly said, moving her pup back a bit.

Abira seemed to be happy. She was looking around, wondering what to do. Her little eyes looked around. Her bowl was left empty on the floor.

"Come on" Nelly said.

Pearl had left the room. She was going outside to the market place to get more bread. Pimpernel walked out of the kitchen too.

As Nelly walked back to her room, she heard her sister go back into the kitchen. Abira was resting as Pimpernel walked towards her room.

Pearl came out of the kitchen. She was holding an empty basket.

"Well, I'll be back soon" she said as she walked past.

Pimpernel smiled.

"And get some more bacon for the pup" Nelly told her.

Pearl nodded as she opened the large front door. The coldness came rushing though the house. Pimpernel slowly closed the door to her cold room. Abira was gently placed on the bed.

Pimpernel sat down besides the small pup. The hobbit took a deep breath. She looked a bit down and Abira noticed it. A small wet nose touched Pimpernel's hand, making her look down.

A smile came over her lips as Pimpernel laid down on the bed. Abira was now at the side of her. The pup rested her read on Pimpernel arm.

A finger tickled her ears. The two of them looked at each other. Abira's eyes reflected some of the light coming in from the window.

"I'm sorry" Pimpernel said, continuing to tickle the puppy's ears.

Nelly took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry that I got Pearl to cook your breakfast. Its silly really"

There was sorrow in her voice. She could still feel the hurt of the many things that had happened to her. The house was quieter. Everything was calm. The puppy tilted her head.

"I happened a few days ago, I had an accident. An accident which cost me all of my home and nearly my life"

Pimpernel looked upwards towards the ceiling. She could see the fire flash before her eyes.

"I… I…"

But Pimpernel couldn't say it. She was trying ever so hard to find the words to the way she felt.

Outside, Pearl was making her way down to the market. The Green Dragon could be seen in the distance. Pearl suddenly stopped. Her eyes narrowed into the figure that was now walking away from the small bridge.

"Now where is he going?" Pearl asked herself.

A few seconds later, Pearl set off again. the coldness was now getting to her. Not many people were up and about. The warmth was much more comfortable then the bitter coldness of the outside.

Pearl continued to walk down to the stalls. Only one or two stalls had been set up. But neither of them were the ones that Pearl wanted.

Her plan had changed. She took a deep breath and started heading back up the shallow hill. Her sights were now set on her mother's home.

Meanwhile, Sam was still walking. His feet were wet and his hands cold. The pack his had on his back was full of bread and water. A blanket had been placed in the bottom. Sam would not return until his son was found.

But hope was seeping away from his heart. He knew not of where his son was. But he couldn't give up on him. For Sam knew these lands better then others did.

The trees grew larger as the hobbit continued to walk. Sam slowed down as reached the edge of the small woods. Sam's breath rose into the air as he looked though the trees.

He could see the sky on the other side of the woods. There was less snow under the trees. The light brown pines and hard pine cones littered the floor.

Sam raised as hand and touched the bark of the nearest tree. A few bird songs met Sam's ears.

"Where is he?" Sam asked himself.

Sam's eyes darted around. The hobbit then set off again. He shuffled his pack up his back. The woods were not thick. Instead, it was a thin band of pine trees. Some were large and some seemed to be smaller. The light from the sun hardly reached the floor of the forest.

Samwise reached the opposite side of the woods. Before him was a different hill. It was taller then the one he stood upon. Snow covered it. there was no green to be seen on the ground. The trees that were near by looked black against the bright sky.

Sam looked around, but could see no signs of Frodo anywhere.

"Frodo?" Sam called out.

His voice echoed around the area. But there was no response.

"Alright, lets go a little bit further" Sam told himself.

So, the hobbit set out again. The slope was more slippery then he had imagined. A few times, Sam lost his footing. But regained it as quickly. His footprints lined the side of the hill. A few trees grew on the side of the hill. But they were few in number.

Sam reached the bottom and looked around. The sun was weak in the sky, clouds threatened to gather yet again. But not for a few more hours. Sam could still see no sign of his son ever being there.

A cold wind blew at him. His jacket was tickled by the waves of coldness.

"Where would he have gone now?" Sam asked himself.

He sniffed, the cold was effecting him. Birds sung from the trees on the hill he had just descended. The hill before him was larger then the one had had come down.

The next part of his search came into his mind.

"Well, there's nothing for it" he said.

Once again, the hobbit set off. The snow crunched under his feet as he walked towards the hill. The sloped started out gently, the quickly rose to its full gradient.

Sam slowly ascended. The hill grew steeper and steeper.

Pearl knocked three times on the door. the sound echoed though the house. Pearl waited for a second or two. The door clicked and swung open.

Standing there was her mother. A smile came over Eglantine's face.

"Hello love, come in"

Pearl gave her mother a smile back and walked in. the coldness was replaced by warmth. Smells met Pearl's nose. Bacon was present in the air.

"I need some more bread, I've run out back home" Pearl told her mother.

Eglantine nodded and smiled.

"Of course, I've got plenty"

So, the two of them made their way towards the kitchen. The kitchen was like any other. The fire was dancing in the heath, sending its light and warmth into the room.

Pervinca was sitting at the table, holding a hot cup of tea. She looked up and smiled. All of the Took girls looked the same.

"Good morning" Vinnie said.

Pearl smiled.

"And good morning to you" she said.

Eglantine opened the door to their cellar. Pearl watched her mother go out of sight.

"How is she?" Vinnie asked.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"She could be better" she answered.

Eglantine had her hand on the bread. She could hear her daughters talking about Pimpernel.

"I think what you did was right" Vinnie said.

Eglantine was silent. She wanted to hear about what they were talking next. But her feelings were now over whelming her. Anger and despair were strong in her heart.

On one hand, she knew that she lost Pimpernel. Eglantine knew that she would never come back to her.

The anger was due to the fact that it happened in the first place. It was not her fault that the fire happened. Eglantine would not of wished that even on her most hated enemy.

There was silence around the house now. Eglantine had been standing there too long. Pearl was now standing in the door way.

"Mother?" she asked.

Eglantine slowly looked at her daughter. Pearl was given a strange look. It was anger mixed with sadness. The loaf of bread was slowly lifted off of the shelf.

Pearl knew that her mother had heard what they were talking about.

"There you go" Eglantine said, handing the loaf to her daughter.

The kitchen was now quiet, save from the fire crackling in the heath. Vinnie was looking at them both.

"Thank you" Pearl said, taking the loaf and placing it in her basket.

There was a moment of silence.

"Well, I better be heading back" Pearl said.

The hobbit smiled at her mother and sister, then walked out. Pearl's basket was heavier then it had been. A single loaf laid on the bottom.

The hours continued to click over. Pearl had arrived back in her own home on the hill. She closed the front door and took off her coat.

"Pimpernel?" she asked.

But there were no sounds coming from her room. The coat was then hung up. Pearl looked down the corridor, wondering why her sister was not answering her.

So, Pearl picked up the basket and placed it on the table in the kitchen. She then went to see if Pimpernel was alright.

Pearl reached the door, it had been left ajar. The hobbit slowly opened it wider.

Laying on the bed was Pimpernel. She had fallen as sleep. The puppy she owned was sleeping also. Pearl smiled. Her sister looked so peaceful.

"Maybe she'll wake up when she's hungry" Pearl thought.

She then walked away, leaving her sister sleeping on the bed.


	34. Day Seventeen, Part Two

Miles away, a cart was rolling along a snowy path. Birds sang all around them. Pippin was sitting at the helm of the cart. the coldness was getting to him.

Pippin sat in a day dream. His eyes seemed to be glazed over. The scenes were flashing before him. He could see his two friends as though they were just before him.

Legolas was tall and slim. The flickering candle of the lantern seemed to be reflecting from his hair. The elf seemed to be glowing in the low light.

Gimli was shorter, but a bigger build then Legolas. The dwarf had heavy boots on. The coldness was getting to the poor dwarf. Tiredness seemed to cling to the dwarf all the time.

But now, they were gone. Gone for, what Pippin know, ever.

"We will try, but don't expect us any time soon" said the elf.

Pippin found hope in that sentence. He gave a small smile as the town of Frogmorton past on either side. Other horses and ponies were standing in front of houses.

There was an inn standing near the centre of the small town. Hanging over the wooden door was a sign. It hung on two rusty chains. Inscribed on the plank of wood was the name of the inn.

The Floating Log.

The door opened and closed every so often. No body seemed to care that Pippin was passing by. The snow still sat upon the thatched roves. Icicles hung like sharp needles threatening to fall at any moment.

But Pippin did not stop. He could see the candles inside the inn flickering every so often. The people were sitting inside the inn. Breakfast was being severed up. Hot food was being served up. Sausages, bacon and eggs were being severed along with rolls of bread and chunks of cheese.

Pippin longed to get home. The town was now racing away from him. Peregrin had yet to eat breakfast. He could hear Merry talking behind him.

Merry had a lot of questions to ask now days. Merry had lost his memory. Everything had been forgotten. All of the memories had been wiped from him.

But Pippin still had hope. Hope that something would unlock the memories again. But he had to wait. Hobbiton still lay twelve miles away.

Peregrin knew that he would make it there a few hours after lunch. But wished it would come sooner. The vision of his nice warm house came into his mind as Pippin started to day dream again. The hobbit could see the fire raging before him. The sounds of it crackling came strongly into his ears.

The smell of food then met his nose. But both were quickly taken away from him. Pippin was quickly snapped out of his day dream by a crow swooping over head.

For a moment, Pip thought it was going to hit him. but the bird missed by a foot or two. Pippin was now back in the real, cold world. His day dream had been driven out of him.

The hours continued to drag ever onwards.

Eleven o'clock came and went along with breakfast. Pimpernel had still not awoken from her sleep. Pearl sat in the kitchen, her hunger had been tamed for now.

Twelve o'clock came. Samwise was still wondering the wilds in search of his son.

"Frodo?" he called out.

A few times, deer and bird would be scared off. Sam's eyes seemed sharper then usual. But there was still no sign of his son.

Sam's hunger was now shouting at him. so, he stopped. Laying on the floor there was a large old log that looked burnt. There was no snow on the surface, but it was still quiet wet.

But Sam sat down on it anyway. He needed to take the weight off of his feet. The pack was then opened to revile two loaves of bread, a flask and, at the bottom, a blanket.

Sam took out of one the loaves and looked at it. Without a seconds more thought, he ripped it. Crumbs started to fall on the floor.

Sam took a deep breath and bit into the bread. The piece he bit off was a bit big for him. but Sam didn't mind. His attention was then turned to the surroundings. Everything looked different and bigger some how. There were more trees here. The hill had been conquered. Sam had now safely reached the bottom on the other side.

Hobbiton was now unseen though the trees. There were no hobbit-made or man-made sounds around Samwise now. His hearing seemed to be sharper.

Memories came flooding back to Sam as he sat there. Before him, he could see his younger self. He could also see four younger hobbits with him.

"No, why don't you go and hide?" said one of them.

This hobbit had large blue eyes and black curly hair. It was a young Frodo Baggins. Samwise smiled as his daydream reviled more.

"Because I did it last time"

Merry Brandybuck was standing there. He looked similar to how he did now days.

"No you didn't!" said Frodo.

"He did" answered a lad.

Peregrin Took was standing next to his friend. They all seemed to happy. Fredegar Bolger was the only one that had not said anything.

He was big, much bigger then Sam or the others were. He had a larger belly and a chubbier face. Fatty, as he was known, was breathing heavily.

"Well what about Fatty?" Pippin asked.

Fredegar's looked towards in horror.

"No I…" but it was too late.

"Yes, my dear Fredegar, why don't you look for us this time?" asked Frodo.

"But I…"

Yet it was no use. His four friends had run off. Fredegar took a deep tired breath.

"Don't want to" he said to himself.

He watched his four friends run away. But all Fatty wanted to do was to go home. But his excuses were few in number. His dinner would not be ready for an hour.

Fatty sighed and walked over to a log near by. He sat upon it in the silence.

Sam suddenly felt sorry for old Fredegar. Sam had never got as close to him as he did with the three others. Many years had past since then. And now, paths had been crossed and friends lost.

Samwise himself sighed and looked up at the sky. He had small comfort in him. He wondered what other paths were to come ahead and if he could handle them.

Sam ate and drank to his fill. He placed then back in his bag and stood up. The coldness had stiffened his legs and feet. But the hobbit knew that he had to keep going.

As the hours past, the sun sank deeper and deeper in the sky. The light started to fade. Samwise had walked further and further but with no success.

Origo was now waking up from his long sleep. The cart, he noticed, was still moving.

Hunger was now getting to him. The poor pup had been ill over the past few days. But now, the illness was subsiding. All that Origo wanted to do now was eat.

A blanket had been wrapped around him. His fur had kept him nice and warm in the coldness of the night and of the day. Origo wriggled out of the blanket and stood there. He felt weaker then normal. The pup shook his fluffy body and looked around.

He instantly put his nose to the wood of the cart and sniffed quickly. Three different smells met him.

One was Merry's. He was sleeping peacefully. His near golden hair was moving gently in the wind.

The second smell was not of Diamond, but of Dolly. She too was sleeping on the floor of the cart. She had curly hair, but it was grey. Dolly had been Diamond's midwife, but had been caught in the journey that Pippin had lead them on.

The third and final smell was the one Ori was looking for.

Diamond was laying on her back, a blanket had been drawn up to her shoulders. Long dark hair was, like Merry's, dancing in the breeze.

Origo slowly walked up to her and stood there. He watched her sleeping for a few more seconds before stepping a bit closer.

He then started to lick her face. Diamond, slowly but surely, started to wake from her sleep. Her eyes opened to find her puppy standing there. A tired smile came over her.

"Hello Pup" she said.

A hand came and scooped the puppy nearer. But all Origo did was whine and look towards the basket. He then looked back at his Diamond with large brown eyes.

Within a few seconds, she got what he wanted.

"Alright" she said.

She took a deep breath and heaved herself up. Origo was still in her hands, he struggled to keep his eye on the basket.

The day outside was still cold and bright. But it overcast now. Both breakfast and lunch had come and gone. The cart was now only five miles from its final destination.

Diamond reached over and grabbed the basket. Origo continued to look inside it. It was then he saw it. The packet of turkey that he wanted. The pup then began struggle, but the grip that Diamond had on his tightened.

"Ah, not yet" she said.

She could now hear him whimper. Diamond knew that she shouldn't, but she couldn't help smiling at his cuteness. The packet was then taken out of the basket and placed on her lap. Origo was placed on her lap as well.

She could feel him struggling to get to the turkey quicker. With her spare hand, she started to open the packet. But it was still quite hard to do so.

The smell of turkey filled the air. Origo whimpered even louder as his Diamond took out a piece and looked at it. He needed it very badly. His little eyes were darting from his Diamond, to the turkey in her hand.

Diamond, after a few more seconds, gave it to her puppy. Ori certainly seemed to be better. Diamond smiled as her hand gently rubbed his soft, warm fur.

Faramir was waking from his sleep. He whines started off quietly. But grew in a small amount of time. Diamond took a deep breath and lifted the puppy off of her lap.

Origo whined as he was put on the floor. He stood there for a couple of seconds. the feeling of being loved started to seep away as Diamond picked up Faramir.

The packet of turkey had been left on the other side of Diamond. It seemed now to have slipped her mind. Origo whined louder. It was enough to get Diamond's attention again.

"Oh, here you go" Diamond said, placing the open packet of turkey in front of him.

Origo's sprits lifted up again, his tail started to wag. Faramir was still crying as his mother sat back down.

Merry, on the other hand, shuffled into a new position. The waking up of Faramir had started to annoy him. The hobbit peaked over his shoulder.

"Why cant he just sleep?" he asked himself.

Even though Merry's memory had gone, he still had emotions deep within him. At the moment, annoyance was running though him. He was tired and could not stand the sound of the baby crying. So, Merry placed his fingers in his ears.

There were four miles left to go until they reached home. The time had now reached three o'clock in the afternoon. Pippin and Diamond were not the only hobbits away from their nice warm houses. Samwise Gamgee was also away from his home. But, unlike his fellow hobbits, he was travailing away from where he lived.

The trees around him were getting thicker and bigger. An unexplored wood. The snow on the ground seemed thinner then the woodless areas.

Birds sang and perched high on the branches above him. But they were not to worry about. Sam got ever closer to a pack of wild animals. Animals that had even more power then he could and would ever have.

The wolves had been running for most on the previous night and most of the day. the wolves were now resting. Their goal was just two miles away now.

Sam, who had been looking around, stopped in the tracks. He could see, though the pillars of trees, movement. At first, Sam thought that they were just men, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't have been more wrong.

Without a second to think, Sam rushed and stood behind one of the nearest trees. His heart rate was now increasing. He had no sword and was outnumbered dramatically.

Sam slowly peered around edge of the tree. He kept as far back as he could. The sight of the wolves met him again. There seemed to two standing up. The were looking around.

"Scouts" thought Sam.

Birds continued to sing all around him. But something was about to happen that put Samwise's life in danger. A twig had been snapped, sending sound echoing though the surrounding forest.

The wolves that had been resting were now all standing up. Their ears had poked up, listening to anything. The leader was now looking around. The two scouts looked back at the leader.

After a few seconds, the two wolves started to search the area. Sam now knew that he was in trouble. He wished so much that they didn't find him. but it was now use. The wind was blowing his scent towards the wolves.

The two scouts closed in on him. they were as silent as the clouds above.

Samwise needed to act quickly. A growling sound came from his right hand side. Samwise's worst fears were confirmed. The wolves had come.

Without a second glance, Sam ran as fast as he could. The wolves bounded after him. Ten in total. They were much faster then he was.

A plan now needed to be made. He needed to fend then off for as long as possible. As he ran, a large stick met his sights. It was partly covered over with snow. Sam ran ever faster towards it. The wolves were catching up.

In one swoop, he managed to pick up the large stick and keep his balance. The wolves behind him continued to run. But they stopped.

Sam had stopped and was now facing them. the animals were growling, showing their large yellow teeth. The leader slowly walked up to him. Sam wished ever so much that the wolves would leave him alone. But that was now the case.

They had anger and hatred in their eyes. Sam moved the stick along the line of wolves, keeping them in check. No one around knew what trouble he was in.

The light above was starting to fade. But that did not bother the wolves.

The wolf leader suddenly jumped for him. Sam saw the big teeth coming towards him. Everything seemed to slow down. Sam's natural instant was to block it. The stick travailed straight towards the head of the wolf.

Pippin continued driving the cart and he was making good speed. The turning for Hobbiton lay just a few hundred meters from where he was now.

The road turned off and became smaller and less pronounced as the main one. The country side seemed to turn wilder off on either side. Hills started to sprout out of the ground.

Pippin could smell the air now. It had a different smell from the rest of the land. The hobbit didn't know what it was, but he liked it. He had the same feeling and smell that he had when he came back from his adventures all those years ago.

The turning came upon the cart. The pony that led the cart was steered around the bend. The hobbits were now off of the great east road.

Peregrin Took was now on the home stretch. The cart continued to roll ever onwards towards where they lived. Inside the cart, Faramir had stopped crying. Origo was now snoozing on his Diamond's lap. Her hand was slowly running over the puppy's fluffy head.

Ori was nice and warm. He had been much warmer then she had been. The coldness seemed to be kept at bay by his fur. Diamond suddenly picked him up and placed the pup on her shoulder.

"Oh, it's alright pup" she said.

Her cheek touched the warm fur. She smiled. The puppy looked incredibly cure as he slept there. Origo's small chest could be seen rising and falling peacefully. He stretched out one of his little paws. Diamond kissed him on the top of the head. Her pup gave a small whine.

Merry was now awake. He was looking around. everything still seemed new to him.

"I'm a bit hungry" Merry said.

Diamond looked at him and smiled.

"Get some lambas out of the basket" she said, nodding towards the basket.

Merry was not the only hungry traveller. Pippin was now hungry as well. The talk of lambas bread made him miss sitting in the back. But the fact that he was almost home made him more excited to get there.

But Pippin knew that it would be another hour or two before he would finally get something good to eat.

Two miles away.

Birds continued to sing in the ever growing darkness. The nearer that Pippin got home, the calmer and happier he got. But, over the happy feeling would soon be taken away from him.

One mile away.

The hills started to round off. The trees grew even thicker in these parts. Everything seemed to be greener as well. Pippin loved this part of the land dearly. But there was a contender to its beauty.

Not for the first time had his mind gone to a far off land. A white city came into view. A tree stood in a white court yard. A gentle breeze caressed the small tree. Saplings had sprung up in the clear sunshine.

Snow had settled on the ground all over the city and on the planes of Pelennor. Below the court yard, the city rose up on many different layers.

A large door opened into a large room. Statues of men lined the hall way. Two chairs sat upon a Dias. One had been place at the bottom. This was black chair, made of marble. White marble stairs led up to a white marble thrown.

None but the King of Gondor was allowed to sit on it. but for the moment it was empty. A table had been set out. it had four wooden legs. Plates of food had been set out by the servants. It was a relatively simple feast.

A roast chicken had been served. It was light brown and dripping with juice. Tomatoes, grapes, bread and cheese had all been placed on table as well.

Foot steps echoed around the hall. A messenger was walking towards the king. The king looked up.

"I was not expecting any messages" he said as the man bowed at him.

"My Lord, I bring word from the Shire"

The king, who had a hand of tomatoes. He slowly moved them over to his plate.

"Continue" King Elessar ordered.

Elessar listening intently to the news.

"This is a cause for celebration" he said.

"Call Faramir in, I would like to tell him myself"

The messenger nodded, turned around and walked out. Aragorn, as he used to be known, was now thinking back to the days where he had been with the hobbits.

For many years now, he had wanted to visit the Shire. But being King took a lot of work. Osgiliath needed a lot of work. The men of Minus Tirith were slowly, but surely, rebuilding the city.

There were many building with out roves or walls. Many large boulders in peculiar places. The streets of Osgiliath were lined with rubble.

The bodies of the men had been removed. They had been given proper burials. The orcs that they there were taken and thrown in a large pit. It was unmarked.

Faramir's footprints were heard echoing around the hall. After a few seconds, the soft echoes of his feet stopped.

"My Lord" Faramir said, bowing to the king.

Aragorn stopped eating and looked at him.

"I have good news to bring you" he said.

The sound of wood on marble echoed the hall as the king stood. Faramir said nothing.

"I have just had word" said Aragorn.

"Of a certain hobbit, Peregrin Took"

The name sparked a bell in Faramir. A small smile came over him.

"One of my messengers, not five minutes ago, told me that Pippin's wife had given birth to a boy"

Faramir nodded.

"That is good news" he said.

"The messenger has also told me that the boy was name Faramir, after you I suppose"

Deep down, Faramir knew that Pippin had liked him. after all, the hobbit had saved his life.

"I think this deserves a drink" Aragorn said.

Without warning, a servant of the king came out of what seemed to be nowhere. She was a young looking girl. Her cloths were dark green in colour. Her foot prints were silent on the cold marble.

In her hands was a large jug. The jug was full of the richest wine in Gondor. She poured out two mugs of the wine. She handed one to the King and the other to Faramir. Without another word or sound, she slipped back into silence.

"To Faramir and Pippin" said Aragorn.

The two glasses his each other, sending the sound out around the hall. The two drank to their health. Aragorn took the cup away. the coldness blew in from the large door.

"Well, I better head down. Osgiliath will not build itself" Faramir said, placing the cup on the table.

He bowed one last time, turned and walked away.

Meanwhile, Pippin was a few hundred meters from his home. The twilight was deepening. Tiredness was now getting to him also. The ponies continued trot along, they seemed less tired then the hobbit.

The shallow slope led down to the bridge. A small bit after the bridge, Pippin could see it. The Green Dragon. Lights were flickering in its windows.

But Pippin know that he couldn't stop. The bridge came and went, the cart turned and headed down the road that lead to the homes of Hobbiton.

The cold air blew at Pippins face. The skin started to tingle as he continued to sit there. A few minutes later, the cart pulled up to hobbit hole and stopped.

Inside the cart, Diamond looked to the back. Only the wind could be heard. But, out of the sound, foot prints were carried in the air. Pippin had now hopped off of the driver's seat and was now walking to the back of the cart.

The small cloth that had been placed over the back was pulled away.

"Pippin, what are you doing?" asked Diamond.

Pippin gave her a small smile.

"We're home" he answered.

"Home?" repeated Diamond.

Pippin gave a nod.

"Come on, lets get inside"

So, the four hobbits started to unload the cart. Diamond carefully handed a sleeping Faramir to him. Merry jumped down onto the cold snow below.

The area around them was dark. But there were small twinkling lights. The lake in the middle of Hobbiton could be seen. The twinkling lights from the Green Dragon could be seen dancing on the lake.

"Come on Merry" said Diamond.

Merry looked around. Pip had already gone and opened up the door. Faramir and the cot had already been taken inside. Dolly was now awake and was walking towards them.

"I'll take the baskets in" she said, slowly getting back onto the cart.

The hobbit slid the baskets towards her. There was nothing left in the cart. A small puppy, which had been sleeping, had been taken inside.

Origo was now looking around the house. It was colder and darker then normal. Sounds now echoed though it. New smells were running different paths though the house.

Origo just had to investigate.

"Alright" came Pippin's voice.

"I'll go and sort out the cart and ponies" he said.

There was tiredness in voice and across his face. An early night in his own bed was calling to him. but yet he had to go back out in the snow one more time.

The door closed, but it made no difference to the temperature in the home. Diamond was now in the kitchen. There were no lights in the house, but she knew where she was going. Every bit of fire had burnt itself out.

But Diamond knew what to do. There were two cold stones resting on the shelf. There were other things standing on the small shelf above the heath.

A small vase full of dirty water and dying plants sat there. They were not the only death plants. Nearly all of them had died.

Mice and rats had been running free around the house. But when the hobbit had arrived home, they had scattered into the walls unseen.

Diamond picked up the two hard stones and knelt down on the floor. She held a stone in each hand and struck them together. A spark flew off of the two stones. But it seemed to be only a flash. It was no enough to start a raging fire.

Diamond did it for a second, third and fourth time. But with no success. But Diamond was determined to get the fire going.

Merry, meanwhile, was standing there. He was looking around the home. Everything, yet again, was new to him. As he was looking around, something very interesting caught his eye. An unlit candle on its stand. It was just inside his reach.

So, seeing that Diamond was busy, Merry walked over to it. The candles looked unchanged. Their shapes were unique. Running down the side of the candle were many solid drips of cold wax.

Merry slowly reached up. His hand wrapped around candle. He then pulled. But it didn't come off. Merry looked up at it. He then pulled even harder then before. But still, it did not come loose.

Diamond was having trouble of her own. The stones were not working. The hobbit was getting frustrated. Normally, Pippin would be the one to struggle. But instead, it was her.

Behind her, Merry had now gripped the candle with two hands. He tugged and tugged at it. But little did he know that the stand, as well as the candle would soon break off. The stand that had been mounted to the wall was giving way.

Without warning, the stand, the candle and Merry fell to the floor. The metal stand feel to the floor with a crash that echoed around the near empty home.

Diamond stood up quickly and looked around. She could just about see Merry's large feet sticking out from the other side of the table.

"Merry?" she asked.

Merry quickly got up and smiled.

"What happened?" Diamond asked.

The candle and the stand was still held in his hand. He slowly hid it behind his back.

"Nothing, nothing happened" he said.

Diamond gave a look. She didn't quite trust him. Origo stood in the door way, looking at the two hobbits. There was still no light, but Origo knew who was in there.

Hunger was now gripping Origo. A bark came from the door way. Diamond looked around and saw the little black pup standing there. The brown patches on his paws and over his eyes could be seen.

"Alright Ori, I'll make you something to eat soon"

At that, the front door opened. Pippin had come back. He took his coat off, but it would have been better to leave it on. The hobbit walked into the cold kitchen.

"I thought you'd have that lit by now" he said.

He held out his hand. Diamond handed him the two stones. But Pippin didn't got to the fire, instead he walked out of the room. Diamond wondered what he was doing.

She then turned to Merry. Merry was caught red handed.

"Merry!" she said.

The hobbit jumped, dropping the candle and its handle. The holder spun in the air and hit the tiled floor. The sound echoed around the room. The candle shattered, sending pieces flying everywhere.

Diamond closed her eyes, she didn't want to shout at him. it wasn't his fault after all.

"Just sit down" she said, pointing the wooden seats.

Merry looked down, without another word, he sat down. Diamond took a deep, tired breath as Pippin came back into the room.

He had been rummaging for a spare book. The sound of ripping came from the hobbit as he stood before the fireless heath. Diamond looked over at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked as her husband continued to rip.

Pippin crumpled up the small pieces of paper and threw them into the heath. The paper created a small pile. Pippin then took the two stones out of his pocket and held one in each hand.

After a minute or two, the paper started to burn more and more. Pippin continued to throw paper onto the fire until it got big enough.

There was a small metal stand with thin logs sitting on it. Pip picked up one or two and started to build the fire. The wood crackled as he placed them over the flames. The paper that had been all burnt up, the fire had now moved onto the wood.

Its hunger grew and grew. The flames continued to grow. Pippin continued to place the wood into the hot flames. The coldness was slowly being fought off by the ever increasing heat of the fire.

The coldness outside was only getting deeper. There were no hobbits outside save for one. He was running. Running from predators that were going to take his life. But he wasn't going to make that the case.

Samwise Gamgee reached the bridge near the mill. The night had now set in around him. His eyes darted around, but could not see the wolves.

The search for his son had taken a dramatic turn. Sam now had a different job to do. The Green Dragon was now emptier then it had been a few hour before.

The wolves were now nearer to Hobbiton then Sam thought. But Sam didn't know it. He had a more important matter on his mind. One that he needed help with.

So, he started off again. His legs were aching. From running up and down hills. But now, he had one last hill to conquer. Sam's home lay on the hill side.

Bag end looked the same as it did twenty years before and twenty years before that. The door was exactly the same colour, green. It was large and round, just like every other front door in Hobbiton.

Leading up to the door were many stone steps. Normally, blades of grass would be sticking up though the gaps. But most of them had been covered up by a crunchy layer of snow.

Sam opened the gate, but didn't close it after. He walked up the stairs and stopped. His hand rested on the handle. Sam turned his head, there was a strange feeling of being watched. But he didn't know by who or what.

The door creaked open. Sam went in as quickly as possible. The coldness and the wolves were left outside. Sam stood leaning on the door.

The candle danced as the cold wind rushed by them. Rosie, Sam's wife, looked around the corner.

"Sam, what's wrong? Where's Frodo?" she asked, slowly walking to him.

Sam gave her a look that send the message without words. Rosie looked even more upset then she had been.

"How far did you go?" she asked.

But Sam was no worried his son at the moment. A more pressing matter was now at hand. After a minute or two, Sam started to walk. He walked right past Rosie.

The door to his room was the opened. Rosie, wondering what he was doing, followed. But she stayed at the door. She watched her husband kneel down and look under the bed.

"Sam, would you please tell me what is going on" she said.

Sam looked up.

"Wolves" he said.


	35. Day Eighteen, Part One

The Took household was now busy again. Warmth ran though the heart of the house. The fires on the heath and the candles were both throwing out light and warmth around the house.

Different smells ran though the house. Toast and bacon mainly. Diamond yawned as she turned around with a rack full of warm toast and placed it on the table.

On the table were three plates. A knife and fork lay on either side of them. A mug of ale had been placed before either place as well. For hobbits normally had ale with each meal.

Diamond flipped the hot slices of bacon with a wooden spatula. The meat had turned a pinker colour as the heat cooked it.

Origo was sleeping on Diamond's side of the bed. Pippin was still sleeping on his. The night had been long for him. Hunger was not on the hobbits mind at the moment. The duvet had been drawn over him. the journey he had been on had taken its toll on him.

In the kitchen, Diamond was now cutting into a soft loaf of bread. A knife with a wooden handle was held in her hand. Slice after slice were cut. The cellar seemed to have kept one or two loaves in good condition.

"Pippin!" Diamond called.

Her voice echoed though the house. But still, Pippin did not wake. Diamond looked at the door, but she couldn't hear movement.

Diamond knew that she could leave the room with Merry there.

"Pippin!" she shouted again.

This time, Pippin started to wake. He turned over in the bed and pulled the covers over himself some more. Pippin had been plucked out of his dream, but was still too tired to get up.

But something happened that made sure he had to get up. Faramir Took started to cry. For he had been woken up as well. Pip raised his head just a bit and looked over at the cot.

The crying baby only grew louder.

"Alright lad, I'm coming" Pip said, throwing off the covers.

The hobbit could now feel the coldness of the air around him. The fire that was raging over night didn't seem to warm up the room. Pippin's feet touched the cold tiled floor.

Faramir's cries only grew louder. So, Pippin walked around the bed to the cot. He smiled as he gently picked up his son. Faramir's tiny hands were flailing as Pippin tried to shush him.

"Its alright, daddy is here" Pip said as held his son.

The smell of bacon then hit Pippin. A smile came over his lips.

"Come on, lets go and see mummy"

So, Pippin walked out of the room. Faramir was still held in his arms. Hunger was now getting to both of them as the kitchen got nearer. The sounds from the kitchen grew as well.

Diamond was now placing the hot slices of bacon on the bread. Butter had been spread thickly on top. Diamond looked around as Pippin entered the room. Diamond gave him a big smile.

"Morning" she said, picking up the bacon and placing on the plate on the table.

There were four more slices of white bread laying on the surface, one sandwich for Merry and one for Diamond. More bacon was being put on the hot pan. The three pieces instantly started to sizzle.

Pippin held Faramir in his arms as Merry started to eat. Pip missed the old Merry. The one that sat before him acted a lot younger then normal.

Merry took a bite of the bacon and chewed. Amazement came over his face. He liked this new food very much. So, he continued to eat.

The more he ate, the more thirst battled with him. Merry then saw the mug of ale sitting before him. His hand extended and the mug was picked up. But it was drunk right away. the hobbit continued to look at it.

"Why don't you drink it?" Pippin asked.

He had been watching him. Merry looked up.

"Is it safe?" Merry asked.

Pippin nodded and smiled.

"Just try it, you'll like it"

Merry to a deep breath and looked back at the drink. The cup was slowly lifted to his lips. Merry took a sip. The ale ran down. Merry gave it a second before downing the whole mug full.

Something happened to Merry. Neither of the hobbits could explain what happened. Something in Merry's head unblock his memory. But it happened so fast, they didn't see the exact point of it.

Merry placed the empty mug down and looked at his two friends.

"What?" he asked.

The bacon sandwich was still laying on the plate, half eaten. Merry looked down at it and smiled.

"Oh my favourite" he said, picking it up again.

Diamond stopped what she was doing. The spatula was placed down.

"Merry, what's my name?" Diamond asked as she slowly walked to the table.

The hobbit looked up.

"Well, Diamond of course" he said, looking confused.

A smile came over her and Pippin.

"He's back" Pippin said.

All this time, Pippin and Diamond struggled to keep Merry safe. But now, ale had sorted him out.

"Back?" Merry asked.

"Back where?"

In the other room, Origo was now waking up as well. His eyes were still drooping as he lay there. He didn't want to get up, but he was very hungry. A yawn came over him. He whined, wanting to back to sleep. But he was now fully awake.

Origo could smell the bacon wafting though the house. The sound of talking met the pups fluffy ears. He could make out his Diamond's voice.

The pup stood up on the duvet. His eyes looked around. He set off down to the end of the bed. It was easier said then done for Origo. For he was much smaller then the hobbits. He was too scared to jump off of the bed at its full height. Instead, he would wall all the way down to the end of the bed.

There was a dressing box there. It was just right for the pup to get on and off of the bed. Origo reached it and stood on the box.

He looked down. It took him a few seconds before he jumped onto the cold tiled floor. But the coldness did not reach the pup.

Ori reached the door and stood there. He poked his head around the door way and looked. The candles flicked in his eyes as he looked both ways. The talking seemed to be coming from down the hall way.

So, Origo set off. The talking got louder and louder as he got nearer. The door to the kitchen came into view. It was large and wooden. The door to the kitchen had been left open by just a small bit.

Origo reach it. He could see a figure or two beyond the door way. He tilted his head, wondering if it was really his Diamond there.

Curiosity got the better of him. The door was not that heavy and Ori was not all that big. He poked his head though and looked up. There was a forest of legs before him. Some were wooden, some belonged to the hobbits.

Pippin sat on the right, Merry on the left and Diamond at the back. This was who Origo wanted. So, Origo walked it and scurried around to where Diamond was sitting.

But, when he got there, someone was already being cuddled by her. Origo saw the noisy pup wrapped up in a blanket. Origo stopped and looked up at his Diamond.

She looked down at him and smiled.

"Hello pup" she said.

Origo whined and looked around at the cooker. There was no smell of turkey around. only the smell of bacon, which Origo didn't like one bit.

"You hungry?" his Diamond asked.

The puppy nodded and whined. Diamond smiled, she looked a bit tired again.

"You'll have to have the rest out of the packets, I need to go and get some more food" Diamond said.

Pippin, who was now eating, looked over at her.

"Oh, well I could do it for you" he offered.

Diamond was unsure.

"Well, you could, but do you know what I will get?" she asked.

Pippin shrugged.

"You could write me a list if you like" Pippin told his wife.

Diamond thought about for a second. The option agreed with her.

"Alright, I'll write you a lift as soon as I have fed Ori and Faramir" she said.

Pippin nodded and continued to eat. Every so often, he would stop for a drink of his ale. Merry was now getting hungry again. But the pan had been taken off of the heat and was now cooling down on the work top.

A minute or two later, Pippin had finished his sandwich as well. Crumbs lay on his plate and the ale in his mug drained away as he drunk from it.

For now, his hunger had been tamed. Diamond smiled.

"Would you take him for a moment?" Diamond asked her husband.

Pip nodded and got up. He took the baby from her. Faramir grumbled a bit, but didn't cry. Origo watched his Diamond get up. she walked over with him and, with two big hands, scooped him up.

Origo's sprits rose as he licked her. Diamond smiled as she walked towards the cellar. Origo rested on her. He eyed the baby in Pippins arms.

The door was opened. A smell rushed out.

"Oh!" Diamond said, walking backwards.

Origo looked around as Diamond went back from the cellar. The smell was not a very nice one. Diamond wafted the air from in front of her nose.

Pippin and Merry smelt it as well.

"What is that?" asked Pippin.

His face crumpled up as the smell reached him. Diamond looked around.

"I don't know" she answered.

Merry stood up. His fingers pinched his nose so that no air reached them. The smell continued to pour out of cellar.

Diamond placed her puppy on the ground.

"Could you pass me that candle?" she asked.

On the work top, a few candles had been placed along the work top. They had been stood on a small brass stand. Their flames danced as Pippin picked one up and handed it to his wife.

The brass was warm, having been slowly heated up over night. Little spots of wax lay on the surface of the brass. Yet, there were still solid drips running down the side of the candle.

Diamond walked over to the cellar door and looked in. There were strange shapes inside. Shelves had been put up all along the walls. There were more shelves jotting out. but the shelves were bare. The food had all been used before they had gone away. Diamond had planned on getting more food for Yule, which was now only two days away. But her plan had been dramatically diverted.

The hobbit slowly walked in. The light touched the different levels of the shelves. Origo slowly walked up to the open door of the cellar. He peered in. He could barely see his Diamond.

The light radiated from the candle, lighting up objects that hid in the darkness. The object that created the smell was then lit up by the light as well.

"Oh no!" Diamond said.

Origo tilted his head and whine.

"Pippin, the Yule chicken had died" Diamond said.

She turned and walked out, not able to take the smell any more.

"Where are we going to get a new one from?" Diamond asked.

"It will take weeks to fatten him up. Plus, all the good ones would have been picked out long ago" she said.

Pippin nodded.

The smell had now stopped radiating from the cellar.

"Do you think we should forget about Yule this year?" Diamond asked.

Pippin looked a bit shocked.

"Forget about it?" he asked.

He inhale and thought for a moment.

"No, we cant forget about Yule. Especially Faramir's first" he said.

Diamond knew that Faramir's first Yule would not be as she hoped. She wished now that she hadn't fallen ill. All those months of planning had now slipped away from her.

Meanwhile, Origo was looking up at his Diamond. Diamond had a dress on which came down to just above her big feet.

Origo whimpered and tugged at its hem. Diamond looked down to see her adorable puppy trying to get her attention. A smile came over her.

"Come on" she said, scooping him up.

Ori whined happily. He licked his Diamond's face.

"Love you too pup" she said, kissing him on the fluffy head.

The pup settled down, he rested his head on Diamond shoulder as she walked over to the two baskets. The two of them were empty save for a small paper packet.

Diamond took it out and looked at it. Origo was looking at it as well. He knew what it was and he wanted. But his owner didn't want him to have it just yet.

"It's alright, wait a minute" she said as the turkey was placed on the work top.

Diamond raised her hand and opened the cupboard. Inside, plates and bowls were stacked on top of one another. With her spare hand, she got out a bowl. Ori watched her, wondering when he would get his turkey.

A small whimper came from him.

"Alright, I'm just going to warm it up" she told her puppy.

Pippin was still sitting down. Merry, who had re-entered the room, was sitting on his seat again.

"You know" Merry started.

"I cont really remember how I got here" he said, looking around.

Pippin looked at him.

"You…" Pippin paused for a few seconds.

"You lost your memory" he said.

The sentence confused Merry. He didn't quite understand it.

"Lost my memory?" he asked.

Pippin gave a few small nods.

"But…"

But Merry couldn't find the word to say.

How could he have lost his memory?

And how did it come back?

Meanwhile, Diamond ripped open the small packet of turkey and tipped its contains into the bowl. The clock on the wall ticked. The larger hand was now pointing at the number Eleven and the small hand at Twelve.

Lunch was in an hour. But neither of the hobbits were hungry. Nearly every house hold in Hobbiton had a chicken cooking in the fire.

Chimneys sprouted out of the tops of the hills. Smoke was being thrown into the air. The wind blew it away. bird sang as they always did. They were unaware of the nights events.

Inside one of the homes, a hobbit sat. There was worry in her heart. The night had been difficult for poor Rosie Cotton. Her husband, Samwise, had failed to come back.

He had taken his sword with him. His business had been as dark as the night he entered. His safety had been at the highest risk it had been since the time that he had entered Mordor. But this time, he knew better of what he was doing. But the darkness still prevented him from seeing past a few meters.

Sam's hand wrapped around the cold handle of the sword. The snow below his feet crunched as he made his way down the hill. There were no other hobbits out in the cold. All of the lights seemed to have been blown out as hobbits of every age went to bed.

Sam had no candles or food with him this time. He didn't need it. The cover of darkness would be his only protector.

The wolves were somewhere over the stone bridge. Sam knew that they could take his life. There were ten wolves altogether, but only one of him.

Yet Sam had the upper hand. He had had experience in fighting. Not that it was a good thing, hobbits did not like war and anger. Their lives were peaceful and quiet. Food, drink and smoking was normally the main pass time.

When the snow came, time was spent indoors. Especially by the elders. Fire raged in heaths all across Hobbiton and the Shire. Wood that had been gathered up for the colder months was now being used up. The hobbits cut them up into smaller chunks. Their small axes were now resting indoors, waiting to used again. The blade of the axe had been made from metal.

Sam was now wishing that he did not have to go. But he couldn't turn back. He was mayor of the Shire and, if the call came to fight, he would.

The Green Dragon loomed out of the darkness. large round windows had been placed all along the wall. A round door was shut, that was the only way into the building.

Chimneys seemed to grow out of the roof. Smoke didn't rise out of the chimneys like they did from the houses. Ale and beer were served. But in a few days, a large feast would be taking place.

Like every year before, the Green Dragon's feast would only invite thirty to Yule One and thirty for Yule Two. Their feasts were stuff of legend.

It was said that each table would be served a chicken to itself. There were six tables in all. They were round with five chairs around each one. Ale, whiskey and beer flowed in abundance. Food of nearly every sort had been ordered for the two days of feasting.

The invitations had been sent out days before. All came back with "Thank you, I shall certainly come"

But Sam had a lot to do before he could rest and think about Yule. The hobbit continued to walk towards the bridge, leaving the Green Dragon behind.

The bridge came into view. A mass of black. The snow sat upon the cold rocks. The water under rushed away. it looked as black as the sky above. But its temperature was much lower then the air.

Sam stopped at the start of the bridge. It was then that he had a choice to make. To either go on or to turn back and wait for the sun to rise. But he knew that his son was out there, somewhere in the wild.

So, Sam placed one foot forward. There was no turning back. The bridge stretched to the other side of the bank. The snow on the other side seemed to be untouched by hobbits. Any tracks that had been lain had been covered up.

Sam could see the sky darkening before him. It had been a few hours before that Frodo had come up. The light had been bright, unlike now when Sam was there.

The snow had stopped falling. But that didn't mean that he was any warmer. In fact, he was much colder then he was a few hours before.

The same route was taken as before. The path up the small incline was covered, but Sam knew these lands better then anyone else. The snow crunched under his feet as he continued to walk.

The wolves were near by. Sam could sense their presents. But he could not see them. The hobbit continued to walk. The tree lines was getting near and near.

But still, the wolves did not attack. Instead, they waited. Waited for when the time was right. They could see the hobbit as though it was day. The leader moved along with Sam, hidden in the trees.

Sam continued to walk. The tree line came nearer and nearer. The sky was lighter on the other side of the small band of trees. Sam stopped suddenly. A small figure ran though the trees. His eyes tried to spot it again, but there was no sign of it.

"Frodo?" he called out.

His voice echoed around the forest. But there was no answer. Only the wind blew in his ears. Sam looked back, he could see the faint outline of the town he just left.

The coldness seemed to deepen as his thoughts went to going further. Sam started to walk forwards again. He was minutes from finding out that he had been hunted for most of the day.

The wolves had gathered around. the leader's plan was just about to come into being. He could see the figure of Sam walking though the forest.

Now was the time for the first part of his plan. Two wolves emerged right in front of Sam. The hobbit stopped. His eyes darted from one creature to the other.

Two more emerged behind the hobbit. Sam looked around.

"Oh no" he said to himself.

He could see large white fangs. The growling started to get louder and louder. The alpha male was slowly walking out of the darkness towards him.

The alpha male was much larger and powerful then the rest of the pack. He had a scar running down the right side of his face and a bit missing from the top of his ear, obviously from past encounters with enemies.

Elanor entered the room. She stopped at the door. her mother was sitting at the table, looking sad.

"Mummy?" Elanor asked, walking up to Rosie.

"What's wrong?"

Rosie looked down at her child.

"Noting sweetie" she answered.

But Elanor knew what was going on. She walked up to her mother. Rosie looked down. Her daughter looked exactly the same as her. They both had dazzling blue eyes. But Elanor's hair was much more golden then her mothers.

"Come here" she said, lifting up her daughter.

Elanor was placed on her mother's lap. Rosie continued to think. Her Sam and son, called Frodo, were still out in the cold.

"How would like to make come cookies for me?" Rosie asked.

Elanor looked up.

"OK mummy" she asked.

The two of them gave a big hug before Elanor slipped down. She moved out the way as her mother also got up. The chair scrapped along the tiled floor, sending an echo around the room.

The fire was burning in the heath. The hobbit walked over to the cellar and opened the door. Elanor waited in the kitchen, having being told to wait outside many times before.

Rosie walking in and started to gather the ingredients. Her sprits were not as high as normal. She took a deep breath as she walked out.

The door was closed, keeping the food inside. Elanor watched her mother. To her, she looked very tired and upset. But Elanor didn't want to mention it.

The ingredients were placed down on the work top. The sorrow in Rosie's heart was too much. She was weak and confused.

Just then, a knock came from the front door. Rosie looked around, but she had no hope that it was Sam. Elanor looked at her mother. Without a word, the small girl walked out of the room.

She walked down the hall way. As she was walking, three more knocks came at the door. Elanor reached the large wooden door. she was now old enough and tall enough to open the large door.

The door started to swing open. Without warning, the door was pushed quickly open. Elanor was barged out of the way.

Samwise burst in, quickly shutting the door behind him. Elanor looked up at him. There were scratches on his face and his cloths ripped.

The sword he was carrying had been snapped in two. There were bags under his eyes. He did not sleep the night before. His heart raised as he looked down at his daughter.

"Daddy, what happened?" she asked.

Sam's eyes were darting around, there was fear in his eyes. He looked down at his daughter. But there was nothing he could say to her.

Rosie came out of kitchen, wondering who was at the door. She stopped as she caught sight of her husband. Sam looked terrible.

"My lord" she said.

She rushed forward.

"What happened?" she asked.

But yet again, Sam didn't answer. He stood, back against the door. Elanor was looking at her father, to her mother.

"Elanor, go to your room please" Rosie said.

But Elanor didn't find this fair.

"But why do I have to?" she asked, finding nothing wrong with her behaviour.

"Just go!" Rosie shouted.

There was dead silence in the house now. Elanor was shocked and upset that her mother shouted at her. Without another word, Elanor turned on her heels and stomped away.

Rosie now had guilt in her heart. She didn't mean to shout, she was upset and worried. But she had more important things to worry about.

The door to Elanor's room slammed. A few seconds later, the crying of Pippin could be heard crying. Rosie looked around, she had to get him.

Sam watched his wife walk away. He couldn't believe what he had just done. The broken blade still had drying blood on it. somewhere out in the countryside lay six dead wolves. The other four had gone off in an unknown direction.

The sound of Pippin's cries grew louder as Rosie came back.

"Sam, you have to warm up" Rosie said.

Sam's large coat was wet, the snow from the night before was still seeping onto him. The hobbits slow, with very numb and cold hands, took the scabbard off.

The scarred and belt fell to the floor. Sam looked up.

"I do not like what I have just done" he said.

His voice was not usual for him. He had started to regret ever going after the wolves. But he had to. He couldn't just wait for them to attack.

Rosie walked up to him.

"You did what you seemed best" she told him.

Sam looked away, he couldn't look her in the eyes. It was not like hobbits to go out to kill. No matter the circumstances, they did not like killing other animals.

"Come, lets make you some tea, lunch will be soon" Rosie said.

Sam gave a weak smile. He had had nothing to eat over night and his hunger was now coming back. The two of them walked back into the kitchen.

Frodo was still out in the coldness. Neither of his parents knew where he was. Sam slowly sat down on his chair. Every so often, the events from the night before flashed past his eyes.

Rosie slowly sat down on the side of the table. Her son lay in her arms. For a few minutes, the only sounds meeting their ears was the ticking of the wooden clock and the crackle of the fire.

"So" Rosie said.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked.

Sam took a deep breath and looked away. A part of him needed to let it out, but another wanted to bottle it up.

"Do you really want to know?" Sam asked, talking for the first time since he had returned.

Sam had asked Rosie a question that she didn't know the answer to.

"Well, where did you go?" she asked, thinking quickly.

"I went up over the bridge again. I went to exactly the same place, just up the small hill. But this time, they were waiting for me" he said, looking at his wife.

The day outside was going on, like it had for many hundreds of years.

"The wolves" Sam continued.

"The wolves were waiting for me up at the top of the hill. Ten there were. They surrounded me"

Images started to flash before him. The hobbit had his sword out. It had been one that he had acquired many years before. The sword was light and had been made from strong metal. Gems had been set within the blade. The cold metal blade had serpents snaking along it in red and gold.

The sword was in very good condition. The silver had been polished and all of the blood marks taken off. The gems looked as new and as clean as the day they had been carefully placed in.

"There seemed to be a leader" Sam told his wife.

He could see the dark furred wolf facing him. The scar could be seen on the right side.

"What did he do?" Rosie asked.

Sam took another deep breath. It was getting harder to talk. He could see what had happened to him, but he didn't know how to describe it.

He could see, in flashes, the wolf coming towards him. The sound of growls came to his ears. It drowned out the fire and clock. The kitchen seemed to open up. it seemed that the outside had been taken and place right where he was sitting.

The wolves were back, that same feeling of being trapped. A hard surface touched his back. It was a large tree, towing upwards.

"He was the first to attack. He had a scar on the right side of his face and a bit missing from his ear. I saw his large teeth coming towards me. And there was only one thing that I could so"

There was a moment of silence. Rosie could see the pain in his face.

"Maybe we should talk about this later" Rosie said.

Sam looked up at his wife. He gave a small nod. Rosie smiled and looked down at Pippin.

"Maybe I should get lunch on"

But deep down, Sam just wanted to go back outside and search for his son again. He didn't want to lose his oldest son. Rosie stood up and walked away.

Sam sat there in his own little world. The noises of the pan and of Rosie humming to her child did not register in Sam's ears.

Elanor was sitting in her room. She was whispering to herself.

"What did I do?" she asked angrily under her breath.

Her eyes darted to the door. But there was no one there.

"Why am I always the one who gets blamed?" she asked herself.

There were sounds echoing though the house. Rosie was standing up, getting the pans out. Lunch was only in an hour. As nearly always, roast chicken would be served up.

But Rosie was not the only one getting ready for lunch. All across Hobbiton, hobbits were getting the oven ready for cooking. Some had even gone as far as putting the chicken in.

Fredegar Bolger was sitting at the kitchen table. His mother was walking around the kitchen, she had packets of different vegetables.

A large dead and featherless bird sat on a tray. Its head had been chopped off and insides been discarded. Rosamunda had cleaned it thoroughly. The tap was on. Water gushed out of it and into a pan.

Vegetables were waiting to being cooked, boiled or roasted. Fredegar's stomach was rumbling.

"I wont be able to wait for lunch" he told himself, looking down at his large belly.

His mother was busy with cooking his lunch. Fatty stood up from his seat. It was a lot of effort for him to do so. The hobbit was so large that he now could not see his large feet. Fredegar slowly walked over to the closed cellar door. He looked around at his mother, she was busy spreading honey on the uncooked chicken.

The cellar door was slowly opened. Fatty smiled as the coldness hit him. Without a second to thick, he walked in. But, as soon as he did.

"Fredegar Bolger!"

His mother called from behind. Rosamunda had stopped spreading the honey on the bird. Her fingers had sticky honey on them.

"Get out of the cellar!" Rosamunda said.

Reluctantly, Fatty walked out again, his hunger untamed. The door was closed.

"Lunch will be ready in an hour, you'll have to wait"

Fredegar grumbled.

"Pardon?" his mother snapped.

"Nothing, nothing" he said, not wanting to get into any more trouble then he already was.

His mother surveyed him for a few more seconds before going back to spreading the honey. It would be a long slow hour for Fatty.

Meanwhile, Diamond was getting on her coat. A basket had been placed at her feet. Standing near by was a small puppy. Origo watched his Diamond get ready.

"Come on then" she said, doing up the last button.

Origo barked happily and wags his little tail. Pippin had been left to look after Faramir for a while. Diamond was planning on getting a turkey and some food to tied them over until Yule.

The door opened and the coldness fought its way in. Origo scurried out into the coldness. Diamond followed him, closing the door. The basket was held in her other had.

A smile came over her. She was back where she belonged. There was not a worry in the world, apart from cleaning and Yule. But time was running out and the invitations had not been sent out.

But there was no time to worry. Diamond had to buy a turkey for Origo and a chicken for themselves. The path leading down to the market place was icy and snowy. A few times, Diamond nearly slipped, but saved herself.

Origo was sniffing the ground. He could smell lots of smells in the snow. But none that he knew.

Diamond smiled as he explored the place. His little eyes were taking everything in. The more he looked around, the more he wanted to explore. But turkey was now on his mind.

The market place was unusually busy for this time of day. Origo stopped as they reached start of the market. His little eyes darted around. new faces and smells met him.

"Come on" Diamond said, walking past him.

Ori barked happily and followed Diamond at her heels. The hobbit headed towards the first small stall. Beside it was a pen. There had been four wooden stakes hammered into the ground. A metal sheet of wire had been wrapped around the outside.

Origo walked up to it and looked at the birds. They were chickens. Origo's little eyes panned from one bird to another.

Diamond smiled.

"Could I have that one please?" she asked, pointed to the largest one.

The old looking hobbit smiled and nodded. Origo's eyes watched the hobbit pick up the chicken and take it away. Ori trotted around the side and watched the hobbit.

The chicken was then lain on the surface of the stall. The hobbit picked up a large knife. With one chop, he cut the head of the chicken off.

But the puppy had lost his concentration and was now looking around. there were a few hobbits walking around. The Green Dragon had opened for another day. Its chimneys were sending smoke high into the air. Origo watched as the smoke started to dissipate over head.

Outside, there were hobbits standing around. Their large feet were bare as they stood in the snow. Some of the hobbits went in and some walked away.

"Come on, lets get your turkey" Diamond told him.

Origo looked up and barked happily. So, the two of them went over to the next stall. Like the first, it had a pen to the side of the stall.


	36. Day Eighteen, Part Two

Inside, larger birds stood. Ori stopped and stood there. These birds looked strange. His Diamond came and stood next to him. She and her pup looked at each other.

The pup looked at the birds in the pens. They were not at all like the other birds. These were bigger and looked more meaner. Origo dared go near them.

Diamond smiled as she went to the owner of the stall. An old lady sat of a three legged wooden stall. She smiled as Diamond came over.

"Could I have a turkey please?" she asked.

The woman smiled warmly.

"Of course dear" she said, slowly getting up from her stall.

Ori was hiding behind his Diamond. The pup watched the woman pick out one of the birds. Origo moved away, not liking them. like before, the bird was placed on the chopping board.

Origo saw the big knife held in the woman's hand. The puppy watched the woman chop the head off of the strange creature.

Diamond smiled as he looked down at him.

"You alright?" she asked.

Origo whined and looked at the birds. Diamond looked at them as well.

"Their turkey, you eat them" she said.

The small pup tilted his head and whined again, he then looked back up. The woman was plucking the feathers off the bird.

Hunger was now getting to Diamond. The coldness of the wind seemed to be getting to her now. The woman made a pile of feathers, some of which blew away in the wind.

It took her a few minutes to pluck and wrap the bird.

"There you go dear" she said, handing it to Diamond.

Diamond smiled as she took it. it was a very heavy bird. Origo was still standing at her feet, his little tail was wagging. Diamond thought to herself.

"I need vegetables"

She knew exactly where to get them. Diamond took a large breath and looked down at the pup.

"Come on, lets go home" she said.

The puppy barked happily and bounded off. Diamond smiled and looked up the icy hill. Figures could be seen walking up and down the hill.

It was then that Diamond stopped. Her eyes had fell on something. A large hole in the side of the hill.

"That's strange" Diamond told herself.

Origo stopped as well. His little eyes were still darting around. Diamond then started to walk again. she was going to see what had happened to it.

Her house was walked past, the burnt home was just a few holes down the line. The path was still icy, but that didn't matter to her.

As Diamond rounded the shallow bend in the road. The burnt out home came into view. It was then that she knew who's it was.

The hobbit slowly walked over to the broken gate. The whole top of the hill had collapsed. The inside was black, the large front door seemed to be hanging by a hinge. The opposite side had been coloured black by the fire. The wooden supports had been badly burnt. Some had even fallen to the ground.

Diamond noticed that the front part of the house looked cleaner then the rest. On the field behind Diamond was a large pile of burnt and black wood.

"Oh my" she said, looking at the complete devastation.

After a few seconds, she started to walk back home. Origo, who had been looking at the house as well, quickly followed suit.

Diamond opened the gate to her home. She looked back and, when Ori had made his way though, closed the gate. The little hatch clicked into place.

The large front door was opened. A wave of very warm air hit both of them. Origo walked in and Diamond shut the door again. The candles flickered as she stood there. Origo shook himself off, a small bit of freezing water flew off.

Diamond took off her coat off and hung it up. The basket, which had been placed on the floor, was then picked up. The weight made it harder to carry. But luckily, Diamond didn't have to carry it that far.

As she arrived in the kitchen, she noticed that Pippin had left a plate on the table. Diamond took a deep breath as she placed the basket on the table.

She then walked away, picking the plate up as she went. She placed it by the sink.

"Now, where could Pippin be?" Diamond asked herself.

Walking out of the room, she headed to the study. The house seemed to be quiet. But the study was empty. All of the books had been placed neatly in shelves that lined the walls.

"Pippin?" Diamond asked.

Pippin was in fact in the lounge. He had sat down on the large sofa that they had. Faramir was wrapped up in his arms. The baby was sleeping peacefully.

The fire was ranging, it dared crackle. The flames dances almost hypnotically. Pippins eyes seemed to be fixed on the red flames. The door to his side opened and Diamond walked in.

Pippin's gaze was then broken. Diamond was looked at him. Her eyes glance from her son to her husband.

"Shush, he's asleep" Pippin told her.

It was then that Diamond had seen a different side to her dear Pippin.

"I think something has happened to Pimpernel" Diamond said.

Pippin looked up.

"Pardon?" he asked, not quite hearing or believing what Diamond just said.

"As I was walking back, there was a home and it had been burnt to nothing" Diamond said.

Pippin then stood up. He wanted to see for himself. Diamond took her son from Pip.

"I'll be back in a few minutes" Pip said, not knowing what he would see.

He gave Diamond a peck on the cheek and walked out of the room. He walked down the hall way, leaving Diamond holding Faramir.

Pip's coat had been hung up like Diamonds. He unhooked it and placed it on. The coldness outside was deepening as the snowy clouds gathered over head.

Pippin opened up the door. Like all hobbits that ventured outside at this time, a cold wind blew at him. His hair was blown across his face as he closed the door.

Pippin looked along the path. His sprits couldn't be higher then they were at this moment in time. But worry was about to steal it. The snow crunched under foot as he made his way up towards where his sister lived.

As he rounded the small corner, his eyes suddenly fell on a site that he never would have expected. He now believed what Diamond had told him.

Picking up the pace, Pippin soon arrived at the gate. His eyes lay on the devastation before him. Worry swept over him like water. Without thinking about what he was doing, Pippin went past the small wall that made up the boundary between the road and garden.

There were shards of glass and blackened wood. A part of the mess have been cleared away. Snow was laying in a carpet all across the inside of the building.

Pip did not go far inside, everything looked like it could come down in the weakest breeze. The hobbit slowly picked up a piece of black wood.

Without a second thought, he turned on his heels and walked as quickly as he could away from it. but he had no plan on going back to his home.

Instead, he made for his mother and father's. They were the first people that came into his head. The ice under foot didn't really bother Pip, but it still took him a longer while to get to their house.

A knock came at the door. The bangs echoed though the house. Paladin was sitting in his study, his spirits had hardly lifted since Pimpernel's accident.

His concentration had been taken away from him as he looked around. A pipe had been placed in his mouth. The end was smoking with silver smoke.

Paladin sat upon a wooden seat. A writing desk had been placed facing the window. A fire was gently crackling in the fireplace.

Eglantine was in the kitchen. She had just placed lunch into the oven when three more bangs echoed though the house. She smiled as she walked away.

Candles flicked as she walked past them. The door clicked open. Standing there, was her youngest child and only son, Pippin.

"Pippin!" she said, having not seen him for the past few days.

But something in Pippin's eyes said a lot.

"Where is she?" he asked.

Eglantine took a deep breath.

"You better come in, you have a lot of catching up to do"

Pippin came in and the door was closed. Eglantine and Pippin walked though the house to the kitchen.

"What happened?" Pippin asked as they reached the kitchen.

Eglantine knew that she didn't want to talk about it. It still hurt her.

"Pimpernel is alright, she's at Pearl's house now. A few days ago, a week ago I think. A large fire tore down Pimpernel's home. Apparently, everything was destroyed" she told her son.

Pippin was looking at her.

"Why is she not here?" he asked.

His mother looked sad. She loved all of her children. But this was a very difficult time for her. The fact that she nearly lost one of her precious children. But she couldn't admit it. it was burning her very soul to not say it.

"I… because…"

But she couldn't get the right words. Behind Pippin, Paladin slowly emerged. His pipe had been put out, he needed to walk to his son.

Pippin turned around and looked at his father. Both of the people in the room had some what changed. Pippin couldn't understand what had happened.

"Peregrin lad, I need to talk to you"

Peregrin turned around. His father had a look that made Pippin think that it was important. The hobbit slowly walked out of the kitchen. Eglantine didn't even know what it was about.

At the same time, a small puppy was curled up on the bed. Pimpernel was in the kitchen. The two girls were having an early lunch.

A large chicken had been cooked in the oven. It had slices taken out of it already. There were bowls of different foods. Green sprouts, orange carrots, light brown roast potatoes were in abundance.

Pimpernel had piled enough food on to her plate. There was a small boat of dark brown gravy cooling on the table. Mugs of golden ale sat before each of the girls.

Both Pimpernel and Pearl were eating. Silence was all around them. Only the sound of their knives and forks hitting the china plates as they were cut though meat or vegetables.

The smell of roast chicken was now radiating all though the house. It was one of the favourite smells. The honey taste was strong in the meat.

The coldness outside was forgotten as the girls ate. None of them knew that their little brother was back home. Abira, Pimpernel's puppy, was now waking up. the small pup stretched and yawned. The bed she was on was very comfy indeed. the warmth was still making her sleepy.

A smell hit her nose. But it was not of bacon like she had now wanted, it was a strange smell. One that she didn't like. The puppy sat up, the candles had been put out around the room. But the fire was still burning.

Reluctantly, Abira walked to the edge of the bed. She looked down to the floor. it seemed a very long way for a puppy.

The small puppy started to bark. The noise echoed though the house. Pearl and Pimpernel were still sitting in their seats. Nelly smiled as she placed her knife and fork down.

"I'll be back in a minute" she said, getting up.

She smiled as she walked out of the room. Abira's barks were still going. The room that she was staying in came into view. the door was left ajar.

Pimpernel walked to it and opened it. Standing on her bed was a puppy. She had brown marking on his little fluffy paws and over her eyes.

A smile came over her. She loved the little pup.

"What's up?" Nelly asked, picking up the small pup.

Abira yawned as Pimpernel held her.

"You hungry?" the hobbit asked.

Abira nodded and licked her owner. Nelly laughed and turned around. She then walked out of the door with Abira resting on her shoulder.

Pearl was still sitting down. More roast potatoes had been piled onto her plate. Fresh gravy had been poured on top of them. Pimpernel then came back into the room.

She sat back down in her seat and placed Abira on her lap. The puppy sat down and yawned for the second time. Her little head was barely higher then the edge of the table. Her eyes were darting around the kitchen. There were a lot of new smells. The pup had never seen so many new objects.

She gave a small whine and looked up at her Pimpernel.

"Alright, I'll get you your lunch soon, alright?" Nelly told her.

Pearl cut up the last of her roast potato and ate it. She knew that she would be the one to cook the bacon for her sister. The knife and fork were then placed on the empty plate.

The bowls in front of them had been emptied. All of the potatoes had been eaten. All of the sprouts, parsnips, carrots, peas and meat had gone as well.

Pearl picked up her mug of ale. There was only a little bit left. She drank it until it was gone and took a deep breath. She placed the mug back down on the table mat.

For a moment, she sat there watching her sister. The puppy was watching what Pimpernel was doing as well.

"Right" said Pearl, getting up from her seat.

"I'll start on her bacon" she told Pimpernel.

Pimpernel nodded and smiled.

"Thank you" she said, taking another bite of a crispy potato.

Pearl walked into the cellar and looked around. There were many packets of different foods. But, Pearl was able to find the one that she was looking for. A medium sized packet was picked up.

The hobbit then walked back out into the warm kitchen. The door to the cellar was closed. Abira, who was still on her Pimpernel's lap, watched Pearl closed the door.

The puppy's little eyes tracked the small package. She whined, wanting the bacon right this second. But Pimpernel was not letting her go. One of her large hands was holding onto the puppy. The other was gripping a mug as she drank the last of her ale.

She placed the mug back down. Both girls had eaten as much as they could. There was hardly anything food to thrown away. Only the small bits that had stuck to the side of the bowl.

Pimpernel looked to the window. The sky outside was dark and gloomy. Snow was silently falling to the ground. They were large flakes, some would be easily confused with falling feathers.

Birds found shelter where ever they could. One or two large black crows flew over head. It was the only point of reference point in a white abyss.

All hobbits were inside now. The chimneys threw grey smoke over an ever whitening land. There seemed to be no let up in the clouds. For miles around, all that could be seen in the sky was a mass of white.

The lake in the middle of Hobbiton was icy. A thin layer of ice had formed around the edges. The wind created small waves that lapped on the sheet of ice.

Below the cold surface of the lake, life was thriving. The bottom on the lake was murky. There was a thick layer of silt at the bottom.

Logs scattered the murky water. The light from above was nearly all blocked out. fish and other small creatures were swimming along. The world outside was nonexistent to them.

To them, they were the only ones in the world. The boarders of the lake was the edge of the world. Time didn't matter to these creatures.

In all the homes in Hobbiton, clocks ticked on. The numbers had been placed on their own sections. The number twelve was at the very top. All of the other numbers had been placed in numerical order. The number one had been placed to the right of twelve.

The minute hand made one rotation of the wooden clock every hour. But that was not the only hand making its way around the clock.

A shorter, but thicker looking hand lay over the one. This was the hour hand. It moved from one number to the next every hour and only twice around the clock a day.

Its movement was so slow that it seemed not to move. But sure enough, it did. The hand was slowly moving towards the next number.

Outside, the snow continued to fall. The carpet on the ground grew thicker and thicker. There seemed to be no let up in the velocity of the snow fall.

Trees seemed to be getting the full force of the storm. Their branches were being covered with snow as well. Creatures that were normally out in the hotter weather were now deep down in the roots of the tree. The coldness didn't seem to reach them.

One o'clock turned from two. The snow seemed to be coming down harder then ever before.

Two o'clock slowly turned into three. Origo had now been fed. His Diamond was now sitting in the lounge. Ori jumped onto the faded sofa. The fire was burning in the heath, sending smoke to the coldness outside.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down at her pup. She gave him a smile.

"How you doing boy?" she asked, stroking the top of his fluffy head.

The puppy yawned, having eaten a large lunch. Origo stretched and laid down next to his Diamond. Faramir took was already asleep in his mothers arms.

Pippin had come back from his mother and fathers home. He had been unusually quiet. He had locked himself away in the study. The words of his father still fresh in his memory.

"I believe my time as Thain is ending. I am getting to old now" he told his son.

There was a different tone to his fathers voice. One that Pippin found to be the truth.

"What are you saying?" Pippin asked.

But he already knew.

"I am saying that your time had come" Paladin said, walking towards a cupboard.

Pippin watched his father open the cupboard. Paladin reached in and got out a small box. It looked very old, as though it had been past down for many generations.

In fact, it had. Paladin looked at his son.

"This" he said.

"Has been past down from one generation to the next and it will be past down to you"

The box was flat and square. Paladin opened it up. sitting on a padded bed was small medallion. Pippin had never seen it before.

"This is the Thain Medallion. Who ever had this is Thain of the Shire" his father told him.

There were no words that Pippin could find to say. Everything was happening too fast for him. Everything seemed like it belonged in some wild dream.

"Peregrin" his father said, looking into his sons eyes.

"It is time that you took it, its time that you past on the Thainship"

There was a moment of silence. The words were yet to hit him properly. "Thainship?" asked Pippin, not quite understanding.

The medallion reflected the light. The box was closed, making Pippin look up.

"I want you to have it Peregrin, it is your time to become Thain" Paladin said.

It was then that Pippin realised how old his father looked. Pippin knew that he hadn't spent more time with his father and now, he was paying the price of his adventures.

"I don't know what to say" Peregrin answered.

Paladin gave a small smile.

"You are strong, son. You have it in you to become the greatest Thain to have ever taken office"

But Pippin wasn't sure. He knew that it would be a lot of work. When he was younger, Pippin's father seemed to be away for most of the time. Coming back often to had rests and to check on his children. But most of the summer months were spend with his father around.

"Will you take it?" Paladin asked.

Pippin looked down. There were two paths that he could take and they were coming onto him quickly.

"Could I think about?" Pippin asked.

"For how long?" Paladin asked his son, still holding the medallion.

Pippin continued to think.

"Over night" he answered.

"Over night will give me enough time"

Paladin took a deep breath and looked down at the box. The leather box looked old, it close to being the oldest air loom that the Tooks possessed.

After a minute, Paladin gave a deep breath.

"Alright, you can have your time. But I will have to know when you come back tomorrow" his father told him.

Pippin nodded.

"I'll have to go" Peregrin said, turning around.

"Take it" Paladin said, holding out the medallion.

Pippin looked back and saw his father holding the box out. Pippin's eyes fell on the box. He then looked into his father's eyes.

"Why?" he asked.

"So you can make up your mind"

Pippin faced his father again. Few a few seconds, all Pippin focused on was the precious box before him. He then came to realise that he father trusted him. After all that he had done. After all the naughty things he had done over the many years.

Pippin extended his hands and grasped the old box. His father gave a small smile as he let go.

"Just think about it" Paladin said.

Those words had stuck with Pippin ever since he got home. The study door was shut, yet a few sounds of Diamond moving around made their way in.

The clock chimed three times signalling three hours past midday. But sound didn't seemed to register with the hobbit as he sat in his own little world.

Before him sat the small leather box. The top was still covering the metal medallion inside. One of his fingers slowly ran down one side of the box. There was so much history inside the box that Pippin dared to open it.

"Should I accept it?" he asked himself.

This was one situation that he needed to think deeply about. A lot of things were happening to Pippin lately and all he could do was go with it.

"That means less fun Pip" said another voice in his head.

Pippin didn't like having this choice. The window was situated above the writing desk. Snow was still pouring outside.

"Yes, but I have a family now" Pippin told himself.

His family meant the world to him. But then again, he wanted to have fun. Drinking and smoking hadn't taken place for a week or two now. His pipe lay empty.

"You still have a day to choose, have some fun!"

A small smile came over his lips.

"Maybe one more ale and smoke" he told himself.

Peregrin stood up, taking the box with him. but the first thing he did was not head for the door, it was to head for a cupboard.

The wooden door was opened. There were empty ink pots on the bottom of the two shelves. On the top was another box, this one was bigger then the one in his hand.

Pippin pulled it out and walked over to the writing desk. The hobbit placed it down and sat back down. There were two gold latches near either end of the box. The box itself was made from polished wood.

The lid was then opened. Inside, there were small, but precious, objects. A green leaf with silver veins lay at the bottom. It was a Lorien Leaf.

Other precious and sentimental gifts lay in there as well. The box that Pippin held was exactly the right sixe to fit into the wooden box.

The lid was closed again, locking it from the outside world. The box was then carried back, slid back into its place and left. The door to the cupboard was then shut.

But Peregrin did not walk off right away. The medallion was screaming at him. Temptation was once again strong in his heart. But he knew he had to leave it for now.

It was harder for Pippin to walk away from the cupboard. The door opened, but was not closed right away. Pippin was standing in the threshold of the door. His eyes looking at the wooden cupboard.

For a whole minute, his eyes targeted nothing but the cupboard. The hobbit took a deep breath and closed the door. The click of the door echoed around the empty house. Candles flickered as Pippin walked down the hall way.

Outside, the snow was still pouring down. There still seemed no end to the trillions of flakes falling from when white abyss above.

Birds were now in their nests. The wind seemed to make the coldness deeper. The flakes carpeted the ground in a sea of white. Only some of the tallest blades of grass were now poking out of the top of the untouched carpet.

The sun was slowly sinking down in the west. The time continued to trickle away as the day grew older. Chimneys were still blowing black smoke into the air.

Origo was still snoozing after a large lunch. But not for much longer. A small something fluttered past him and landed on the sofa.

But it did not wake him yet.

The small creature seemed to walk up to him. It wasn't much taller then the pup laying down. The creature got close to the small pup.

"Origo?" it said.

There were two big wings coming out of the creatures back. But it was no moth or butterfly. It was a fairy. She had long hair, down past her tiny shoulders. She wore a green dress, but nothing on her small feet.

The puppy looked big to her. But she knew that he was friendly.

"Ori?" she asked, reaching out.

Her hand touched the pup's large ear. But still, Ori did not wake.

Meanwhile, Pippin was standing in the cellar. He squatted down and placed a mug on the floor. the small tap was then turned on. A torrent of golden ale started to fill up the mug.

The light from the kitchen reflected on the pillar of liquid. It took a minute or two to fill up to where Pippin wanted it. The small tap was turned off, a few drips escaped the tap and fell before Pippin could pick it up.

But that didn't bother him. his hand wrapped around the handle of the mug. It was now heavier then normal. The ale inside rippled as Pippin walked out.

The door was closed. The mug was now sitting on table. Pippin pulled out on of the seat and sat down. His eyes looked at the surface of the ale. Candle light was being reflected off of the flat surface.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Well, might as well" he said to himself, picking up the mug again.

He placed it on his lips and took a sip. It had been the first time he had tasted ale in about two weeks. Pippin gave a smile as he took more sips.

Very soon, the whole mug had been drained of ale.

"I think more is in order" Pippin told himself, getting up.

As he reached the cellar door for the second time, barking came from the lounge. Pippin looked around, wondering what Origo was barking about.

The pup had been woken up and was not at all happy. He spotted the small fairy that had woken him up and barked at her.

"Ori, please don't" she said, worry was in her voice now.

She could hear someone coming. She turned and flew upwards as fast as she could. The door suddenly opened and in walked Diamond.

"Ori, what's the matter?" she asked, walking towards him.

She picked her puppy up.

"Had a bad dream?" she asked, kissing him on the head.

But her puppy was looking at her. He was focused on the fairy. Diamond was a little bit confused.

"Origo?" she asked, looking up to where he was.

The ceiling where he was looking was bare to her eyes. Diamond took a deep breath.

"Come on, lets get you some turkey"

So, Origo was carried out. But he could still see the thing that woke him up. The green fairy was fluttering high above. She followed Diamond and Origo, keeping her distance. Diamond entered the kitchen to find Pippin sitting at the table.

A mug of ale was before him. He looked up as Diamond walked by him.

"Oh Pippin" she said, looking in the mug.

Pippin made a confused face.

"What?" he asked, taking another gulp of his ale.

There was a slow change to the hobbit. He swayed a bit as he sat there. The fact that he had not had ale for a week or two made the drunkenness come on quicker then normal.

"You said you wouldn't drink again" she said, placing Origo on the floor.

Pippin looked around.

"Did I?" he asked, not remembering what he said.

The worries of the small medallion were erased the more that he drank. Diamond shook her head as she opened the cellar door.

The fairy had followed then into the kitchen. She fluttered and landed on the chair sitting down. Origo watched her intently, he wanted to see what she was.

The fairy was looking around.

"This is nice" she thought.

Origo walked around the table and stopped. He looked up and saw the fairy sitting there. The fairy looked down at him.

"Are you going to hurt me?" she asked.

Origo tilted his head and looked around. Diamond had come out of the cellar and closed the door. She was now standing at the work top. The turkey had been wrapped in brown paper.

Part of the bird had been carved away already. Diamond smiled as she pulled out a wooden draw. Inside were large cutting knifes. But Diamond only picked out one of them.

The fairy swooped down and fluttered right before Origo. His little eyes looked at the green floating thing before him.

Origo whined. To a human or hobbit, it was just a whine. But to the small fairy, she knew exactly what Origo said.

"I know, I'm sorry" she said.

"Oh I know your hungry Ori" said Diamond, as she cut lots of pieces off.

The pup looked where his Diamond was standing, wondering what she said. The puppy yawned, making his ears moved back.

"I'm Ivy by the way" the fairy said.

The pup tilted his head and walked away. He headed for his Diamond. his bowl on the floor was still empty. Diamond looked down at the puppy whimpered.

"Oh, I know your hungry pup. Just hold on a moment" his Diamond said, cutting a few more slices of white turkey.

There was quite a big pile of meat on the side. The knife was place down and the bowl picked up. Origo watched his Diamond place the slices into the bowl.

"There you go" she said, placing the bowl back on the floor.

Origo's little tail started to wag even more as he started to eat. Ivy fluttered near by and sat on the floor. The puppy was much bigger then she was. Ivy's little wings folded back behind her back. Her hair was long and dark green.

"Do you like that?" Ivy asked.

But the pup ignored her. Ivy took a deep breath and held her head in her arms. She took a deep breath as she watched Origo eat.

Diamond had now wrapped the remainder of the bird up. She smiled as she looked down at her pup. Pippin was now swaying and looking around. His drunkenness seemed to be stronger and quicker then normal.

Origo had nearly finished his turkey slices. Ivy was now floating nearby. Her attention was now on a different thing.

A smile came over her. She suddenly zoomed off. Origo looked around, he could see the little green glow on the fairy near the candle.

Ivy, as the fairy was known, smiled. She knew that what she was about to do was naughty. The fairy poked the metal rim of the stand that the candle was in.

The next second, the mounted metal rim gave way. The burning candle and the stand crashed to the floor. Pippin jumped a little bit, his heart rate rose a little.

Diamond came out of the cellar to see what the commotion was about. She instantly knew what had happened.

"Oh no!" she said, walked to where the candle say.

The flame had been extinguished, a bit of the melted wax had started to solidify on the cold tiles. Ivy had fluttered away and was now sitting on the edge of the table.

Diamond picked the candle up and took a deep breath.

"That's the second one since we got home" she said.

She looked up at the spot where the metal stand had been. The thing seemed to just snap away from the wall. Diamond shook her head.

"Your going to have to fix that" she told Pippin.

Pippin tilted his head and gave a confused smile.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Because you're the man of the house. We all have to keep this house tidy" Diamond told him.

Origo had now slipped out of the room. He looked around, making sure the other creature didn't follow him. For the pup did not like that fairy for waking him up.

A yawn came over him as he made his way back to the lounge. He liked snoozing on the comfy sofa. The door to the lounge had been left open as Origo walked towards it.

He walked into the room and wagged his tail. He walked towards the sofa and, with one big leap, managed to get onto the couch.

Origo looked around, there was no sign of Ivy around anywhere. The small pup lay down and yawned. He curled up into a small fluffy ball and closed his eyes.

He fell slowly and surely to sleep.


	37. Day Nineteen, Part One

Yule's Eve started out like any other cold day. Snow was thick on the ground. It had been its thickest it had been all year. The sun was coming up in the east, fighting back the night.

Stars vanished as the light of the sun rose. Birds rose with the ever brightening light. The sky was turning from an inky blue to a crisp, light blue.

Clouds sailed along the eternal sky. Some of the clouds were white and some were dirty grey. The shadows of the tress were laying on the ground. They were stretched along the white ground.

Their branches looked like fingers weaving in and out of one another. there were black nests perched high in the canopies. They were made from thin twigs.

In the spring and summer, the trees would be bustling with activity. Leaves and fruit grew on the countless number of branches. Creatures of all sizes and shapes roamed the land.

But, now the cold weather had set in. All of the summer creatures had gone into hiding underground or away to warmer parts.

Hobbits had also spent most of their time inside. Their fires had been raging nonstop since the first snowflake. Chimneys continued to throw black smoke into the air in every hour of the day. Logs had been brought in from the coldness outside.

There were small piles of wood stacked outside the doors of the homes. Snow covered them, but a few had been taken inside to restock the fire.

Coming out of each of the many hills of Hobbiton were brick chimneys. Smoke bellowed out like every other chimney. Windows were the only small reminder that hobbits actually lived inside the hill.

Candles had been lit on small mounted stands on the wall. The wax dripped slowly down the side, drying as they went.

A small creature fluttered past the candle, making it dance. The creature zoomed away in a zigzag path. A small green glow followed the creature.

For this creature was no ordinary animal. This was a magical fairy. Ivy was her name, her little wings beat quickly as she zoomed into the kitchen. The kitchen was warmer then the rest of the house.

A large fire was crackling in the heath. Diamond was sitting at the wooden table. Pippin had yet to surface from the large duvet. The ale that he had drunk had taken effect. His head was resting on the large pillow.

Diamond's side of the bed was empty. She had gotten up long before her husband. Breakfast was being cooked, a smell of bacon and of turkey radiated out from the kitchen.

Ivy fluttered in and stopped in mid air. She could see the small puppy near to where Diamond was sitting. A smile came over Ivy's lips as she saw the pup.

She zoomed down at stopped suddenly. Ori had lain down on the cold tiled floor. he was still very tired.

"Morning" Ivy said.

But Origo whined and curled up more. Ivy took a deep breath and looked around. Diamond was feeding her son. He was laying in her arms, giggling as Diamond weaved her hair in front of him.

A plate of bacon had been placed in front of both Diamond's and Pippin's place on the table. The hot oven was gently heating up some sliced turkey for Ori.

Ivy looked around. The legs of the table were massive compared to the small fairy. Ivy looked up. There was a sheet laying over the wooden table.

Her eyes then moved onto Diamond and the baby. Without warning, she flew up. Origo raised his head, wondering what the small fairy was doing.

Ivy stopped as she reached the height where she was in line with Diamond. But the hobbit completely ignored her. For only Origo could see the fairy. Hobbit, on the other hand, could not.

The fairy smiled and fluttered closer. Diamond picked up the spoon that was resting in the bowl. As she did so, Faramir spotted something. His eyes fell on the fairy.

On the spoon that Diamond held was a lump of mash. It consisted of oranges and apples. They had been boiled to the point of dissolving. But drained of water. The mush had now been separated into different bowls. They were large portions, for hobbits liked to eat well.

The small silver spoon was placed at Faramir's mouth. He opened and ate it, eyes keeping on the flying thing before him. He giggle a bit at it started to flutter in circles.

Ivy knew that babies could see her. But she also knew that when he grew older, she would come invisible to him like the rest of the hobbits.

Origo was now sitting up. Hunger was getting stronger and stronger by the minute. The pup gave a small whine and looked up.

But Diamond was too busy for him. She was concentrating on the other puppy. Origo whimpered sadly. He wished that it would just be him and his Diamond.

Ever since she had brought the noisy puppy home, Origo had been getting less and less attention. Diamond looked around, the smell of turkey then hit her.

"Oh, sorry pup" she said, placing the spoon into the bowl.

Diamond then got up. The chair scrapped along the tiled floor. Ivy fluttered and gently landed on the floor.

"Your not having more of that, are you?" she asked, walking over to him.

Origo looked around at her, but didn't answer. Ivy took a deep breath and shook her head.

"You'll get fat"

But the puppy wasn't listening, he plodded over and stood near his Diamond. The oven door was opened with a protected hand. A cloth had been the source of this protection.

The heat from the fire came up in her face as she bend down. The oven door was very hot indeed. Yet the bowl inside was warm.

Diamond placed it on the floor.

"There you go pup" she said stood up.

Origo wagged his tail happily as Diamond closed the door to the oven. Ivy was now flying around above the pup.

"Why do you eat that?" she asked, landing cross legged on the floor.

Her little fragile wings folded back. The fairy instantly started to play her hear. Origo chopped the warm pieces of turkey quickly. Small bits were flying out onto the floor.

A figure came in from the door behind. Pippin had finally woken. A yawn came over him. He gave a small smile as he walked towards his wife.

"Good morning" he said, pecking her on the cheek.

"Morning?" asked Diamond.

"Its ten o'clock"

Pippin took a deep breath, for once, too tired to argue. His breakfast, which consisted of cheese, a bacon sandwich and a mug of water. Diamond was trying to make her husband cut down on his drinking.

Pippin picked up the mug of what he thought was ale. Be looked inside. he could see the bottom of the mug.

"Why have I got water?" he asked, looked up at his wife.

"Because Peregrin Took and ale do not make a good match" Diamond told him.

Pippin was speechless.

"But I'm always sensible with ale" Pippin said.

Diamond gave him a look that make Pippin uneasy.

"Alright, sometimes sensible"

But the look on Diamond's face did not change one little bit.

"None of the time?" Pippin asked.

Diamond nodded slowly.

"How all the time?" Pippin asked.

"Well, you just have too much of it" Diamond told him.

"I wouldn't mind if you don't get drunk every night"

Meanwhile, Origo had gone out of the room. The small fairy zoomed after him.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Ori stopped, looked at the small fairy, then started to walk again. Ivy watched the pup walk past.

"You know" said Ivy, swooping to the pup and stopping in his face.

"I don't think you like me much"

Origo started to growl at the fairy. She backed away a bit.

"No" she said.

"Oh no"

Origo pounced towards the fairy, Ivy's wings made her flutter away. The puppy missed her by inches as she climbed further.

Talking could be heard coming from the kitchen. Ivy looked down at the pup. He was looking right back up at her. It was then that the fairy had an idea. A small cheeky smile came across her lips.

The small green fairy suddenly dived right at the puppy. Origo snapped at Ivy but missed. Ivy flew out of the way just in time. She gained her height again quickly.

She giggled as the pup tried to catch her.

"Cant catch me" she said, swooping down again.

In the kitchen, Pippin had finished his sandwich. His thoughts were now trickling back to the events of yesterday. The medallion came back into his consciousness.

Pippin knew that he needed to make that decision soon. Diamond had gone back to feeding Faramir. Peregrin got up from his seat.

"I need to go out for a while, I'll be back at lunch" he said.

Diamond looked up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Pippin didn't want to tell her, but she deserved to know.

"I need to go to my father's" he answered.

Without a chance to ask any more questions, Pippin walked out of the room. Diamond continued to wonder what he was on about.

Pip walked down the corridor to his study. The cupboards were closed. But only one needed to be opened. The brass handle was cold to the touch as Pippin opened it.

The hinges creaked as the contents came into view. There were blank, folded pieces of white paper. Empty ink pots and quills. But those were not what he needed.

What he did need was something much more valuable. There was a wooden box resting on the shelf as well. Pippin slid it out and placed it carefully on the writing desk. The wood was smooth and clean.

The lid was lifted. A small box was resting inside the larger one. The smaller box was rougher then the bigger wooden one.

Pippin slowly and gently rubbed his hand over the surface of the small box. Inside, the medallion lay. Without another wasted second, the hobbit turned around and walk out of the room.

He took hold of the handle and closed the door. The hobbit took a deep breath and looked down the hall. His mind was now made up.

Pippin started to walk down the hall way. Origo suddenly bound past him. The hobbit smiled, as he watched the fluffy pup run along.

Pippin stopped at the door. His coat was handing on a brass hook. after a minute or two, he picked up the small square shaped box.

The front door opened and the coldness hit him. but that didn't matter to Pippin. His mind was now on what he was about to do.

Pearl placed the small bowl on the floor. Another small puppy stood before the bowl. This one looked similar to Origo. But this little pup was a girl. She had small brown paws, with black running up the rest of her lets. She had two little brown marks above her eyes.

"There you go pup" Pearl said, smiling.

The puppy's tail wagged as she started to eat. Pearl smiled and looked over at the table. Sitting in one of the seats was Pearls sister, Pimpernel.

Both girls looked the same and the same accent. Pearl was the older of the two. But the age gap between the sisters did not seem to be great.

"So, what are you plans for today?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel looked up at her, she hadn't really thought of anything other then staying in.

"Well, I suppose I could clean some of the house. I mean, it is Yule tomorrow" she said.

Pearl nodded and looked around.

"Yes, the house does need a once over" Pearl agreed.

"I need to do some last minute things for tomorrow" she told Pimpernel.

Nelly nodded and yawned. Abira was finishing up her bacon. Only one piece out of seven was left. The small puppy loved her bacon very much.

Pimpernel smiled as Abira made her way towards her.

"Had a nice breakfast?" Nelly asked, picking the puppy up.

Abira whined happily as she sat on her owners lap. A little sneeze came from the pup. Her head shook, making her ears flop.

"Bless you pup" said her Pimpernel.

The coldness outside as clouds blocked out the precious rays of sunlight. The shadows of the clouds ran across the land faster then any animal could run.

Yet there was no threat of snow fall or over casting. Birds continued to sing and go about their business. In some places, the snow had started to melt. The icicles that pointed down to the earth below were now dripping water. Foot prints criss-crossed on nearly every inch of the path. Only a few small prints were snaking over the untouched snow.

These were from foxes or birds that had once been there. But they had long since gone. Flown away or gone back to their burrows.

The stalls that had normally been set up in front of the Green dragon. But today was too cold for even the most hardy hobbits. But that didn't stop some adventuring out into the cold to visit their friends or family.

Peregrin Took was now nearing his target. Butterflies had erupted in his stomach. He was shaking. Partly due to the coldness and partly due to nervous.

The door to his mother and father's house came into view. Small candles were flickering behind the pains of glass. A small gate, made of wood, had been placed between to stone walls. Normally, moss would cover the walls in a thick carpet. But today, snow was covering it. The wooden gate creaked open and Pippin walked though.

The snow continued to crunch under his feet as he walked up to the door. The hobbit raised his hand, made a fist and knocked three times.

Drips were falling to the snowy floor below. The wind blew around, though the few evergreen bushes. The door opened up, Eglantine stood there.

She smiled.

"Hello son, come in" she said, opening the door wider.

Pippin smiled and walked in. The coldness was now fighting to get in as well. But as the door closed, the heat grew stronger.

"Your father is in the study" said Eglantine.

Pippin smiled and nodded. He had placed the small box on the floor as he took off his coat. Eglantine had walked away. she reached the door of the study and opened it. Sitting at the desk was her husband. He seemed more quieter then normal.

"Paladin?" she asked.

Paladin looked around.

"Peregrin is here" she told him.

Paladin then stood up as Peregrin entered the room. Both Eglantine's and Paladin's eyes met. The woman got the message right away and turned around. Pippin walked in and the door shut.

"So?" Paladin asked.

Pippin looked down at the small box he had in his hand. The choice he made was now being broken down. The new choice was coming back and it was coming back stronger then ever. Doubt had started to wash over his confidence.

"Are you going to take the reigns?" Paladin asked.

He was looking more and more older by the day. the hair on his head was now very grey, with only a hint of the colour is used to be left.

"I…" Pippin started.

But he didn't know what to say. His father was a very well to do man, respected in these parts. But Pippin, on the other hand, was not very liked. But he knew it was going to take a lot of work to make people trust him.

"I…"

The answer was so close. His brain was ripping between the two answered.

"Peregrin?" asked his father.

Pippin's eyes were darting around the floor. but they stopped as he looked up at his father.

"Alright, I'll become Thain" he said.

The tension and the nervousness seemed to have disappeared instantly. A smile came over Paladin.

"Very well" he said.

But Paladin knew that his son would not become officially become Thain until he dies. But, until then, there was no harm in letting Pippin take the reigns for a while.

The box in Pippin's hands was now his. Not officially. But his all the same.

"I have to get back to Diamond and Faramir" Pippin said.

A confused look came over Paladin's face.

"Who is Faramir?" he asked.

It was then that it hit Pippin. He had not told anyone that Diamond had given birth.

"Well, it's Diamond"

Pippin paused for a moment.

"She gave birth to my son"

Paladin didn't know what to say. a strange realisation that he was now not only a father, but a grandfather too came to him.

"That is good news" Paladin said, though there was a sense that he didn't understand what his son had just said.

There was an awkward silence. Pippin looked down at the box.

"Here" he said, holding out the precious box.

"For you to keep safe"

Paladin smile and took it from his son. There was a moment of silence between them.

"Well, I better be heading back home" Pippin said.

He gave a smile and turned around. The door had been closed. The hinges creaked as Pippin opened it. Pippin walked out, but Paladin stayed in the room. He opened a small door and walked out.

Meanwhile, as one door opens, another one closes. Pearl stood up, broom in hand. The candles flicked and melted away as she walked back towards the kitchen. Pimpernel and Abira were sitting in the lounge. The small puppy was laying on her Pimpernel's lap.

The fire was raging in the heath, but Pimpernel was no looking at it. She was scared of it. She could not look at it. The memories were still too clear and too strong.

Her hand rubbed down the puppy's soft fur. Abira was curling up, the combination of the heat and of her Pimpernel stroking her was now getting to the small pup.

A yawn came over her. Pimpernel smile and tickled behind her ear. Abira seemed to like this as she tiled her head to the side.

The door to the lounge opened and in walked Pearl. She smiled.

"Come on, lets get started" she said, holding out the broom.

Pimpernel smiled and gently placed Abira on the couch beside her. The small puppy was now asleep and didn't mind one bit that she was not being cuddles.

Pimpernel took the broom from her sister. The two of them walked out of the room, leaving the door open. The two girls walked towards the kitchen.

On the table was a folded dusters. Pearl picked one up. Pimpernel walked over to the cabinet that had been placed next to the fire place. There were two buckets sitting one inside the other. Pimpernel picked one up and turned around.

She was going to clean the entire floor of the hole. Pimpernel knew that it would be a few hours before she would be done.

Back in the Gamgee household, Rosie was getting ready to go out. Samwise had opted to stay at home and look after the children. Rosie knew that the coldness that awaited her. Elanor walked down the corridor.

She stopped as she saw her mother getting ready to go out.

"Can I come mummy?" Elanor asked.

Rosie looked around. She gave no smile. She was not in the mood.

"Of course" she said.

Elanor picked up on her mood right away. But said nothing. Elanor got her coat on. It was smaller then her mothers, both had brass buttons running down the middle.

"Ready?" Rosie asked.

Elanor nodded. The basket was then picked up. With her free hand, she opened up the door. But there was someone already out there. He was laying on the ground in front on the house.

His feet were bare and his hair wet. There were scratches along his face and his once fine cloths had been torn. It took a few seconds to realise what was laying in front on her. But when she did, fear hit her like a wall.

"Sam!" she shouted as loud as she could.

Samwise, who had been sitting in his study, jumped. It was a sound that he had never heard. Without another second, he got up. The door to the study had been closed.

Sam swung it open as fast as he could. He could hear baby Pippin crying in the their room a few down. He half walked, half ran to the door.

As he got there, he could see Elanor looking very scared and Rosie looking pale. Between them, a small figure was laying motionless on the floor.

It was Frodo.

"My god" Sam said.

He rushed forwards and knelt down. The small boy's lips were bluer then normal. His eyes were closed and there was no sign of life. Without losing another second, he picked Frodo up.

Elanor and Rosie were both teary. But Sam knew exactly what to do.

"Come on, hang in there" Sam said.

It was then that Samwise sank into a strong bout out déjà vu. Frodo Gamgee's arms dangled as he was carried into their room. Sam opened the door.

Inside, a once sleeping Pippin was now crying in his cot. Elanor reached the door before her mother. Elanor looked a bit shaken up.

"Come on dear, please will you go to your room?" Rosie asked.

There was a strange tone to her voice. There was calmness, yes, but there was also worry and sadness mixed in. Elanor looked back. A part of wanted to know what was happening. But another didn't.

The girl was ushered away. Rosie walked into the room and shut the door. Elanor was left outside, wondering what they were doing.

There was silence in the house. The cries of Elanor's youngest brother grew quieter as Elanor walked to her room. The house had been cleaned thoroughly. All of the cobwebs had been brushed away, the floors were shiny. The leaves and twigs that had been accidently been brought in had been cleared away.

The dust that had gathered on nearly every unused surface. But they had been dusted. The flowers that had died or browned had been cut back or thrown away.

The candles had all been replaced. The ones that had been placed on the stands were taller and let off more light. There were no or few drips running down the side of the smooth candle.

Elanor closed her door. Her room was warm and light. A small round window was letting in light from outside. Yet there were still candles giving off light and a small bit of heat.

Elanor looked over at the door. She wondered what had happened to her little brother. The girl could still see the fear and horror on her mother's face.

The small girl sat on the bed in the silence. Her feet dangled off the bed. She was looking down at her feet. There were fine blonde hairs growing off of her feet.

Her feet looked too big for her. But that was normal for a hobbit. So was not wearing any shoes. For the bottom of their feet had thicker souls then was normal.

The girls eyes darted around. She smiled and got off of the bed. Beside the bed was a small table. It had different figure on it. They were all of horses. For Elanor loved horses.

A small hand picked up her more favourite one. It was a black horse. She smiled as she felt the surface. The horse had been carved from wood. The mane seemed to flow down one side of its back. Its tail had been carved in such a way that it made it look frozen in time.

The figure of the horse had seemed not to be standing still. Its legs were bent as though it was running at full speed.

Elanor walked over to the bed again. She then started to pretend that the horse was indeed running. Her mind was now fixed on the small adventure she was having with her horse.

Mountains arose, rivers flooded the land and trees grew. But it was all in her imagination. There were no large mountains or lush fields, only her bed and herself.

Lunch was now only an hour away. Pearl and Pimpernel had cleaned most of the house. Only the rooms and dining room were to be cleaned and prepared for the festivities tomorrow.

The two girls were sitting at the kitchen table. Pimpernel sat facing away from the fire for her own reasons. A large bird had been placed in the oven. Its feather's have been plucked and its bare skin had been smothered with honey and seasoning.

Two large mugs of ale had been set out for the two girls. Pimpernel now had a sleepy Abira on her lap. Pimpernel's spare hand stroked her precious puppy.

"Well" Pearl said, picking up her mug.

"Tomorrow is Yule" she said.

Yule was a special time for all hobbits. It was the time of year that hobbits went against each other. They would invite their friends and family to many meals over the two days. Some of the richer and more favoured families would have three or four meals a day.

Other hobbits would be invited to five or six. Supplies from all around the Shire had been brought in to meet their needs. Pearl and Pimpernel sat in silence as they finished off their ale.

Pearl took a deep breath. The two of them had stopped cleaning for lunch.

"I think that should be done by now" she said, getting up.

Pimpernel was a slow drinker. She liked to take her time. Abira raised her head to see what was going on. Her lazy eyes feel on Pearl.

Pearl gave a small smile. A drying towel from one of the backs of the seat. With it, she opened the door. a wave of very hot air blasted in her face. She moved back a few inches until it past.

Pearl took her hand off of the hot handle and slid the chicken put. Juices were running of in small droplets. She smiled as she placed it on the work top. The oven door was then closed. The smell of cooked chicken was stronger then ever.

Hunger was growing on both of the girls.

"Lunch should be ready soon" Pearl said as she poking the brown flesh of the cooked chicken.

Packets of vegetables had been placed out. But they were yet to be cooked. Pearl moved the chicken to one side as she started on the vegetables.

Meanwhile, Pippin was sitting in the lounge with Diamond.

"I don't know what to say" Diamond said, looking away.

Pippin had just told her the events from the past few days.

"And your going to take his place?" Diamond asked.

Faramir was held in her arms. His hair was now very fair and curly. Yet he had his mother's eyes. They were large and blue.

"Well, yes, yes I am" Pippin answered.

Diamond smiled.

"You'll make a good Thain Pippin" she said.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"I'll try my best" he said.

Origo was laying next to his Diamond. His little fluffy ears were resting on his fluffy head. His eyes were looking around. The fire that flamed in the heath reflected in them. He could hear his Diamond talking about something, he didn't know what it was about.

Ivy, the small annoying fairy, was still near. She was sitting with her back to the small pillow of the couch. Her small wings were not moving.

Her small hands were playing with her green hair. On her dress were small prints of green butterflies. She was looking quite bored.

"Come on, why are so sleepy?" she asked, suddenly getting up.

But Origo did not move. He was very sleepy indeed.

"I can get you more turkey" Ivy said.

This caught the attention of Origo. He whined and looked her way. She nodded.

"Of course I can"

The fairy fluttered away and floated in midair.

"Come on then" she said.

Origo yawned and slowly got up. he reached the end of the sofa and looked down. He didn't really like heights. There was a small faded rug laying on the ground. The small table had been placed over it. Origo took a few more seconds to look at it, then jumped.

The puppy impacted with the floor. It was not as bad as he thought it was. the small fairy zoomed up towards the door.

"Come on pup" she said.

The small puppy slowly walked after her. The door had been left a bit open. It had been left open enough so that the puppy could fit though.

Diamond watched him go from sight. A part of her wanted to know where he was going. But he seemed to able to take care of himself.

In Gondor, the city of Minas Tirith was busy. The seven levelled city was gleaming in the low sun. Towers and buildings seemed to sprout out of the ground. Every building was white. There was a massive tower at the top. The top level was for the King of Gondor.

For many years before, there had been no king sitting on the thrown. Gondor had been a broken realm for many a year. It had been leaderless and spiralling into depression. Made worse by Sauron.

But now, Sauron had been defeated. Mordor lay in ruin. The orcs that had once infected the black terrain had now all but vanished.

Mordor lay abandoned, its volcano continued to spew out molten lava. The ash and smoke could still be seen from every level of the white city.

Snow had covered most of Pelennor Fields. The two roads that crossed and meet in the middle of the field were now covered. Hundreds of city dwellers had ventured out onto the snowy plateau.

A horse man galloped past children and families on his way to a small port. The man that was mounted on the stallion was Faramir.

His hair was waving in the wind as he rode towards the port. In the distance, the man could see sails behind some of the buildings.

Snow flew up as the horse continued to gallop ever closer to the port. The snow showed signs of movement everywhere. But there movements nearer to the port.

After a few more minutes, Faramir arrived at where he wanted to be. There were many men standing around. The ships had pulled up along the docks.

Faramir dismounted his horse and looked around.

"Sir" said one man walking up to him.

"This is not good enough, I want the blocks unloaded as quickly as possible. Osgiliath will not build itself" Faramir said.

The man in front nodded and turned. Over by the ships, large square boulders were being slowly being pushed down a wooden plank. There were many men around it.

Ropes had been tied around the ends of the heavy rock. Around thirty men were pulling the boulder to the wooden planks. Other men were waiting to haul them off to the small city of Osgiliath.

Faramir looked around. His men all looked tired. But the sight of their leader made their moral heighten just a bit. Food was being handed out. Rolls of bread were being ripped in half, sending crumbs to the floor.

Most of the men were talking about the days work. Their lives had changed for the better after the defeat of Sauron.

The snow crunched under Faramir's foot as he approached the large ship. There were men walking around on the decks. Yet these were not Corsair Ships. These were normal ships.

Faramir walked up to the decks of the ship. A small plank had been placed out for him. The deck was a bit wet, the only sign of what the ship had sailed though.

The snow had been cleared away from the decks.

"Good day, Lord Faramir" said a man, walking over to him.

This was the captain of the ship. Men walked every which way around the deck. Some were carrying ropes, others were high in the maze of ropes.

"You are late" Faramir said.

The man nodded.

"I am sorry, the winds were not strong enough. My men have worked over their limits to get the ship here" the captain told him.


	38. Day Nineteen, Part Two

Faramir was looking around. He could see that the men looked very tired. Some of them were sitting down on the deck. Their eyes were drooping. The past few days had been very difficult for captain and crew. The moon above had created an unusually large tide.

Floods were rushing down stream as the tide tried to fight it going up. The wind was harsh and cold made it harder to work.

"Well, they can find rooms in the city, we need more supplies for Osgiliath as soon as the weather is better" Faramir told him.

Faramir then walked away, leaving the man to pass on the message. The man walked back down the plank onto the solid ground. There were a few building on either side of the port.

Faramir walked though the crowd. There were a few men struggling to get a stone moving again. The snow that had once fallen on the ground had now turned into a sheet of ice.

But Faramir did nothing to help. He walked towards his horse. A man was holding the reigns. Faramir hoisted himself on and took the reigns.

The men parted as the horse started to pick up speed. But Faramir did not head back to the white city. Instead, he headed for Osgiliath.

The snow was still thick on the ground. The small city of Osgiliath had been the hardest hit in the war of the ring. Buildings had suffered damage from both sides of the war. Their stone skeletons were the only remnants of a once fine city.

The river, Anduin, flowed though the town, cutting it in half. Yet there was a wooden bridge. Men were walking from one side to the other. In the distance, they would see the new arrival of stones for cutting.

The white city seemed to gleam as the sun grew brighter. Clouds were sailing across the sky in a gentle wind. Some were grey and some were white.

Others were big and threatened to shower the inhabitants of Gondor. There were many man walking around the city. Some were carrying tools for carving the blocks. Others were carrying small packs of food and flasks of water.

Echoes came from though out the city. Some were metallic others were thuds. Voices echoed around as well. Work had started a few hours ago when the sun was just coming up.

Faramir had arrived on the out skirts of the city. He slowed his horse down as he reached the first buildings of Osgiliath. Even in daylight, the city looked depressing.

There were walls and broken arches covering the city. The rubble that had once piled in the streets had now been taken away. the river that had once flooded was now running at its normal level. The snow was still thick in these parts. The horse's hooves clomped down the road as Faramir looked at each side.

Drips were coming down from broken roves. Snow had gathered inside some boarders of the buildings. Faramir could see further then normal. For there were big gaps in the walls.

Sprouting out of the ground were large domes. But they too had not escaped the scars of war. Boulders that had been launched from the opposite side of the river had crashed into them. They had either collapsed or partly collapsed. Either way, the buildings were left uninhabitable.

Three bridges crossed the torrent of water. Each had been used and broken many years ago. The men of Gondor had worked hard for many a year to fix it.

Faramir came upon a large open space near the centre of the city. It was the main square where the markets had been set up.

But now, there were lots of men. Orders were given as men dispersed around the city. Faramir got off of his horse yet again. groups of men with axes and chisels went down different roads. Some builds had to be demolished to be rebuilt.

"Good day Faramir" said one of the men.

This man had been put in charge of regenerating the city. There was a map out on a large rock. The wind blew the edges.

"My men are tired" Faramir was told.

Faramir's eyes darted around.

"They need rest from the coldness"

"Your men are ordered by the king, Irolas, there is nothing I can do" Faramir told him.

A flag fluttered in the wind. The cloth was black, yet it bore a white tree. This was the flag of Gondor. For many years, the white tree had remained silent. Fears of its death had spread around the city. But one single flower started to erupt out of the tree.

A sign of hope so desperately needed.

"These are the buildings that we are going to take down" Irolas said, looking down at the map.

Faramir looked down at the map as well. There were crosses on some of the buildings. Irolas pointed to them.

"And you can not save any more?" Faramir asked.

Irolas shook his head.

"We have tried, but their structures are too weak. It would be best if we start afresh"

Faramir nodded.

"Yet we do need more supplies" Irolas told him.

"The ships have arrived, they are bring more building material" Faramir answered.

Irolas nodded. His eyes scanned around. Men were continuing to arrive and depart. It would seem that the city was the busiest it had been in a while.

The spirits of the men were slowly, but surely, strengthening as time went by. The memories of Sauron still lingered.

"Well, I better be heading back to the white city" Faramir said.

Without another word, he walked away. Faramir mounted his horse and went off. The memories of all those years back came flooding to him.

His eyes darted around. The buildings looked exactly the same. A sudden noise came to his ears. The screech of the Nazgûl as they flew over head.

The wings of the creature were large and black. Their necks were long. Rows of teeth lined the mouth. They looked like rotting stalagmites.

The large creature swooped down on its prey.

"We cant hold them! the city is lost"

It was Faramir's old friend, Madril.

"Tell the men to break cover. We ride to Minas Tirith" Faramir said.

The same piercing screech came from over head as the Nazgûl flew. The shouts echoed around the broken city.

"Take cover!"

Faramir knew that he had to draw his men back as quickly as possible.

"Pull back! Pull back to Minas Tirith!"

Men from nearly every part of the city were now running away. Killing and being killed as they fled.

Faramir was now riding towards the edge of the city. In the distance was the one city he loved the most. Hunger was now in him as Pelennor Fields lay before him. In the distance, figures could be seen before the white walls. They were much smaller then the wall or city. Birds could be seen flying around high on the levels. They seemed to be small dot hovering over the towers. Faramir reached the edge of the city. There was nothing out in front of him. The wind started to pick up as the horse started to run faster and faster.

The field flew past faster and faster. The horse's hooves kicked up the fresh snow. The coldness in the wind started to cut into his face.

The door that lead into the city had been left open. All men were welcome into the city. It took Faramir a few minutes at full gallop to reach the gate.

As he did, people moved out of the way. Faramir continued to go up all of the levels until he got to the top. He reached the kings stables. It was there that he got off.

One of the stable boys came and took the reigns from him. Faramir took off his riding gloves as he walked up a flight of stairs.

A few minutes later, he come out into the court yard. The guards still stood there, like ever before. The white tree grew. Its bark was as white as ever. But blossom was now covering nearly every branch. Its roots dove deep into a pool of cold, clear water.

Faramir walked up a few stairs into a large hall. It was statues on either side. Black marble pillars held up the roof. A small table had been set up off centre. King Elessar was sitting at one end.

As Faramir walked towards the king. Every time he placed is foot on the floor, it echoed around the hall. A quill was being scribbled over paper.

An ink pot had been placed to the side. The king continued to write until he reached the end of his sentence.

"My lord" said Faramir, bowing.

Aragorn smiled and nodded back.

"My lord, the ships have arrived with fresh supplies. My men are working as we speak"

"Very well" Aragorn said.

But something was bothering Faramir. The memories of the battles that Faramir had been in were now coming back to him. without another word to the king, Faramir turned his back and walked away.

In the Shire, Pearl was busy cleaning again. A cloth was held in her hand as she rubbed the over the surface of window ledge. Outside, she could see snow and people moving. Lunch had come and gone, snakes were now being eaten every time that they got hungry.

Pimpernel was in her room. She was standing at the bed. A small puppy was at her feet. This was Abira. She never strayed more then a few feet from her Pimpernel.

The large duvet had been taken off of and washed, by hand, until it was clean. The hobbit had waited for it to dry. Pimpernel had to lay it over the back of some of the seats in the kitchen.

Abira was looking around. She felt a bit cold down on the floor. A draft came running though the house. The gaps in the doors let some of the bitter coldness in.

Pimpernel laid the duvet over the bed and straightened it out. The pillow was laying on the floor. Its case was folded on top of it.

Pimpernel reached down and picked up the pillow and pillowcase. Abira yawned as she waited. Nelly smiled as she looked down at her puppy.

A few chimes came from the clock. The pillow was the placed at the head of the bed.

"Come here" Pimpernel said, lifting up her very cute puppy.

Abira whined happily and rested her head on her owner.

"Come on, lets get you the rest of you bacon"

Just as they were about to go out of the room, Pearl opened the door. There was a confused look on her face. Pimpernel wondered what she was so confused about.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"I think Pippin is back" she answered.

Pimpernel was now the confused one.

"Back?" she answered.

She, of course, knew that he had been away. She had not seen him in a while. In fact, Pimpernel could not remember the last time her younger and only brother.

"Do you think we should check up on him?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl nodded.

"Yes" Pearl said.

A smile came over her lips.

"What do you think it'll be?" she asked.

"Boy or girl?"

Pimpernel smiled.

"Its going to be a boy" Nelly answered.

"Oh, I think it's a girl" Pearl told her sister.

They both smiled at each other.

"I'm going over there to find out, do you want to come?"

Pimpernel's smile subsided a little. The thought of going outside. The thought of all of those other hobbits that had seen what a mess she had been in.

Even now, she thought people were still talking behind her back about her.

"I don't think it's a good idea" Pimpernel said.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"Listen, it wasn't your fault. No one hates you or thinks any different of you" she told her sister.

But Pimpernel could think of one person that had seen her in a different light.

"How long are we going to be over there for?" Nelly asked.

"An hour or two hours. It's Yule tomorrow so I have to get the chickens ready tonight" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel nodded, making up her mind quickly.

"Alright, I'll come" she said.

Abira had fallen asleep on her owner. Her small eyes were closed, her little chest was rising up and down. The puppy's ears were flopped over her round fluffy head.

Pimpernel smiled.

"Maybe the baby could see Abira, I'm sure he hasn't seen a cute puppy before" Nelly said.

The puppy yawned and snuggled up even more. Pearl smiled.

"She is very adorable" Pearl said.

So, the two girls got ready. Pimpernel walked back to her room and placed the small pup on the bed. Abira gave a soft whine, but did not awake. Pimpernel slipped on her large coat and picked up her puppy again. Abira gave soft whine as her head rested on her Pimpernel.

Nelly walked out of her room. Pearl was already waiting at the door. she gave a smile to her sister.

"Ready?" she asked.

Reluctantly, Pimpernel nodded. Pearl opened the large door. It creaked as it swung open. A cold wave came over Pimpernel and her small puppy.

It was the first time that the hobbit had been outside in a while. The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky as the day drew to a close. The snow was still laying on the ground. Pimpernel looked over a white country. The snow was slowly melting. More green could be seen on the ground as the ice started to melt back into the soil. Pearl closed the door behind them. Nelly was now looking at her feet. The snow seemed not to bother her.

"Come on" Pearl said, walking past her.

Pimpernel stood there for a few more seconds before walking off. The air around her seemed cleaner and clearer then normal. The gate that kept Pearl's garden at bay was opened.

Pearl moved out of the way to let her sister though. The snow crunched under foot.

"Thank you" Pimpernel said.

Her eyes were looking around. there were few other hobbits out. Pimpernel could feel their eyes baring into her. But she had to do it. She had to get over that feeling.

The two girls continued to walk. After a minute or two, the two girls reached the door. Pearl was the one that knocked on the door.

Inside, Origo had been laying on the floor near the fire. Ivy had been sitting on the table. She looked around. her little wings gave a small flutter, but she did not lift off.

Pippin, who had been sitting in the kitchen, looked up. he wondered who could be at the door. Peregrin knew that was busy with his son. Taking a deep breath, Pippin got up from his seat. A mug of ale had been left on the table mat.

The hobbit walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. As he did, a crying Faramir met his ears. A small smile came from a few rooms down. Pippin reached the large front door and opened it. Standing in the coldness were his two sisters.

"Pearl? Pimpernel?" he asked, looking at both of them.

The door was opened wider.

"Hello, Pip" said Pearl.

There was a pause. Pippin had not seen his dear sisters in a while. He noticed how much alike they looked. They both had then same blue eyes and light brown hair.

"Please come in" Pippin said, moving out of the way.

Pearl smiled and walked in. Pimpernel slowly followed. Pippin smiled as she came nearer.

"How are you?" he asked, still not spotting what his sister was holding.

Pimpernel seemed to be more quiet then normal. Her eyes darted to him, then away. Pippin knew that her house had been burnt down.

"I'm alright" she said.

In the other room, Origo could hear the voice. The small puppy yawned as he got up from the comfortable spot on the floor and started to walk towards the door.

Ivy looked at him and fluttered after him. Origo crossed the threshold of the room and into the corridor. Down one way, he could hear his Diamond and the noisy puppy. Origo didn't like the new puppy one bit, he had more cuddles from Diamond then he did.

Down the opposite way, two new voices echoed down again. Origo then trotted off again, the fairy followed. After a few seconds, the sight of the girls came into view.

Ori stopped in the middle of the corridor. He could see Pippin and two new faces. Pearl had been talking when a small figure caught the corner of her eye. She looked down and saw Origo standing there.

Confusion rushed over her as she looked back at her sister. For a moment, she did not catch on. But after her eyes fell on Abira, she knew exactly where she had seen the puppy before.

"Pippin, why is there a puppy there?" she asked.

Peregrin looked back and smiled. He saw Origo standing there.

"That is Diamond's puppy" he said.

Pimpernel looked down at her own. The two puppies looked extremely alike.

"He looks like Abira" Pimpernel told her younger brother.

The small puppy that had been sleeping in her arms now yawned and lifted her head up. Pimpernel smiled and kissed her on the head.

"What's his name?" Pimpernel asked.

Abira yawned.

"Origo" Peregrin answered.

Nelly smiled and slowly placed her puppy on the floor. Abira whine a bit and looked back up.

"Look Abi, someone wants to meet you" she said, looking over at Ori.

Origo continued to stay there, a little bit confused at what was going on. His attention was then focused on the small puppy slowly coming his way.

The two had already met before. But the hobbits around them didn't. the two puppies faced each other. Diamond walked out of the room behind. Faramir was being cradled in her arms, he giggled.

Diamond stopped as she looked up at the three hobbits before her.

"Pearl? Pimpernel?" she asked.

The two girls smiled. Origo looked around at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

It had been a long time since she had seen or her from her closest friends.

"We've come to visit" Pearl said.

"We saw that your chimneys had started smoking again and knew that you were back"

Diamond knew that there was a lot to explain. Baby Faramir giggled in his mothers arms.

"Is that your baby?" Pearl asked, a big smile came over her.

The hobbit walked over to Diamond and looked down. The baby looked up at the new face.

"His name is Faramir" Diamond told her.

It was then that Pearl knew that she had been wrong. She looked around at her sister. Pimpernel gave a cheeky smile.

"I thought it was going to be a girl" Pearl told Diamond, looking a bit disappointed.

"I even knitted the baby some clothes"

Diamond smiled.

"Well, he can still wear them" Diamond told her.

"But their in pink" she said.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down. She gave a smile.

"Look on the bright side, you're an auntie" she said.

She was right, Pearl, Pimpernel and Vinnie were now all aunties.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Well, lets go into the lounge and I'll get some tea" Diamond said.

Pearl smiled and followed Diamond. Pimpernel and Pippin did the same. The house was nice and warm. The fires were raging in the heath, sending out light and heat. The kitchen had been tided as best as Diamond could get it.

There were no mugs on the table, save for a small plate of fresh cookies. On the floor, there were small logs for the fire.

Candles were burning on their stands on the wall. Save for two. One broken by Merry and the other by Ivy. Yet Diamond only knew about how one of the two candle stands broke.

The second just seemed to have fallen off of the wall by itself. They had now been thrown away, yet to be replaced.

"Sorry about the mess, we have only been home a day or two" Diamond said.

"Don't worry Diamond" Pearl said, pulling out one of the seats.

In the hall way, Origo and Abira were looking at each other.

"Do you remember me?" Abira whined.

Origo tilted his head, he knew that Abira would meet him here. The puppy nodded. Ivy was beating her small wings and looking between the two of them.

"Wait a minute" Ivy said, making the two puppies look at her.

"You know her?" Ivy asked.

Origo nodded. A yawn came over Abira as she stood there. Her little eyes were looking around this strange house. Everything was new to her.

The sounds of her owner and the others from the kitchen echoed around them. Origo moved closed and sniffed Abira. Ori gently tugged at her ear.

Abira wriggled out.

"I'm too sleepy to play Ori" she told him.

Origo shook his head and looked around. Ivy was looking around as well. The puppy looked up at her. It was then that he pounced at her.

This took Ivy by surprise as she fluttered out of the way just in time. Origo landed back on his four fluffy paws.

"Ori!" Ivy said angrily.

But the puppy had other plans on his mind. He wanted to get the fairy. He jumped again. It was then that Ivy knew his plans.

"Oh no you don't!" she said.

"I am not going to be caught by you"

Ivy suddenly fluttered off. For a moment, Origo didn't run. When Ivy was a few meters away, he started leaping after her.

Meanwhile, Abira yawned as she watched Origo run off. She felt a bit unloved at the moment. The puppy slowly walked down the large corridor. She hung her head. Her little paws softly hit the cold tiled floor.

The talking of the hobbits grew louder and louder. The kitchen door had been left open. There were now four hobbits sitting at the table. All of them, apart from Diamond, had a mug of ale. Diamond was the only one with a hot mug of tea.

"And then we stopped at Bree" Pippin said as he picked up his mug.

The memory of the coldness came back to him.

"What happened?" Pearl asked.

"Well, we arrived and, of course, I was driving the cart. We pulled up to the Prancing Pony, the inn there. Dolly and I helped Diamond into the inn"

Pearl raised her mug and took a sip.

"The bar man that was in charge did not let us in. He knew that Diamond was in the state she was in. But he did nothing. So, we had go back outside. Snow was falling as we made our way back to the cart"

"Didn't you have any information why?" Pearl asked.

Abira had come back into the room. Pimpernel looked down and picking her up. The puppy was then placed on her lap.

"No, we didn't" Pippin said.

But Pippin thought he knew why they were not allowed in. It had been due to his last visit there. Pippin remembered the event like it was yesterday.

Frodo Baggins slipped and fell. His back landed hard on the dirty floor. The Ring flew into the air. It spun, almost in slow motion. Gravity then gripped it and started to pull it back towards earth.

The next second, Frodo was gone. Gone from view, invisible. Frodo seemed to have just vanished from sight.

Talk erupted at once.

"Witch craft" some said.

Others were too drunk to notice. A black cat sat upon a table. He eyes followed the scared looking hobbit. The cat was the only one who could see Frodo.

After a minute or two, the hobbit came back into view again. he was now sitting under an empty table. His back rested on the table leg.

The next second, Frodo was dragged away.

"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr Underhill"

Frodo was then shadowed upstairs. One of the door to the rooms was opened and Frodo thrown in. The large man was very intimidating.

But things had changed since then. Strider, as he was known back then, had become King of Gondor. Frodo had gone beyond the horizon with Gandalf and Bilbo. Elves were also present on the small sail boat.

"Then what happened?" asked Pearl, snapping Pippin back into reality.

Pippin looked up.

"Well, me and Dolly got Diamond back into the cart. It was then that I had an idea. Neither of us would get to Rivendell on what he had brought from home"

It was the first time that Diamond had heard what had happened on their journey. For she had not been conscious when this had happened.

"So, I got off of the cart again"

There was an anticipating silence in the room. Abira had now fallen asleep again on her owner's lap. Faramir was yawning in his mother's arms.

"I walked back to the prancing pony, but I didn't go in. Instead, I went around the back. There was an open door at the back. There were empty barrels lined along one wall. The kitchens were just…"

But Pippin was interrupted.

"Pippin, you didn't steal the bread did you?" Diamond asked.

Pippin gave a small embarrassed smile came over him.

"Yes, I did it because I was trying to get to Rivendell for you" Pippin said.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down. She did not approve of the story one bit. But Pearl wanted to know what else happened.

Origo slowly came into the room. He was getting a bit tired and hungry now. Pippin was still explaining what was happening. Diamond picked up her tea with one hand as Origo rounded the table.

His Diamond looked down at him and smiled.

"And that's how we reached Rivendell" he told them.

The clock chimed on the wall. Four hours had past since midday. The sun outside was now setting in the sky, getting lower and lower. The level of light followed it.

Yet birds continued to fly and sing. They seemed not to have concept of time. the coldness too did not effect them. the clouds over head grew greyer and greyer as the sun went down.

Excitement continued to rise as the midnight hour drew near. Excitement for all families, but one. The Gamgee household was quiet. There was hardly a lot of movement or talking.

Emotions were running high. But Rosie seemed to keep it away from her other children. The sound of cooking bacon filled the surrounding around.

The kitchen seemed to be a calm hive of activity. Merry, Elanor and Rose were sitting in their seats. Elanor, being the oldest child, had a vague idea of what was happening.

Behind a closed door, Samwise Gamgee was sitting on a wooden chair. There was a small bowl of warm water was resting on the bed in front on him. A small flannel had been placed over Frodo's forehead. A small bead of water ran down the side of Frodo's face. Samwise was very worried for his oldest son. The door to their room slowly opened.

It was Rosie.

She smiled as she walked in and shut the door. In her hand was a plate with lots of sandwiches piled up. the door clicked shut.

"Here you go" Rosie said, handing the plate to him.

But Sam did not take it. He wasn't in the mood for eating at the moment. He placed the flannel in the bowl of water. It soaked up some more, but Sam ringed it out. The water dripped back into the small bowl that was resting on the bed.

Rosie placed it down on the edge of the bed and looked at her son. He looked more pale then normal. Yet his lips were back to the reddish colour.

"How is he?" she asked, looking at her son.

Sam gave a small and quick glance back. He didn't want to look at his wife. Sam was too angry with himself. The flannel was continually dabbed on Frodo's forehead.

Rosie took a deep breath. She knew that she wasn't needed.

"I'll bring in your ale in a minute" Rosie said, walked to the door.

But Sam seemed to ignore her. The events of the past few days seemed to have hit Samwise harder then it did Rosie.

The door creaked open, the light from outside poured in. the door closed a few seconds later, shutting out most of the light.

Only a few candles were lit in the room. The mood made it seem even darker. The candles seemed to be standing to attention as though daring to movie. The level of light coming in from the window seemed to become less and less obvious.

The candles were now taking over as main source of light. The colours of the room started to darkness. Yet a small circle of light rested upon some of the fittings of the room.

A small table lay under the window. A vase of flowers was sitting on top. Other objects could be seen, much smaller then the clear glass vase.

A small flute lay near one end of the table. It was made of wood. The flute had several small holes dotted along down the middle. A small split had been made at one end. This was to blow air down.

The flute had been made by the elves a few years ago for Bilbo's one hundred and eleventh birthday. Samwise had now given it to his eldest son due to it not being used by himself.

The sound that came out of it was more elegant then any mortal made instrument. The sound was crisp and clear. Each note seemed to blend into one another. Yet it had not played a note in quite some time. Frodo was growing older and losing interest in it.

Beside the flute was a cold, unlit candle. Yet there were small hints that it had been lit in the past. The top of the wick was black and brittle. There was a few solid drips running down the outside of the once smooth surface.

The sound of trickling water filled the room again. Sam had placed the flannel in for more water. There seemed no sign of Frodo waking up.

Sam took a deep breath and looked towards the window. Night was now full upon the land. Everyone had decided to stay in the warm tonight.

Not only due to the coldness, but due to it being only a few hours to Yule. Chickens were being killed in every household. A late night and early morning were in order for mothers and fathers.

A door closed to the night. Pearl and Pimpernel were now heading back outside in the coldness. Pimpernel liked it better going back. There were few or no hobbits on the small roads and paths.

The snow crunch under foot as they made their way home. Abira was still snoozing. Yet, at the same time, she was shivering. A few snowflakes fell on her fluffy fur. Her small brown eyes were closed.

Pearl and Nelly arrived at the home. The door was opened and the two sisters walked in. The inside of the house was much warmer then outside. Pimpernel smiled as the door closed.

"I'm just going to put her on my bed" Nelly told her sister.

Pearl, who had been taking off her coat, look around and smiled. Pimpernel had not had the chance to take off her coat.

The small puppy was carried though to Pimpernel's room. Abira was slowly and gently placed one of the big pillows. She whined as Pimpernel placed her on the pillow. But the small puppy did not wake.

Pimpernel smiled as she stood there for a few more seconds before going out of the room. The room had a few candles burning on their mounted stands.

The door clicked shut as Pimpernel went out of the room. She smiled as she walked down the corridor. She could see the flickering candles on either side. The girl tried her hardest to ignore them. They flickered evilly as she walked past.

"Just keep calm" Pimpernel told herself.

The kitchen door was just a few meters down the corridor. Inside the room, sounds were echoing out. Pearl's spirits were high as she placed not one chicken on the work top, but four.

Each one needed to be clean and prepared. Cooking them would come tomorrow. One would be started in the morning, ready for lunch and the first meal of the day. One more meal was planned after. Then both Pimpernel and Pearl would go down to the Green Dragon for their first ever Yule meal there.

Pimpernel entered the room and quickly shut the door. Her sister looked around at her. Pimpernel stood with her back to the wooden door.

"Nelly?" asked Pearl.

Pearl seemed to know something was wrong with her sister. Pimpernel looked over at her. Deep in her blue eyes, Pearl could see flashes of fire. the girl took a deep breath.

"Nelly, are you alright?"

Pimpernel looked lost. She didn't like what had happened to her. But there was no one to talk to. Everyone else thought that she was strong and happy now.

But that was exactly the opposite.

She didn't feel stronger or happier. Pimpernel had kept her emotions and feeling bottled up. Pearl, who had been standing in front of the four large chickens, walked over to her older sister.

Pearl had a white apron on, there was a large pile of feathers next to the half plucked bird. Pimpernel and her sister looked into each others eyes.

Both girls had very blue eyes, just like their mothers. Both had similar features. Their long light brown hair had similarities to their youngest and only brother Pippin.

"I'm…"

But Pimpernel could not say. She wanted to say she was alright, but deep down, she knew that she would never be alright.

"I'll be…"

Words were harder to get out now. Pearl could see the fire in the heath reflected in her sisters eyes.

"Do you want to help me?" Pearl asked.

A warm smile came over her. Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked down. She didn't know what to do. Nelly then looked up at her sister.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

In households all across Hobbiton, chickens were being killed and plucked. Yet they were not cooked. The cooking would come the next day.

As the hours past, night took a hold on the lands below it. Birds had retreated to their nests high in the surrounding trees. Their songs had been sung for the day. Yet one or two continued to sing.

The time continued to tick over. Hours past, the wind blew heavier and heavier. The clouds above were scattered around the sky, yet each going in the same direction.

The stars were being blocked out as the large clouds sailed by. The stars twinkled. They seemed to be stuck in one place. Thousands of years before and thousands of years into the future, the stars will remain in the same place.

Small dots of light spread around Hobbiton. They were due to the small windows letting out light. Clocks all over Hobbiton were chiming.

It was only four hours until the midnight hour came upon the small village. The silhouette of building could be seen looming out of the darkness.

This building was not connected to a hill. Instead, it stood alone. Normally, there was a small market place in front of it. A large round door led into the building.

This was the main water hole for hobbits that lived around. Normally, it would be busy at this time of night. But there were few lights lit. yet there was a small bit of movement.

Rosie Gamgee would normally be the hobbit sorting the food and drink. But she had taken a break from working there for a month or two.

In the large cellar, echoes ran though the air. A hobbit walked towards the door. It had been left ajar so that she could go in and out quicker.

Gripped in each hand was a large chicken. Its feathers had already been plucked and thrown away. The hobbit walked up the stairs to the kitchens.

The kitchen was bigger then normal. There were many cookers situated around large room. But there none of them were on. The chickens were laid down on the work top, the paper that they had been wrapped in crumpled.

The hobbit then walked out again. Pans were hanging from hooks. There were many draws and cupboards. Food was a main priority of hobbits everywhere. It was unusual to see a skinny hobbit.

Meals were large and rich, especially on special occasions. Lots of food would be severed.

Roast chickens were the main attraction at any meal. The bigger, the better. But food was not the only priority at meals.

Ale and beer flowed in torrents. Pint after pint could be drunk. It took quite a lot to get a hobbit drunk. For a few weeks after any event, ale would be in short supply.

The hobbit made a few more trips to get the last of the chickens. There were ten in all. One for each table. The hobbit smiled as she walked out again. A yawn came over her. She knew that she had an early morning. Extremely early for she had to let the dwarves in.

The door to the cellar was closed and the candles blown out. a small bit of silver smoke snaked its way into the air. The fire in the heath was now burning in red hot ashes. The hobbit walked to the large front door and opened it. A freezing blast of air hit her.

The snow outside still lay on the ground as the girl walked out. The door was closed again. The sound of wind met her ears as she took a deep breath. She then started up the hill again. Wind and crunching snow met her ears as she walked away from the Green Dragon.


	39. Day Twenty, Part One

Yule started clear and crisp. Chimneys smoked over a snowy hill. Birds were singing and hopping either on the ground or in the trees that grew from it.

The wind was gentle. It picked up the smoke and carried it away. There was a calm happiness to the small village. Everything seemed brighter and happier. Hobbits of all ages felt the electricity flowing though the air.

Some of the children had even arose early from their beds. Yet the tiredness was still strong in them. Elanor Gamgee sat up in her bed.

The light was low, the sounds, none. A small fire was crackling in the heath. Elanor yawned as she took the duvet off of her legs. The air was colder then duvet.

Only a few of the candles had been left to burn during the night. The sun was slowly rising in the east. Elanor could not wait to get her presents in a few hours. But unwrapping presents was not the only exciting thing to happen that day.

A large meal had been planned for many weeks now. Lots of food would be served. Potatoes both mashed and roasted, parsnips were Elanor's favourite. There would also be carrots, sprouts, peas and of course the main reason why any hobbit would go to a Yule feast, a large roast chicken.

But all this was still hours away. Elanor knew that it was still early in the morning. She knew that her mother would not start cooking for a few good hours yet.

Elanor yawned. She was too excited to sleep again. She would later regret it. Her attention was now drawn back to her horses. Her favourite stood proudly at the centre, surrounded by the other ones.

The smaller horses were moved out the way. The bigger was carefully lifted out of its place.

"Good morning" she said to it.

Her imagination then kicked in. Mountains rose from the bed sheets. Snow capped their peaks. The valleys ran deep below. Rivers had carved them out. Trees grew out of the land like a green carpet.

Elanor placed herself right in the middle of the forest. The ground was muddy. Leaves covered the ground. Some green and some brown and yellow. Roots were sticking out of the ground.

The hooves of the horse came and met her ears. The wind was gently and the shadows cool. Elanor looked around. She was in a completely new world. All the trees looked strange. Faces made of bark followed her path though the forest. There was a light mist caught the sun.

Every so often, a shadow would pass quickly over the path.

"Did you see that?" whispered Elanor.

A part of her was scared while the other was pushing ever onwards. The mountains grew upwards, they had snowy caps on them. The canopy of the trees blocked out most of the light as well as keeping in most of the moister.

Another shadow zoomed past the path. It was then that Elanor had a strange feeling that she was being watched. But there were no eyes in the forest. The horse continued to walk though the endless forest. A large river came into view and hearing.

Elanor stopped as she approached it. The horse was looking at it as well. Elanor smiled as she got off of it. But the river was not the only thing in her eye sight.

A big sleeping creature lay on the other side. Flames were erupting from the creature. It was a Balrog. Elanor knew exactly what it looked like. She had heard the story a thousand times from her father.

Only Samwise, Merry and Pippin were the only ones who have seen it up close. The creature now existed in memory and writing.

Elanor looked around. There was a small rug between the heath and bed. The hobbit climbed back on the bed and stood there. She walked to the edge of the bed.

The rug suddenly turned into a precarious looking rock. The girl looked down at her horse.

"Wait here" she said, placing the horse on the bed.

Elanor smiled and looked back down at the carpet again. The water was rushing around the rock would defiantly sweep her away if she didn't land on it.

Birds tweeted strange songs as they flew. Some were brightly coloured and others were plain black. Each had their own unique call.

"Well, there's nothing for it" Elanor told herself.

She suddenly jumped. Her flew for what seemed a few seconds before landing on the rug. There were no sounds apart from crackling of the fire and the ticking of the wooden clock.

The light was bright enough to see the hands. Four hours past midnight had come and gone. The hour hand was inching towards the number twelve at the top while the minute hand was nearing the five.

Elanor took a deep breath. The clock seemed slower then normal. Though she had been up for twenty minutes already.

The fire was raging. The world that she had just made up had vanished. Elanor's tiredness was now getting to her again. the small girl walked over to her bed and sat on the side.

The black figure of the horse was laying on the bed. Elanor yawned again.

"I think I should go back to bed" she said.

Elanor was too tired to put her horse back, so she left him on the end of the bed. Her head rested on the soft pillow. The tiredness slowly, but surely, continued to set in.

Outside, birds were getting up from a cold night in their nests. A small robin say in a small basket of twigs. It ruffled its feathers as it got ready for another day.

A few stars continued to twinkle in the sky. But they would soon be blocked out by the light of the sun. The small bird beat its wings and flew away.

Others birds were now rising from their deep, cold slumber. Songs echoed though empty woods from all directions. Time was not known to them. The seasons that fell around them had no effect in what they did.

The small robin darted over the hills. In the near distance, a pillar of smoke came into view. As the small bird neared it, more and more pillars came into view.

These were the only signs of life beneath the snowy hills. The robin dodged chimneys as he searched for a placed to get his food.

Hobbiton was now waking up to a clear day. Rosie Gamgee had gotten up earlier then normal. She had a lot of work to do before she could rest.

The bathroom was well decorated. A mirror had been placed over the sink. There were no taps pointing in the sink. There was only a metal plug.

Rosie closed the door with a click. Her eyes were still clammy from the sleep she had just had. There was a metal bar that had been placed on the wall. A few towels had been folded and placed over it.

There was a small hook over the fire. The kettle had been placed on the cold tiled floor. The bottom was burnt black. A metal basket full of short wooden logs had been placed on the opposite side.

Rosie picked up the dry logs and placed them in the fire. It took a while for the fire to catch it. But, when it did, the fire grew and grew.

As the fire strengthened, Rosie picked up the cold metal kettle. She turned on her heels and walked towards the door. She opened it up again and walked out.

The candles were flickering as Rosie made her way to the kitchen. The kitchen was quiet. The fire that was burning so low that that it looked on the verge of going out. But Rosie did nothing about it. Instead, she walked over to the sink. The kettle was placed in the sink.

A tap was now pointing into the empty kettle. Rosie then twisted one of the taps. Water came gushing out into the kettle. The sound echoed around the kitchen. Rosie looked up. There was a small window before her.

The snow outside had yet to melt. But it was showing signs of melting. Black objects raced across the window. They were birds. Small dots of water started to splash onto Rosie's skin. Her attention was now back on the kettle.

Bubbles could be seen popping. The tape was then turned off and the water rippled. After a few seconds, the surface of the water calmed down.

The small lid was then closed and the now heavy kettle was lifted out of the sink. Rosie then walked back out of the room. The bathroom door was then closed again as she walked in.

The water in the kettle was heated until it was warm enough for her. The plug was then placed in and the water poured on. There were no leaks around the seal as the water level rose dramatically.

Rosie stopped as the water level rose to where she wanted it. there was a bar of home made soap. Its scent was of strong roses. Rosie loved that smell. Even in the coldness of winter, a small bit of the summer could be held in her hand.

The hobbit rubbed her face and hands. Lather covered her face and hands. Her eyes were closed as she placed her hands back into the warm water. The water instantly cleansed her hands of all the soap.

Rosie then lifted her hands out and rubbed her face. After a minute or two, all of the soap bubbles had been washed off. The plug was then taken out, draining all of the water.

The water gushed down a small pipe into the garden. There, the soil would soak it up. Rosie was now rubbing her face with a towel. The water was soaking into it.

The tiredness had seemed to have lifted a bit as she placed the towel back. She then left the room and headed back down the corridor.

Miles away, a cart was rolling though the cold country side. Its driver held leather reigns as the horse led the way. The driver had been up for most of the night, against his will.

"I say we stop, cook us up some nice beef" he said.

But the others saw a different idea.

"We need to get moving, Hobbiton is only ten miles down the road. The Green Dragon is waiting"

These were dwarves. Small, but hardy folk with long beards. These were Longbeards or Durin's folk to people heavily involved with their dealings.

Each dwarf had a very long beard that stretched down past his or even her waist. Some were grey, other white or dark red.

Cloaks were wrapped around them, keeping out the coldness as best they could. the cart floor was hard and uncomfortable. Where a dwarves' heart really lay was in warmth, feasting and drinking.

But that was far off for them. they had work to do before hand. Every year, six dwarves would come to help serve and cook the feast as the Green Dragon.

They would use their skills in cooking to help put on the best meal all year. Some of the dwarves had even helped cooking on Bilbo Baggins' one hundred and eleventh birthday and were assigned to help them every year afterwards.

Rosie was now back in her room. Her youngest son was still asleep in her cot. Rosie had already put on her dress and was ready to go out.

But there was one more thing she had to do. she did not go to the front door right away. Instead, she walked to Frodo's room. The hobbit had tried to keep her mind on other things. But now, she needed to wake Sam.

The door creaked open slowly. Rosie peered though the gap. She could see her husband still sitting in his chair. The bowl of water was still sitting on the edge of the bed. Rosie slowly and gently walked over to him.

Samwise was fast asleep. His hand was resting in the cold bowl of water. The flannel was submerged in the water too.

"Sam?" Rosie asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

Sam jerked awake. Unknown to him, his hand was still in the water. The small bowl tipped and spilt all of its contents on the floor. The water spilled onto the floor. The small wooden bowl spun and came to rest on its side.

Sam sat there in confusion for a few more seconds. He had noticed that he was in his oldest son's bedroom. The water continued to trickle across the floor. A small bit had trickled under Rosie's feet.

"Sam?" she asked.

Samwise took a quick glance back, but didn't say anything. All of the feelings from the night before were now flooding back to him.

"Sam, I have to go down to the Dragon. Will you be alright?" she asked.

Rosie did not receive an answer. She took a deep breath.

"Well, I'll be back before the children are up" she explained.

Like before, she wasn't given an answer. She continued to stand there for a second or two before leaving. Rosie walked over to the door and opened it.

The woman then walked out, took one last glance at her husband and closed the door. It clicked shut. Rosie stood on the opposite side of the door for a few seconds. All that she wanted was an answer. She was worried her dear Sam. She had never seen him like that before.

But Rosie knew that she had to let him get on with it. A few more seconds past before she set off down the corridor towards the front door.

On the wall, there were many pegs with many coats hanging. Rosie walked up to it and picked out hers. The weaves were red in colour. Not brilliant red, but then again, not dull. There were brass buttons running up one side of the coat.

On the other side, there were as many holes. But they were not by accident. These were to put the buttons though. And that's exactly what she did. When she finished buttoning up, she looked back down the corridor. A small part of her wanted to go back and comfort her Sam. But she needed to get to the Dragon.

The front door was then opened. A cold blast of air ran over her face. The sound of wind filled her ears. Rosie's golden hair dancing in the wind as she walked out and closed the big door behind her.

Birds were singing all around her. Some flew with in feet of her. Others were so far away that they looked like small dots hovering in the sky.

The calls echoed around her as she walked towards the gate. The gate had a small latch to keep it shut while the wind blew.

Rosie unlatched it and opened it. The gate was drawn towards her, opening onto the garden. Snow still covered the ground in small patches. But more then most of it had been melted.

The sun was now ascending the cloudless sky. The trees were casting long shadows on the cold ground. Rosie closed the gate and turned around.

The air seemed clearer as she started to descend the hill. There were no other hobbits outside in the coldness of morning. But that didn't mean that there were not others that had awoken.

All across Hobbiton, mothers and wives were waking earlier then normal. Diamond took was no exception. She had already been up an hour. An apron had been tied around her waist.

There were many bowls on the table. Each one of them was empty, yet to be filled with hot food. There was a big, featherless chicken laying in a trey.

A big jug of oil was standing by the chicken. There was one handle on the side. The neck of the bottle raised up. The heavy jug was lifted up. The oil sloshed around as a small trickle started to onto the chicken.

Meanwhile, a small puppy was waking from his deep slumber. Over the top of him lay a warm duvet. His small chest was rising and falling gently.

This puppy was called Origo. He had small brown patched over each close eye. His small fluffy ears were flopped over the side of his head.

A small whimper came from him as he awoke. His little head moved, but he couldn't get comfortable again. But Origo was not the only one that was still asleep. Peregrin was still sleeping. A small bit of drool was seeping onto the pillow.

His hair was messy as he continued to sleep. The duvet where Diamond had sleep was folded over a small bit. But not enough for Origo to walk out of.

The small puppy tried to stand up, but the weight of the large duvet was too heavy. A yawn came over the puppy as his small eyes looked around. All he could see was the duvet in front of him. The light from outside was dull and the puppy lay there.

Ori could hear Pippin's snores.

"That certainly isn't my Diamond" Origo thought.

Hunger was now getting to the puppy. He had not had anything to eat since the night before. The duvet started to move as the puppy made his way up. After a few seconds, Origo was free.

But the warmth of the duvet seemed to be more attractive at the moment. But hunger was winning over. The puppy was now standing up. The duvet behind was where Origo really wanted to be.

The air outside of the duvet was cold. Origo didn't like it one bit, even though he had warm fur. The puppy looked around. Pippin was laying next to him. A cot had been placed on Diamond's side of the bed. That was to keep the noisy puppy in. Origo turned around and looked back. The door was open, just a small bit.

Noises echoed though the house from the kitchen. Origo knew exactly who was making these noises. Without another wasted second, the puppy slowly and carefully made his way across the soft duvet.

The puppy arrived at the bottom end of the bed. Pippin's feet were hanging over the side. The duvet was too short for him.

Origo hopped over the small edge onto the dressing box. He was too small to jump down to the floor. He knew that the way he was doing it was longer, but he knew that he could jump down.

The noises coming from the kitchen became louder. The small puppy jumped down from the dressing box and landed on the floor.

The tiles were colder then the air. But Ori could hardly feel it. The puppy's eyes were looking around. His little nose skimmed over the surface of the tiles.

There were a few smells. But one caught his attention. It was his Diamond. Origo's small nose continued to skim over the surface as he walked slowly towards the door.

The door had a gap in it, big enough for the puppy to fit though. But something flew out of the gap, stopping right in front of his face.

There was a small fluttering sound came from it as well as a green glow. This was a fairy and her name was Ivy. Her dark green hair waves as she bobbed in the air for a few seconds.

Origo's eyes looked up at her.

"Good morning pup" she said, fluttering down and cuddling the puppy on the face.

Origo moved back a bit as the fairy cuddled his face. The puppy sneezes and whined. Ivy flew off him and giggled.

"Sorry" she fluttering around.

Origo's eyes followed her for a few seconds. His mind suddenly changed back to the task in hand. The door was in the way of where he needed to get to.

The puppy tried to poked his head though. But that only moved the door a small bit. A small whine came from the pup as he tried again. He wasn't very strong and the door was very big compared to him.

Ivy looked down at the pup. She had been fluttering around outside.

"What's the matter?" she asked, sliding though the gap.

The puppy looked sadder then normal. Small whimpers came up from him. Ivy looked back at the door.

"Well, have you tried harder?" Ivy asked, now looking back down at him.

The puppy answered. Ivy took a deep breath and fluttered away. She stopped at the wooden door. With what seemed unbelievable strength, the door started to open. Origo looked down and saw that the gap was widening. Without another wasted second, he darted forward. The door was now wide enough for him to fit though. Ivy, who was pushing the door open, saw the small puppy run though.

Ivy stopped pushing, the door swung back a small bit as she watched the puppy run away. Ivy followed him to the kitchen.

There were a lot noises coming from the kitchen as Origo walked in. he stopped at the door way and looked at his Diamond. She seemed to take no notice of him being there.

Origo whimpered and looked around. The many legs of the chairs and tables seemed to rise above him. Ivy fluttered and stood next to him.

"She's making their Yule feast" Ivy told the puppy.

"I heard them talking about it last night" she explained.

But Origo wasn't interested in what his Diamond was doing. He needed food and a cuddle. So, the small puppy started to walk up to his Diamond.

She still seemed to not know he was there. Origo looked up at her and whined. But still, Diamond did not notice he was there. The puppy looked back at Ivy. She was standing where she had been when he left.

The puppy looked back up to his Diamond. Her dress was in rage. Origo knew exactly what to do to make his Diamond look at him.

Diamond, who was busy unwrapping the vegetables, felt the small tug. Her attention had been taken away from cooking. Standing on the floor was her adorable puppy.

But now was not the time for cuddles.

"Origo, please, I'll get your breakfast ready soon. Diamond is just really busy at the moment" she said.

A large foot moved the puppy out of the way. Origo was shocked. He had never been turned away by his Diamond.

After standing there for a few seconds, Origo got the message: Diamond didn't love him anymore. Ivy fluttered out of the way as Origo scooted past.

Ivy was confused. She fluttered in the air and out of the room. But when she got into the corridor, Origo was nowhere to be seen.

"Ori?" she asked, her voice echoed around the corridor.

The fairy started to flutter down the hall way, searching for the puppy. But she couldn't see him. Ivy continued to flutter around. The bed room was where she was heading for.

The door to the bed room was still ajar. To Ivy, a closed door was not a problem. But to Origo it was.

"Origo?" she asked.

But there was no answer. The fairy looked around the room. There were no sounds heard apart from the occasional snore and the crackles of the fire.

Ivy's wings beat quickly as she swooped down to the floor. The bed was much bigger the she was. Yet there was a gap underneath. Ivy looked under the bed. There were many boxes there.

The small fairy walked slowly over to the bed. The duvet was hanging over one side. The fairy stopped as she came to the edge of the bed. There was no light under the bed. More dust had accumulated here then anywhere else in the house.

Ivy's light green glow feel upon boxes and dark shapes. The small fairy walked deeper under the bed. There were wooden boxes full of old pieces of paper. Ink pots had been placed in some of the boxes. Some were full on ink, others were empty.

Ivy continued to walk in. But there was yet no sign of the puppy. Ivy's green glow lit up small unused books. Their leaves of paper were crisp. No words crossed their covers.

"Origo?" asked Ivy.

There was a small bit of moved to her right. She knew that it was Origo.

"Ori, puppy, what's wrong?"

It was the first time that Origo have ever been this upset in front of her. Small soft whimpers came from the puppy. He was laying on the dusty, cold floor without a care. His paws lay either side of his fluffy head.

His eyes reflected Ivy's green light. Ivy stopped, she looked at the puppy. Origo was not looking back.

"Puppy?" she asked.

Origo moved his head to the side. He didn't want to see the fairy, he wasn't in the mood. Ivy slowly made her way over and sat down on the dusty floor.

Origo's paws were much bigger then Ivy was. Origo was very upset.

Why had Diamond ignored him?

Why didn't she feed him?

She normally loved to cuddle her puppy. Origo couldn't understand why he didn't have his morning cuddle. But Origo didn't understand that Diamond would be busy all day.

The fire roared, crackling the wood that fed it. But it was not a controlled fire, this one raged out of control. Every so often, there was a large crash. Plates and bowls crashed to hot floor. smoke and red hot embers filled the air as the house continued to burn.

But the kitchen was not the only room on fire. The fire had spread rapidly to the others rooms. Bangs and crashes echoed though the house.

All of the living creatures, such as rats, mice and woodlouse had fled the ever growing fire and heat. Glasses of ale and wine exploded in the heat. But there was no panic.

A girl lay on the bed. Her eyes closed. Even though there was a very destructive fire around her. There seemed to be little hope of rescue. But yet, there was someone else in the room with her.

It was the same girl who was laying unconscious on the bed. Pimpernel was her name. she was in a strange world. A world that only she could access. No one else would share in what she was seeing and feeling.

The fire blazed around her, yet she was not burnt. For this was not real, but a dream. In reality, she was laying in her bed. The duvet was covering both her and her puppy, Abira.

Sounds echoed from the kitchen. Pearl, like Diamond, had arisen early. Excitement was slowly rising in her. The prospect of having the feast at the Green Dragon was constantly on her mind.

Neither she or Pimpernel had ever been to one of their feasts. But first, there was a lot to do. Pearl had already put her chicken in the hot oven. Oil and seasoning had already been placed over the featherless bird.

The clock chimed gently. Ten times, one after the other. Pearl had not even the faintest idea of what her sister was going though.

She had gone along with what ever Pimpernel had said. Minutes past as Pearl continued to get things ready for later on.

In Pimpernel's room, a small puppy was waking. She looked exactly like Origo. The two brown patches were in exactly the same places that Origo had them.

But unlike Origo, Abira was not alone. The small pup poked her head out of the duvet. Her small wet nose came first, followed the rest of her small fluffy head.

Abira's eyes looked around. She could see her owner, Pimpernel, snoozing peacefully. Abi gave a small whine. But her Pimpernel did not wake.

"Pimpernel?" Abira whined.

She knew that she couldn't understand her. The light from window was shining down on them. Abira was now hungry. A small tongue came out and licked her Pimpernel. It was the only way that her Pimpernel would wake up.

The dream that she was in instantly went from her vision. Pimpernel slowly opened her eyes. A small smile came over her.

"Morning pup" she said, kissing her on the fluffy head.

Abira whined gently, then tilted her head.

"Hungry?" Pimpernel asked.

Abira nodded her fluffy head. The hobbit took a deep breath and took the large warm duvet off. The puppy yawned as she was placed on the bed.

Pimpernel sat up and dangled her feet over the bed. The fire was still crackling merrily in the fire place as Pimpernel stood up. The clock continued to tick as she got ready for a long day.

"Come here pup" she said, picking Abira up.

Abira gave a soft whine as she was put on her owner's shoulder. The puppy yawned as Pimpernel walked out of the room. Nelly was now fully dressed, she would get her wash after dinner.

Abira looked around. She could smell the chicken already. But she didn't like it. Bacon was all that she liked. Her Pimpernel knew this.

Abira gave a small whine and looked up at her Pimpernel.

"Alright, alright, I'll get you some bacon in a minute" she said, kissing her puppy on the head.

Pimpernel came into the room, Pearl was opening packets of vegetables. An empty packet drifted down and landed on the floor.

"Good morning" Pimpernel said.

But Pearl was in too much of a rush to answer.

"I'm late and…"

Pearl stopped midsentence as Abira walked up and looked at her. The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds.

"And I suppose you want your bacon?" Pearl asked.

Abira gave a small nod and looked back at her Pimpernel. Pearl gave a deep breath.

"Even more work to do" she thought to herself.

"Alright" she said, placing the empty packets on the worktop.

Abira's small tail began to wag. She loved bacon. Pearl walked over to the cellar and opened the door. Abira waited at the edge for her to come back.

The inside of the cellar was darker then the kitchen. For there were no candles flickering there. Yet that did not mean light did not entre the room. A few of the shelves had been lit up.

Abira's eyes darted around. Pearl was taking too long. Small whimpers came from the puppy. But before she could bark, Pearl emerged from the darkness.


	40. Day Twenty, Part Two

Pearl smiled down at the cute puppy waiting for her. Pimpernel had now sat down in her seat. There was a metal rack in the table. On it, slices of golden toast stood. Pimpernel took two of them and placed them on her plate.

"So" she said, taking a knife and digging it into some creamy butter.

Pearl looked around.

"So, what?" she asked.

"So are you excited?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl now knew exactly what her sister was talking about. Both of them had been invited to the Green Dragon Yule feast.

"Very" Pearl answered.

The Green Dragon was a very busy place. There were figures walking around inside, yet the doors were closed. Candles and fires had been lit to keep them warm and comfortable as they worked.

These were dwarves. Their beards long and their faces looked like they have been carved out of hard rock. There were six in total. All helping with the six tables that were being prepared.

The other tables had been moved out of the way. A white linen cloth had been placed over each of the six tables. They were very white and clean. One of the dwarves placed the last linen cloth over and smiled.

His mouth could hardly be seen under all of the hair that grew over his chin and down his chest. The hair that made up his beard was dark red, unlike the others. The other five dwarves were busily walking around.

The kitchen was hot. Fires were burning in stoves and ovens. The dwarves were making ready for the first of two feasts.

Even though the feast would not start for another few hours, the dwarves needed their own lunch. Luckily, they had brought what they needed along with them.

A table had been set aside for them. A pack of food had been placed on the floor behind the bar. A few glasses had been taken off of the shelves that ran along the back wall. They were the best glasses that the Green Dragon had to offer. They were going to be cleaned and used later on.

The sun outside continued to rise as the day grew older. The wooden clocks continued to tick and tock as they hung on the wall.

Peregrin Took had now arisen from his deep slumber. Faramir, his son, had also woken up. The two of them entered the kitchen. Diamond closed the oven and looked back.

"It's nice to see you up" she said.

There was a small bit of annoyance in her voice. Pippin was confused.

"What's up with you?" he asked, sitting in his chair.

Diamond took a deep, tired breath.

"Nothing pip, I'm just"

But she could not tell him the truth.

"I'm just tired" she said.

Pippin smiled as his eyes sighted a piece of bread. With his free hand, his other cradling his son, he picked it up. There was a mug of ale sitting on the mat before him. There was a small bar of butter sitting in a dish. A silver knife was resting next to the butter.

Pippin picked up the knife and, with one hand, started to spread the butter on the white middle of the bread. Origo had not bee seen all morning. Yet he had come in. Diamond had been incredibly busy. Too busy for her puppy.

Origo was now in the bed room. But he was not in the bed, he was under it. But the puppy was not alone.

A small fairy with him.

"So are you going to do it?" she said.

Origo was looking at her. The small green glow coming from the fairy lit up the surrounding area. Origo gave a small whine.

Ivy took a deep breath as she sat on the dusty floor.

"Well, you have to make up your mind" she said.

Origo raised his head and gave a sharp whine. Ivy made a confused looked.

"What do you mean?"

Origo whined more. To human and hobbit ears, they had no words. But to fairies and elves, they were audible. Ivy listened to him.

"But wont you miss them?" she asked.

Origo thought for a moment, but shook his head. Ivy looked away. She could hear noises echoing though the house. The fairy thought for a few seconds before getting up.

"Well, come on" she said.

Origo tilted his head, wondering what she meant. Ivy walked away a few of her paces and looked back.

"Come on, you want to get away" Ivy said.

Origo knew what she now meant. She was going to help him escape. So, Origo started to make his way around the boxes and out of the bed.

The noises seemed to become louder. They were not blocked out by the bed or boxes any more. Origo shook himself as he walked towards the door. Ivy was already floating by the door, pushing it open for him. Origo slid though into the hall way.

The sounds were echoing though the home. The smell of chicken radiated throughout the house. Origo wanted ever so much to have something to eat. But the fairy was right, he needed to get away from here.

Origo looked back towards the fairy. A small bit of doubt started to surface in the pups feelings.

What if Diamond did still love him?

Origo still didn't know if he should.

"Come on" Ivy said, fluttering down the hall way. Origo followed. Half wanting to stay, but half wanting to run away and find Abira.

His Abira had been all that he thought about since they had met a few days ago. Even though he may not have shown it, he was glad that she was there.

The front door came into view as he stopped. Ivy fluttered near the door handle. She looked back to see the puppy standing a few meters away. There was something about his look that told her that he didn't want to go.

"Maybe if I just try again" Origo whimpered.

Ivy took a deep breath, her hand was touching the cold handle of the large front door.

"Try again?" asked Ivy.

She fluttered slowly away from the door.

"But Origo, she ignored you"

Origo whimpered sadly. He knew that Ivy was right. But his love for his Diamond was strong. Without warning, the small puppy turned and darted back down the corridor.

At another household, not too far away, Elanor was sitting at a table. She was having a late breakfast.

"There you go" said Rosie, handing her oldest daughter a plate.

Elanor smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

On the plate were two sandwiches full of hot and crispy bacon. Butter had been spread on the surface of the bread. The hot bacon had been the sandwiches. Elanor now picked up her first sandwich and started to eat.

In the other room, Samwise was feeling very hungry indeed. But he knew that he couldn't leave his son. The water that had been spilt earlier was now in a pool on the floor.

The bowl lay on the floor as well. Frodo showed no signs of waking up. The light outside continued to pour in. Sam knew that it would be lunch soon.

The fire in the heath was now burning in embers. The blackness of the heath made the red hot embers seem even more brighter.

There were no sounds around apart from Sam's breathing, the clock ticking and the sounds echoing though the house from the kitchen. Samwise sat back in his chair and looked at his son.

Frodo had being excited about Yule. Sam was too. He loved having had family around him. He could still remember last years Yule. It was not as eventful as this years Yule.

Sam was in a place where he felt comfort. But something happened that made his day dream dissolve into nothingness. His mind was now back in the room.

It was Rosie. She had plate of bacon sandwiches in one hand. Sam turned back around, not willing to say anything. Rosie knew that her Sam would not answer even the most easy of questions.

All she did was walk in, place the sandwich on the bed and walked out again. The door clicked shut, leaving Sam on his own again. Apart of Sam wanted Rosie to talk to him, but the other couldn't bare to look at her.

The hours past as hobbits everywhere got ready for lunch. But lunch could not come soon enough for one Fredegar Bolger.

Rosamunda was busy getting the last bits ready for lunch. A large roast chicken, covered in thin bacon. Roast potatoes were browning on a trey to the side of it.

The hobbit took a cloth, wrapped it around her hand and opened the hot oven door. After years and years of cooking, she could see that the potatoes and the chicken were almost cooked.

Fatty got up from his seat. His eyes never leaving his busy mother. The door to the cellar had been left ajar. Rosamunda had gotten all of the food for today out.

There was only a few bits left for tomorrows lunch. There were packets of vegetables still stacked on the shelves. But that was not what he wanted.

Chocolate.

Chocolate was what he wanted. The door creaked as he slowly made his way in. The cellar was darker then the kitchen. There were a few barrels of ale at the opposite end of the cellar.

Fredegar looked back one more time. He could see his mother getting the roast potatoes out. Fregegar's heart rate was rising. He knew that he should not be in here. But he was very hungry and his mother would not allow him to eat anything until lunch.

The hobbit came to the last shelf. This was where the cakes, muffins and sugary items. Fatty's hand raised to a rectangle shape. His fingers took a hold of the packaged shape. A small smile came over him as he took it off the shelf and quickly slid it into his pocket.

The hobbit stood there for a few more seconds, but there was nothing. No shouting, no having to put it back. Fredegar knew that he would have a hard time getting out of the room. He knew that he was not a hobbit that you could miss in a crowd.

The door to the cellar creaked open. Rosamunda was busy getting the brown chicken out. The strips of bacon had turned crispy as she placed it on the work top.

Rosamunda looked over at her son. For a split second, Fredegar thought he was going to be shouted at. But there was no words exchanged. Fatty was relived as he slowly made his way to the door. Every step that he took, he felt more and more in trouble. At some points, he could see his mothers eyes baring down on him.

But, what he looked back, his mother was not facing him. The door to the kitchen was slowly opened and he walked out. The fear of being caught had all but gone as he closed the door behind him.

The thought of hunger now came back to him. His room was just down the hall way. His door was closed. His bare feet slapped against the hard tilted floor. The door to his room was large and round, just like every other door. But unlike the front door, this one had not been painted.

The door open and Fredegar slipped in. The door closed behind him. A smile came over his face as he reached into his pocket and took out the bar of chocolate.

The paper was ripped off reviling the dark bar of chocolate. The hobbit slowly walked over to his bed and slowly sat down. The bed sunk into itself. Fredegar's eyes were now on the chocolate.

Without another second, the hobbit took a large bite. The chocolate splintered off. The hobbit started to chew. The rich taste filled his mouth. The taste was smooth and deep. It took a minute or two to eat it. But hunger was still with him. So, he took another bite.

Lunch was now being served in the other room. The roast potatoes were steaming hot. There were bowls on the tables. Some were still empty, waiting to be filled with hot food.

The last of the roasts had been placed in the big bowl. The hot trey was placed down and replaced by another. This one had parsnips in it. Some were brown while others had a glossy shine to them.

After a few minutes, each of the bowls were filled with their own food. Sprouts in one, mushrooms in another, peas in the third. There were also sausages, carrots and stuffing.

There was a small boat shaped bowl with a small handle at one end. A hot brown liquid had been poured into the bowl. This was gravy. The best gravy around in Rosamunda's eyes.

Everything was now ready. The table in the dinning room had been set up for three places. Odovacar would not be present at the meal. His health had gone from bad to worse. The poor hobbit was now bedridden. Rosamunda knew that his time was almost up. He was getting on in his years now.

Diamond was very busy. She had gone out of the kitchen. The table was being prepared quicker then normal.

Pippin was sitting in the lounge holding Faramir. Faramir's hair had gotten more curly and golden. The fire was crackling in the heath.

Normally, a small puppy would be snoozing happily in front of it. But not any more. Origo had managed to run away. He was now outside in the coldness and melting snow.

But he was not alone.

A small fairy by the name of Ivy was fluttering beside of him. She was beating her little wings as she moved with Origo.

The small puppy had his head lowered. He was thinking back to the time when he had first seen his Diamond. She had only been a small hobbit girl. Origo had wondered the lands for century upon century. Little was known about him. No one knew of his origin.

Diamond had been playing out in the fields. She spent most of her time on her own. There was a field by where she lived that was her favourite place in the whole of Middle-Earth.

Peregrin Took was not even known to her. Her whole world existed of the surrounding area of Long Cleeve. There were rocky outcrops that she and the other children liked to ply among.

But today, Diamond was on her own. The other children were playing in a different place. A small rocky outcrop lay right in the middle of the large field.

It was Diamond's favourite place to see the world go by. There was a small flat and smooth rock that Diamond used.

Birds that had been tweeting and going about their own business fluttered away. Their songs echoing around the young girl.

The rocks approached. Diamond knew exactly where to go. The outcrop of rocks were not high, but they were the perfect get away. Diamond climbed on the rock. It was then that she saw it. A small puppy, all on his own.

His eyes were closed as he snoozed peacefully on the warm rock. His little chest was rising and falling. The late summer sun was still warming up the land.

Diamond's big blue eyes were fixed on the puppy. His ears were flopped over the side of his fluffy head. Songs from every different bird imaginable sung around her.

Diamond had never seen such a cuter puppy in all her young life. She was tempted to go and stroke it. But she knew he wouldn't be happy with her waking him up.

But something happened that was out of her control. An unseen twig snapped like a gun shot, waking the little puppy up instantly.

The puppy stood on all fours, his eyes wide open, looking at Diamond. There was a moment of silence between them. Diamond hoped that he didn't run away.

"Hello" she said.

Her voice was calm, she didn't want to scare the small puppy any more. The pup's eyes darted around. He was trying to look for a place to escape. But there were none.

"Are you lost?" Diamond asked.

She stepped on the stone. The pup moved away a bit, his attention still on Diamond. She could see that he was scared. But she didn't understand why.

"I'm not going to hurt you" she said.

"I'll be the least likely to do so"

The puppy seemed to find no lie in her words. This made him a little bit more trusting in Diamond. The puppy's eyes looked right into hers.

A smile came over the small hobbit. She slowly extended her hand. The puppy looked at it, his eyes darting from her to her hand. The small puppy moved forward a bit more.

Diamond could see that he was still scared. The puppy inched ever closer to her. His little nose sniffing the air. After a few more paces, his nose touched Diamond's small hand.

She smiled, his nose was wet and cold.

"See, I'm not so bad" she said.

There was a bit of drying mud on the top of her fingers. Her hand then started to slowly rub on the puppy's fur. His little tongue poked out.

He liked this, she was gentle and her hands were warm. Hunger was now on the puppy's mind. He whimpered softly and looked up.

Diamond was confused.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

The small puppy whined and gave her a different look. For some reason, Diamond seemed to know what this meant. She loved animals and was nearly always right.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

The small puppy nodded, making his ears flop. Diamond nodded and looked back. Her home was just a few hundred meters away.

"Alright, come on" she said, climbing down.

The puppy walked over to the edge. Diamond reached out for him. For a few seconds, he didn't know what to do. But he seemed to trust this being. So, he let her pick him up.

She was not like the other beings that he had met. She was warmer and softer. There was something about Diamond that the puppy liked.

There seemed to be no evil or anything bad in her doings. The puppy rested his head on her shoulder. The girl seemed know how to hold him.

Diamond then set off back towards her home. The long blades of grass tickled her feet as she brushed past them. Birds continued to sing as the clouds continued to sail high as Origo and Ivy continued to move away from the house. Every so often, the small puppy would look around. The door could still be seen. But it was not open.

The wind continued to blow, knocking Ivy off of her course. She struggled to keep up with Origo.

"Ori, this is useless, the wind is too strong for me" she shouted.

The puppy looked up at her. Ivy knew that Origo was not going to turn back. The chimneys continued to smoke as they walked down the hill. The smoking chimneys were all that they could see of life inside the hills. Tunnels lead into the earth of the hillside.

All though out the tunnel, doors lead into different rooms. Rooms that housed different things. One housed hundreds of books. Read and unread. Some were newly written, other had been past down from one generation to the next.

The other doors led into bedrooms. Large beds sat in the middle. Soft duvets had been lain across them with pillows at one end. All the bedrooms had burning fires in them to keep the inhabitants warm. A small pile of wood had been placed at the side of the heath.

The kitchen was just a few door down the corridor from where the bedrooms were. A table had been placed in the middle. Chairs stood on all four sides. Like the table, they were made from wood.

In the middle of the table was a small stand. There were three branches, each had a wax candle on it. They had solid wax drips running down the side of smooth surface.

Candles had been placed on stands on the wall. Their small flames flickered, sending light and warmth out into the kitchen.

There was a cellar off to one side. The door that lead into it had been left a jar. Inside, the dark room was full of wooden shelves. Every packet food under the sun had been stored there. From packets of vegetables to packets of spices and salts. Fruit was not so common at this time of year, it had all been used up and none was growing.

There were two large wooden barrels full of ale sitting at the far end of the cellar. A small tap had been place at the very bottom on the round surface. This was to extract the ale into a mug.

Food was nearly all that hobbits thought about. Whole days could be planned around meals. Where there was food, drink would soon follow. Ale, beer and old vinyard were all apart of daily life.

And Yule was no exception to the amount of food taken in at one sitting. In fact, there seemed to be more food then the hobbits could lay eyes on. The portion sizes that they normally had now grew to a massive amount.

In the dining room, three hobbits sat around a table. The table had been set out with a white cloth. Knives and forks and spoons had all been set out.

Bowls had been placed in the centre. They had been filled to the brim with roast potatoes, parsnips and peas just to name a few. But there were many smaller bowls filled with horseradish, cranberry sauce and stuffing.

The once clean plates were now full of food. The three hobbits continued to pile more and more onto their plates. Diamond, Pippin and Dolly were their names.

Diamond had dark hair and royal blue eyes. She was shorter then Pippin, her husband. This was only due to an event that happened many years before.

Dolly was old and her hair grey and curly. The wrinkles were deep on her face. She was the eldest hobbit sitting at the table. Even though she was older then the other two, she could still eat quite a lot.

"So, how is Faramir doing?" she asked, chopping a bit of tender chicken.

Diamond smiled.

"He is wonderful, he's starting to look more and more like Pippin every day" she answered.

Peregrin was drinking from his ale. He had hardly said a thing all meal. The food that he had piled on his plate seemed to slowly disappear. The ale was going as well.

Pippin's eyes darted between the two of them. The sound of metal against china echoed around the room. Faramir was asleep in his cot. His meal had been severed up before the others had.

But Diamond, Pippin and Dolly were not the only ones having lunch. All though out Hobbiton, families were sitting down to their first meal of Yule. A knock echoed though the house. Fredegar Bolger looked up. He could hear the echoes of his mother in the kitchen from behind the closed bed room door.

Fredegar waited there for a few more seconds. Three more knocks echoed though the door. Fredegar got up and walked over to his door. He knew that his father could not answer the door. Fredegar walked out into the corridor. The sounds of his mother continued to come from the kitchen. Fredegar then walked down the corridor as three more knocks echoed up.

The door was reached and opened. A cold wave of air hit the large hobbit standing there. Standing outside in the cold was his sister, Estella. She smiled.

"Good afternoon" she said, walking in.

Fredegar smiled as his sister. His eyes darted down to the basket that was swinging in her hand. He knew exactly what she had. But some how, Estella knew exactly what he was thinking.

"These are for after lunch" Estella said, moving the basket away from him.

Fredegar took a deep breath.

"And it looks like you've already sneaked something out from the cellar anyway" Estella told him.

Fatty rubbed around his mouth, the chocolate was being rubbed off. Estella knew that her brother could not last long without food. The sounds of their mother getting this ready came from the kitchen. Estella hung her coat on the peg.

She then picked up her basket and walked down the corridor to the kitchen. Rosamunda was rushing around, putting cooked food into bowls.

A hot trey was held in one had as roasted potatoes into the bowl. In the other hand was a large wooden spoon. The crispy potatoes were filling up the bowl. Rosamunda looked up to see her daughter standing there.

"Hello dear" Rosamunda said, smiling back.

"I've brought some muffins for afters" Estella told her mother.

She held up the basket. Rosamunda gave her daughter a warm smile.

"That's good dear, just leave them by the cellar" she said.

So, Estella walked over to the wall and placed down the basket. She stood up and looked around. The fire was burning strongly in the heath. The heat in the room was higher then normal.

The fire was crackling in the heath and in the metal oven. Candles were flickering on their stands.

"Have you set the table yet?" Estella asked.

"No, not yet" Rosamunda told her.

Estella nodded.

"I'll help" she said, walking towards the draws.

Estella opened the draw. Inside, knives, forks and spoons all sat in their own compartments. Only three placed were to be set out. So, Estella got out a countless number of big serving spoons and three knives and forks.

They were all made from silver. There were no stains on the cutlery. The wooden draw was then closed again. Rosamunda placed trey upon trey as steaming vegetables were piled into their own bowls. Estella then walked out of the room to the dining room.

A fire had already been set going in the heath. The table had yet to be set. So, the spoons, knives and forks were placed down on a small cabinet full of very dusty and old bottles of ale. But Estella did not open it. Instead, she went to a different cabinet. There were draws full of different things. Extra candles, small coned shaped bit of metal that had been welded to a thin metal rod.

This was to extinguish the flames of the candles after a meal. There was a small poker for moving the fire around with. There was a few shards of flint for starting the fire. But they were seldom needed in winter.

The draw was closed, not being the right one. Another was opened. This one was right draw. Table mats had been placed it to. Both big and small. They had been made of thin bits of wood. Each had been decorated the came creamy colour. There were a few immovable stains, but they were nothing to worry about.

The draw was then closed. A white sheet had been placed on the clear table. It was still folded. Estella unfolded it and laid it across the polished wooden table.

Rosamunda was still placing food into the bowl. Her large son was now sitting at the table. Rosamunda still did not know that he had already eaten a whole square of chocolate.

Estella then walked in, having lain the table.

"Done" she said with a smile.


	41. Day Twenty, Part Three

Rosamunda smiled and placed the sixth empty trey on the pile. Lunch was now ready.

"Right, Fredegar, could you help us please?" Rosamunda asked.

Fredegar took a deep and groaned.

"Come on, you haven't done anything all day, get up"

The chair creaked as he arose. Estella already picked up a bowl in each hand. She smiled and turned around. The door had been left open so that she could walk out again. Fredegar picked up only one, trying hard not to do more then he wanted to. Rosamunda placed the cloth she was using on the back of the chair. She, like her daughter, picked up a bowl in each hand.

Pimpernel was cutting into some chicken. Her sister sat opposite to her. They were the only two present at the table. There was silence among them. Pimpernel had a respectively large portion in front of her. But she seemed not to be hungry.

Nerves were getting to her. The Green Dragon feast was now only five hours away. Her eyes darted to the clock. It had only been a few minutes since the last time she looked.

A small puppy was sitting on the floor beside her. This was very adorable puppy, Abira. A yawn came over the small pup as she sat there. Her eyes were wondering the room. An empty bowl was laying near by. This had once been full of her bacon. But now, it was all eaten.

Pimpernel looked down at her fluffy pup. A smile came over her lips. She didn't know why, but this puppy made her happier then anything else. Nelly continued to eat, stopping every so often for a small sip of ale.

"I've just thought on" Pimpernel said, looking over at her sister.

"I haven't got anything to wear"

Nelly's hopes were now dashed. All of her things had been destroyed during the fire. Her clothes included in that list.

"Well, you could see if some of mine fit" Pearl told her, taking another mouth full of crispy potato.

Pimpernel still didn't know. Yes, both girls had the same build and height. But she still didn't know.

"Well, I could try" she answered.

"But I'm not sure if it'll fit"

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, save for the crackling of fire and the sound of metal scraping on china. The amount of food continued to fall and fall as the clock continued to tick. Pimpernel was still thinking about the meal that was to come.

She had heard stories about the wealth of food that was served. Some say that it was like the great feast at Bilbo's birthday all of those years ago. Yet Pimpernel could hardly remember it. She was only young after all and a lot had happened since then.

The girls ate until they were satisfied. Pimpernel was the first to finish. There was only a small bit of light brown gravy on her plate. Her mug of ale was picked up and drained. Little Abira was now laying down on the floor, her chest rising and falling. Her head resting on her fluffy ears.

Pimpernel reached down and picked up her lazy puppy. Abira had had a big meal as well and was feeling a little bit sleepy.

"Are you sleepy?" Pimpernel asked.

The small puppy whined and nodded her head. The bacon had made her feel very sleepy indeed as she settled down on her owners lap. Pimpernel's hand ran over her the soft fur. Abira seemed to be warmer then normal, her small chest rising and falling slowly.

A small yawn came over her as she rested on her paws. Pearl finished up her meal and looked in the bowls. They were nearly empty. What would have last for a few meals to humans only lasted an hour for hobbits.

Both girls had now been fed and watered. Their once rumbling stomachs had been calmed.

"Right" said a tired sounding Pearl, arising from her seat.

"Lets get this cleared away and then we can sort out what we're going to wear"

So, Pearl started to clear away the plates and bowls. They were stacked on top on one an other. Pimpernel lifted a half sleeping Abira onto her shoulder.

The small puppy whined, but did not wake up. Pimpernel arose from her seat and walked out of the room. Deep inside her heart, she was starting to miss Hamson. She wanted to just see him one more time, but she knew she had to let him go.

He was living his own life now. Their paths had changed so much that it drove them away. Hamson was now with his uncle, a days journey from Hobbiton. He had travelled to his uncle's home. There, he would learn how to make ropes.

But it was harder then he thought. Every day, his mind would go back to his Pimpernel back home. He longed to see her one more time. But he knew that it would be a while before he saw her again.

Hamson had a busy day ahead of him. A meal was being prepared, but it would not be as splendid as any back home. But it would be good enough.

Hamson was busily making rope as his uncle come into the large room. There were noisy machines were turning the individual strands into larger ones.

"Hamson?" his uncle shouted.

Hamson could barely hear his uncle. The young man looked around and saw him standing there. The loud machine was then turned off and all fell quiet.

"Hamson my lad, lunch is being served up now"

Hamson gave a small smile.

"Thank you" he answered.

He then looked down at his hands. They were black and oily. Hamson sniffed as he placed a small latch down so that the machine wouldn't move while he was away.

Meanwhile, Pimpernel and Pearl were looking into a wardrobe. The wardrobe was only one of many that were in the room. Each wardrobe was full of dresses. There was no space for beds or tables. Pearl picked out one of the dresses.

"What about this one?" she asked, taking it off of the little bar that ran from one side to the other.

Pimpernel looked at it. But she didn't really like it.

"I don't think it's good enough for the feast" she said.

The sisters look at each other. Pearl took a deep breath. Time was running out for them to get ready. The excitement was rising. Pearl had already picked out her dress. It was light yellow with small colourful flowers stitched into the surface.

Pimpernel picked out a red dress. She looked at it for a few seconds, then placed it back. She did this a few more times. In a few cases, she took a longer look at it. But like the others, she placed them back on the rack.

Nelly's spirits were starting to sink lower and lower. She wanted to go to the feast, but she just couldn't see herself getting ready in time. The hobbit looked around. The other wardrobes did not contain dresses. They were either full of coat and scarves, hats and old garments.

Pimpernel could not see herself going now.

"What about this one?" her sister asked.

She was holding up a royal blue dress. Pimpernel looked over at it. She took a deep breath. Yes, it was pretty.

But was it pretty enough?

It took a few more seconds before she thought it was good enough.

"Alright, I wear it" she answered.

A smile came over Pearls lips.

"See, I know there was something here for you"

Diamond, who had been carrying Origo, got to her house. Diamond was smaller and younger then she was now. She was not even ten years of age. Yet she looked exactly like she did she was older.

"Shush" she said as she came to a large round door.

The door creaked open and she looked inside. The house had been built into a hill side. But it was not as soft as the hills that Hobbiton was built into. These were more wild and hardened by the weather. Out crops of hardened rock spouted from the sides and top on the hill. Grass was present, but it was thin and broken up into patches.

Diamond quickly slid though the door and inside. The large round door was clicked shut. If her parents found out that she had a puppy with her, they would surely not allow it.

The small girl walked as silently as she could. Her room was down the hall way, but she had to go past her parents. That was not so easy. The large round door clicked shut. Origo was held on one hand.

The small girl could not take off her coat. She walked past the pegs, a few of them had been placed lower down so that she could reach them. There were scarves and a few gloves. Yes, the weather was warm, but at some points in the past week, a coldness had been blanketing them.

The puppy looked around. There were new smells and sights for him every where. the puppy just had to explore. So, he started to struggle. Diamond looked down at him.

"Puppy, shush" she said, holding him closer.

A small bark came out of the puppy. Diamond suddenly became worried. She knew that her parents would have heard it.

Diamond had no other choice. She scurried down the hall way. A door opened behind her.

"Diamond?" a voice came from down the hall.

The small girl stopped. It was her mother. Diamond thought quickly. She couldn't turn around, the puppy would be seen then. The sound of foot steps came upon her louder and louder.

"What are you holding?" her mother asked.

Diamond slowly turned around, her large blue eyes had sadness in them. The small girl looked down.

"Where did you get him?" her mother asked sternly.

Diamond took a deep breath and look to the side. Her mother looked at the puppy. He seemed to have no collar on. There were small brown marks above each of his little, questioning eyes.

"Diamond, where did you get him?"

The girl looked up at her mother.

"I found him" she said weakly, knowing her mother would not believe her.

"Found him?" she asked.

Diamond was right, there was no such trust coming from her. The small girl nodded, her hand holding the puppy's two front paws. He yawned and rested his head on her.

"Where?"

Diamond looked down.

"In the field, he was on the out crop of rock" Diamond answered.

Her mother took a deep breath.

"Diamond, you know what I think about pets" her mother told her.

Diamond took a deep, sad breath and nodded. She would have liked to keep him. But she knew her mother was a tough cookie to crack.

"I think its best if you let him go, his owner is probably looking for him"

Diamond's eyes started to fill up as she looked down at the floor. Her mother stood up right and walked away. The puppy looked up at the girl. A small tear ran down her face.

"I cant have you puppy" she said, lifting him up.

Her soft warm fur touched her cheek. The next seconds, Diamond slowly started to walk back to the front door. She slowly opened it, the wind rushed in from outside and blew her hair.

The puppy looked outside again. There were trees baring green leaves. The wind whistled though them making a noise like rain on a calm lake. White clouds flew gently over a calm blue sky. Birds were heard singing.

"You have to go now puppy, I cant keep you" Diamond said, placing him on the floor.

The small puppy looked up at her and whined. The small girl had tears running down her face. There were no more words from her. She slowly started to shut the door. The small puppy whimpered as she slowly went out of sight.

The door clicked shut, parting the two of them from sight. The small puppy continued to look at the door, but there was no sign of the girl coming out again.

The puppy's head then turned. The small gate which lead onto the small road again. It was swinging gently in the wind. The small puppy walked over to it, he took one last look back. There was still no sign of the girl. He then walked out and along the road.

Pimpernel was now getting ready in her room. There was only an hour left until the feast at the Green Dragon began. Pimpernel already had her blue dress on for the celebration. It was the same one that she had warn for Bilbo's birthday all those long years ago.

A small puppy, but the name of Abira, was still snoozing on Pimpernel's pillow. Her small chest rising and falling, her fluffy head resting on her equally fluffy paws. Pimpernel's hair was still wet from having a lovely bath just an hour before. A comb lay on the bed along with a small hair clip. Pearl was getting ready in the other room. She too had wet hair.

A comb was running though her curly hair as she stood before a large mirror. There was a small wooden table before her and a chair behind.

Her dress had already been put on, a yellow one. Some how, it suited her eyes and hair. Pearl smiled as she looked at the clock. Only an hour to go. The clock continued to tick. The fire continued to crackle as Pearl smoothed herself down.

A smile came over her lips. Food started to flash across her vision. Large chickens with crispy brown skin. Juicy vegetables, parsnips, sprouts, roast potatoes. Hot gravy, sausages, bacon.

Phantom smells hit her. This made her even more hungry then she already was. The clock continued to tick as the hour counted down. The hour hand reached the number six at the bottom.

Both of the girls were now ready. They were sitting in the kitchen, a mug of ale before them both. The electric in the air was tingling the hairs on their feet.

Pimpernel raised her mug and drank. Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Pearl was feeling exactly the same. Her ale had almost gone. The clock now showed quarter to five.

"I think we should get going soon, there maybe a line" Pearl told her sister.

Pimpernel smiled as she looked into her cup. A few mouthfuls were left, they were easily drained. The mug was then placed on the table. Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked around.

"Right" she said, getting up.

The wooden chair scraped along the tiled floor. Pearl got up as well, leaving the mugs for later on. The two girls walked out of the room. Time seemed to be going slower then normal. The two of them made their way down the corridor.

"Will the puppy be alright?" Pearl asked, handing Pimpernel her coat.

Nelly nodded.

"She's sleeping so I guess she'll be alright for a few hours. There's some water and bacon in her in the kitchen" Pimpernel told her sister.

Pearl smiled and nodded. They got their coats on.

"Oh, I nearly forgot" said Pearl, walking back down the corridor.

On the kitchen table there lay two cards. Each decorated the same. But both had different names. One had Pearl's name written on it, the other had Pimpernel's name on it.

A minute later, Pearl walked back to the front door. She held out the invitations.

"Almost forgot these" she said.

The two girls smiled as Pearl opened the large door. Everything was going good for Pimpernel until a sudden bout of déjà vu hit her. The hobbit stopped in her tracks. Her eyes fixed outside.

Everything came flooding back to her. All the fire and the worry. All of the hate that she had for her mother resurfaced.

"Pimpernel?" asked Pearl, looked at her.

She could see, deep in Pimpernel's eyes, the pain and suffering resurfacing. There was a glint there she had never seen.

"I cant do it" Pimpernel said.

All of the excitement had been washed away and replaced with worry. The feast was now not the only thing on her mind. Words came into her head. Unspoken words. A few hobbits were walking down the hill towards the Green Dragon.

Pimpernel eyed them. She knew what they were thinking.

"Cant do what?" Pearl asked.

Nelly took a deep breath and looked down.

"I cant go, people hate me" Pimpernel told her.

Pearl suddenly had nothing to say. No comforting words. She knew that if her sister didn't want to go, she couldn't force her.

"But what about the feast?" she asked.

The invitations were still held in her hands. She looked down at them, Pimpernel's was on the top. Pimpernel was trying to make up her mind. Right now, it was swaying more to staying at home.

She knew full well that she would miss the feast if she didn't walk out of the door. A small bout of courage replaced the worry.

"Maybe it wont be so bad" she thought.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and slowly placed a foot forward. Her sister knew exactly what this meant. The large door was shut, Pimpernel took no glance back at it. Pearl smiled as she walked past.

The clean air tickled Pimpernel's face. It had been a while since she had been outside. There was little snow on the ground. The clouds above threatened to change all of that. In fact, a few small flakes did fall from the white abyss above them.

The wind blew their hair as the two sisters walked down the small stone path to the gate. Pearl opened it for Pimpernel.

"Thank you" she said.

The gate was shut behind both of them. The Green Dragon could be seen down neat the edge of the lake. There were already fellow hobbits queuing to get inside. There were many chimneys smoking from out of the roof.

It took the girls a few minutes to reach the line. The door was open and, every so often, a strong smell of chicken would waft out into the night air. Pimpernel gave a small smile, she loved the smell of cooking chicken ever since she was a young child.

The line surely and slowly got shorter.

Rosie Gamgee was sorting out who was allowed in and who was unwelcome. A few times, some of the younger hobbit would try and sneak in. but they were not getting past Rosie.

"Hello girls" she said.

A sheet of parchment was held in her hand. Rosie's eyes scanned down the small list that she had before her. A smile came over her lips.

"Alright, you can go in" she said, taking the invitations from Pearl.

There was a moment of tension between Rosie and Pimpernel. But nothing came of it. Pearl and Pimpernel walked into the warmth of the building.

For a moment, both of them stopped. There were six large round tables sitting in their own space. Five chairs had been set before five places. There were table mats surrounded by knives and forks and spoons. Small pieces of paper with names written on them. Pearl looked at them.

After a minute, she found the table that she and her sister were at. The two girls were near to the steamed up window as more and more hobbits took their places. Five o'clock rung around the pub as the last of the hobbits took their places.

The dwarves were waiting in the kitchen. There were six very large and plump chickens sitting on large treys. Rosie came into the kitchen and smiled.

"Alright, their ready now"

There was a lot of talking in the pub now. The door to the kitchen swung open. A dwarf came out carrying what looked like a heavy trey. On top of the trey was a very juicy looking chicken.

The talking of hobbits instantly died down. All eyes were on the dwarf. Another one soon followed him. Four more came out of the kitchen. The hobbits began to cheer as the dwarves placed the chickens on the tables. Without another word, the dwarves walked back into the kitchens. Plates had yet to be set out. The but that was soon to change.

Three of the dwarves came back out. They were carrying ten plates each. Within a minute, all of the plates had been set out.

"When are they going to give us the food?" asked one of the elders.

This was on everyone's mind. Hunger was strong in their stomachs. The dwarves then started to bring out the food. Bowls upon bowls of piping hot food. The tables that the hobbits sat around started to fill up. Space was becoming less common as the bowls filled it. But these bowls were only the surface of what the dwarves had cooked. There was at least three times this amount ready and waiting in the kitchens.

Silver spoons had been placed in all of the bowls. Some china dishes were brought out as well. These were stacked to the top with parsnips and roast potatoes.

The sound of metal hitting china started to echo around as the last of the bowls was placed on the tables. Gravy, roast potatoes, sprouts, long runner beans, carrot and turnip, broccoli, parsnips, stacks of sausages, slices of crispy bacon, tender chicken and hot gravy all took up the space.

Talking erupted as the hobbits started to pile food onto their plates. Mugs were then placed in what seemed a very small place.

Ale was sloshing around as the hobbits laughed, talking and discussed different things. Among the elders, it was weather and the peskiness of the younger generations.

"They have too much energy they do" said of them.

The table was full of them. Food was still being put on their plates as the dwarves vanished behind the large kitchen door.

The heat coming off from the food was making the temperature in the room rise steadily. Pimpernel was cutting up one of her many roast potatoes. Her eyes were darting around.

A few times, she could have sworn she heard her name mentioned. She knew that people would be talking about her. Pimpernel didn't like the feeling of eyes baring down on her. She could feel them like a knife though butter. Pimpernel did her best to eat her food without getting annoyed or angry.

A bit of roast potato was picked up on the end of her fork. Pimpernel started to chew. She could taste the very well done crispy bit. In fact, it was the best roast potato that she had ever tasted.

There were many more where that came from as the talking and drinking continued. All was well and happy in the green dragon.

But there was one small creature that was not at all happy. Origo was still wondering the wilds. The path that he had taken was leading him further and further away from Hobbiton and safety. But he was not wondering the wilds alone. A small fairy was fluttering near by. She was struggling to keep up in the wind.

The snow was getting heavier and heavier by the minute. Only Origo could see her. She had a light green glow, made more apparent as the sun continued to set.

A small foxes den was only a few hundred meters down the path. Not many hobbits knew it was there. The small puppy struggled against the barrage of snow and wind. His fur was wet. The puppy whimpered a bit.

"Maybe leaving was not such a good idea" Origo thought to himself.

He whimpered as the snow flakes flew at him harder and harder. This was not the only time that Origo had felt this unloved.

When the two of them first met, Origo knew that he would be safe with his Diamond. But after the door closed, he knew that she didn't love him.

The small puppy sat at the bottom of the path way, looking at the door. He longed for the girl to come out. His little tail wagged, his hopes still high.

But after a hour of waiting for her to come back. But she never did. The puppy looked around. The sun was slowly setting in the West. The level of light going down at the summer sun did.

Yet birds and hobbits alike continued to go about their daily business. Origo stood up and shook himself off. It was obvious that he wasn't welcome.

Inside the house, Diamond was laying on her bed. Tears ran down her face. Her blue eyes looked like marbles glinting in the sunlight.

Her room was decorated in the normal hobbit fashion. There was a fire place crackling in one corner. A clock had been hung on the wall. It ticked gently every second. Her bed was big and duvet warm. A rug had been lain out before the bed had been placed on top of it.

The sounds of her mother on the other side of the door was all that Diamond could hear. The large door to her room was opened.

Her mother, the person she didn't want to see, was standing there.

"Dinner is ready now" she said.

But Diamond didn't answer her mother. Things that she shouldn't say were now running though Diamond's head. Her eyes looked into a spot near the floor and the wall. She could see, out the corner of her of her eye, her mother still standing there.

"Diamond?" she asked.

Every word that her mother said was making Diamond more and more angry. Her mother did not care how she was feeling.

"What?" Diamond asked.

"Dinner is ready" her mother repeated.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"I'm not hungry" she answered.

Her mother continued to stand there for a few more seconds before turning and walking out. The door was closed, leaving Diamond laying on the bed. Diamond's head was still full of the things that she wanted to say, but knew she couldn't. The smell of food wafted in though the gaps in the door.

Diamond gritted her teeth and rolled over so that she faced the other way. The sounds from the kitchen echoed though out the house. Diamond was hungry, but she didn't want any food at the moment.

She was too upset that she got so close to getting a puppy. But it was her mother who had stopped her. But now, the puppy had gone and he was never coming back.

But now, things had changed. Origo had run away from her. But this time, Diamond did not notice. She was sitting in the lounge, watching the fire. Her son in her arms.

Pippin walked in, he was holding two mugs of hot tea. He smiled as he walked over to the table and placed them down. The water calmed instantly as he placed Diamond's down.

All of their meals had been made for the day. There was only dinner left to cook and serve up. The house seemed quieter then normal. Diamond didn't know what it was, but she didn't know what. She knew that she had been busy with things around the house.

"Maybe its nothing" she told herself as she slowly reached over and picked up the hot mug of tea.

Her eyes then fell upon her son. Faramir was sleeping peacefully in her arms. There was a definite likeness between Pippin and his son.

In the kitchen, Origo's little bowl was still empty. No turkey had been put in it today. Not because Diamond did not want to, but she had forgotten all about him.

The last meal of the day would not be a splendid one like the Green Dragons. But it would be good enough to fill them up. They had saved the food that was worth saving. The smell of dead and rotting chicken had been all but washed out.

Yet there was still a small hit of the smell every so often. The shelves were looking too bare to be considered healthy. But Diamond knew that she had to get more food. The market places had been closed for Yule. So Diamond could not get the food she wanted.

A yawn came over her as she looked into the fire. The feeling of something missing grew and grew on her. Pippin looked over at her. He could see his wife in deep thought, looking towards the fire.

"Diamond?" he asked.

Diamond's gaze was broken as she turned her head towards him. She smiled.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling.

"Are you alright, you seem to be more quiet" Pippin told her.

Diamond didn't understand what he meant by what he had said.

"More quiet?"

Pippin nodded.

"You seem to be thinking harder, is anything wrong?" he asked.

Diamond knew exactly what he meant. Pippin was not one to sit back and not care about his friends and family.

"Its just"

She paused.

"I've had this feeling all day. Like I've lost something important, but I don't know what it is"

Now Pippin was starting to think. But his mind was not focused on it. He took a deep breath and looked into the fire. The dancing flames were mesmerising.

The light and heat from the flames blocked out the coldness trying to get in. the inside was now very different from the outside. Snow was falling to the ground, covering it in a thin carpet.

Birds were still flying around, singing to their hearts content.

There was a small, empty fox hole near a dry stone wall. Inside, out of the coldness of the ever deepening night, was a small puppy.

Origo was curled up, but not asleep. A small fairy was sitting crossed legged near by. A small green glow lit up the surrounding area. Origo was whimpering. He was very hungry and cold. The snow flakes that had landed on his fur were now melting, making him even colder.

The fairy was looking at him. She had tried to tell him that going out in the coldness was a bad idea. But Origo didn't listen. He was now on his own again and no one knew where he was.

"Origo, you have to go back, you'll make yourself ill" Ivy told him.

Her small wings were folded behind her back. But she wasn't answered. Origo was shaking with the coldness of the air around him. It did not effect Ivy as much.

All Origo wanted now was to get away from Hobbiton. He had been trying to find his Diamond for years. But she still didn't love him.


	42. Day Twenty, Part Four

Meanwhile, Pimpernel was getting more and more full up every bite she took. All of the hobbits in the Green Dragon were still eating. Pearl seemed to be more distracted then usual. She was looking at a point over by one of the fire places.

"Pearl?" asked her sister.

The hobbit snapped out of her gaze and smiled.

"You alright?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl was confused.

"Yes, of course I am" she answered.

But Pimpernel knew something was up. She looked to where her sister was looking and saw Folco Boffin sitting facing their way. Pimpernel knew exactly what her sister was now thinking.

"Do you fancy him?" she asked.

Pearl became even more confused.

"No, of course I don't" she said.

But the lie was now very convincing. Pimpernel could see right though it. The talking died down at their tummies became full of food. The eating slowly started to trail off into small bites here and there.

Ale was still being consumed at a higher rate then normal. The windows still had a thin sheet of condensation on them. A few drips snaked their way down. The darkness outside was now deep.

Snow continued to fall, harder and faster then before. The clouds up above made the sky a black abyss. Stars were unseen tonight and the moon was hidden.

The wind whistled though leafless tress and ancient forests. Logs with green moss were covered in the large flakes. Shells of buildings that had been erected many centuries before were now being battered where they stood. Owls had taken residence in side the sheltered parts. Their feathers ruffled feathers as they cuddled up to each other.

Small specks of light were dotted around Hobbiton. All that could be seen of life from afar. Today would have been a happy time for hobbits. Food was common in all households as well as pints of ale.

But for one household, this time of the year would never been the same again. Fredegar was standing at the end of the bed. His mother, Rosamunda, was sitting on a wooden chair. There was a bowl of warm water sitting on the bed.

A very ill looking hobbit lay there. This was Odovacar. He was very old and very ill.

"Is he going to be alright?" Fredegar asked, looking worried.

He had never seen his father in the state he was right now. Life was trickling away from him as the night wore on. The clocked showed the time. It had been a few hours since the start of the Green Dragon feast.

Estella had been out for nearly three hours now. A small bit of cold air rushed though the house. There was an awkward silence all around the house.

What once was a happy, welcoming place was now dark and cold. The ticking of clocks seemed to be louder then normal.

"I don't know" his mother answered.

Rosamunda knew that her husbands time was almost up. All that Rosamunda could do now was make him as comfortable as possible.

"Could I get you anything?" asked Fredegar.

He did not know what to do. His father looked more ill then he had ever been. Rosamunda took a deep breath and looked around at him.

"No, Fredegar, he's going to be alright" his mother answered.

Deep down, Fredegar knew that his mother was lying to him.

Outside in the coldness, hobbits started to emerge from the green dragon. Some were very drunk, others yawned as they came out into the coldness. All had large coats on.

Inside, the dishes and bowls and plates had all been cleared away by the dwarves. Pimpernel and Pearl were one of the last to leave. But also was Folco. He had stayed behind deliberately.

Pimpernel could see him approaching them. A smug smile on his face.

"Hello Pimpernel" he said.

Pimpernel's darted away from him for a split second and then back.

"Hello Folco" she replied.

"Good meal tonight, wasn't it?"

Pearl was getting her coat on.

"It was more the good, it was the best" Nelly answered.

"Of course"

Pearl buttoned up her coat, six in all. She pushed her chair so that it was now under the table.

"Hello there Pearl, I didn't know you were here" Folco said.

Pearl gave an embarrassed smile.

"I guess we'll be getting back home" said Pimpernel, hinting to leave.

Pearl nodded.

"we'll see you later" Pearl told Folco.

He smiled and nodded.

"Have a good night"

At that, the two girls made their way around tables and out. Pimpernel looked back to see that Folco had forgotten his coat. He was now at the chair. His balance left him a bit before he regained it.

The two girls walked away.

"He likes you" Pimpernel told her sister.

Pearl looked at her.

"No he doesn't" she answered.

"And you like him!"

Pearl shook her head.

"No I don't"

But there was no denying it. Pearl had started to fancy him and she couldn't hid it. The wind was battering them as they made their way home. Invisible foxes rushed just meters from them.

Their eyes glinted in the low level of light. Their fur blew in the wind and their ears pointed to where ever they heard a noise.

Gates rattled and trees blew in the wind. Pearl and Pimpernel now reached home. The snow was now getting very deep. Pearls hands were now freezing cold. The large front door was opened and the girls went into the house as quickly as possible.

A small puppy scurried up to them. It was Abira. Pimpernel smiled as she hung her coat up on the pegs.

"Hello girl" she said, scooping her up.

Abira started to lick her owners face lots of times.

"Alright, alright, I know you love me" Pimpernel said, moving the puppy's head away.

Pearl smiled as she walked past.

"I'll go and make us some tea, we need to warm up" she said.

Pimpernel nodded and walked down the corridor after her. The house was much warmer then outside. There was a happy atmosphere here.

Estella had just walked into a quiet house. Her spirits were high. But they were about to be crushed. Rosamunda had heard her come in.

"Good evening" Estella said, hanging up her coat.

"It's very cold…"

But Estella was stopped in the middle of her sentence.

"Your father is ill" Rosamunda told her.

Estella suddenly stopped in her tracks. The two of them looked at each other. The effect of the ale had all but gone.

"Ill?" Estella asked.

Rosamunda slowly nodded her head.

"He may not see day light" she told her daughter.

Disbelief was now running though her heart. Many questions surfaced.

"This cant be happening" Estella thought.

She did not know what to do. Fredegar came slowly out of the room. He looked as lost as Estella was.

"Can I see him?" Estella asked.

Rosamunda smiled.

"Of course you can" she answered.

So, Estella and her mother walked towards the room. Fredegar's face made no smile when Estella approached. The mood of the room was very dark.

On the bed was Estella's father. Estella's heart was racing. Odovacar was laying motionless on the bed. His eyes closed, but still breathing. There was a small bowl of warm water that Rosamunda had been using to dab his head with.

Estella knew that his time was nearly over. But she still didn't want it to happen. She loved her father more then anything.

His face was pale and cold as she got closer.

"Father?" she asked.

But there was no sign that he could hear her. Fredegar and Rosamunda had stayed back and let Estella say her goodbyes.

The clock chimed eight times. It was four hours until the midnight hour was upon them. All around Hobbiton, hobbits were settling down from an early night.

Tiredness had now replaced the hunger from before. The smell of roast chicken lingered long after the food had gone. Crackling fire were restocked with fresh logs. Smoke rose out of the chimneys and into the snowy sky.

Their blackness was unseen in the night. The shadows of trees had melted into the never ending blackness that made up the night.

The carpet of snow was getting deeper by the minute. Yet animals still roamed the lands. Foxes mostly. They were silent and invisible, even to the most weary of hobbits.

A fox slowly walked along the path. Its nose smelt something new. Something that it had never smelt before. The empty and abandoned fox hole came into view. The smell grew stronger and stronger.

The fox stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the hole with his big eyes and listened with his large red ears. The snow flakes continued to streak down. Some hit him, but did not bother him.

The fox creped closer and closer. The smell was stronger here then the other parts. But this was no fox, nor rabbit. The fox sniffed closer and closer.

Inside, Ivy looked to the entrance. There was something out there other then wind and snow.

Ivy stood up suddenly, Origo's eyes moved over to his Ivy. He lifted his little head up. Ivy was walking away from him slowly.

The puppy gave a small whine.

"Shush, there's something out there" Ivy told him.

Origo stood, his eyes looked up to the entrance of the den. The wind blew around them as a small hint of what was out there met Origo's eyes.

It was a fox.

"Origo, stay here, I'll scare him off" Ivy said.

But Origo didn't want her to leave. A bark came from him. What happened next happened fast and furious. The fox instantly started to attack. A large paw swooped down inside the den. Origo was now very scared.

He knew that if the fox got him, then he would be killed. Luckily, Ivy thought ahead. She only had a small bit of magic in her. But it was enough.

She touched the fox. It instantly yelped and drew back. But it did not draw back for long. The shock made it even more aggressive. The fox then came back for a second wave of attack.

The soil started to collapse as the foxes paws strapped along them.

Origo started to whimper. He wasn't strong enough to fight back. And even if he did, he would get hurt. Ivy shocked the fox again. She saw her chance to escape and fluttered into the night.

The wind that blew was too strong for her. She struggled to keep herself in the same place. She could see the fox trying to get to Origo.

But she wouldn't let him. The fairy flew, with all her might, and landed on the fur of the fox. The fox could not feel it. The next second, the fox was shocked. He yelped and turned around.

But there was nothing there. Shock after shock came. The fox was too busy with the pain to try and get Origo. The small puppy inside was now backed up against the far side of the den.

The movement of the fox had gone away from him. Without a second to think, Origo bounded out into the snow. To the side, he could see Ivy holding on for dear life as the fox tried to shake her off.

"Run Origo!" Ivy shouted over the wind.

The fox was still being shocked. Origo remained for a few seconds, then scurried off. The darkness soon devoured the small puppy. The fox twirled around, trying to get Ivy off.

The next second, the fairy let go and flew out of the way. The fox seemed really angry. He too ran off, in the same direction as the puppy. Ivy was now very worried for Origo's safety. But the wind was too strong for her to fly into. She would waste energy trying to chase the fox.

"Origo?" she shouted, looking around.

She hoped that her puppy had not gone too far. Worry and fear were strong in her as she looked around. Her green glow was now bright enough to see past the curtain of darkness.

Meanwhile, back in the Bolger's household, the clock continued to tick. Estella walked back into the room with two cups of tea. She smiled as she handed it to her mother.

"Thank you dear" Rosamunda said, taking it.

There was a very sombre mood in the house hold. The fire was now burning into white embers as Estella took her seat again. Fredegar was not present. He had gone back to his room and closed the door.

Estella took a deep breath and looked at her mother.

"Do you think he's in pain?" Estella asked.

Her mother looked over at her. There seemed to be no answers in her eyes.

"I don't know" she said.

There was definite sadness in her voice. She knew that this day would come for a long time. Memories were running though her head. Images flashed over her eyes.

It was of a summer, many years ago. The breeze was blowing in her face as she made her way down to the market place. There were a lot of different faces around. Some that she didn't know the name of and others she did.

Rosamunda was in her late twenties. She looked very much like Estella. The two of them had the same hair and look. Rosamunda had green eyes, it was common for hobbits to have green or blue eyes.

The wind was cool as she walked to the first stall. This had fish hanging down from hooks. They were swinging gently in the wind.

Rosamunda had a small basket in one hand and a piece of parchment in the other. She looked down at the list.

Eggs

Ham

Milk

Fish

Seasoning

Rosamunda gave a smile as she looked at the fish.

"Good morning dear" said the old lady sitting on a small seat.

She slowly got up, it looked like a lot of work for her to do so. She was a plump, motherly looking hobbit with a gentle face.

"Could I have that fish please?" she asked, pointing at one of the biggest ones.

The woman nodded and smiled. There was a small metal hook keeping the fish hanging there. The fish was then placed on the small wooden surface of the stall. A large sheet of thin paper was wrapped around it.

"There you go dear" said the old woman.

Rosamunda smiled.

"Thank you"

She then walked away. The fish was now sitting in her basket as she looked down at the list again.

"Eggs" she said and turned around.

There was a coop of chickens. A stall had been set up near by. A hobbit stood behind the stall. A smile on his face as he watched hobbit go about their business.

A number of hobbit children ran past. The Green Dragon stood where it had already been. A few of the hobbit elders were sitting on the chairs. They were talking merrily. Smoke rose into the air as they puffed on their pipes. Mugs of ale were being drunk.

Clouds sailed over the sky, but they did not hinder the light from the sun much. The weather seemed to be getting warmer by the minute as the sun continued to rise.

Birds and small insects continued to go about their daily doings. A few ants were crossing the area that was before the Green Dragon. Some small black ants had already made it to the shadows on the benches.

Rosamunda smiled as she looked at the chickens.

"Have you got any eggs today?" she asked, looking down at the chickens.

The man smiled.

"Of course I have, they've been very busy" he said as he took the wooden lid to the hut.

Inside, there were some chickens sitting on their eggs. But they did not break.

"How many do you want?" asked the man, looking up.

His hands were dirty. There was a bit of dry blood where he had killed one or two of his stock.

"Six if you have it" Rosamunda answered.

So, the man moved the chickens off of their perches. There were at least two light brown eggs laying under nearly each one of the birds.

Under the third one, there was only a single egg. He picked it up, having five already. The next few birds had no eggs under them.

"Seems to be no more eggs" he said to himself.

He smiled as he looked back up at Rosamunda.

"We seem to have run out of eggs, but I do have five here"

Rosamunda nodded in agreement.

"I suppose that it'll be enough" she answered.

So, the man placed them gently into a paper bag and handed it to the girl. She paid and went on her way. Rosamunda now had two of the five things on the list.

"I think I should get some ham" she said, her eyes scanning over the list.

The girl walked back over near to the Green Dragon. Lots of talking hobbits were both inside and outside of the building. Laughing and Merry making could be heard coming from the inside of the thatched building.

A few hobbits continued to walk in and out. The ones who were coming out had more ale in there systems. It was evident in the way they walked and looked.

Rosamunda smiled as she looked around again. Like the stall with the fish, the ham was swinging on metal hooks. The chunks of beef, lamb and stakes. Flies were buzzing and landing on some of the chunks. But none of the hobbits minded.

"Good after Rosamunda" said the woman.

Rosamunda smiled.

"How are you?" she asked.

The woman behind the stall was a close friend of the Took family. For at this time, Rosamunda was not a Bolger.

"I am alright, the sun is bright today, summer is on its way" she answered.

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Ah yes, the plants seem to be more alive then before. They know what the sun has in store for them"

The two of them laughed as a bee or wasp zoomed past.

"So, how is your mother?" the woman asked.

"She is doing well, she is in the garden at the moment" Rosamunda answered.

The woman smiled.

"Its good that she's getting outside, its nice weather for it now"

Rosamunda nodded, her eyes were scanning along the hooked meats. Her eyes fell on a large bit of beef. A smile came over her lips.

"Could I have that piece please?" she asked, pointing at it.

"Of course dear"

So, the meat was taken down and wrapped up.

"Thank you" Rosamunda said as she placed it in her basket.

"Give my love to your mother for me" the woman said as Rosamunda walked away.

She looked around and nodded. There were only two things left on her list. Seasoning and milk. The stall for the seasoning was closest, so she made her way to there.

It was then that she saw him. Odovacar came out of the Green Dragon. Rosamunda smiled instantly. For a moment, their eyes met. Odovacar was very attractive. Rosamunda knew that others were after him as well. She thought that there was no chance in getting to know him.

After a few more minutes, all five things were now in her basket. Eggs, ham, milk, fish and seasoning were all present and brought.

Odovacar and his friends walked off towards the fields that surrounded Hobbiton. Rosamunda walked a distance away behind. The path wound though the town. Round doors had been set into the side of rolling hills. The green grass was look weathered as she walked past.

Birds flew over head, some with twigs, others with worms and bugs. Different songs and verses met her ears. But now, they were all echoes in her mind now.

The clock chimed eleven times. The memories vanished as suddenly as they came. Estella was still sitting at her side. She seemed in deep though as well.

Her memories did not go as far back as her mothers. Estella was only a small girl at the time. It was the best memory she ever had. It took place at night.

The summer was high and the temperature was cool for this time of night. The midnight hour was close at hand. Nocturnal animals roamed under the ink carpet of night.

The door slowly opened and a younger Odovacar came in. He had a smile on his face,

"Estella?" he whispered.

The small girl was excited. She rose her head. Only a few candles had been left burning for her.

"Are you awake?" Odovacar asked.

"I am" Estella answered.

The duvet was then thrown off of herself. She was wearing a night gown.

"Are you ready?" Odovacar asked.

There was a smile on his face. Estella nodded. A yawn came over her.

"Well, get dressed and we can go and see it"

A few minutes later, the door to her room opened again. Estella came out, fully dressed and ready to go out. Her father smiled and held out his hand. Estella took it and the two of them walked down the corridor.

The large front door was opened. The sound of many crickets filled the air. The door was closed behind them. The night was cool and cloudless. The stars were twinkling as they looked down on them from above. The moon was just a slither in the sky. Owls hooted from miles away. A few foxes were roaming around as well.

"Come on" Odovacar said, walking past her.

The air seemed still, yet there was a still wind blowing around them. Estella was smiling. She had never been allowed to go outside this late. Only a few lights shone out on the surrounding area. But there was no movement to speak of.

The Green Dragon had its lights off as well. Everyone was at home and in bed. The two hobbits continued walking until the path bent around the hillside. There was a small style leading over to a big field. This was where Odovacar was leading his daughter.

"Come on, over you go" he said, letting his daughter go over first.

He closely followed.

"Where are we going?" Estella asked.

Her curiosity was strong in her heart. For her father had not told her where they were going.

"You'll see in a minute"

So, the two of them walked into a massive field. There was large tuffs of grass dotted everywhere. Odovacar walked right into the middle. The town of Hobbiton could not be seen any more. The land seemed to stretch into the never ending blackness.

The sounds of owls hooting came from afar.

"This will do" Odovacar said.

He suddenly sat down and laid on the floor. Estella was left standing there, she was confused.

"Come on, I want to show you something but your going to have to lie down"

So, Estella slowly sat down and laid down beside her father.

"What are we trying to see?" Estella asked, looking up.

There was a sudden flash of light across the sky. Estella caught it out of the corner of her eye.

"Did you see that?" she asked.

Odovacar smiled.

"Did you see one?" he asked, looking over at his daughter.

Estella nodded and turned her head.

"What was it?" she asked.

Odovacar looked back up at the stars.

"They are what we call shooting stars. Small grains of dust burning up in the atmosphere above us" he answered.

Estella took a deep breath and looked back up. There was silence between the two for a few seconds.

"Well, I cant see any more now. Maybe that was the only one" she told her father.

Odovacar gave a small chuckle.

"Oh, that isn't the only one there is out there. Comets the size of the Shire are floating around up there" he answered.

"As big as the Shire?" asked Estella, looking over at her father.

"Yes, all out there. And maybe even life"

"But why cant we see the big comets and other planets?" Estella asked.

"Well, because their so far away. We can not see them. Maybe every star out there had a planet going around it and maybe some other hobbit is looking up at the sky and saying the exact same thing"

The hoots of the owls echoed around them still as the two of them lay there. Another shooting star streaked across the sky.

"Did you see that one?" Estella asked, pointing up to the sky.

"Yes, that was most brilliant" Odovacar agreed.

What seemed like hours had past since they first got to the field. Yawning became more common for Estella. She rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake.

"I think we should get back now" Odovacar said, sitting up.

Estella sat up as well. She took one lest yawn before slowly getting up. Their eyes were now used to the darkness of night. Estella and Odovacar walked back in silence.

The door to there house came into view. It was a welcome sight for the tired Estella. Odovacar opened the gate for his daughter.

Estella took a deep breath and looked up at her mother. The two of them smiled.

"I hate this" Estella said, looked over at her father.

He was still breathing. Rosamunda nodded. She had seen both her mother and father in this state before. But she could never forget what she felt like.

"As do I" she said glumly.

All of the pain and sadness were resurfacing. The midnight hour was now only ten minutes away. But at this time, the clock seemed to be slowing down.

Nine minutes.

Estella couldn't take it any more. She arose from her seat and walked out of the room, leaving Rosamunda on her own.

Eight minutes until midnight.

Outside, the snow was coming down thick and fast. Ivy was flying down the path. It was quite hard for her to do so. The wind was blowing her all over the place.

Her small heart was beating quicker then it ever had been. Origo was now out in the coldness by himself, in the dark and with a fox chasing him. The tracks that they made had now all but vanished under the fresh snow.

The trees created a sound louder then she could shout.

Seven minutes to midnight.

Diamond was standing before a sink. Water sloshed around inside a bowl. A flannel was rubbed over her face, getting all of the soap off.

In the back of her mind, something was bugging her. It had been for most of the day. She was missing something. Something important to her. But she didn't know what it was.

"Come on Diamond, think" she told herself.

But it was no use. Nothing came to her. The plug that kept the water sloshing around in the bowl was taken out. The warm, but dirty water, started to drain away. Diamond walked over to the towels and dried her face.

"Maybe its just nothing" she told herself.

She placed the towel back and walked out of the room. There bit of condensation lingered on the surface of the mirror

Six minutes until midnight.

Pimpernel was in bed. The candles had been put out, save for one or two. The duvet had been drawn over her. A small puppy lay curled up under the covers as well.

Abira had slowly fallen asleep. Her little eyes were closed. Pimpernel was looking up at the dark ceiling above. Unlike her puppy, she was not tired. Her mind was working. Hamson was on her mind again. And not for the first time that day.

Nearly everything reminded her of him. But she knew it was too do anything about it. He was living his own life. But there was still a small bit of hope there. Hope that he would come back.

Five minutes to midnight.

Rosie Gamgee got into bed, another night of Sam not being there. But she had gotten used to it. But she still missed him. She understood that he needed to take care of him. The fire continued to crackle as her ears were trained for any signs of him coming back.

Four minutes till midnight.

Diamond slowly got into bed. Faramir was sleeping in his cot and Pippin was snoring next to her. The candles had been blown out. A yawn came over her as she rested her head on the pillow.

The feeling of forgetting something came back stronger then ever before. Diamond turned in her bed and looked towards the window. There was deep darkness outside. Large snow flakes were being battered against the window pain.

Three minutes until midnight.

Fredegar stood up. His bed sprung back to it normal shape. He slowly walked out of the room. The calmness around the house screamed at him as he opened the door.

There were no sounds or movement, apart from the flickering candles. But even they seemed to stand guard, daring to move.

The hobbit slowly waddled to the room down the corridor. There, only his mother sat. Estella's chair was empty. The clock continued to tick as he waddled in. Rosamunda looked around. She gave him a smile.

"Is he…?" Fredegar asked.

Apart of him did not want to know. But there was no answer. There was a strange silence among them. Both of them knew it was his time to go. The two hands of the clock were now touching as the last minute of the day ticked up on them.

There was a sudden movement in Odovacar's arm. A mumble came from him. Rosamunda sat up. Her eyes narrowed to her husband.

The mug of tea was placed down as she got up.

"Odovacar?" she asked, holding his cold hand.

His dry lips moved. A few inaudible words came out. Rosamunda's eyes started to fill up with tears.

"Get Estella" Rosamunda said, looking back at her son.

But Fredegar could not move. He was looking at his father.

"Fredegar, please?" she asked.

The hobbit looked down at his mother. Without a word, he spun and waddled out of the room.

"Estella?" he asked, looking around.

It was very hard work for him. But there was no answer.

"Estella?" he called out again.

He stopped in the hall way. The hobbit was breathing heavily. His eyes darting around. Estella was no where to be seen.

Back in the room, tears ran down Rosamunda's face as she looked into the face of her husband. Chimes started to ring out as the midnight hour past. Odovacar seemed to take one last breath. A small smile came over his wrinkled lips and then. Nothing.

The last chime echoed around the house.

Odovacar had died.


	43. Day Twenty One, Part One

A small dot of light started to grow out of the infinite abyss. It was small at first, then grew and grew. The light was dazzling in the darkness. It soon over powered the inky blackness.

Breathing could be heard. Shadows and noises. The figure moved closer and closer to the edge of the light. As he did so, the figures became more and more sharper. The light seemed to have smoke twirling silently around it. But there was no source of the brightness.

The shadows moved around. His eyes darted at each one of them. This was a very tall figure. He was dressed in different cloths. The white light started to die down. The small being looked around. It was then that he felt it on his face.

Wind.

But not a harsh, cold wind. But a warm, gentle wind. Like that in the height of summer. Feeling came to the small beings feet. The light was now a curtain behind him. Trees were standing tall and graceful before him. In the distance, rolling hills stood below tall, snow capped mountains.

Birds flew on their own or in flocks. More people then the being had ever seen. He was used to a calm and peaceful life. These people seemed to be wild and dangerous looking. But there was one figure that he recognised.

It was a hobbit. A young looking one. He smiled and started to walk towards him.

"Odovacar" he said, embracing him.

Odovacar was still confused. He was in a strange place. But he wasn't scared. In fact, he was feeling calm.

"You made it" said the hobbit.

Odovacar still confused. He had not seen his father for a very long time.

"Where… Where am I?" he asked, mustering up the strength to talk.

Odovacar's father was called Herugar. Like most hobbit families, they looked the same. But there was some difference in their looks.

"You have past the silver curtain"

There was a smile on his face. But it had no evil in it. Odovacar's eyes darted around. There was small groups of men talking. About what, he did not know.

"You are safe here, this is where they come when their time on Middle-Earth had ended" Herugar told his son.

"End their time?" Odovacar asked.

Herugar gave a small nod.

"Yes, everyone has time on earth to change it for the better or the worse. Everyone you see here had a good sprit" he told him.

But all of it was too much to take in at one time. There were so many people, dwarves and hobbits around.

"This son, is where you will be spending the rest of time"

Back in the real world, silence. The crackling of the fire had all be gone. Red hot embers were now sitting at the bottom. Rosamunda was sitting in the same seat she had been for hours. Her husbands hands were now cold and lifeless. His eyes were closed.

All three of the living hobbits were in different rooms. Memories and emotions were flooding over in all of them. Tiredness seemed not to be a problem for them at this moment in time. Estella was laying on her own bed. Tears were running down her face.

A feeling that she had never felt before was running though her. She could feel an invisible hand touching her shoulder. But there was nothing there. No hand and no body else in the room.

Time seemed to be going slower. Estella laid there, on her side, her left arm under the pillow while the right was on top. The pillow case soaked up her tears. Her nose was running and her eyes red.

"Why?" she whispered to herself.

Tears ran over her nose. It annoyed her, but she did nothing about it. Everything in the world seemed to be against her. A small bit of hatred surfaced.

"Why did this happen to us?"

Estella knew that deep down, lots of other people, men and dwarves were feeling the same thing. But at this moment in time, she felt that she was the only one suffering.

The snow outside was still coming down on the land. Creatures of every sort tried to find shelter from the relentless snow. Owls perched in abandoned buildings. Their big staring eyes scanned the area. The snowflakes were coming down at an amazing rate. The carpet of snow was now getting deeper by the minute.

Small mice and rats run about. The owls suddenly and silently swooped down and scooped them up. The mouse squeaked in terror as massive, powerful claws closed around it.

The owl's wings were silent and graceful as it climbed in height to a different tree. The own was so silent, that even the small fairy could see it.

But this was not important to her. Her little wings were very wet. The wind was blowing her off course. There was a small path leading back to Hobbiton.

Ivy had no idea where Origo had gone. The snow continued to pelt down at the small fairy. Worry was strong in her heart. She needed to find the puppy. But there were many different directions that he could have gone.

Ivy stopped in midair and fluttered for a few seconds. The snow was heavy, it created a white blanket that she could not see though.

"Where is he?" she asked herself.

The small fairy the fluttered off again. There was no sign of the fox or Origo. Origo had run off in an unknown direction. The snow was hitting his face as he looked back to see the large creature bounding behind him.

For a moment, it looked like Origo was going to be caught. But the small puppy rounded a tree. A rabbit hole had been dug from the earth.

The small puppy scampered inside. The small, tight tunnel lead deeper and deeper into the ground. A few times, it branched off. But Origo could still hear the angry fox trying to get to him.

The night slowly started to turn into day. The sunlight started to revile what happened during the night. Hobbiton was now in a blanket of white snow again. Chimneys smoked on the hill side. Life inside the hills was starting up again after a cold night.

The second day of Yule had just begun. But for some, this was a day to forget. Sadness had replaced the happiness in one household. Estella was laying on her bed. Her eyes were closed. The fire in the heath was burning in small red and white embers.

It had been an uncomfortable night for her and the rest of her family. A strangeness came over the whole house. The sprit of Odovacar had past over into a new and unseen world. Rolling hills of the greenest, lushes grass lay before him. But he was not alone in that world.

All the hobbits, humans and dwarves that had ever lived under the sun were there. Yet there was no hatred or regret. There was calm and happiness.

Estella slowly arose from her shallow sleep. In fact, she felt like she hadn't slept a wink all night. Her eyes slowly opened. They were out of focus as she looked around. Everything in the room, although it was hers, looked different somehow.

The memory of the night before came flooding back to her. She had lost her father. She could not come to terms with the fact that she would never be hearing his voice again.

A few tears started to flow from her eyes again. The sadness was so much so that she felt like she would never feel happiness again. Estella looked up at the ceiling. Her fathers voice running though her head.

The clock on the wall chimed nine times. The light outside was still growing. Estella looked towards the door, but had no plans in going out of her room.

Rosamunda was already awake and in the kitchen. She took a deep breath and flipped the bacon. The sound of sizzling arose from the room.

There were slices of bread laying on the work top. Butter had been spread over them. Rosamunda looked down at the hot slices of bacon sitting in the pan. They were taken out and laid on the butter covered slices of white bread.

The woman placed another piece over the top. She placed it on the first of three plates. The sandwich was placed the plate. But there were still slices sitting there with no bacon to fill it.

Yet, luckily, there were more thin slices of meat. The sizzling started up again as Rosamunda picked up the plate and walked out of the room. Only her feet could be heard slapping on the cold tiles as she made her way down the hall way.

A door way came into view. It was Fredegar's room. She stopped outside the door and knocked three times. After a few seconds of silence, there was no answer.

Rosamunda slowly gripped the cold handle. The door was slowly opened. It creaked at its hinges. The room was very warm. The fire had yet to reach the state of the others.

On the bed, a large hobbit lay. Fredegar was facing away from the door. Rosamunda stood there for a few more seconds.

"Fredegar?" she asked, coming in and closing the door.

"I brought you some food"

But there was no answer. Fredegar just continued to lay there, ignoring his mother like she was not even in the room. Rosamunda continued looking at her oldest child.

She knew the pain that he was going though. A big hole had been ripped out of all of the hearts. Only time could heal it. But it would not be a smooth ride.

"It's bacon, I thought…"

But she was interrupted.

"I'm not hungry" Fredegar told her.

Rosamunda was confused.

"Not hungry?" she asked.

But like before, he question was not answered. Rosamunda took a deep breath and looked down at the plate. She slowly walked up to the bed. There was a small bed side table. A single candle had been left burning over night.

There was no movement from Fredegar.

"I'll just leave this here, you can eat it later"

The plate was placed down. Rosamunda stood there for a few more seconds before turning and walking out of the room again.

Diamond was sitting at the kitchen in the table. She took a deep sad breath.

"I just, don't know where he is" she told her husband.

Pippin was holding his son. A small bowl was sitting on the table before him. A spoon was held in his hand. Diamond had made yet another batch of orange mush.

"Well, he couldn't have gotten out, could he?" Peregrin asked, scooping a bit of the mush out on the spoon.

Both hobbits had a mug of tea before them.

"I don't know, I don't think neither of us let him out"

Diamond knew that she had been busy yesterday. She looked over at his bowl. It was empty.

"Maybe I had been too busy yesterday"

She started to blame herself again. Worry started to over take her, not a strong worry, but worry none the less. She drank her tea and placed the mug down.

"I'm going to see where he is, if he's not in the house, maybe he's outside somewhere" she said, getting up for her seat.

She yawned as she walked out of the room. Diamond was already fully dressed and ready to go out. The temperature outside was much colder then it had been for the last few days.

Snow covered the ground in a smooth carpet. But the beauty was soon spoilt by hobbits walking along the path. Small children ran in the fields. Their snow hobbits had all melted, but that didn't bother them. Cold balls of snow were being made. They were either thrown or built up.

But there was one small boy that was going to miss Yule. Frodo Gamgee was still laying in his bed. He had not woken from his sleep for the past few days.

But all of that was about to change.

Samwise, his father, had been getting warmer water. He had walked back into the room. It was then that he noticed something different about his oldest son.

After days of his eyes being closed, they were now a small bit open.

"Frodo?" asked Sam, placing the bowl of water on the floor.

Sam pulled up the chair and sat on it. He took one of his son's small, cold hands.

"Frodo, can you hear me?" he asked.

Nothing mattered to Samwise any more. The bowl of water, the sounds of his other children. They could all wait. A small mumble came from him. Frodo Gamgee's lips were very dry. The small boy was weak, having had nothing to eat for a few days.

The coldness that he had been in had taken his toll. The warmth of Sam's hands fed into Frodo's. A few blinks could be seen as the boy continued to come round.

"Frodo, Frodo can you hear me?" Sam asked, looking worried.

For the past few days, Sam had spent most of that time locked in the room.

"Y.. yes" Frodo said weakly.

He was pale and looked very ill. Samwise gave a small smile. He couldn't dream of losing his oldest son. But now, everything seemed to be looking up for the Gamgee family.

Frodo could only get better in health.

"I'm.. I'm hungry" Frodo said, taking a deep breath.

His eyes continued to scan around the room. everything seemed different to him some how. He recognised some things, but they did not mean anything to him.

"Alright, just stay here alright?" Sam asked.

Frodo gave a small nod as Sam got up. His father walked to the door, opened it and went out. The sounds rose for a second, the were dulled out by the door.

Samwise walked down the small tunnel to the kitchen. There, Rosie was making breakfast for the rest of her children. She looked around.

"Sam?" she asked, turning away from cutting the bread for her children.

But Sam did not answer. He walked straight to the cellar and opened the door. Rosie had a white apron on. The cutting knife was left on the side.

Elanor looked between her mother and the cellar where her father was. Rosie stopped at the door. She could barely see her husband. But she did not have to wait long for him to come out.

"Sam, what's the matter?" she asked.

Still, Samwise did not answer. He placed the loaf of bread on the work surface and got out a mug. The hobbit filled it with cool water.

Without a word to his wife, he left the room. Elanor was looking at the door that her father had just walked out of. She didn't know what was going on, but she had her own ideas.

Rosie took a deep breath and walked over to the worktop. She picked up the knife and continued to cut though the bread.

Meanwhile, Sam had sat down again. He ripped off part of the bread, crumbs feel on the floor in small flakes.

"Here" he said, holding it out.

Little Frodo looked at it.

"I've changed my mind, you have it" Frodo told his father.

Samwise continued to hold out the piece of bread for a few more seconds. He lowered it.

"Would you take some water?" Sam asked, picking up the full mug of cool water.

Frodo grabbed the mug and lifted it to his lips. The level of the water slowly started to drain away. Samwise smiled. Frodo stopped drinking and took a deep breath in.

Samwise looked down at the bread and placed the loaf on the side of the bed. But the small bit that he had ripped off was still in his hands.

"It seems a waste of bread" Sam thought, looking at it.

So, he started to eat it. The crust crunched as he chewed down on it. Sam had had barely anything to eat for the past few days. His son was now sitting up. His eyes were still scanning the room.

Just then, Rosie walking into the room.

"Frodo!" she said, rushing towards him.

Frodo and Rosie instantly embraced in a huge hug.

"Frodo, are you alright?"

There was a tear in Rosie's eye. But it was not due to sadness, it was of happiness. For the past few days, all of her worries had been about her oldest son.

Rosie tore herself away.

"Are you upset at me?" Frodo asked, looking down.

"No, no of course not" Rosie answered.

Frodo took a deep breath.

"I knew I shouldn't have done it" Frodo told his mother.

But Rosie was not worried about that at the moment. Her son was all that mattered.

"Are you hungry?" Rosie asked, looking down at the bread.

Little Frodo gave a small nod. He was very tired and hungry.

"Here" said Rosie, breaking a bit off.

Crying came from the kitchen. Something had happened with the other children. She looked at the door and took a deep breath.

"I'll be back soon" she said.

She stood up and walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Diamond was walking on the crisp snow that had been lain over night. Her hair was blowing in the gentle wind. the coldness was tickling her face as she made her way towards the Green Dragon.

But there was no signs of her puppy around. Hobbit children were running all around her. Diamond smiled, knowing that one of them would be Faramir in a few years.

The hobbit stopped and looked around. she was trying to get into the mind of her puppy.

"Now, if I were him, where would I be?" she asked herself.

All around her, hobbits were immerging from their warm houses. Some hobbits were talking about the meals that they had had. Others were talking about warmer weather. Diamond continued to walk down to the small square in front of the pub.

Water vapour was rising as she stopped and looked around. There was no sign of her puppy anywhere.

"Maybe I should just go home" she thought.

There seemed to be no hope of Origo ever being found again. Feelings that were once buried were now coming back.

Diamond had only been a young girl at the time. Hunger was now getting to her. She had not been out of her room for the past few hours. But now, she was ready to come out. She felt more tired then she had been since she arose from her sleep a few hours before.

The sun outside was still beating outside, yet its height was slowly sinking towards the western horizon. Birds and bees continued to fly around as the clouds made the temperature lower then it should be. Diamond continued to walk to a very warm kitchen. There was no one in there. Her mother and father had gone out for a small walk and provisions.

The kitchen was silent as she walked in. her lunch was sitting on the table. cold mushrooms, bacon, sausages but to name a few were sitting on the plate.

Diamond got onto her seat, where she always sat and looked at her meal. She took a look at her meal as she picked up the knife and fork. The small girl then started to cut up the cold bacon.

Diamond did not bother about it being colder then normal. Hunger was now over taking her. A small shred of bacon was cut off. The fork was lifted up. The bacon was stuck to it.

The young girl continued to eat. It took her a few minutes to finish her meal. All of the condense had been cleared. Diamond was now smiling, her sprits were lifting as her hunger was being fought back.

A noise echoed though the house. Diamond looked over at the door. She knew exactly who it was. Her mother and father had returned.

The young girl quickly got off her seat and walked towards the door. But she had left it too late. Her mother had come around the door way. Little Diamond stopped in her tracks. Her mother stopped as well. She was carrying a basket full of fresh bread and uncooked beef and bacon. There were a few eggs and a few pints of milk also.

The two of them looked at each other. There was a strange tension between them. A few times, Diamond's mother went to say something, but did not.

Diamond slowly walked out the room and along the corridor. Her mother took a deep breath as she placed the basket on the work top. A white cloth had been placed over the packages in the basket.

She took it off and placed it on the work top. Inside the basket were different packets of stuff. The eggs were taken out and placed carefully on the side. The large flask of cool milk was taken out.

Loaves of bread, a large chunk of red beef and a few slices of bacon. Soon, everything was place on the work top. The basket was placed by the cellar door. Diamond's mother then went back to the work top.

In the present, Diamond was slowly walking back to her house. The coldness was deeper then it had been in a while. The snow crushed under foot. The wind made her even colder then would have liked. Chimneys smoked, showing signs of life in the hill side. As Diamond was heading back home, someone called out her name.

she looked around to see Marigold Gamgee smiling and walking towards her.

"I haven't seen you in an age!" she said, hugging Diamond.

Diamond gave her a forced smile. All she wanted was to go home and wait for her puppy. But she had to put on a different face.

"I know, I'm sorry" she said, looking at the golden hair girl before her.

"What if you come over later on? We could have a nice long talk" Diamond said.

Marigold smiled and nodded.

"I could come now if you would like"

Diamond thought on. Faramir would want his nap soon.

"Well, Faramir will be asleep soon and I have to clean up a bit" Diamond told her.

"Oh, right" Marigold said.

There was a strong likeness to Samwise in Marigold. They were the two closest born Gamgee children. Both Sam and Marigold, also known as Mari to her closest friends, were the closest in age.

"Well, I need to go and see my brother Sam for a while, I'll be around later on" she said.

The two girls hugged and parted ways.

Diamond walked to her gate and opened it. There was still no sign of Origo around. In fact, Origo was asleep. Asleep in a small fox hole.

Ivy was still searching for him. Her little wings were beating fast as she flew though the forest. A path wound though the forest. But there was still no sign of Origo.

"Oh where could he be?"

Ivy had been searching for most of the night, going down rabbit hole and foxes dens in search of him. Another fox hole came into view.

"He has to be in this one" she told herself, zooming down to the floor.

The snow seemed to be thinner around the edge of hole. Ivy looked inside. The darkness seemed to go on for ever. Her little, fragile wings were tucked away.

"Origo?" she asked.

The small fairy was a bit scared. The darkness seemed much bigger then she was. The small fairy slowly walked in. The land outside swallowed her up as she walked deeper.

The coldness of the wind seemed to be blocked out by the walls of soil either side. Small roots seemed to poke out of the black soil. The small bit of light radiated from the small fairy. It was the only light that was down in the darkness.

Ivy's small heart was all that she could hear. Her eyes were scanning around. The roots seemed to thin the further she went down. It was then that she saw it. A large black hole.

The fairy stopped.

She was weary going down any strange or dangerous passage that may lead her into trouble. Ivy took a step towards it.

"Origo, are you here?" she asked, looking inside.

The light fell on an empty chamber. The floor seemed to be covered in thin strands of red hair. This means foxes had once lived here. But there was no sign of her puppy.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked around. She wondered how many other small chambers she had to check before she would find him. There was a small bit of cold wind blowing down from the outside world.

Ivy came across the second chamber. It was then, when she was just about to go in, she heard a small sneeze. She stopped suddenly. Her heart quickly began to rise in pace.

The small fairy slowly poked her head around the side of the hole. The green light touched a small black creature. Two small eyes glinted back at her. It was Origo.

"Origo, what are you doing here? Are you alright?"

But she was not answered. The puppy continued looking at her, but didn't answer. Ivy slowly walked towards him. To the fairy, Origo was big and more powerful then she was. But to hobbits, Origo was small and vulnerable.

"Do you want to go home? I'm sure Diamond is trying to look for you" Ivy told the puppy.

By Origo was not in the mood to talk to anyone. He was cold and alone in the world. All he wanted to do was to lay where he was.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked around. The chamber was not very nice. A few cold drips on muddy water fell from the top of the chamber. A few landed on Origo's fluffy fur.

He whined every time a drip landed on him. The temperature was making him shiver a bit. He longed to go back to his Diamond. But he wasn't sure that she loved him anymore.

In fact, she did. Diamond was feeling very guilty indeed. She knew that she should not have ignored him. But there was nothing to do but wait for him to come back, if he did at all.

Marigold had reached her brother's home. The door opened and Rosie was standing there. A smile came over her face.

"Hello Marigold, do come in" she said, opening the door wider.

Marigold smiled and made her way in. There were no mats to wipe her feet on. But Rosie didn't seem to mind. The door was quickly closed. The children, from what Mari could hear, were now playing though out Bag End.

Marigold took off her coat and went to hang in. but there were no free pegs. She looked around, but Rosie was busy picking up toys. Mari thought better of it and placed her coat on one of the very full looking pegs. She then walked away.

A small girl suddenly started to run up to her. Mari instantly started to smile.

"Auntie Marigold!" the girl said.

The two of them embraced in a big cuddle.

"How are you doing Elanor?" she asked, kissing her niece.

Elanor giggled.

"I am fine" she answered.

"Come on, lets go and find mummy"

So, Elanor was carried all the way to kitchen. There, Rosie was getting out two mugs of tea.

"So, how have you been?" Marigold asked, putting Elanor on the floor.

There were other children around. Merry and Rose were playing a chasing game. They scooted past Mari as she sat down. They both laughed as they left the room.

"So, how is Sam? I haven't seen him for a while" marigold told her.

Rosie stopped for a split second. It was the subject matter that she couldn't hide.

"Oh, well, he's fine" Rosie answered, hoping that was enough to change the subject.

Deep down, Marigold knew that she was being lied to.

"The house seems really busy today" Mari said, looking around at the wooden toys on the floor.

Within the mess of the toys there were flutes, wooden swords, small pull along ducks for Rose and some how, one of Rosie's wooden spoons.

"Well, the children are just excited about Yule" Rosie answered, placing the now heavy kettle on the hook above the fire.

The fire was raging, sending smoke rushing up the chimney into the cold air outside. There were clocks mounted to the wall. They were all showing the time. The minute hand was on the black number seven and the hour hand was on the number ten.

The fire tickled the underside of the kettle. It had already been burnt black after years and years of being placed over the fire.

A small bit of water vapour started to snake out of the top of the kettle. This was a sign of the water starting to heat up. Two mugs were placed on the work top. A small box of tea leaves was taken out as well as a jar of white sugar.

The box was opened and a strong smell of tea hit Rosie's nose.

Marigold was looking around. Candles were flickering on their stands. Over all, the whole room had a welcoming feel to it.

The tiled floor, although having a large family walking over it nearly ever day, was unusually clean and dirt free. The kettle slowly continued to boil the water inside. Rosie placed a few of the tea leaves into the mugs.

"I have to put the two chickens in the oven soon" Rosie said, half to herself and half to Marigold.

The cellar door opened. Rosie walked in, leaving Mari sitting by herself in the kitchen. But she was not alone for long. Elanor came walking in. Her hair was near enough the same colour as her aunties hair.

"What are you doing Auntie Marigold?" she asked, stopping.

Marigold smiled at her favourite niece.


	44. Day Twenty One, Part Two

"I'm just waiting for your mother to get the chickens out and then we'll be going into the lounge" Marigold answered, picking Elanor up.

Elanor was still quiet small. Her height and length of her feet were still growing. There were fine strands of very golden hair on top of her feet. For all hobbits had curly hair on both their feet and on top of their heads.

Rosie came out of the cellar and placed a large wrapped chicken on the work top. She then turned around and walked back in the cellar to get the second one.

Meanwhile, Sam was sitting beside Frodo's bed. Frodo seemed to had got his apatite back and was now eating the rest of the loaf. The mug of cool water was almost drained. Frodo continued to eat the fresh bread.

Sam was smiling. He had his son back. But there was a very dark matter to discus with him.

"Frodo, we need to talk" said Sam, sitting up and leaning forward.

He was ready to ask where his son had been. Frodo stopped chewing and looked at his father. There was a sense that Sam was going to shout.

But that was not the case.

"I want you to tell me where you have been" he said.

Frodo's eyes darted from side to side for a few seconds.

"I…"

He knew his friends would get into trouble. But he knew that he would also get into trouble if he didn't answer his father.

"It wa…" he started, but stopped.

"It wasn't my fault"

Sam took a deep breath and sat back.

"I am not angry at you, I'm just disappointed" he said.

Guilt was now strong in Frodo's heart. He took a deep breath and looked down.

"I'm sorry" he said, his hunger was now gone.

He knew that he shouldn't have gone over the ridge of the hill. But he couldn't help it. He thought that he could get back in time. But the coldness had gotten a hold of him before he could turn back.

Rosie had now placed the second giant bird on the work top. She smiled as she took the kettle off of the hook. It was very hot, that's why she used a cloth to hold it. The two cups were sitting on the work top. Elanor was looking around, she was still on her aunties lap.

The very hot water was poured into both of the mugs. A small bit of water vapour snaked off the top of the water. The tea leaves that had been placed in the mug before hand were now floating around in circles.

The kettle was then placed back on the hook.

Rosie smiled as she started to stir the cups of water. The tea leaves were now spinning around even more, sending their taste into the warm water. The sugar had been placed on the table.

"There you go" Rosie said, placing the mug on the table.

"Thank you" Marigold said, taking it from Rosie.

Rosie turned around and picked up hers. She pulled out a seat and sat down. The small pot of sugar had a small silver spoon poking out of it.

"Alright darling, Auntie Marigold needs to drink her tea and talk to mummy" she said, making Elanor stand.

Elanor looked around, she now had nothing to do.

"Mummy, could I go outside please?" she asked.

It was a question that Rosie didn't want to answer. But she couldn't lose face in front of Marigold and her daughter.

"Just be back before lunch is ready and don't go over the bridge" Rosie told her daughter.

Elanor nodded and smiled as she went out of the room. She made her way down the corridor to the front door. There were lots of coats and scarves hanging on and across the pegs. Elanor looked and, after a few minutes, found her coat.

It had been hidden under her mother's. The girl carefully tried to get her coat off, but her mother's fell off. Elanor took a deep breath and looked up. She wasn't yet as tall as her parents.

Elanor tried her hardest to reach it. But she was still not tall enough. The young girl knew that both her parents were busy.

So, she left the coat laying on the floor. She quickly put her coat on and buttoned it up. Her mother was heard talking to Marigold.

The large front door was opened and shut quickly. Elanor had stepped out into a cold, white world. Snow covered nearly every inch of every surface. The stone walls that had once been topped with green moss were now topped with white snow. Small foot prints of birds could be seen all along the floor.

A few hobbits were still out. Snowballs were being thrown at each other. Elanor, who was quite popular among the younger hobbits. So, she opened the gate that lead to the path.

The gate creaked as she shut it again. The chimneys sprouting out of the tops of the hills were all smoking. The back smoke was carried gently away by the cold breeze.

Elanor made her way down to where the small group of hobbits were playing.

"Hello Elanor" said one of the girls.

She had brown, curly hair and large blue eyes. She was the smallest out of the group.

"Good morning"

The small girl sniffed and looked around. She was shivering a bit, having been out in the snow longer then Elanor had been. The boys laughed as snowballs flew towards their targets.

A few of the snowballs hit their targets. They shattered into pieces and fell back to the floor. Elanor talked to her friends about the meals that they had and were going to have. The second day of Yule was a busier day then the one before. Later on that night, everyone would be exchanging their presents.

Diamond had already brought all her presents. Faramir had his own present, Origo had his as well and Pippin had one as well.

Pippin was sitting in the lounge. He too had brought his wife and son a present. But he had hidden it very well, so well that his wife did not know where it was.

A large mug of ale had been set on the table. The smell of chicken started to seep though the tiny cracks of the door. Pippin looked up and sniffed. He loved his wives cooking.

The fire raged inside the heath. But the smoke did not fill the room. Instead, it rose up the black stained bricks. Pippin yawned as he sat there. The clock slowly ticked like it had been for many years before.

There was a small table standing on a rug. The rug seemed to have lost a bit of its colour. Faint stains were present on the rug. Some stains were dark red, others were small and only effected a few strains of the rug.

A book was held in Pippin's hands. His eyes scanning over the many words on the pages. All of the letters, words and paragraphs were all hand written. They were all written down before Pippin or rather Pippin's father, Paladin, was born.

There were many pages to this book. The pages were crisp as he flipped over to the next page. Everything around him fell on deaf ears as he was transported into a different world.

This world was different from the one he was presently in. Rouges, goblins, orcs, rats and strange creatures all flashed before him. Strange dungeons and smells radiated from the words he was reading.

Time seemed not to be a problem for him. In fact, it seemed to go quicker. The door to the lounge opened. Pippin's eyes were torn away from the world.

"Lunch is ready" Diamond said, smiling.

Pippin smiled back and placed the book down. He then rose from the couch and walked out. The top of the door seemed to be lower then normal. But that did not bother Pippin.

The smell of cooked chicken grew and grew as he got nearer and nearer. As he got to the kitchen, faint cries from his son met his ears. He gave a small smile, Diamond heard it as well.

"I'll go and get him" Pip said, walking out of the room again.

Diamond opened the draw and got out a carving knife. The draw was closed as the cries from her became louder. She smiled as she got plates out. Origo's small bowl was still sitting on the floor. It was empty, yet still had small bits of turkey stuck to the inside of the bowl.

Diamond now felt guilty as she looked at it.

"Where are you?" she asked herself.

Her heart was heavy as she started to cut the turkey. Two plates had already placed near by. The crisp brown skin of the cooked bird was then cut into. It was still warm from coming out of the oven.

Hobbits hardly wasted any food. Especially at Yule time. The kitchen table had been set up for the two of them to eat at. Knives and forks had been lain in their places.

Pippin entered the room again, holding Faramir. He was still crying. Diamond looked over at the two of them. She smiled and went back to cutting the bird.

A few minutes later, enough meat had been placed on the plate. Pippin had already sat down on his seat, cradling his son.

"There you go" Diamond said, placing the plate before Pippin.

He smiled.

"Thank you" he said.

Diamond turned around and picked up hers. She placed it on her tablemat. But she did not sit down. Instead, she got to mugs out and went into the cellar. Pippin had yet to start loading the different foods onto his plate. He was looking at his son, who was still crying.

Diamond filled the mugs with ale and came back out. the door to the cellar was closed.

Outside. Origo was slowly walking though the snow. A small fairy was fluttering by him. Origo was wet and cold, having spent nearly two days out in the coldness of winter.

Hunger was getting to him. He had not eaten a thing all day. He was shivering and whimpering. The small bridge that crossed water came into view.

The Green Dragon looked silent and empty, but there were dwarves in there. They were preparing for the second Yule meal. But it would not be few another few hours.

There were doubts in Origo's heart that Diamond would have him back. He wasn't expecting any more love from her.

"Maybe I should just give up" he told himself.

The snow was making it even more difficult for him to walk. The clouds above seemed to me moving quicker. The sun light was blocked out a few times. But it didn't really matter. The coldness around them was deep and sharp. The hills that housed the hobbits came into view. Origo could see where his Diamond lived.

The small puppy stopped and looked up at it. Ivy stopped as well.

"Puppy?" she asked, landing beside him.

Origo little eyes were fixed on the small door that he could see. There were now two voices arguing in his head. One for going on and one against going back.

"She doesn't love you, cant you see that?" asked one of the voices.

But the other one came in as well.

"Origo, she does love you, why don't you get out of the cold?"

The small puppy was now very confused. He didn't know which one to believe, if any. The wind blew around him, ruffling his fur. Without warning, Origo started off again. He trotted along quite quickly. The path ascended a little bit as the first of the homes came into view.

Ori quickly rushed past them. His little paw prints embedded in the snow. Ivy followed closely behind. The gate and wall that kept Diamond's garden at bay came next.

Origo stopped and looked though the small gaps in the gate. The door was green and reflected a bit of the sunlight come down to it. Ivy stood next to him.

"Do you still want to go on?" Ivy asked.

Origo nodded and snaked though the gaps in the fence. A few long blades of grass stuck though the carpet of whiteness around him. There were a few trees rustling in the wind.

Origo reached the large front door. Ivy fluttered and yet again, landed near by. The puppy stood there for a few seconds.

Diamond and Pippin were eating, Pippin had to do everything with one hand. Just then, a different noise echoed though the house. It was not of wind or fire. It was a noise that they knew.

"Is that…?" Diamond started.

She quickly placed down her knife and fork and walked out of the room. More of the same noises echoed though the house. Diamond smiled as she reached the big front door. She opened it and looked outside. Origo was standing there. His tail instantly began to wag.

"Origo!" Diamond said, scooping the wet puppy up.

"Now where have you been?" she asked.

Ivy smiled and zoomed in as the large door was shut. She barely made it in. the coldness had been blocked out by the big door. Ivy looked back at it, but Diamond was already walking away.

Her sprits were now high again. She walked back into the kitchen.

"Look who I found" she said to Pippin.

Pippin smiled as he saw Origo.

"How did he get outside?" he asked.

That was a question that had been running though her head ever since she had noticed that he had vanished.

"I don't know" she said, looking down at her puppy.

Diamond took her seat again. Now both of the hobbits were having to eat their roasts with one hand. Origo sat on his Diamond lap. His thoughts had been wrong. His Diamond did still love him.

Ivy fluttered and sat on the table near Origo. The puppy yawned as he sat there. He had not been in the house few what seemed a while. He looked up at his Diamond. One of her hands was tickling his ear.

She looked down and smiled. The puppy gave a small whine and looked around for his bowl. Diamond placed down the fork and lifted her puppy up.

Diamond placed him on the floor.

"I'll get you some turkey in a minute" she told him.

Origo stood there, his little sad puppy eyes looking up at his Diamond. The fork was picked up again. Small, soft whimper came from where Origo was standing. Diamond looked down. Her heart just melted. The combination of the fluffiness, the large puppy eyes and his soft whimper just melted Diamond's heart. The hobbit took a large breath. She couldn't bare to leave her lovely warm lunch. But then again, Origo needed his food.

"Alright" she said, getting up.

She took a deep breath as she walked towards the cellar. Origo blinked twice and followed her. The darkness of the cellar made him stop in his tracks.

He could just about see his Diamond inside the darkness. A small whine came from Origo, he was very hungry indeed.

Diamond immerged from the dark cold cellar. She was holding a large packet of precooked turkey. Origo's small tale started to wag as his little nose picked up the faint smell of the turkey. Diamond noticed a sudden change in him.

She knew that he loved his turkey. The bowl was picked up. Diamond looked inside. It had small bits of turkey stuck on it.

"A new bowl" she told herself, walking over to the sink.

She placed it in and tuned around. a smile came over her lips. She walked over to the cupboard and opened it. There were many bowls and plates of all sizes. They were all made of smooth china. Some had small blue patterns on them. Others were just plain.

Diamond placed the bowl on the work top. The large packet turkey was ripped open. Now even Diamond could smell the turkey.

The bowl was almost full to the brim with turkey. Diamond smiled and picked it up. Origo was eagerly waiting for his food.

"There you go" she said, placing it on the floor.

Before she could move her hand away, Origo was already eating. Diamond gave a small smile and looked back at her husband. They were now a family again. Faramir was giggling as Pippin made funny faces.

Diamond took her seat again and picked up her knife and fork again. Pippin was getting more roast potatoes out of the large bowl. Only one potato was picked up at a time.

The level of gravy was slowly emptied as both of the hobbits poured it all over their food. All around Hobbiton, lunches were being served.

Large chickens were being cut into and eaten. Parsnips, sprouts, sausages, bacon, carrot and turnip and sauces of every kind were sitting on the table.

But there was one hobbit that was not sitting at a table. Fredegar was still lying on the bed. He had not moved for the entire day.

The door opened slowly. Estella Bolger, his little sister, stood there. There were no candles burning in the room now. The fire was just red hot ash in the heath.

The plate of food that her mother had brought in hours ago was untouched and still on the small bed side table. Estella took a deep breath.

"Fredegar?" she asked.

But there was no movement from her brother. Estella took a deep breath and walked a bit nearer. Fredegar still did not show any signs of movement.

"Are you still going to the Green Dragon?" she asked.

Her eyes darted to the stale sandwich on the table. She reached her hand out and took the plate. It was a waste of food.

Something was different about her brother. He did not leave food. Everyone in Hobbiton and the surrounding area knew that he could eat more then others. But at this moment in time, he had not eaten a thing all day.

Estella was getting worried about him. Of course, his father had died the night before.

"Fredegar, please talk"

But there was still no answer. The girl stood there for a few more seconds before giving up. She knew that she couldn't force him to talk. But she hoped he would.

Without another word spoken, she turned around and walked out of the room. the door was closed, shutting off the light from the corridor.

Estella took a deep breath and started to walk back to the kitchen. Rosamunda was in the kitchen as well. She looked around as her daughter came in.

"He didn't eat it?" Rosamunda asked.

She had her hands in a warm bowl of water. On one side of her, there were dirty plates. On the other were wet, clean plates.

"No" Estella said sadly.

Both girls were now worried about Fredegar. They knew full well that he would have eaten in, no matter his mood. But this time was very different.

"He's taken it very hard" Estella said.

Rosamunda continued to wash up.

"It will be some time before he is himself again. We must not push him into things that he does not want to do" Rosamunda answered.

She continued to wash up, the pates dripping as they came out of the water. A few minutes later, all of the dishes were clean and wet. The water in the bowl was now dirty. Small particles of food floated around in the water.

The plug was pulled out, changing their courses dramatically. The bubbles in the surfaces popped.

Rosamunda turned around. There was a cloth on back on one of the chairs. Rosamunda picked it up and started to dry her hands.

Fredegar's lunch and breakfast were still sitting there.

Deep down, she knew that she would have to throw it away.

Marigold smiled and kissed little Elanor on the cheek.

"You be good for your mother now, wont you?" she asked.

Elanor smiled.

"I'm always good" she answered.

Marigold laughed and put her back on the floor. Rosie was waiting at the door as well. Marigold picked out her coat.

"Thank you for the tea, it was nice talking to you again"

The two of the hugged. Marigold opened the door to the cold world and walked out. Elanor watched as the door closed.

She looked at her mother and smiled. Rosie did not know it, but Elanor had heard nearly everything that they said. The young girl had stopped in the corridor. She could hear her mothers voice.

Elanor found it hard not to breath as she inched slowly closer to the door. Her coat had been left unhooked as she had come back in a little bit early to hear what was going on.

"Well" said her mothers voice.

"A few days ago, Frodo went missing"

Elanor could not see the reaction of her aunt.

"Missing?" she asked, drinking her tea.

"Yes, for the past few days. We've been worried sick" Rosie told her.

Elanor knew that something had happened to her brother, but she did not full know.

"Where was he?" Marigold asked.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"We don't know, we haven't asked him yet" Rosie answered.

There was a strange silence.

"Do you have any idea of where he went?" Marigold asked.

Elanor looked around, making sure that her father was not coming. Inside the kitchen, Rosie was shaking her head.

"No we don't. We asked all of his friends and none of them seemed to be with him that day"

In fact, Rosie was being lied to. Frodo had indeed been with his friends that day. All was waiting to be uncovered. But for now, all would be covered up.

Elanor now knew more then she was meant to. Both Rosie and Marigold continued to talk. The subject matter changed every now and again. From snow, to the children, to the prospect of having a warm summer this year.

"Well, I best be heading out now" Marigold said, looking at the clock on the wall.

Elanor scooted off to her room as both Marigold and Rosie stood up. The two mugs were left in their places. Rosie opened the door and walked out. she had no idea that her oldest daughter had just eavesdropped on their conversation.

"I'll just go and get Elanor" Rosie said.

Marigold smiled and walked down the opposite way to where Rosie was. Elanor was laying on her bed, her favourite horse was standing up. She was looking at it with a smile.

Just then, two knocks came at the door. Her mother walked in a few seconds later.

"Auntie Marigold is going now" she said.

Elanor smiled and sat up. She slid off of the bed and went out of the room. She and her mother walked down the corridor to the front door. There, Marigold was waiting.

She smiled as her niece came towards her. Mari picked her up.

"Good bye Elanor" she said, kissing her on the cheek.

Elanor giggled.

"Good bye auntie Marigold"

The two of them hugged for a few seconds.

"You be good for your mother now, wont you?" she asked.

Elanor smiled.

"I'm always good" she answered.

Marigold laughed and put her back on the floor. Rosie was waiting at the door as well. Marigold picked out her coat.

"Thank you for the tea, it was nice talking to you again"

The two of the hugged. Marigold opened the door to the cold world and walked out. Elanor watched as the door closed. Rosie walked away, back to the kitchen. She had a lot of work to do now.

Elanor walked after her mother. She knew what they were talking about, but could not give the game away. Rosie picked up the two mugs as her daughter walked in.

"Would you like any help mummy?" she asked.

Rosie smiled as she turned around.

"No thank you dear" she answered.

Elanor stood there for a few more seconds before walking out of the room.

Origo had now been asleep since lunch time. The large bowl of turkey that he had consumed had taken its toll on him. The pillow that he was snoozing on was nice and warm. A fire was gently dancing in the heath as the hours past on.

Images were crossing his eyes. But they were not of books or the present time. They were of very old memories. A table sat in the middle of a room. there were seats around it. A young looking boy sat there, all alone.

He had long black hair. The windows were broken, the glass smashed. Plants were growing in from the outside. The weather was good at this time of year. Birds and beasts roamed the land in countless numbers.

A sound echoed though the empty house. The boy looked up. He knew exactly who it was. A being opened the creaky door.

It was a girl. Unlike the boy, she had blonde hair. But both were the same length. Her eyes were big and dark brown. She gave a small smile as she walked in.

"It is nice to see you again" she said.

The boy gave a small nod, but nothing more. The girl pulled out a chair and sat down. There was dust on near enough everything. The house was in a bad state of repair. It was obvious that no one had been living in it for a few years.

"Did you find her?" asked the girl.

The boy nodded and smiled.

"Of course I did" he answered.

The girl smiled.

"Is she what you hoped for?" she asked.

The boy nodded.

"She is perfect"

The mood in the room darkened a small bit. There was now a seriousness to it.

"I think we should do it when there a bit older" said the boy.

The girl leant forward a small bit.

"A bit older?" she asked.

In the real world, Origo was snoozing peacefully on the pillow. Diamond walked into the room, holding a baby. Faramir was sleeping as well. She looked over and saw her puppy curled up on her pillow.

Origo looked peaceful. Diamond placed her sleeping son down in the cot. Faramir started to cry a bit, but soon the noise died down.

Diamond took a deep breath and smiled as she looked back over at her puppy again. Deep down, she knew that he loved her.

"But if only he could talk" she sighed, walking out of the room.

Back in the dream, Origo was in fact talk. But I was not in the form he was now. Long ago, both Origo and Abira, although they were not known at their present day names, were sent to protect Diamond and Pimpernel.

"They are too young and they would not understand" the boy said.

The girl looked down and took a deep breath. Deep down, she knew that what she had been sent would result in something happening to her.

"But what if I don't want to?" she asked.

The boy was confused.

"We are the only two left. We need to do it" he explained.

The girl was scared. She knew that they were laying nearly everything on the line for these two girls.

"But I don't want to die!" she said.

The boy knew that she was scared. He was scared as well. But it was the only way that they could do it.

"I know, I know" he said.

The birds and sound of wind seemed to have stopped. No sounds entered the house.

"But what if it doesn't work?" the girl asked.

"What will we do then?"

That was a question the boy could no answer. For he did not know what would happen. There was a high risk that it wouldn't work. But then again, there was a possibility that it would.

The boy and girl were the last two of their race in Middle-Earth. All of their race had been killed off. The boy took a deep breath and looked over at the window. He could see leaf filled trees rustling in the wind. Birds flew past like small black dots.

There were no answers. The boy had put a lot of thought into what they were going to do. He knew that it was the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, the time continued to pass. One o'clock came and went. In the Green Dragon, the dwarves were moving the packets of food. There still seemed to be quite a lot left over.

The chickens had been taken from the cellar and were now sitting on the work tops waiting to be prepared. The pots and pans that had been used the day before had been cleaned.

Pans were being put on hobs of the ovens. Yet it would still be a few hour until the fire underneath was hot enough to cook anything.

Rosie Gamgee was at home. She had a lot of work to do tonight. Sam seemed to be in higher sprits then the day before.

"Would you look after the children while I go and see the doings at the Dragon?" she asked.

Sam nodded. Frodo was still in bed. But he was not awake. He had fallen asleep again. There was a moment of awkwardness as Rosie stood there. A sense of not being welcomed suddenly came over her. She quickly closed the door.

Elanor was in her room. She could hear her mother walked down the corridor to the front door. Rosie put her coat on and buttoned it up. She took a deep breath as she opened the door. A sudden cold blast of air met her.

The wind ruffled her curly hair as she closed the door. There were no hobbits about, save from the few children that had gone out again. A few unfinished snow hobbits had been left for another time. The surrounding countryside was carpeted in a white blanket.

The clouds were gathering, threatening to throw more and more coldness their way. But for now, they were saved from another snow fall.


	45. Day Twenty One, Part Three

Rosie could see small flickering candles in the windows. The chimneys were sending black smoke into the air. The roof had melting patches of snow. Stalagmites of ice hung down from the thatched roof. The large door leading into was closed and with good reason.

A few minutes later, Rosie reached it. She knocked three times. There was movement on the other side. The door slowly opened. The head a dwarf came out.

"Oh, it's you!" he said, opening the door even more.

Rosie smiled and walked in. The Green Dragon was darker then normal. The dwarves liked it that way. The candles had been put out, yet the air was still warm. Rosie took her coat off and placed it around of the many chairs. The dwarves seemed not to be as busy as they were yesterday. But then again, they still had four hours to get things ready.

The first job the dwarves had to do was to prepare the chickens for their long spell in the oven. Bowls of different seasoning were dotted along the work top. Large treys with uncooked chicken were laying on the work top also.

One of the six dwarves had a large vase of oil. He was pouring it in the each one of the six treys. The oil was thicker then water. There was also yellowish colour to the liquid.

Rosie smiled as she came in. There was a smell of beef. Rosie thought that the dwarves had stayed up late the night. A few instruments had been placed back into their bags.

The dwarves had been telling tales of old and songs on ancient happening. Dragons, gold, crows and armies of black monstrous beings. But now, in present times, all but the gold and crows had been defeated.

Rosie smiled as she looked around.

"I guess your going to start getting things ready soon?" she asked.

In her coat pocket was a list of people that had been invited for the second day of Yule. This list included Merry Brandybuck, Fredegar Bolger and Pervinca Took.

But the days of happiness seemed to have vanished for Merry. He missed the good old times with his friends. He knew that Pippin had now got a son to look after. But he wished there was one night where they could go down to the Green Dragon and have an ale or two.

Merry walked though his empty house. The clocks clicked as the hobbit entered the lounge. The lounge was nicely decorated. It had a large comfy seat along one edge of the room. a fire was raging in the heath. Books, both old, new and unread had been placed there. The covers were all different colours.

"Maybe I should go and see if he wants a drink" Merry thought, though he had a pint of ale already.

A few minutes later, Merry got up. He swayed for a few seconds, he could not hold his ale as well as he did a few years ago. The hobbit smiled to himself and walked out of the room.

The kitchen was entered. Merry placed down the mug near the sink. The hobbit gave a small hiccup. He smiled and patted his large stomach.

Merry left the kitchen again and walked down the corridor. A small table had been set out half way between the front door and the kitchen. Merry's perception of where he was seemed to be a little off for he bumped into it. The vase that had been placed on top started to sway.

It toppled to the point of no return and started to fall. The vase fell off of the table and smashed into a million pieces on the hard tiled floor. The contents spilled all over the floor.

Glass, water and flowers spread away from the impact. Glass hit the opposite of the wall. Merry turned around.

"Shush!" he said, placing one finger on over his mouth.

The water formed a small stream that started to slowly run down the cracks on the tiles. Merry continued to walk down the corridor to the front door.

His coat was put on. He tried to do the buttons up, but his fingers were not working for him. Merry grumbled as he gave up. He grabbed the handle that was in the middle of the big door and opened it.

The cold wind instantly hit him. His eyes started tear from the coldness. The temperature got to his large stomach quicker then it did the rest of his body.

The coldness seemed to somewhat sober him up. A small tear fell from his eye as he sniffed. The gate was approached. He opened it up with a click and walked though. Merry's fingers were now numbing in the coldness. His finger movements had gone down to the bare minimum.

The toes on his long feet were numb as well. They were so numb that he could not feel the coldness of the melting snow that he was walking on.

Pippin and Diamond lived just a few houses down. But it seemed like a longer trip in the coldness. Merry took a deep breath in, his body was shaking uncontrollably. But he his sprits were raised by the sight of Pippins door.

A minute later, Merry knocked on the door.

Inside, Diamond was slicing warm turkey for her puppy when the echoes reached her. She looked around.

"That's funny" she said, placing down the knife.

"I wasn't expecting anyone"

So, she placed down her cutting knife and started to walk down the hall, wiping her hands on her white apron as she went.

The door opened and, standing before her, she saw Merry. His hair was blowing in the wind and he was hunched over, hands in pockets.

"Merry, what are you doing here?" she asked, completely forgetting her manors.

Merry smiled.

"Co… could I co… come in please?" he asked between intakes of breath.

Diamond suddenly gasped, remembering her manors as quickly as she had forgotten them.

"Why of course!" she said, moving out of the way.

A cold Merry walked in. His head was had a very strange feeling to it. Everything seem further away from normal. Diamond smiled.

"You must be freezing, I'll go and get you some tea" she said, scurrying off.

Merry smiled as he took off his coat. He placed it on one of the pegs and took a deep breath. He regretted having that pint of ale before hand. But it had been a few days since he had actually had one. Merry knew that the first pint would have more effect on him.

Merry slowly to walk down the hall way, making sure not to bump into anything this time. Pippin came out of the lounge carrying a mug of tea.

"Merry?" he asked, seeing him standing there.

Merry was standing there smiling. His coat had been hung up on the hook.

"Hello Pip"

A few hours past between then and the time that Origo woke up. His little eyes slowly opened. The sun outside was setting in the West like always. Yet the activity of the birds outside was ceasing to stop. The warmth of the pillow was still very inviting for the puppy. He gave a small yawn and rolled onto one side.

Sounds echoed through the house. Origo looked over at the door.

"What's going on?" he asked himself.

The warmth of bed was still over powering him. On the other side of the door, Merry was being led down the hall way.

"You can come back when your sober" Diamond said, pushing Merry towards the door.

Pippin was giggling behind. Between them, they had drank nearly ten pints. Diamond was not as happy to see them misbehaving.

"But why?" Merry asked.

His speech was obviously slurred.

"Why?" Diamond asked.

Her big staring eyes looked deep into Merry's. but they did not work on him this time.

"Why? Because your drunk and I don't you in my house" she said.

There was a few second of silence before Diamond started to push him again. Merry put his hand on his head as he was stopped.

"Here is your coat" said Diamond, handing it to Merry.

She did not give him a second before the door was opened. Merry was pushed out into the coldness. He looked back, but the door was closed almost instantly.

Diamond took a deep breath and turned around. Pippin was standing there.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Diamond shook her head. Crying from her bed room. She took a deep breath.

"Fantastic" she muttered.

"I'll get him" Pippin said merrily.

But Diamond quickly stopped him.

"No, you need to calm down" she said, rushing past him.

Pippin put on his confused face as his wife rushed past. Diamond opened the door to her room. a small puppy was standing there. Diamond gasped and stopped just inches from him.

"Oh, Origo" she said.

Origo looked happier then normal. He yawned and waited to be picked up for a cuddle. But it never happened. Instead, Diamond walked over to the cot, leaving Origo standing there with his cuddle.

"Come here" Diamond said, lifting her son out.

Faramir's small face was screwed up. But no tears were produced. Diamond hushed him as she walked towards the door again.

"Come on, Ori" she said, smiling.

Origo's tail wagged and he followed at her heals. The rest of the day would consist of present giving. It was a tradition on the second day of Yule to give presents.

Origo himself had got a small gift from his Diamond. Pippin had brought his already, which was rare due to him forgetting the last couple of times.

The kitchen was spotless. Hunger was now bothering the small puppy. It had been just a few hours since he had eaten. His bowl was still on the side. The noisy puppy was yet again getting more attention then he was.

A small bark came from the pup.

"Oh, food" Diamond said as she sat down.

She instantly got up again. A small tune was hummed to Faramir. It seemed to work for a few seconds, but then he started crying even harder. The cellar door was opened and Diamond walked in.

The cries of Faramir echoed out. Origo blinked twice, waiting for his Diamond to come back out.

Diamond picked up the pack and walked back out again. Origo sneezed twice as she did so.

"Bless you pup" she said.

Origo's little head shook and he looked up. It took longer then normal to get the turkey ready. Origo's attention started to wonder. There was a small curious bag propped up against one wall.

Origo looked back up at Diamond. Of course she was still busy. Origo then slowly started to walk towards the bag. It was much bigger then he was. There was small letters on the surface of the woven material. But Origo could not read them.

A strange smell hit him. It was new, but he wasn't scared of it. His little puppy eyes scanned over the large bag in front of him.

It was then that he noticed it. A small rip in the bottom. But that was not all. There seemed to be a ball. Well, that's what Origo thought. Without thinking, he grabbed it. His teeth dug deep into it. The ball crunched. A small bit broke off.

Origo moved back as a small piece rolled onto the floor. His puppy eyes were fixed on it.

"Come on Origo, food is ready" Diamond said behind him.

The puppy's attention was instantly taken away from the broken potato. It was now on his food. The packet of turkey had been emptied into the bowl. The packet had been left on the work top.

Origo started to wolf down the turkey. Another bowl was taken out of the cupboard. This one was for Faramir. A small spoon was taken out of the draw.

Faramir began to giggle as he watched the small puppy continued to eat. Diamond smiled as she put the orange mush into the bowl.

"Come on then" she said, picked up the bowl and walking to the table.

Ivy, a small fairy, fluttered into the room. Her small wings beat quickly as she stopped in midair. A small smile came over her lips as she fluttered and landed near Origo.

"I see your awake now puppy" she said, standing a bit further back then normal.

But Origo didn't even look up. Turkey took priority over everything. Ivy watched him.

"Slow down puppy, your going to get ill"

But once again, Origo didn't answer or even look up. Ivy took a deep breath and looked over at Diamond and Faramir. Faramir had been lain down and was now being fed.

Diamond sang a small song that Ivy had never heard before. A small breeze of cold air ticked the fairy's hair. Pippin was the only one not in the kitchen. In fact, he was the only one not awake. He had gone back into the lounge. He had sat down on the sofa.

The ale that he had drunk had warn him out. Tiredness showed on his face as a yawn. His eyes had started to slowly close. A few times, his head had rolled back, waking him up again.

This happened until Pippin rested his on the back on the couch. His eyes slowly feel closed again. Everything went dark, sounds disappeared from his ears as Pippin slipped into sleep.

Images started to appear over his eyes. A dream had been switched on. It was a strange dream. The inside of the Green Dragon came into view. Everything seemed to be different some how.

Of course, there were hobbits there. But they seemed to be in chains.

"Chains?" he asked, looking down at own hands.

His wrists were bound with two rusty shackles. Chains linked the two of them together. His ankles were shackled together as well.

"Get moving!" said a loud, angry voice.

A sharp pain came across his back. A orc was standing over him, twice as big and twice as powerful then he was. Darkness covered this once beautiful land. Other hobbits were also chained up as well. They were all dirty, tired and sore.

Fires burned outside. The line of hobbits slowly moved on. They were heading towards a table. On either side, a giant orc stood still like a statue. Sitting down on a seat, Saruman.

Pippin stopped and looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

Another whip came and hit him. The pain of the impact showed on his face. The line of tired hobbits moved on a bit. Saruman smiled evilly as he took something off of each hobbit.

It was Pippins turn next. He stood in front of the evil wizard.

"Ah, another Took" Saruman said, smiling.

"One of the hobbits that tried to over throw Sauron The Great"

He chuckled.

"It was a dear shame to waste your two friends like that" Saruman told him.

The two large berserker orcs made no movement at all. Their faces baring the White Hand. Their large double pointed swords were held in their hands.

Everything about the orcs standing there were scary and intimidating.

"Now, onto the matter in hand. One coin from Peregrin Took" Saruman said, looking down at the list.

"Money?" Pippin though.

He had no money on him. He placed his hand in his pocket. But it was empty. He did the same on the other side, but once again, nothing. His heart rate began to rise.

"It looks like we have a rule breaker" Saruman said.

Without warning, Pippin felt two hand grab his shoulder. They were massive and black.

"Move!" shouted a voice.

Pippin was then pushed away from the line. None of the other hobbits helped him or even looked to see where he was going. For a split second, he could see his sister in the line as well. Pimpernel was looking down. She took no notice of Pippin.

Pippin was pushed into a room. it had once been the kitchens. But all the welcomeness had been taken away. A few candles shared what little light they could. Everything was black and dirty.

A strange looking machine had been set up there. There was a bed of rusting metal bars. The shackles were taken off of his wrist and ankles. Pippin hardly had time to sooth his aches before being pushed towards the metal bed.

"Get on!" said an orc.

Pippin could now see shackles. He was lain on the bed of metal. The shackles were clamped to his ankles and wrists for the second time.

But this time, he could not move. They were pressed on harder then normal. A metal clunk echoed around what used to be the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" asked Pippin, looking at both wrists.

But the orcs did not answer. Two of them stood at the top and two at the bottom. The metal chains were slowly cranked inwards. Pippin could feel the tension in the chains rising.

The pain started to rise with every crank.

"Stop!" Pippin ordered.

But this only made things worse. The orcs cranked again.

"Stop it, please!" he said, his voice getting louder.

His limbs were now on fire. They were being stretched beyond what he can take.

"Pippin?" asked a voice.

But it was not Saruman or any orc. This was a hobbit.

"Pippin?"

The images stopped flashing across his eyes. Diamond was standing over him.

"Pippin? What's wrong?" Diamond said.

Pippin slowly opened his eyes. The room around him was darker then it had been when he had fallen asleep. Yet the candles and fire were still burning as always.

Diamond look concerned.

"What… what happened?" Pippin asked.

He had beads of sweat running down his face. There was a strange soberness about him. His eyes were replaying what he had just seen.

"You were talking to yourself" Diamond told him.

Pippin still did not understand what she was on about.

"Talking? What did I say?"

His wife looked down. She didn't know how to explain it to him.

"Well, you said stop it a few times, that was it" she said.

Pip looked down, he sat up. His head was hurting. The clock on the wall showed it to be nearly five o'clock. The time when the people invited would turn up at the Green Dragon.

Merry Brandybuck was one of them. But he was late. He had completely forgotten about the invitation sitting on his bed side table.

Down at the Green Dragon, the hobbits were lining up for the second meal. Rosie Gamgee yawned as she checked invitations. The line slowly, but surely, grew shorter as more and more hobbits were allowed in. once or twice, some of the hobbits were turned away.

"I'm sorry, if you don't have an invitation, you cant come in" she said.

Rosie knew full well that she had not given them invitations in the first place. Rosie watched them walk away. After a few seconds, she turned her attention back to the hobbits standing there.

"Hello Pervinca" Rosie said merrily.

Vinnie looked cold and hungry. She had been so excited about coming to feast that she had hardly eaten all day.

"Good after noon" she shivered.

She held out the invitation in her cold, numb hand. Rosie smiled as she took it. She looked down at the name on the list. She took the quill and scribbled out her name.

"Get inside, Vinnie, you look freezing"

Vinnie smiled as she walked past. The warmth suddenly hit her. It was akin to sliding into a hot bath at the end of the day. Some of the hobbits had already taken their seats. Chatter had started to rise in volume as more and more hobbits took their places.

Pervinca found hers after a minute or two. It was on the middle table. She shared it with some of the elders. Rosie was left outside. She had two more names on the list, yet no sign of either of them.

She knew that she could not wait too long. The people inside would get annoyed.

"Just another minute" she thought.

She too wanted to get inside the warmth and start the meal. The minute seemed to slowly tick by. The five chimes of clock rang out inside the Green Dragon. Rosie took a deep breath and walked inside.

"They'll just have to miss it" she thought, closing the door.

She looked over at the kitchen door. A dwarf was standing there. The hobbit gave a small nod to the dwarf. A sign that everything was good to go.

The door to the kitchens closed on the guests. But not for long. The door opened again and out came a dwarf. He was carrying a large chicken. It was brown and steaming hot.

A round of applause erupted from each of the hobbits. But that chicken was not the only one. Just like the night before, five more followed. One for each table.

Pervinca smiled as she took in a large wave of smell. This made her hunger even deeper. The dwarf placed the chicken in the middle of the table and walked away. Vinnie watched him walk out of sight.

There were still many bowls of food to place out. Boats of gravy, mountains of roast potatoes, piles of sprouts, long runner beans, carrot and turnip, forests of broccoli, parsnips, stacks of sausages, slices of crispy bacon, tender chicken and hot gravy all took up the space.

Pervinca smiled. She had never seen so much food in such quality before. The idea that her mother could do any better flew out the window. This was much better then anything her mother could do.

It took a few trips to put all of the bowls out. Silver spoons were placed in every bowl. Plates had been placed in front of every place. Six in all.

Pervinca noticed that there was no room for any more bowls.

"I guess we can start" she said, looking around.

At that, nearly every hobbit seated at a table had started to eat. Food was piled onto plates. Potatoes were scooped up. Gravy was poured on mountains of food. Ale was then brought out and placed in front of each hobbit.

Pervinca smiled as she cut up a roast potato. It was the best she had ever tasted. They were not to crispy, yet not to soft so that they wouldn't break up.

The sound of china and talking echoed around the room. Pervinca continued to eat. There were still two empty seats.

Fredegar Bolger was still laying on his bed. He knew that he had missed the deadline when he had to get down to the Green Dragon. It seemed only a small bit of his heart cared. His sister and mother had come in a number of times. But there was no answers from any of them.

"I just want to know if he's alright, that's all" Estella said.

She cared for her brother very much. It seemed to have effected Fredegar more then it did her.

"All we can do is wait, time will heal his heart" Rosamunda said.

She could still hear her husbands voice. Every so often, her eyes darted over to his chair. She expected him to be sitting there, in his fragile state that she remembered him by. But there was no one there.

"But what if he does something silly?" Estella asked, picking up her tea.

It was the only point in Rosamunda's life when she did not know what to say. She did not have answer. She too was hurting more then anyone could imagine. She had lost the one person she had loved the most. Yet Rosamunda did not show it.

"He wont, we just need to let him have a bit of space"

The light outside was falling into night. The reflection of the candles in the window grew brighter and brighter. The clouds outside slowly started to gather. The stars above were concealed by the carpet of cloud. Yet birds on the green earth continued to sing.

Different songs, some complex, others only a few notes, rang out across the cold land. Trees blew in the forests of old. Rotting logs covered in moss lay where they had been for many years before.

Leaves were rotting all around the forest as well. Some were brown, others black and yellow. There were hardly any creatures crawling on the surface of the forest floor. The weather was too cold for them.

In the Took house hold, Pippin was still sitting where he had been for the past hour. Diamond had left the room. Pippin could still feel the shackles on his wrists as he rubbed them.

But it had all been a dream. It never happened.

Yet deep down, it had happened. The words of Saruman were as real as anything.

"It was a dear shame to waste your two friends like that"

The words repeated over and over again. But he could not stop thinking about what he saw.

Maybe it was what would have happened if Frodo had not destroyed the Ring.

It was too much for Pippin to think about. He needed to get him mind off of what had happened. So, he got up. But the drunkenness had not yet gone. He swayed for a few seconds, catching himself from falling over.

Tiredness was now getting to him again. A yawn came over him as he made his way to the kitchen. Already in the kitchen was Diamond. A pan had been lay on the red hot hob of the oven. She looked around.

"I'm making you some bacon, it might sober you up" she said.

But Pippin was not interested in what she had to say. He made a beeline for the cupboard. His drinking mug had been cleaned and put away.

Diamond watched him as he got it out again.

"Oh no you don't" she said, taking it from him.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked at his wife. There was anger in his veins that he had never felt towards her before. His hand slowly reached for the mug. But Diamond moved away.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"I just need one" he said.

Diamond took a deep breath. She didn't want her Pippin to start drinking again.

"No Pippin, I'm not letting you drink!"

Pippin was now angry. It was unusual for him.

"Diamond, I just want one" said Pippin.

"I really don't feel like arguing"

The bacon in the pan started to smoke even more the usual. Diamond looked around.

"Oh no!" she said, grabbing the wooden end of the pan and quickly taking it off of the heat.

The smoke filled the kitchen. It was now that Pippin could grab his mug and get what he wanted. The smoke created a curtain that he could hide from.

The mug was quickly picked up as Diamond attention was on the now on the burning bacon. Pippin slowly walked over to the cellar. He knew that Diamond would find out sooner or later. But at this moment in time, he didn't care.

The cellar was darker then the kitchen. There was a notable change in temperature. The two barrels of ale were seated at the opposite end to the door. There were shelves of food, but most looked bare. The stokes had yet to be filled in since the two of them got back from their small journey.

The two barrels had small taps that had been drilled into it. One tap for each heavy wooden barrel. Pippin swayed a bit as he knelt down. A drunken smile came across his face. He placed the mug on the floor and turned the tap on. The ale started to pour out of the tap. But it did not accumulate inside the mug. Instead, Pippin had misjudged the tap.

The lovely ale was now pouring onto a floor. Pippin looked around, unaware of what was going on. The hobbit yawned widely. He looked back down at the mug and turned the tap off. He still failed to notice that no ale had gone into the mug. He smiled and picked it up. But that smile crossed over to confusion as the mug was lighter then normal.

"Must be getting stronger" he thought to himself.

The smile came back to his face as he started to drink. But al he got was air. His vision was blurry. But this did not stop him from looking in.

"That's funny…" he thought.

"I could have sworn I turned the tap…"

His eyes then fell on the puddle of ale on the floor.

"Oh no!" he said.

But there was nothing he could do. His high sprits were dashed. He knew that Diamond would find out. Peregrin placed his finger into the puddle and took it out.

The light from the kitchen became small points of light on his finger. He could see his own fingerprint gleaming in the light.

Pippin placed his finger in his mouth. The lovely taste of ale met his taste buds. A small bit of smoke was entering the cellar now. The bacon in the pan had been thrown away. It was not edible any more.

The feast at the Green Dragon was still on going. An hour had now past since the start of the meal. Yet hobbits were still eating. Pervinca was especially hungry. She had filled and cleared her plate more then any other hobbit at the feast.

Rosie Gamgee was standing in the corner. The dwarves were walking in and out of the kitchen. Empty bowls were being taken back into the kitchen as full ones were being put in their place.

Gallons of ale had already been consumed. Pervinca picked up a small gravy boat and started to pour it on her third helping of dinner. She smiled as she saw people eating less and less.

"You'll make yourself ill you will" said one of the elders to the side of Pervinca.

Vinnie looked around and smiled.

"Well, I'm just very hungry" she answered.


	46. Day Twenty One, Part Four

The gravy was then poured onto everything. Vinnie then placed it down and for the third time, started to eat. The sound of china being scrapped had started to subside as bellies became full.

But the drinking had not stooped. Laughter became louder and more fruitful then ever. On some tables, there was hardly anything left on plates.

The empty plates were taken away as the hobbits began to get ready to leave. A few got up from their seats. Pervinca watched them, she had nearly half finished it. It was when she had finished her roast potatoes that she had began to feel full up.

The dwarves were busy taking plates back into the kitchen. Empty bowls were taken and not replaced.

"See you tomorrow" said a hobbit to Rosie.

She smiled.

"See you tomorrow indeed"

The Green Dragon would open tomorrow as usual. But there was still a lot of excitement to come. Presents were going to be handed out. It was tradition on the second day of Yule to hand out the presents. Families would gather around and give each other gifts.

Pervinca was now the only hobbit left, save from an elder that had fallen asleep. Her coat was still hanging over the seat.

"I see your finally finished" said Rosie as she walked up to her.

Pervinca smiled. She knew that she was the last one to finish.

"I know, but it was a very good meal" she answered.

Rosie looked over at the elder that had fallen asleep. He had grey curly hair, but it was thinning. His wrinkles were deeper then normal. this was due to excessive smoking over the many years.

Rosie knelt down as Pervinca stood up. The clocks on the wall showed that she had been there for nearly two hours. Pervinca put her coat on and did up the buttons. The door to the Green Dragon was closed, keeping the heat in.

The dwarves were now clearing away everything from the tables. Bowls, plates, table mats, knives, forks and spoons were all taken into the kitchens.

"Come on, lets get you home" Rosie said, trying to get the man up.

But the man grumbled as he resisted.

"I am comfortable here!" he said.

Rosie took a deep breath. A cold rush of air blasted though out the pub as the door opened and then closed. Pervinca was now in the coldness of night. The days grew dark earlier at this time of the year. There were now no songs of birds. Only the cruel whistling on the wind met Vinnie's ears.

The coat did not help much as she walked back home. Shivers ran up and down her body. But all she could do was bare it.

It took her a few minutes to reach her door. She opened it with very numb fingers. The warmth of her home hit her like a rush of water. A smile came over her face. Her cheeks were rosy from the coldness. The door was quickly shut. Pervinca knew that that would not be the only time that she would have to go out into the coldness.

Pearl had invited her over for the presents. Vinnie only had an hour to rest up and eat or drink what she wanted. But on this rare occasion, she was neither hunger or thirsty. A yawn came over her as she made her way to her room.

"I think a wash is in order" she said.

Her complexion was flawless, much like her sisters. Each of the Took girls had flawless skin. In fact, they nearly all looked similar. The colour of their hair was nearly all the same, save for Pimpernel, she had darker hair. But not by much.

Each of them had light blue eyes. And, like all hobbits, their hair was curly on both their heads and tops of their feet.

Pervinca walking into the kitchen. There was a strange nothingness about the place. All that had to be done had been done. There was no need to eat or make any tea, she had had enough at the feast.

The fire was burning a healthy glow around the room. There were no plates to wash up.

"I guess I could go a bit early" Pervinca thought,

walking slowly out of the room.

Pimpernel and Pearl were sitting in the lounge. A small puppy was curled up on her owners lap. This was Abira. She looked very much like Origo. Apart from Abi was just a little bit smaller.

"What time is Vinnie coming over?" asked Nelly, tickling Abira's soft ears.

"In about an hour" Pearl answered, sipping her tea.

In fact, Pervinca would arrive much earlier then planned. She was getting ready just at that very moment. A draw was opened. But it was not for cloths, it was where she had put the presents. They were not big, yet not too small to use.

A bottle of clear liquid. The bottle had a screw top so that the liquid did not seep out. This was perfume for Pimpernel. Nelly always liked to smell nice, even if it was just going to the market or putting on a dinner.

The second gift was another bottle. But this was one bigger. The bottle was that of whiskey. Pervinca had had it for a few years now. The taste would have matured by now.

Both presents were placed on the bed. A wash was in order. The bath room was just down the hall. The sink was made of brass. There were no taps pointing into the bowl.

Instead, a fire place had been built into the wall. A hook had been nailed into the shallow arch made of bricks. The fire was raging merrily as Pearl approached. There was a small tong standing at the wall to one side.

Pearl picked it up and started to move the burning logs around. a few embers shot up into the chimney. There was a kettle sitting on the floor. It was cold now, but it had yet to be placed over the fire.

Pearl picked into up and looked inside. There was only a small puddle sloshing about inside. She took a deep breath and turned around. she had to get water from the kitchen tap.

"You'll alright, wont you?" asked Rosie, putting her coat on.

"Don't worry about it, we'll wash up and head back"

Rosie smiled.

"And you'll give me the key after?" she asked.

The dwarf nodded.

"Of course my lady" he answered.

Rosie smiled.

"Thank you, I guess I'll see you next year?" she asked.

The dwarf smiled under his large bushy beard. The dwarves certainly did enjoy cooking for the hobbits.

"Of course" he said.

The other dwarves all nodded. Each one had different coloured beards.

"Good" Rosie said.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Rosie took a deep breath.

"I'll see you next year" she said.

The dwarves said their good byes and Rosie left. The temperature outside had dipped lower then the nights before. The door to the Green Dragon was shut, locking in the warmth and out the coldness.

Rosie smiled as she made her way up to her own home. As she approached, she could see candles flickering in the windows. The chimneys were hidden in the blanket of night. The gate to Bag End came into view.

Rosie opened and closed it as she continued on with her journey. The large front door was opened. The warmth instantly hit her. A smile came over her lips.

"Home at last" she said tiredly.

There was a lot of sound though out the house. Merry and Rose were running around. Elanor was in her room, but soon emerged.

Pippin was sleeping in his cot. He was still too young to walk and play by himself like the others. Frodo and Samwise were in the same room. But only Samwise was awake.

Upon hearing his wife's return, Samwise got up. He slowly and quietly opened the large door, walked to the other side and closed it again behind him.

Rosie was taking off her coat as Samwise walked down the hall to meet her.

"How is he?" she asked.

Sam took a deep breath.

"He's sleeping at the moment" he answered.

Rosie nodded. It was then that there small talk was interrupted.

"Can we have our presents now?" asked Rose.

Rosie smiled.

"Of course you can, just go and wait in the lounge and I'll bring them though"

Rose and Merry ran off happily. They sure were excited.

"What about Frodo?" Sam asked.

"We can give him his presents when he wakes up" Rosie answered.

At that, Rosie walked down the all way to her room. There was a lot of noise. Cries came from her room. Little Pippin was now awake.

"Oh dear" she said, smiling as she walked to the cot.

Pippin was the gently picked up. But it stop him from crying any less. Now Rosie only had one hand to lift all of the presents. The door to her room was closed.

A large cupboard door was opened. Inside, her children's presents. There was a large box and a few smaller things. Rosie took them out, it was very difficult with only one hand. She then placed them on the bed. The next thing she did was open the large door to the corridor outside.

"Do you need any help mummy?"

It was Elanor. She was standing on the other side of the threshold. Rosie smiled.

"Could you take the presents?" she asked.

Elanor nodded and reached for them. They were heavy, yet not too heavy for her. Samwise was in the kitchen making two mugs of tea. The kettle was hanging over the fire as a door was shut down the hall way.

"Into the lounge dear" Rosie said, walking in the wake of her daughter.

The fire in the lounge was roaring merrily, greeting who ever came in with a wave of warmth. Rosie smiled as her children danced about. Their attention quickly changed from having fun, to wanting to know who's presents were who's.

A minute or two later, Samwise came in with two bug mugs of hot tea.

"Thank you dear" Rosie said.

Samwise sat beside her and smiled.

"Right then, lets start"

Now all of the children's attention was focused on the presents. Rosie picked up the first present.

"Rose, this one is for you" she said, handing it to her daughter.

"Thank you" she said.

Rose went and sat on the floor again. She had high expectations of what it was going to be. The present was wrapped in paper, like of which they did with food.

But this was not food. Inside the wrapping, which was now torn off, was a small box. Rose smiled and looked at it. The box was smooth and reflected some of the light of the candle. The small girl slowly opened it. Inside, a lot of beads. But they were not loose. There was a small bit of string going though each one.

A small knot had been tied in the string. The beads seemed to get bigger in the middle and smaller either side. The beads were pearly white.

"Thank you mummy" Rose said, getting up.

She could not give Rosie hug or a kiss due to baby Pippin. The beads made a funny noise, one that she liked. The piece of string was just long enough to get around her head.

Rose placed it around her neck. She smiled as it sat there. Her mother was now handing out the different presents.

"And this one is for Elanor" Rosie said, smiling as she handed her daughter a large wooden box.

Elanor smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

Rosie looked down. There were only a few presents left on the table.

"One of Frodo's" Rosie said, moving it out of the way.

The clock on the wall ticked ever onward. The hour of eight o'clock was nearing. Elanor was now looking at the box.

Questions were running though her head;

What could it be?

Why was it in such a large wooden box?

Where did they get it from?

Elanor took a deep breath. There seemed to be two small latches at either end, both facing the came way. Without knowing it, her mother was watching her. the two latches were lifted. The top was then swung open. Inside, there were many compartments. And, contained beads of many different colours.

There were red beads, yellow beads, orange beads, both light and dark green beads, light and dark blue beads were in the next two compartments. There were purple, silver and gold beads. The string was in a bundle. It was made from very fine strands.

Elanor's eyes darted from segment to segment. Her small hand reached in and picked up some of the light blue beads. She smiled and looked up at her mother.

"Do you like them?" Rosie asked.

Elanor smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I do" she answered.

She then looked down at the beads again. She couldn't wait to start making the bracelets. She had had a lot of practice with them. Yes, some of the snapped, sending beads everywhere. But Elanor knew that she was not going to make any snap.

Samwise was in a happier mood today. The past few had been very trying for him. He had not left his sons side for a while now. Not even to sleep in his own bed. But things were looking differently.

Frodo had been left sleeping by himself. But, unlike past sessions of sleep, there were no dreams. The covers had been thrown over him. His small eyes were closed.

The door had been left open just in case anything happened. In Sam's mind, anything could happen. Frodo was very precious to him. Not only due to his name, but he was Sam's first born son.

The children had started to play with their presents. Merry got a spinning top. The tiled floor was perfect for him to spin it on. The whole spinning top was made of wood. Merry watched it as spun. Yet, at the same time, it got slower and slower. The balance from top started to quiver as the momentum ebbed away.

After a minute or two, the spinning top hit the floor and stopped. Merry picked it up and, with one twist, started the top up again.

A knock then came at the door. Samwise looked up, having been daydreaming. Rosie was looking around as well.

"That must be him" she said, standing up.

The hobbit then walked out of the room. Samwise was confused. She hadn't told him that they were expecting visitors. The large front door opened onto a deep night.

Standing there, a dwarf. His beard was dark grey, black almost. Under his bushy beard, he gave a small smile.

"I have the key for you" he said, holding out his hand.

On either hand was a think, leather glove. Rosie smiled and took the key from him.

"Thank you" she said.

The cold wind blew in the house, the candles blew and Rosie's children could be heard in the lounge.

"I'll see you next year" Rosie said after a few seconds.

The dwarf turned and walked away. The large door was then shut. Rosie looked down at her son as she walked to the small table.

A draw was opened and she placed the keys inside. Hunger was now on her mind. So, she walked back to the lounge and went in.

"Sam dear, could you take Pip?" she asked.

Samwise smiled and placed his empty mug on the small table before him. He then took his youngest child and sat back again. The children were still playing in the lounge. Apart from Elanor. She had gone back to her room. She had closed the door. The large box was on the bed. She grabbed her favourite horse and sat on the bed.

"Do you want me to make one for you?" she asked.

She waited a few seconds.

"Alright then"

The box was opened again. The strings were taken out. she smiled down at the horse.

"What colour would you like first?" she asked.

Once again, she waited. On the outside, it was just a wooden horse that her father had given her. On the inside, it was her best friend. To other people, it didn't say a word, but to Elanor, it talked to her.

"This one?" she asked.

The horse agreed. So, Elanor started to place the different coloured beads onto the string. A few times, it was hard for her to get the string though.

"Oh come on!" she said, getting a bit angry at it.

But soon, there were many beads on the string. Both ends were being held in her hands. After a few minutes, the string was full of beads. Elanor smiled and tied the two ends together. She made sure that they were nice and tight so that they wouldn't come apart.

"There you go" she said, placing it around the horses head.

The small bracelet hung around its neck. In her mind, the horse loved it.

"Your welcome" Elanor answered.

She smiled as she placed the horse back on the table where it belonged. She then started to make one of her own.

"Odovacar?" she asked, holding his cold hand.

His dry lips moved. A few inaudible words came out. Rosamunda's eyes started to fill up with tears.

"Get Estella" Rosamunda said, looking back at her son.

But Fredegar could not move. He was looking at his father.

"Fredegar, please?" she asked.

The hobbit looked down at his mother. Without a word, he spun and waddled out of the room.

"Estella?" he asked, looking around.

It was very hard work for him. But there was no answer.

"Estella?" he called out again.

He stopped in the hall way. The hobbit was breathing heavily. His eyes darting around. Estella was no where to be seen. In fact, Estella was in her room. Tears ran down her face. she could hear her brother calling her, but she didn't want to go outside.

It was then that she remembered her diary. Hatred ran though her like never before. she knelt down and violently lifted up the duvet. Before her were lots of boxes. Without little care, she removed the boxes. Inside each box were books full of writing. These were Estella's diaries.

They were filled with personal words. Words that could never be repeated. She opened one of the boxes and tipped it upside down. The books feel open at random pages. It was then she stopped. She saw countless words sprawled over each page.

The words had not been read for weeks, months or even years. Estella slowly picked up the nearest book. Her eyes were still teary, but they were in focus enough to read what the words said.

14th Astron

Today was amazing. I went on a very long walk with my mother and father today. Fredegar stayed at home. The sun was shining and bird were singing.

My feet are hurting though. The fields seemed to be bigger then I remember. Our lunch was very good today. We sat outside in the garden to have it.

Butterflies seemed to be out in full force today. They were all different colours. Red, blue, some were green.

Estella could see exactly where she was sitting. She could see the basket of food laying on the meadow.

"There you go" said Rosamunda.

Estella was handed a large plate of cooked chicken. It had been tarred into small pieces. Every so often, Estella had to waft away a fly. There were colourful flowers all around them.

Some blades of grass were longer then the others. Yet all of them danced in the gently, warm wind. Rosamunda, Odovacar and Estella's plates were full with food. A few knives and forks had been brought out as well. A bottle of wine had been placed in the basket, but had not yet been opened.

Estella then started to eat. The chicken was first to be eaten, as always with her. The meat was very juicy, just how she liked it. While her mother and father had the whiter parts, Estella had the darker bits.

There were different foods as well. Estella and her mother and father laughed and joked as they sat there. The food supply slowly started to vanish.

After about an hour or so, the food was all gone. Estella yawned as the heat of the sun got to her. The bees, wasps and flies were beginning to annoy Estella now.

"Right, I think we should start heading home again" Rosamunda said, looking tired as well.

All three hobbits had become very tired. They had walked near enough to the horizon. The plates and food was packed away.

"Shall I leave the bread?" Estella asked, looking at it.

Rosamunda looked at it. Yes, there wasn't much left. Yet neither of them was hungry.

"Yes, the birds would enjoy it"

So, Estella took the bread and started to rip it up. The small pieces were then scattered into the grassy field. The blanket that they were sitting on was followed up.

"Are we all ready?" asked Rosamunda.

Odovacar smiled as he picked up the basket. It was much lighter and easier to carry back then it was to where they were.

The three hobbits then set back off on their long trek home. The power of the sun was now fading as it sank into the western horizon. But the temperature didn't seem to fall as quickly. The blades of grass seemed to make a sea of green as the three hobbits made their way though it.

Butterflies were disturbed from their perches. Their wings seemed to barely keep them flying as they zoomed off. Clouds ran in front of the sun, blocking out the light and casting a shadow on the dry earth below.

Ants and other earth bound creatures ran for shelter as the three giants walked past.

Below the surface of the parched earth, a whole different world existed. Worms slid though the earth slowly. They had a pinkish colour to them and a slimy touch.

Yet worms were not the only living creature down in the depths of the ground. Chambers full of ants were dotted every so often. The only visible sign that there was any life below were small black dots. A few tiny mounds of earth indicated the entrance to their nest.

The town of hobbit could now be seen. Estella's hands brushed against the large stalks of the sunflowers. They stood taller then any plant there. Others were not so tall. Some were a light purple colour or dark blue. Yet, some were just white with a yellow middle.

The bread that Estella had put out was now being consumed by a large number of crows. Some ate quickly so that it wouldn't be stolen from them. Others would fly off, closely followed by three or four others. And yet, crows continued to fly in. Their squawks could be heard as the hobbits continued to walk away.

It took them an hour or two to reach Hobbiton again. The small town was very busy today. Children were playing games, running about as they did.

The market place was very busy. Hobbits gossiped about weather and doings of other hobbits. Chickens were running around in a small pen. Cows and pigs were being led to different areas of the town.

They each had different purposes. The cows would be milked or used for beef. The pigs would be fattened up for meals later on.

Estella and her mother and father walked over the bridge. There was a small bit of moss growing in the gaps of the stones that made up the bridge.

Water flowed under it. Below the surface, there was new world to explore. There were small fish swimming gently in the shade of the bridge.

The water was gentle and warm in the summer sun. Small tadpoles were swimming in the shallows. They knew that bigger fish were hunting for any stray creatures to eat.

In the real world, all of those creatures had either grown or died. The weather was very cold now. The sun travelled low in the sky now.

Leaves had fallen off of trees and darkness came early. Estella was now sitting on the bed. A different book lay before her. Some how, she felt comfort reading her past.

She place the book down. There were still some on the floor. The second book was thicker then the first. This too was also filled with writing.

The words were, like always, hand written. The style was very different from the others. This was when she was first starting out in the writing of diaries. The cover was then flipped. Staring at her was a date. The first date that she had ever written in the book.

4th Afteryule

It was the fourth day of the year. All of the hobbits in Hobbiton were still recovering from the large, rich meals that had been served up for two days running.

Dear diary, it's a new year and a fresh start I guess. Father gave me this book as a present. He said that I need to start writing my feeling down. Some how, he said, it would help me later on. But I am not sure what to say.

Of course, I am happy. A new year has started. Yet the weather does not seem to be letting go.

Fredegar is eating like usual. He seems to be growing now by the day. he still has those dreams of him.

There was a sadness to this last part. It was full of buried memories. Memories of hatred and unsettling times. But now, it seemed, all things were looking as though they were going to be brought back to haunt them.

In the room down the corridor, Fredegar was now asleep. Hunger had plagued him all day. yet the urge to eat had been fought off.

Fredegar, who would have normally fallen asleep due to food and drink, had now fallen asleep due to sadness. The death of his father had seemed to hit him hardest.

There was no explanation for his feelings. He knew deep down that his father's death was immanent. But it was still a shock when it actually happened.

He could feel something strange. It was like a hand on his shoulder. It had been there for most of the day. Fredegar could make out each finger.

In his mind, his father was talking to him.

"Don't worry lad" Odovacar said.

His face appeared before him. But there seemed no illness in it. Everything seemed to be alright with him.

"But, I just cant take it!" Fredegar said.

His heart was heavy. The feeling of blackness gripped around his heart. All of the colour that he had once had in heart was now non-existent.

The candles continued to flicker as the night wore on. Estella too was getting tired. She was now sitting on her bed. Her eyes were fixed on a point of nothingness. A small smile came over her lips. Her sprits seemed to heighten as she thought about the after life.

Estella then took a deep breath and looked over at the clock. The hands point in the high numbers. It was only one and a half hours until midnight. The day had been very hard on her. The lack of sleep did not help much. Estella placed the book down on the bed side table.

She then yawned as she got up from the bed. Both her mother and her brother were now tucked up in bed. Her door was closed. There was a dark glow around the room. the door was slowly opened on the corridor. There were no noises, no movement.

Estella walked down the corridor to a smaller room. there, she heated a kettle of water so that it was hot enough to use. She then poured it into the bowl. A small bit of vapour rose from the surface of the water.

After a few seconds, all of the water was drained from the kettle. The kettle, which was still warm to the touch, was then place down on the floor.

A mirror had been placed on the wall over the sink. A bar of soap and a flannel had been left on the edges of the sink. The soap was then picked up, a small of summer hit Estella's nose. She then, with the soap, placed her hands in the water.

Her hands were then taken out. She rubbed the soap between them, creating a soapy broth on her hands. She then closed her eyes and started to rub her face.

A few seconds later, an equal amount of soap bubbles were clinging to her face. She opened her eyes. All that she could see were bubbles on her face. The flannel was then picked up. It was the soaked in the water. After a few seconds, the flannel was then rinsed and rubbed over her face.

All of the soap bubbles had taken off the dirt of the day. Some how, Estella always felt better when she did this. Being too tired now, she left the water for the morning. The bubbles were floating around in the water.

Estella was now clean and ready for bed as she silently walked back to her bed room. The candles were still burning, giving off a small amount of heat.

The door was closed with a small click. The books were still laying on the floor. Estella took a deep breath as she picked up the years of memories. The small box which they were kept in was near by.

The books were the neatly placed back in the box and its lid closed. Estella left it on the floor. She was too tired to pick the rest up.

The hobbit got changed into her night gown and pulled the duvet up. She slid into bed and laid down. The duvet was then pulled over again. Estella's head rested on the pillow.

Another day had ended.


	47. Day Twenty Two, Part One

A clock rang on the wall. The sound echoed though the room. But it was not a unique sound for this time of day. every hour, it chimed. Some rang out three times, others rang out ten or eleven.

The morning was slowly turning into noon as hobbits in every household sat down for something to eat. Most of them had risen for a late breakfast or, as it was now, an early lunch.

Diamond Took was in the kitchen. Her mood was not good. She had a white apron on. Faramir was a sleep in his cot. He had already woken up. But now, he had been fed and but back in his cot.

But still, Diamond was not alone. A small puppy was sitting by her feet. His paws were as fluffy as the top of his head. He had small brown eyes. A few times, the small puppy yawned.

Yesterday had been very busy for him. yet he couldn't understand why there was so much fuss about him all of a sudden.

"And this one" said Diamond as she picked up something from behind her.

There was a sad tone to her voice, one that she tried to hid.

"Is for you, pup" she said.

She lifted the small something and placed before him. Origo's eyes had followed Diamond hands. Ori stood up on her lap, wondering what it was.

"What is it?" he whined, looking at it.

His small wet nose picked up her scent right away. His small tail wagged happily.

"You wont have to jump over all the bed, you have you own one" she said.

But Origo was too busy with checking it to notice that his Diamond was still talking to him. Her hand continued to run over he soft and warm puppy. She loved spending time with him.

"But that's not all pup, I have one more for you"

Origo instantly looked up. Both Diamond and Origo, for a split seconds, felt like they knew each other deeper then what they know. But it was Diamond who was the first to break eye contact.

"Would you like your second present now?" she asked.

A small green fairy was sat up on the pillow to the side. She knew exactly what was coming. Origo's eyes were now on what Diamond had got in her hand. It was a knitted toy. One that, only the past few days, she had tried to hide from him.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked.

Origo looked at the strange thing in Diamond's hands. For a few seconds, only Origo's short tail was wagging gently. Diamond smiled.

"Its for you pup" she said, placing the toy in front of him.

Origo's small nose started to sniff it. Ivy, who had been sitting cross-legged on the empty cousin, had now got up. Origo whined and looked from the toy, to his Diamond.

"It's a turkey" she answered him, knowing that he didn't understand what it was.

Ivy fluttered and landed near by. She was smiling too.

"Oh, that is cute" she said, looking at the toy in Diamond's hand.

Diamond looked away, she was getting a bit tired now. It was then she felt a small tug. Her attention was now back on her puppy. Origo gripped the toy turkey with his teeth and was now trying to tug it out of his Diamond's hands. The next second, Diamond let go. Origo now had what he wanted and settled down again.

The puppy started to chew the toy. After a minute or two, he stopped and held it between his little paws. His puppy eyes were focused on his new toy.

"This doesn't taste like turkey" he thought.

He then looked up at his Diamond. She was looking down, her hand tickling the fur on his head.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

Origo, who couldn't really understand her.

"But, I want really turkey" he said.

A smile came over Diamond.

"Do you want to go to bed now?" she asked.

Origo nodded his head, still thinking he was going to get his turkey. Ivy fluttered up into the air and waited for her puppy. A mug sat on the table as Diamond placed her puppy on the floor.

Origo knew then that she didn't want to give him turkey. Ivy fluttered down lower as Diamond placed the toy on the floor. She picked up Origo's new bed and the empty mug and walked out.

The puppy watched his Diamond walk away. For a split second, Origo was going to run after Diamond. But first, he picked up his new toy turkey. He grabbed it and scooted out. Ivy followed on behind.

Diamond entered the kitchen. Everything was abnormally quiet. There was not much to do as she placed the mug beside the sink.

Origo was standing at the door. He looked even cuter with his toy. Diamond smiled as she slowly and tiredly walked over to him. She picked him and kissed him on the top on the head.

"Come on, lets go to bed" she told him, walking out of the room.

Ivy had fluttered elsewhere as Diamond and Origo went back to the bedroom. Origo whimpered and looked back at the kitchen. He wondered why he had not been given his turkey.

The door to Diamond's room was opened. Snoring came from the bed. They were from Pippin. He had drunk a bit too much hours before.

Diamond did not like this one bit as she placed Origo on her side of the bed. She secretly scowled at her husband.

"I'm going to get him up early tomorrow" she thought as she walked out of the room.

Origo was left standing on the bed by himself. The duvet that he was standing on was very warm and cosy. The puppy placed his small toy down on the bed and snuggled down to a particularly warm patch.

His little fluffy head rested on his equally fluffy paws. He knew now that he wasn't getting his turkey until the morning.

Origo's eyes started to become heavy as he waited for his Diamond. She had gone to the bathroom to get washed. But she seemed to be taking her time. The water in the bowl was now warm as it sloshed around the bottom of the bowl.

A flannel was then picked up and dunked in the water. Thoughts were running though Diamond's head.

"Maybe I'm not good enough for him any more" one voice said.

Her hands her left in the warm water as she looked deep into the mirror.

"But what should I do?" she asked herself.

Yes, she still loved him more then anyone. But she felt like she was being pushed aside. Merry seemed to be the one Pippin wanted to spend her time with. Not her.

Diamond slowly got washed and walked back to her room. Tiredness was now gripping her more then ever as she slowly and quietly closed the bed room door.

The window showed the darkness of the night as the midnight hour drew closer. Stars continued to twinkle as the air became clearer and clearer.

Diamond pulled the covers over her, making sure she made Pippins night as uncomfortable as possible. Origo had been placed in his little bed. He had already fallen asleep before she had come back.

The puppy was holding onto his turkey as he continued to snooze in his new bed. Origo was very warm and cosy in the new bed. His little eyes were closed.

But he did not have a dreamless night. In fact, he was in a dream at this very moment. Yet it was not a dream. This dream was more a memory.

There was a girl and a boy sitting in an abandoned house. One, it seem, that had been empty for many years. The glass that had made up the window was virtually gone. Creatures of every kind, from birds to bees, had made their presents known every once in a while. Weather it be a small buzz or a song.

Yet neither of the two people sitting there took any notice of them. For they had their own worries.

"But I don't want to die!" the girl said.

She had long, wavy hair and brown eyes. There was fright in her voice, one that the boy picked up.

"I know, I know" he answered, taking a deep breath and looking to the side.

The birds and sound of wind seemed to have stopped. No sounds entered the house at that moment in time.

"But what if it doesn't work?" the girl asked after what seemed a few minutes.

"What will we do then?"

It was a question the boy could not answer. Although he and the girl had seen many lifetimes in Middle-earth, this was the hardest question he had faced.

Or so he thought.

"We can visit Old Tom" he answered suddenly.

What he had just said had just popped out of the sky. For a few seconds, he wasn't sure if he heard himself right. But, after a deeper think, it was not such a bad idea.

"Old Tom?" the girl asked.

The boy nodded.

"He and Goldberry have a house in the middle of the forest, it'll make for a good place to stay for a while until Diamond and Pimpernel are older"

But the plan still made no sense to the girl. She knew of old Tom, but had only met him once or twice. She could barely remember him.

"But where does he live?" she asked.

The boy smiled.

"In the only forest, just a few days walk" he answered.

Unlike the girl, the boy knew of Tom well. He had been to his house many times before. a river ran near by as trees of every age drank from it. The river was called the Withywindle. Its water clear and its pace slow.

Flowers and trees grew in harmony on the soil. Yet, the forest did have many secrets to show. Wonders were usually unwelcome by the trees.

As many put it, the trees had more sense then others. They were more alive then any around them. It was said that paths were created by the trees. Other paths were closed off. Near the middle of the forest was a large burnt area.

The boy suddenly stood up. It was time to put the plan into motion. The girl remained sitting for a few more seconds.

"Where are you going?" she asked, getting up as well.

Her chair scrapped across the tiled floor. Four lines were now visible in the thin layer of dust.

"To Tom" the boy answered.

A small smile came over the boy. But the girl did not smile. She watched the boy turn into a small puppy before her eyes. She shook her head and did the same.

The day started to brighten up as the night gave way. The stars started to bury themselves under a blanket of light. The clouds of the east horizon brought on a pinkish colour. The sun slowly crept up, casting long shadows on the frosted ground.

The blades of grass that were poking out of the soil were now frozen in time. The wind slowly tickled the blades of frozen grass. There were many colourful doors lining the hillside. A few trees had been planted on top on the hill. But only their bare skeletons were visible.

Chimneys had been smoking nearly all night. Black, sooty smoke bellowed out of the top. Below the surface of the hill, hobbits were sleeping.

Normally, hobbits of every age would be getting ready for breakfast. But hardly anyone was. Yule had been and gone. Everyone had been fed well over the past few days.

Origo had started to wake up earlier then was normal. The light of the sun was still trying to over throw the night. The temperature of day slowly began to rise, but it was not going to get any hotter then it was. But that didn't matter, Origo was not planning on going out. his small eyes slowly opened. A yawn came over him.

it took him a few seconds to realise that he was not on the bed. A sad whine came from him, he thought he was being cuddled. He could now see his Diamond, sleeping in the bed. Only her head was visible laying on the pillow. Pippin was still snoring as he lay on the other side of the bed.

There was no sign of Ivy around. she always disappeared at night. Hunger was now gripping Origo worse then ever. He really needed his turkey, but the door was closed.

Origo lazily arose from his warm bed. His knitted turkey toy was picked up and carried with him. the small puppy rounded the corner. At the bottom of Diamond's bed was a small box. This was packed with all of their summer cloths. For hobbits had cloths to suit each of the four seasons.

Large, warm coats were warn in winter. They kept the temperature in very well. For hobbits liked all four of the seasons, finding a unique beauty in each of them.

Origo jumped onto the top of the box. Hobbits seemed to take up more space then humans or elves, despite them being shorter then them.

The puppy could now see the large mountains of duvet he had before him. he knew how hard it was for him to get past. But he had to do it, he was hungry, cold and wanting a cuddle.

So, leaving his toy at the bottom, he set off. He hopped over the small wooden plank at the bottom onto the soft duvet. The puppy looked back, just to see if his toy was alright.

Without another second wasted, Origo set off on his small journey. The duvet looked similar to small mountain ranges. They were easily over come. On either side, two similar shaped bumps rose.

One was Pippin and one was Diamond. Pippin's feet were sticking out of the bed. For he was not the size Diamond was. In fact, he and Merry were both the same size.

But the event now lasted in his memory. Pippin had seen so much hate and anger and death in his time. So much so, that even though there was now peace across the lands, Pippin was still hurting.

Origo had now reached his goal. But his Diamond was facing the other way.

"Diamond?" he whimpered, trying to wake her up.

But nothing happened. Origo whimpered and looked around. Pippin was facing the opposite way too. Origo seemed to lose hope now. The small puppy hung his little head and whimpered.

But then, an idea popped into his small fluffy head. He looked down at the duvet that he was standing on. It seemed to be wrapped around his Diamond.

Origo gripped the large duvet with his little teeth and pulled. The duvet only moved a few inches. Origo stopped, a few small teeth marks were imprinted in the duvet now.

But still, Diamond did not awake. But Origo wasn't going to give up that easily. He gripped the duvet again and pulled. This time, the duvet seemed to come away easier then normal.

It was then that Diamond began to wake. The difference in temperatures had awoken her. her eyes slowly opened, her dream had been taken away. There was a strange feeling running though her.

She knew she should be angry and annoyed at something. But she did not know what. Pippin's snores then met her ears. This seemed to unlock her feelings. The feeling of anger came back.

Origo was watching her, he tilted his head and whined to get her attention. Diamond looked down and saw her puppy standing on the bed looking at her. A smile came over her.

"Oh, so it was you" she said.

Her large hand moved as she stroked the top of Origo's head. Origo stuck out his small pinkish tongue out and gave a small whine. Diamond gave a small smile as her eyes darted over to her sleeping husband. She was very annoyed at him. The duvet was thrown off. A bit of it was pulled back on Pippin's side just enough to make him uncomfortable.

Diamond could feel the coldness of the air now. She sat up on the bed. Origo was how standing on her lap. Diamond yawned as she got ready to get up. Origo was held on her shoulder as she finally decided to get up. Origo rested his head on his Diamond. His small toy was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Diamond felt her puppy struggle. She looked down.

"What is it?" she asked.

Origo seemed very keen to get at something. Diamond looked down where Ori was. His turkey toy was sitting on the small box at the end of the bed. It was then that Diamond knew exactly what her puppy wanted.

She picked the toy up and gave it to Origo.

"Good boy" she said, kissing the top of his head.

The door was opened, quietly as to not wake her son. The two of them headed towards a different room. Origo was looked around, holding the toy in his mouth.

The kitchen had a table right in the middle with four or five wooden chairs around it. A kettle stood at the side of the heath. It looked like it had been used for many years before. There were cabinets and draws full of knives, forks and other things.

"So" said Diamond, placing her puppy on the work top.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked.

It was a question that she did not have to know the answer to. She smiled.

"Stay there" she said, walking away.

The puppy stood there, his small eyes watched her walking towards the cellar. The large door opened as Diamond went to get her puppies turkey. After a few seconds, Diamond came out of the cellar. Origo instantly placed his toy down. His small tail started to wag even more.

A cupboard door was closed and a new bowl placed on the work top. Origo's eyes were darting between Diamond and the packet of turkey.

Diamond ripped it opened and started to place the turkey in the bowl. Origo moved a little bit forward. Diamond placed the packet on the work top. She smiled as she picked up Origo and placed on the floor.

The bowl full of turkey was placed on the floor a few seconds later. Diamond made sure that her hand was out of the way before Origo started to eat.

She watched her little puppy scoff down the meat. Diamond smiled as she watched him. she knew how much he loved his turkey. The turkey toy was sitting on the top of the work top.

The hobbit picked it up and placed it on the floor. The clock chimed eight times. Normally, she would still be in bed, for another hour at least.

"But then, I have got work to do" she thought.

The dust had built up over the past few days. Diamond could a thin layer of dust on almost everything she looked upon.

"But I need some food and tea before I start" she said.

The cellar door had been left ajar as she walked towards it. The list of things she had to do by the end of the day grew as she looked at the shelves. They looked empty and bare. Yet there was enough to feed them for the next few days.

A minute later, she came out and closed the door. The hobbit also got out a pan and placed it on the oven. The oven below was cold, it would be another thirty minutes until the logs that Diamond was now placing in would be hot enough.

Pippin was still in the bed. But he was not awake. In fact, this was only an average sleep for him. Diamond had always awoken earlier then him. It was the same going to bed. Pippin was always the first.

His snores echoed around the room as he continued to sleep. Faramir, his son, was starting to wake. A small whine came from him.

Pippin was taken from his deeper sleep into a world where he could hear. His eyes slowly, but surely, opened. His eyes were some what sticky at the moment. His memory of last night was blurry and parts seemed to be missing.

The sound of his son then hit his ears, the reason that he had awoken.

"Alright there lad" he said, getting up from his bed.

Faramir was crying hard now. Pippin was still very tired as he picked him up. The next second, the door opened. In came Diamond. She had heard her son's cries from the kitchen.

She suddenly stopped. Her husband was holding their son.

"Pippin, give him here" she said coldly.

Pippin was confused.

"But, he's alright with me" he answered.

"Just, give him here" she said, walking up to her husband.

The next second, Pippin was handing over his son to his wife. Diamond took a hold of her son and walked away without another word. Pippin stood there, watching his wife walk out.

Pippin had no idea what was up with Diamond. A few seconds later, he walked out of the room and down the corridor. Noises came from the kitchen.

Pip entered and stood in the door way for a few seconds.

"Diamond, what's wrong?" he asked.

The bacon sizzled in the pan as it was flipped over. Diamond did not answer him. she was holding Faramir in one arm.

"I could hold him if you like"

Every word seemed to deepen her wounds. Faramir was still crying as she placed the spatula down.

"Diamond?" Pippin asked, now worried that he had done something wrong.

"Do you know what day it was yesterday, Pip?"

Pippin stood there, completely lost.

"It was Yule Two, wasn't it?" he answered.

His wife nodded.

"And what happens on that day?" Diamond asked.

The bacon in the pan had started to smoke a small bit, showing signs of being ready. There were two sliced and buttered pieces of bread sitting on the work top near by.

"Well" Pippin said, trying to remember back to yesterday.

But his memory was blank. It had been like he had never lived the day before at all.

"Well, well I cant remember" he said.

Diamond slowly shook her head.

"I know" she said.

There was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I know why you cant. It was because you were drunk last night" she told him.

It was then Pippin's heart began to melt with guilt. She was right. Yule was the one time that he could have shown how much he loved her.

"Diamond, I'm so…"

But Pippin was stopped in midsentence.

"Don't Pippin" Diamond said.

A tear ran down from her blue eyes.

"Just don't, I think we should take a break from each other" she told him.

She knew it was the only way to forget about what happened.

"A break? You don't mean forever, do you?"

The guilt in his heart was too much. Deep down, Pippin knew that his wife was right. But he was still shocked at what she had said.

"I don't know Pip, I just need a break"

"But where will you go?" he asked, expecting her to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere Pip" Diamond answered.

"You are"

Origo had finished his turkey and was now wondering around the house. He was very lonely today, he could hear his Diamond and Pippin talking in the kitchen.

A small green light zoomed into the room. It landed beside the puppy.

"Good morning" she said, rubbing Origo's fur with her tiny hand.

Origo whined.

"You want to go out?" she asked.

The puppy nodded and looked towards the door.

"But, what are you going to do when your out there?" Ivy asked.

Origo had not thought out that.

"I suppose I could see Abira, I miss her" he whined.

Ivy smiled.

"Do you know where she lives?" she asked.

Origo shook his head and looked down. Ivy took a deep breath.

"Do you want me to find her for you?" Ivy asked.

Origo looked up and nodded. His small tail started to wag. Ivy's wings started to flutter as she lifted into the air.

"I'll be back soon pup" she said.

The puppy watched her as she fly quickly towards the wall. The next second, she was gone. The small fairy could go though solid walls and doors. Her small wings continued to beat as she entered the house.

This one looked similar to the one she had just left. Yet everything was different some how. There were different rugs to Diamond's home. These ones seemed duller then normal, like their colour had been taken from them.

Ivy searched each room, but failed to find Abira. She shook her head and fluttered onto the next. But the same thing happened here.

There was no sign of Abira here. Yet, there was still two more homes to look though. The fairy left the room. the next room smelt strongly of bacon.

"Here you go" said a voice.

A small puppy was wagging her tail as a bowl was placed on the floor. Ivy was fluttering near the ceiling. There were a few lit candles dotted around the room. a girl stood at the stove. A pan had taken off of the heat, but was still too hot to touch.

Ivy looked around a bit more. Another girl, similar in looks, but younger in age. This was Pimpernel. She gave a smile as she saw her puppy happily eating.

Pearl, her sister gave a big breath. She and her sister had already eaten their late breakfast. A mug of tea stood cooling on the table. Pearl brought her seat out and sat on it.

"Well, that was a good Yule this year wasn't it?" she asked.

Deep down, Pimpernel wanted to tell her sister the truth, but knew she couldn't.

"Yes" she answered, giving her sister a small smile.

Abira could be heard chewing on some of the bacon that she had. Ivy fluttered down and landed near by the puppy. Abira's eyes darted over to the fairy. They stared at her for a few seconds.

"Hello puppy" Ivy said.

As she said this, the small puppy backed off. She didn't like the look of this creature in front of her. Ivy was confused. She knew that this puppy had seen her before.

"Abira?" she asked, stepping forward.

The puppy tiled her head.

"How do you know my name?" she whined, still a bit scared of the fairy.

Ivy gave a small smiled.

"Its about Origo" she said.

The puppy instantly perked up. The fear of the small green fairy had seemed vanish in an instant.

"Has anything happened to him?" the puppy asked, a bit concerned.

But the fairy just smiled.

"No, he's fine" Ivy told her.

"He's just a bit lonely"

Abira looked over at her owner. She knew that her Pimpernel would never let her out. Abira looked down. She really wanted to see her Origo. But she knew it would be a hard time trying to see him again.

Meanwhile, Origo was standing in the door way. His Diamond was sitting at the table. The cooking bacon had been taken off of the heat. Yet she was not alone. Her son, Faramir, was in her arms.

Diamond was in pain. She could hear Pippin packing his things and moving out. neither of them knew for how long.

Origo continued to look at his Diamond. Deep down, the puppy knew what was going on. He placed his toy turkey to the side and slowly walked towards her. He stood there, looking up at her. There were tears running down her face. The hunger that had once gripped her had now gone.

Origo tugged at her dress, hoping to get her attention. Diamond, who had been looking into an imaginary spot, broke her gaze. She looked down on the floor to see her puppy standing there.

A forced smile came over her face.

"Hello, Ori" she said, taking a deep breath.

She sounded tired and upset. Origo whined and looked around at the door.

"Pippin is going away for a while" she said.

Even thinking about it made her upset. She could hear him getting his cloths off of the coat hangers. The house seemed quieter then before.

Pippin did not bother to fold his cloths. He took enough in his bag and did it up. He looked around the room, wondering if he would ever see it again.

The hobbit then took a deep breath as he put on his heavy bag. He then walked out of the room and closed the door. The smell of Diamond's bacon snaked down the hall way.

Pippin then came to he kitchen and stood at the door way. He looked over at Diamond. He could feel the hurt coming from. She didn't even look around.

"Good bye" he said.

Diamond closed her eyes, just wanting him to leave. And, after a few seconds, that's exactly what he did. He walked down to the big front door. His bag was then taken off and placed on the floor at his feet.

He took his coat off of the hook and put it on. He did up the sin brass buttons. But he did not leave right away. He looked around the house. All of the memories came flooding back.

But who could he blame apart from himself?

With a deep breath, he picked up his bag and put it on. The weight weighed him down, making it harder to walk. The large door was opened, a cold blast of air hit him. The wind screamed in his ear as he walked over the threshold and out into the outside world.

Lunch time was fast approaching as Merry sat down at his writing desk. A piece of parchment had been placed before him. A feather quill was laying in front of lots of jars. Some were empty, others had black ink in them.

"Now" Merry said, picking up the quill.

One of the bottles of ink had been opened. Its putter had been taken out. The quill was just about to be dabbed into the pool of ink when a knock from the door.

Merry stopped himself just in time and looked around.

"I wonder who that could be" he said to himself.

He then arose from his seat and walked out of the room. Merry was eager to see who was knocking at his door. Three more knocks echoed down the hall way.

"Hold your horses!" Merry said, opening the door.

Standing before him was one of his oldest friends. Pippin gave a small smile.

"Pippin?" asked Merry.

The warm air of the house was quickly being replaced by the cold.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

There was no sign of happiness in his voice. His eyes seemed to look further then Merry had ever seen them.

"Yes, of course" he said, moving out of the way.

Pippin slowly walked in, there were a few wet foot prints on the dry tiles as the door was shut.

"What happened?" Merry asked, looking at the big bag.

"Diamond and I had an argument and…"

But Pippin could not bring himself to say it. He was embarrassed and upset.

"How long can I stay with you?" Pip asked, slowly taking off his coat.

Merry smiled.

"As long as you want" he answered.

Pippin smiled as well, knowing that he could always rely on Merry. Pip picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'll just go and put this in the spare room" Pippin said, slowly walking to the bedroom.

The door was opened. This room seemed colder then the rest of the house. Merry wondered what had happened to make Pippin so sad. But this was short lived as the idea of writing his book came back.

Merry smiled as he walked back to the study. His chair and quill were right where he left them. The writing desk was facing a small window. One that looked out onto the frozen land before it.

The hobbit sat down and looked at the book that he had to fill. It was a fairly big one, having a couple of hundred pages.

"I better get thinking" he told himself.

But before he contemplated writing the book, he had to think of what to say.

"Right" he said, dabbing the pointed tip of the quill in the sea of ink.

"What types are there?" he asked himself.

The hobbit did not have to think for very long. The hobbit then started to write the first type of tobacco that he could think of.

Longbottom leaf

This held many good and many bad memories. Merry could see the small room he was in. Yet, there was something strange about it.


	48. Day Twenty Two, Part Two

Instead of walking normally, the sound of water met his ears. Pippin was near by. They were both younger then they were now.

"Sarumans storeroom!" exclaimed Merry, looking around at the amazing sight before them.

The two of them could hardly contain themselves. There was food. Much more food then they had ever seen before, except for Yule.

Apples, carrots, potatoes, oranges, rashers of bacon, salted pork, butter, honey. Everything that the hungry hobbits could have ever dream of.

But there was one piece stored here that both Merry and Pippin loved the most. Tobacco. But not any old tobacco, Longbottom leaf.

"I don't believe it" Pippin said, staring at the barrels.

"It cant be!" Merry said, still not believing what he was seeing.

They both sloshed over to it, the water making waves as they went. Pippin grabbed the barrel and prised the top open.

"It is!" said Pippin, now fully trusting what his eyes were seeing.

Merry took one long intake of the aroma now coming from the barrel. A smile came across Merry's face.

"Longbottom leaf, the finest pipe-weed in the South Farthing"

After being captured by orcs and being stuck on Treebeard, it was a relief to have a small bit of comfort.

"Its perfect" Pippin said, getting the second barrel down.

"One barrel each" he said happily.

But a sudden thought rushed over him.

"Wait, do you think we should share it with Treebeard?" he asked, looked down.

Merry looked over at him.

"Share it?" he asked.

His eyes darted around, wondering if that was a good idea.

"No, no. Dead plant and all that. I don't think he would understand"

Merry came in a bit closer.

"Could be a distance relative" he half whispered.

After a few seconds, Pippin got the hint.

"I get it" he said happily.

"Don't be hasty" he said, tapping the side of his nose and smiling.

Merry gave a cheeky grin.

"Exactly" he said, whipping out his pipe.

But now, all that had changed. Merry longed to see Treebeard again. But Fangorn forest was hundreds of miles away.

"Maybe in the summer" he told himself.

But it seemed unlikely.

Origo was still standing at the point he had been since Ivy had left him. A yawn came over the small puppy as Diamond walked towards him. She stopped and gave a small smile.

"I'm going to the shops in a minute, would you like to come?" she asked.

Origo wagged his tail and barked happily. Diamond nodded her head. She knew that Origo could understand a small bit of what she was saying.

The puppy took one last look at the spot where Ivy went to before running off to find his little toy. Diamond walked into her room, Faramir was in his cot.

"Maybe we could drop you off at your aunties" Diamond said, looking at her beautiful son.

But before waking him, she had to get ready herself. Her small puppy walked into the room, toy in mouth. His eyes looked right at her.

"I'll be ready in a minute" Diamond told him.

Just then, Ivy fluttered back in.

"Origo?" she asked, looking around.

Ori looked around, knowing it was Ivy. He scooted off to meet her. She landed softly as Origo approached.

"Abira wants you to go to see her" Ivy said.

Origo knew that his Diamond needed him. it would be hard to convince her that he wanted to go on his own.

"But, I'm going out with my Diamond now. Cant she come out too?" he whined.

"She's tried, Pimpernel just picked her up" Ivy said.

The puppy whimpered and looked down. He had no other ideas. His Diamond then came out of the room. She smiled as she had her sleeping son in her arms.

"Will you be alright here while I go to Pearls?" she asked.

The puppy just looked up. Diamond smiled as she walked past. She already had her coat on. Faramir was wrapped tight in a blanket.

Diamond walked down to the door and opened it. A cold blast of air came though the house. Origo watched as his Diamond left without him. The clock rang out eleven times. Lunch was only a hour away. Yet Origo was very hungry.

The small puppy slowly walked away from the fairy. She knew that something was wrong.

"Puppy, where are you going?" she asked, fluttering after him.

But Origo did not stop. His small bed was laying in the corner. He placed his toy turkey in the bed and hopped in himself. After a few seconds, he curled up with his toy.

Ivy fluttered into the room and saw him. She took a deep breath and fluttered down near him.

"Puppy?" she asked, stopped a few inches from him.

But again, Origo seemed not to pay attention. He was looking into a distance spot. His mind was asking many questions.

Ivy came a step closer. All she wanted was a reaction. But it seemed that it would not happen. Origo, although a draft was coming though the cracks in the door, was not cold. His fur had kept him nice and warm.

His little eyes started to get heavy as he lay there. His Diamond could be heard coming into the house again. But now, Origo was too sleepy to make any movement.

Diamond looked around for a moment.

"Origo?" she asked, wondering where he had gone.

She walked to the kitchen. His small bowl had been emptied and left. But there was no sign of him there. Not all the doors were open.

The bedroom door was a little bit ajar. Diamond looked inside. A big smile came over her face as she saw him curled up with his small bed.

"Maybe I can just let him sleep for a while" Diamond said.

It seemed the best idea. So, leaving the door a jar, Diamond went back to the kitchen. There was a small basket had been placed next to the cellar door. Diamond picked it up and walked out of the room again.

She had a lot to get, meaning it would take a few trips to stock up on food again. The hobbit took a deep breath as she walked back towards the door.

She opened the door, the cold wind hit her for the second time. But this time, it seemed not to be as cold. The door was quickly closed. The heat was trapped inside.

The day wore on as the sun travelled higher into the sky. Creatures of every species were going about their daily business. Some lived in forests, large and small. Logs of dead wood scattered the forest floor. Moss had anchored itself into the soft wood.

Crows and other birds fluttered around. songs echoed around the disserted forest. Once up on a time, the forest was not disserted. Empty shells of buildings could be seen though out the trees.

Its glass had been shattered long ago. Some had landed onto the forest floor, other shards had landed inside the house. After a few years, a carpet of moss had been growing on the floor and walls.

In summer time, constricting ivy grew on the walls. The stones that had made up the outside walls were now being slowly prised apart. Larger gaps then normal could be seen as the ivy pushed its way in.

Over hundreds of years, the roof had begun to cave in. This caused light to stream in. Rain leaked in as well, causing puddles.

Birds had started to make their nests in the rafters of the roof. In the warm summer months, the house was as busy as it had been when the humans had stayed there.

Empty buildings stood dotted around forests and on the edge of unused roads. There seemed to be just as many broken statues dotted among the woods.

But there was no forest wilder then Fangorn. Even in the highest of summer, the warmth was blocked out by the canopy of leaves. Raise of sunlight could be seen as a cool wind blew though the forest.

But now, everything had turned cold. Drips were constantly falling from the canopy above. Strange tracks weaved though out the forest. Big round indents in the forest floor.

But these were not made by any elves, men, dwarves or hobbits. These were made by Ents. Trees that could talk and move. Yet they had been once very rare to see. But now times had changed.

Isengard was now full of trees. Saplings had been growing there since the downfall of Saruman. Yet, the tower of Orthanc still remained standing. It gleamed in the sunlight.

A cold wind blew as the trees moved. They were carrying large boulders and rocks. There was a especially large one. He had deep amber eyes full of wisdom and knowledge. his face looked old, the wood looked like it had been carved to fit his eyes and nose. His mouth was hidden under a small beard of moss.

Treebeard had lived out his days trying to get Orthanc back to its beauty again. The stone circle of rock that had made up the outer wall had now been taken down.

But there was still much more work to do. The dirty water that had once filled Isengard had now all but gone, leaving all but small lakes here and there. Under the line of water were old machines. Machines that Saruman used to create bombs, ladders and also orcs.

But now, the machines were not working any more. They had been silent since the end of Saruman's reign over Middle-Earth.

An earth moving bang came as a rock was dropped onto the floor. A massive pile of them had been placed neat the forest. But humans had not made this. This was all the work of the Ents. Treebeard looked around at the work that had already been done. Trees seemed to be moving more then usual.

"Hm!" he said, looking over the lands.

The massive pile of rocks stood behind him. it was now bigger then he was. A small robin hopped near by. He sang his beautiful song and seemed to skip from rock to rock.

The next second, the small bird hopped and flew. But he did not go far. The small bird perched on one of Treebeards many branches.

It was then Treebeard made a noise. Rumbling at first until it became noticeable laughter.

"Hold on little birdling" Treebeard said, slowly looking down.

But the bird had already flown off. Treebeards eyes followed the small bird until it was a small dot.

"Robins, always the hasty ones" he said.

His voice was old and woody. The large tree started to move off again, his mind was on ending the days work. The clouds in the sky had started to gather again, threatening the land with even more snow.

A few small snow flakes had already started to fall as Treebeard made the long journey back. The other trees knew what was going to happen. They had blended into the forest around Isengard.

The number of snow flakes started to increase as the Ent made his way back towards the large tower. The level of light had decreased in power as the clouds blocked out the sun.

In the sky, dark spots flew. These were crows. They were trying to find a place to perch. The wind picked up as well, making the once soft landing flakes of snow now hit them like small daggers.

The birds swooped down and landed in the young forest. But they were quickly shoed onto normal, immovable trees.

The hours continued to pass as Treebeard rooted next to one of the many lakes now at Orthanc. Other trees had done the same. Roots poured into the surface of the water.

Treebeard took a deep woody breath and closed his eyes. He could feel the water seeping slowly from the roots up. The sun continued to pass over the sky as the snow fell.

"Always cold at this time of year" he thought, feeling cold flakes hit him.

But then again, he had lived though many winters. He could still, vaguely, remember the coldest of winters.

The tall tower of Orthanc stood in the middle. The top seemed to be masked in a white cloud. The snow seemed to be the heaviest it had been all year. And there were no signs of it letting up for many more hours.

Small rabbits and foxes sheltered in their dens, away from the cold. For many times over the horizon, the snow fell.

Even in the Shire, the flakes of snow fell. Yet life there continued. The hours past as the chimneys bellowed out more smoke then was normal. a small figure could be seen, wondering the paths.

It was of course, a hobbit. Diamond Took was her name and see was on the way to a different home. The wind was blowing her hair as she held a small bundle.

This small bundle was her very own puppy, Origo. He was whimpering and shivering as Diamond opened the gate and walked though.

There was a large round door in front of her. she knocked three times. After what seemed like minutes standing out in the cold snowy air, the door opened.

"Diamond?" asked the girl.

Diamond was now very wet and cold. She gave a small smile, but it was hard to in the cold.

"Do come in!" the girl said.

"You must be frozen"

Diamond smiled and walked in. Origo have a small whimper as he was bathed in light and warmth. He had snowflakes melting on his fluffy fur.

The puppy gave a small yawn and looked around. there were, yet again, new smells to take in and new rooms to explore.

"And this must be Origo" Pearl said, looking at the puppy Diamond had.

Origo was looking at Pearl with eyes full of wonder. Questions were running around his little head now.

Is she safe?

Is she friendly?

The small puppy looked up at his Diamond. She looked down and kissed her puppy on the head. She then lowered him to the floor. Origo stood on the stop, looking around at the new house.

It was then he saw her. Another small puppy, looking out into the hall. Their eyes met. But they were not strangers. Origo slowly made his way to the other puppy. His tail wagging.

Without warming, Origo pounded his Abira. She rolled on the floor and started to wrestle. They had not seen each other in a few days.

Pimpernel, who was holding Faramir, came out of the lounge. She smiled as she saw the two puppies. It was hard to know which one was her puppy and which one was Diamond's. but for now, she would leave it.

Baby Faramir had fallen asleep in her arms. Pimpernel had loved children ever since she was old enough to know what to do.

Sometimes, she had helped her mother bath and cloth her younger brother, Pippin. She knew now that she would never have a child of her own. Hamson was the only one she loved.

"Hello" Pimpernel said, smiling.

Diamond smiled back.

"Is he asleep?" she asked, putting her coat on the hook.

Nelly nodded and smiled.

"Yes, he fell asleep a few minutes ago" she answered.

Faramir was tucked up in a blanket, his little eyes were closed. His light brown hair, akin to his father's, was laying over his small forehead.

"Would you stay for tea? I'm just about to start" Pearl told Diamond.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down to see Origo play fighting with another puppy.

"Well, I guess I could" she said, knowing that Pippin was not there to feed.

Pearl smiled.

"I've already got the chicken ready to put in the oven" Pearl told her.

There were a few seconds of silence.

"Would you like some tea?" Pearl asked.

Diamond nodded and smiled.

"Tea would be good" she answered.

So, Pearl, Pimpernel and Diamond walked into the kitchen. The fire was crackling in the heath and in the small metal oven. A chicken had been plucked and prepared for cooking. There was a table, with four chairs around it. A candle stick was flickering in the middle of the table. A few table mats had been placed out. There were small brown rings imprinted in the table mat.

Origo and Abira had been left in the hall. Their wrestling match had ended in a draw. The two small puppies were now wondering the house.

"And this is where my Pimpernel stays" Abira told Origo.

The room had a familiar smell to it. But Origo could not place it. The room was lovely and warm. But there was no sign of a dog bed.

Abira pawed her Origo, getting his attention. Origo looked around and shook his head. Abira walked away, wagging her tail. The two puppies walked though the house. Origo continued to explore, Abira watched.

Talking could be heard coming from the kitchen. Origo stopped and listened.

"And you haven't seen him since then?" asked a voice.

Origo didn't know who this was. But another voice was recognisable as his very own Diamond.

"No" she said.

"I told him to go and now, he has"

There was a strange silence. Neither Pimpernel or Pearl wanted to say anything wrong. Only Pimpernel and Diamond were both sitting as Pearl prepared the food.

The chicken had been placed in the oven and was now slowly, but surely, browning. Every now and again, Diamond could smell the cooking bird. A small tugging came from the floor. The hobbit looked down to see her puppy looking up. She smiled and reached over. She picked him up and placed him on his lap. It was then that Diamond another puppy walking near by. This one looked similar to Origo. But this one was a little bit smaller.

"And this must be Abira" Diamond said, reaching down.

But Abira was not as trusting as Origo. She blinked and looked from Diamond, to her hand. A confused smile came over the hobbit.

"Don't worry pup, I'm not going to hurt you"

Abira looked over at her Pimpernel. She was looking at her as well. The next second, Abira ran to her own Pimpernel. Nelly smiled, unable to pick her up due to having Faramir in her hands.

Abi looked up at her Pimpernel and whimpered. Nelly looked down.

"Oh puppy, I cant give you a cuddle at the moment"

Pimpernel said, looked into her arms.

Faramir was still sleeping. Pimpernel began to wonder what he was dreaming about, if he was dreaming at all. She could not remember the time she was a baby. Yet, she did remember her younger brother being born.

In fact, her younger brother was not as sober as she was. Pippin, for the second night in a row, was drunk. He had forgotten all about his worries with Diamond. In fact, it seemed that he had forgotten all about Diamond.

"And I tell you want" said Pippin, his voice slurred.

He gave a small hiccup.

"I think that this here" he said, raising his half empty mug of ale.

"Is a particularly good ale" he said.

After a few more seconds, he placed the mug to lips and downed his ale. A small bit seeped out of the sides and onto his shirt. But he seemed not care much. Merry downed his as well. He swayed a bit as he placed his mug down.

"Your" he giggled after one word.

"Your drunked!" he said.

Pippin screwed his face more then normal.

"No I am!" he said, surprised at what Merry had just said to him.

Pippin, forgetting that he had already finished his ale, picked up his mug again. He placed it at his lips and expected more ale to rush down.

But there was none. Pippin looked deep into his mug. His vision was not up to scratch as he took a deep breath.

"I think I need some more" he said.

This was said in a more sober tone. Pippin slowly got up from his chair. He had trouble standing, due to the quantity of ale he had consumed. His path was not straight towards the cellar. In fact, he missed the open cellar door completely and ended up facing the wall.

"Your not meant to be there" Pippin thought, looking at the wall before him.

Merry, meanwhile, was filling his pipe with a small bit of pipe-weed. But he had a sudden thought. He looked over at the fire. Even though he was drunk, a small voice in his head argued with him.

"But how am I going to light it?" he asked himself, looking up.

The voices were now getting annoying. The next second, Pippin walked back out. a few drops of lovely ale were spilled as he made his way slowly to the table again.

"Merry, what are you doing?" Pippin asked.

Merry was kneeling down, quite away from the fire. He had his pipe in his mouth. Merry inched towards the fire. He could already feel the heat on his face.

Pippin slowly sat down on his chair again and watched his friend try and light his pipe. Pippin saw the spare pipe and the patch of pipe-weed left on the table.

Peregrin reached over and picked up the pipe and the pipe-weed. He then placed the pipe in his mouth and opened the pouch. The smell of the Longbottom leaf met his nose. Pip stopped for a split second, taking in the smell. For a few seconds, he stopped what he was doing. All sounds and movement stopped.

But Pippin was too late in starting to smoke.

"Hey!" Merry said, standing up.

Pippin spilt the pipe-weed that he was holding. The pipe was then accidently dropped. It crashed onto the floor, cracking into two pieces.

"Pippin!" Merry said, drunkenly walking and picking the pipe up.

"That was my favourite pipe!"

Merry seemed to sober up quickly, unlike Pippin who was smiling.

"Not my fault" he said.

Merry looked up at him. He wasn't very happy with Pippin.

"What do you mean? Of course its your fault"

Pippin shook his head.

"No its not, I never touched it" Pippin told him.

He knew that it was a lie, but he wanted Merry to believe it. But Pippin was failing at it. Merry shook his head and walked away. He looked down at his pipe. It was the one that had been the one that he had used at Isengard.

"Maybe this is a sign" Merry told himself.

"A sign to finally let it go"

For over the past few years, Merry seemed to have suffered the most. He watched one of his friends get killed right in front of him. To this day, Merry still had nightmares time with the orcs and time in Fangorn. But nobody knew what was happening. They didn't understand what he had been though. The broken pipe was then placed in the bin.

Merry had only turned around for a few seconds before he turned back. Merry saw that Pippin now had his head on the table.

"Pip?" he asked, walked towards him.

But Peregrin did not answered. He had, some how, fallen asleep instantly. Pippin's hand was still holding onto his mug. Merry yawned and looked over at the oven.

"I better get some dinner on" he thought as his tummy rumbled.

So, the hobbit opened the cellar door. Inside the small room were shelves stacked with packets of food. Along the back wall were bottles of cool wine. There were two large barrels full of ale. This was the main source of drunkenness for Merry.

There were many packets of food. Ranging from eggs to beef, carrots and parsnips. But none of those would be cooked today. All Merry was interested in was chocolate. It had been a few days since he had had the pleasure of eating some. Merry, being very hungry, took three packets down. Each one had delicious taste to it. All had a hint of milk to them.

Merry walked out and shut the door with quite a loud bang. Pippin snorted, but did not wake up. Merry walked to the table and placed the chocolate down. He pulled his seat out and sat down.

But Merry was not the only one eating at this time. In fact, it was dinner time in most households. Pimpernel, Diamond and Pearl were all sitting and eating there dinner. Baby Faramir had been past back to his mother. Origo had been placed on the floor with Abira. Ivy had joined them as they went around the house.

But they did not have much time left. Diamond and the others were finishing off their large dinner. Pimpernel was the first one to finish. She had taken what she needed three times over. She sat back, watching the other two eat.

A mug of ale had been placed before Pearl and Pimpernel, where as Diamond only had water.

Diamond finished soon after Pimpernel.

Diamond picked up her water and drank. Her other arm was cradling the giggly baby. It was a few minutes later that Pearl finished. She gave a deep breath and sat back in her seat. Her sprits were higher then they had been all day.

But now, tiredness was battling with her. She yawned and looked around. The fire was crackling as Diamond's eyes started to feel heavy.

"I think I should get this little one to bed" Diamond said, looking down.

She did not want to sound rude. Pearl smiled.

"I think so too" she agreed.

There was no sign of Origo or Abira anywhere. Pimpernel got out of her chair and picked up the plates. Both Diamond and Pearl arose from there seats.

"Where is Origo?" she asked.

She had not seen him a while. Pimpernel started to clear away the bowls as the hour approached nine.

"Well would you look at the time!" Pearl said, helping her sister.

Diamond was standing there.

"Could you hold him for a minute while I go and get my coat?" she asked.

Pearl smiled.

"Of course" she said.

Faramir was the handed over to his auntie and Diamond walked out of the room. Pearl looked down at Faramir. There was a lot of his father in him.

"I still would have liked a girl" Pimpernel said.

Pearl looked over at her sister.

"A boy wouldn't be that bad would it?" she asked.

Nelly shook her head and smiled.

"Lets just hope he hasn't got too much of his father in him"

The two girls knew exactly what this meant. Pippin, along with Merry, had wrecked havoc over the past few years. They not only pulled pranks on each other, but other hobbits as well.

Yet now, they seemed to have grown up quite a lot. Yet there were still old habits that kept resurfacing.

Diamond walking into the kitchen, doing the last of her buttons up.

"Alright, come on" Diamond said, taking her son.

Pimpernel walked out of the room, wondering where the two little pups could have gone too. The lounge door had been left open. Pimpernel looked in. she was just about to go out again, when her eyes fell on a small bundle of fur. She smiled as she looked at the two sleeping puppies.

Pimpernel smiled, thinking the two puppies were extremely cute together.

"Have you seen…"

But Pearl was hushed.

"Look" Pimpernel said, looking back at the puppies.

Pearl walked in. Her eyes fell on the two pups. Her heart melted at the sight of Origo and Abira snoozing together. Diamond then came in.

"Is he sleeping?" she asked.

Pimpernel smiled and nodded.

"They seemed to have warmed to each other quite quickly" she answered.

Faramir was in his mothers arms. He had been wrapped up in a warm, fluffy blanket.

"Well, I could leave his here for the night. But then, he wouldn't have any of his turkey"

It was now a choice between waking Origo up and taking him home or leaving him here.

"I think I should get him home" she said.

Pimpernel walked over to the two puppies. For a few seconds, she did not know which one was Origo. She then picked up Origo.

The small puppy whimpered as she held him.

"Ori, wake up now" she said.

Origo whined as his little brown eyes opened. He raised his head and looked up. Pimpernel was standing over him.

"Time to go home" she said, picking him up.

Abira was waking up as well. She noticed that she had not been picked up as well. But it didn't bother her much. She looked at her Pimpernel and whined.

Pimpernel looked down at her puppy.

"I suppose you want a cuddle as well"

But that's not what she wanted. Abira wanted Origo to stay. They had a lot to catch up on. But it seemed that they did not understand.

Origo was then placed on the floor.

"Come on Origo, lets go home" Diamond said.

She already had a large coat and Faramir in her arms. Origo looked back up at Abira. He too wanted to stay with his friend. But he was very hungry and tired.

The pup looked back at his Diamond and nodded.

"I'll speak to Pippin tomorrow" Pearl said.

Diamond took a deep breath and nodded. She knew that Pippin would an easy person to crack. But she didn't feel loved by him.

"I'll see you later. You can come around again tomorrow" Pearl told Diamond.

The hobbit smiled.

"I would like that" she answered and looked down at her puppy who was now standing at her heals.

"And I think Origo would like that too"

The small puppy looked up. Diamond took a deep breath.

"Well, lets go home"

Origo followed his Diamond out of the room. The two of them were followed by the others. Diamond opened the door. Freezing cold wind blew on her face.

"See you tomorrow" Diamond said, walking out.

"Bye, see you tomorrow!" both Pimpernel and Pearl said.

They did not stay at the door for very long, due to the cold. Diamond did not have far to walk. But the cold wind made it feel ten times longer. Her door came into view. Origo was struggling against the wind. His fur was blowing all over the place as snowflakes hit him.

The gate was then opened and Diamond walked though. She waited for her puppy to come though and then closed it again. Origo quickly made his way up to the door.

Origo waited for his Diamond as she opened the door. Origo and Diamond walked into the warm house and the door was close. Diamond's hair had been messed up and dripping wet by the wind and cold.

"Right" said Diamond, walking though the house to her room.

Faramir gave a small yawn.

"I think its time for you to get some sleep" she told her son.

Her room was very warm indeed. The fire was crackling. But just a few hours before, the fire was raging. But now, the fire was gently crackling. The glow was warm and the light was just enough to see.

Faramir was placed in his cot. He instantly started to cry. Origo had been following his Diamond since they entered the house.

Diamond looked down and smiled.

"Hungry?" she asked.

Origo nodded.

"Alright then, come on" she said, walking out of the room.

A minute later, Diamond entered the cellar. Like always, Origo stayed outside. Diamond picked up a full packet of cooked and cut turkey. Origo followed at his Diamond's heals.

A minute later, a bowl was placed on the floor. Diamond smiled as her puppy began to eat. Without another word, the hobbit walked out of the room and down the corridor to the bath room.

It was a few minutes before Origo finished eating. His hunger had been lifted from him. But now tiredness had taken over as the puppy slowly walked to the bed room.

As he entered the room, he saw Diamond's large bed next to his smaller one. He looked back, but there was no sign of his Diamond coming yet.

"Maybe if I just wait for her" he told himself, walking to his bed.

Hit toy turkey had been left in the bed as Origo snuggled down. His eyes began to feel heavy as he lay there. The noises of his Diamond echoed though out the house.

But Origo could not keep his eyes open any longer. The small puppy had fallen asleep just as Diamond came back into the room. She smiled, seeing her puppy asleep already.

The door was slowly and quietly shut. Candles were blown out, sending the room into semi-darkness. The hobbit walked and got into her bed. For a few seconds, she thought that Pippin was there. But then she remembered.

She took a deep breath and flipped on one side so that she was facing where he had slept. She was still thinking about him.

"Maybe I should forget about it for a while"

But her feeling were still strong. Sleep did not seem to come to her as the hours wore on.


	49. Day Twenty Three, Part One

Diamond awoke after the least amount of sleep she had had in a long time. The clock on the wall showed the time to be only nine o'clock in the morning.

But she did not arise from her warm bed. Her lay there, thinking things over in her mind. A few times, memories came back to haunt her. memories of happier times.

The hobbit wondered if she would ever see those times with Pippin again. But at this moment in time, that did not seem very likely. Diamond wished that Pippin would see sense in what he did. But she knew he wouldn't.

Origo was still sleeping in his small bed. His chest rising and falling away few seconds. His small brown eyes were close.

Diamond smiled and got out of her bed. She had her night gown on which almost touched her large feet. The tiles that made up the floor were cold.

The door to Diamond's room was then opened. The candles that were dotted around the room had been put out the night before. Diamond smiled as she walked down the corridor. Every so often, there was a patch of light. Theses were candles that had been left to burn over night.

The kitchen door had been left open. The room was warmer then the hall. The fire was now burning in red hot embers.

"I think some tea is in order" Diamond told herself.

Faintly, she could hear the birds chirping outside. The snow was still falling in very large, feather like flakes. For as far as anyone could see, snow fell. There seemed no way to distinguish any points on the land. Trees that could be seen from a mile off on a clear, normal day, were now shrouded in a sea of white.

The ground all around Hobbiton was thick in cold snow. Inches had fell over night. And there seemed no let up in the velocity of flakes falling from the sky.

The horizon looked like strangle. There was no point to distinguish the point where sky met land. in the middle of the storm stood a small village. Yet this was not a normal village. This village had few buildings. Or this was what thought when approached for the first time.

Instead, all homes seemed to represented by large, colourful doors. There seemed to be a forest of chimneys dotting the hill. A sign of what was really going on.

The large doors opened onto long, snaking corridors. There were doors on either side. There were studies, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, cellars, rooms full of cloths, other rooms full of wine and food.

In the study, there were writing desks. For most of the hobbits had learnt to read and write. Small ink pots, both empty and full, were lining the top of the desk. The rest was on a gentle slope so they could write properly.

There were lots of shelves, full of hand written books. Some were newer then others. Some were just a few months old, some were generations old.

Cookbooks, made up stories of old tales and other important documents made up the shelves. A heath was standing at one wall. Yet there was no fire burning in there.

The kitchens were one of their favourite rooms. Another door led of to a cellar. There were shelves upon shelves of food.

Chocolate, eggs, chicken, sprouts, carrots, parsnips were contained in paper packets. Along the back wall were barrels and bottles of wine and ale. For hobbits both liked their food and drink in high quantities.

"Food is no use without a drink to keep it at bay" said the elders.

Diamond was stocking up the fire in the heath. But it still wasn't hot enough to boil a kettle full of water. yet, slowly, the fire started to build up. The flames grew higher as the fire caught its destructive grip on it. The crackles started to become more and more common as Diamond stood back up.

She looked around and smiled. Hunger was now getting to her. Her mind was settled on what she would have for breakfast.

The cellar was opened and entered. The stocks were now recovering after Yule.

"That reminds me" Diamond thought, giving a small smile.

"I have to clean" she said.

She picked up the packet of bacon and walked out again. A part of Diamond kept an ear out for her son, Faramir. But he was still sleeping in his cot.

A pan was then placed on the hob of the oven. The fire had been ranging for only a few minutes. Diamond smiled as she walked back to the cellar.

She came back out with a large glass. She took the stopper out and poured the liquid into the pan. The liquid had a yellowy colour to it. It was not water or wine. But oil. Only a small bit was poured into the warm pan. The fire underneath was slowly heating up the metal.

Diamond placed the stopped back on the vase of oil and placed it on the work top. The next second, Diamond picked up the already opened packet of bacon.

She unwrapped the open end and took out the slices of bacon. She smiled as she put three into the pan. Yet the pan, which was getting extremely hot now, was not hot enough yet.

A draw was opened. Inside were knives, spoons and forks. A spatula made from a wooden handle and a flat metal blade on the other end. The tool looked well used as Diamond got out a cutting knife as well.

The draw was closed with a soft thud. The sound of sizzling started as Diamond looked into the pan. Small bubbles seemed to be coming off of the bottom of the pan.

The noise grew louder and louder. Very soon, the redness of the bacon had started to change. The bubbles only grew bigger as the pan grew hotter.

A wave of smell came over Diamond. The bacon was defiantly cooking now.

The wave of smell slowly travelled though out the house. The smell slowly closed in on a small puppy who was sleeping back in the bed room.

Yet the smell so weak that hobbit noses could not pick it up. But Origo was not a hobbit. His nose twitched as the smell hit it. He gave a small whine, not liking the smell of bacon much.

Origo yawned and turned over. But he could not get comfortable again. His toy turkey was moved out the way by one of Origo's small paws. A yawn came over the pup as sounds met his ears.

Diamond could now be heard in the kitchen. The sound of sizzling bacon met Origo's ears as well. Other sounds were coming from the other side of the door.

"I suppose I should get up" he told himself, yawning again.

He gave a small whine as he got up and stretched. The small pup shook himself and looked around. The next second, he picked up his toy and scooted out of the room.

The sounds grew louder the nearer he got to the kitchen. The door had, like the bedroom, been left ajar. Origo slowly poked his head around the door. His eyes scanned the room before spotting his Diamond.

The puppy wagged his tail as he made his way towards her. But she did not notice him. The toy was placed down on the floor and looked back up.

But still, she did not look around. Origo looked down at her night gown. This was the only way he knew how to get her attention.

Just then, Diamond felt three small tugs on her gown. She smiled curiously and looked down. On the floor, holding her night gown, was Origo. He looked up and stopped tugging. A second later, he let go.

"Morning puppy" Diamond said, reaching down and picking him up.

The puppy wagged his tail and started to lick his

Diamond. She smiled.

"Alright, alright" she said, making him stop.

Origo looked down at the pan. He didn't like the smell of bacon one bit. Diamond yawned and placed her puppy on the floor. Origo gave a small whine as Diamond looked in the bread bin.

A loaf of the bread had been made and placed in there. Yet, it seemed that there had been a few slices taken out. Diamond unwrapped the paper that had been put around it and looked at the white surface.

She poked the surface of the bread. It was stale. She took a deep breath and placed the loaf on the work top. A small whine came from the floor as Diamond got out a cutting knife.

"Alright Ori, I'll get your turkey in a minute" Diamond said.

The kettle was now boiling as Diamond cut the bread. One slice was cut off. But this would be thrown away. The next two sliced would be used to make up Diamond breakfast.

The bubbles in the kettle were now becoming louder and quicker. The bacon was turning a lovely brown colour. The two slices of bread were quickly buttered. The pan was then picked up and taken off of the heat. The spatula was then used to pick up and place the bacon on the buttered slices of bread.

The pan was then taken off of the heat. There was only a small bit of oil left in the pan as Diamond placed it on a cooler hob.

The other slice of bread was then placed over the bacon, making a sandwich. There was a cutting knife near by. Diamond picked it up and cut the freshly made sandwich.

Origo was watching her.

"Why isn't she make me anything?" he whined.

The cellar door had been left ajar. Origo looked back at his Diamond once more, then started to walk towards the cellar. The puppy stopped at the edge. He could hear his Diamond behind him.

The puppy looked into the cellar. There were large shelves, towering up. Origo blinked and looked around. his Diamond was too busy to notice him.

So, facing his fear, Origo walked inside. The air in the cellar was colder then the kitchen. There were no lights to lead the way. Origo's eyes were only just good enough to make out the shelves. The puppy wondered deeper and deeper into the cellar.

Diamond smiled as she placed tea leaves into the hot cup of water. The leaves started to slowly float around as a silver spoon was dipped in the hot water.

The water began to swirl as Diamond moved the spoon around. The water brought on a light brown colour. Evidence that the taste was seeping out into the warm water. A strange sound came from the cup of tea. It was the spoon hitting the inside of the mug.

Diamond smiled as she picked the mug and the plate up. She then turned around and looked at the table. Diamond placed the plate down and the mug before settling down herself.

She smiled, picking up the first bit of her freshly made sandwich. It was then that something was caught out of the corner of her eye. Diamond turned her head to see a small wagging tail coming out from the cellar.

"Origo?" she asked, looking at it.

A puppy re-emerged from the darkness of the cellar. He looked right at his Diamond.

"What were you doing in there?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

She smiled and looked away. Origo yawned and walked over to his Diamond. He stood there, looking up. The hobbit looked down at him.

"I'll feed you in a minute pup" she said, finishing her first piece.

The second was then picked up. It was warmer then the first, having waited longer. She took a bite. The bacon was very crispy. She smiled, looking around the room.

"I have to clean up later" she told herself.

Origo whined, attracting her attention yet again.

"Alright puppy, I'll get you your turkey now" she said, getting up.

She finished the last of her sandwich on her feet as she walked towards the cellar. Origo followed again. But this time, he stayed out of the cellar.

Diamond picked up the packet of turkey and walked out again. She took a deep breath as she finished off the last of the sandwich. Her tea was sitting on the table, cooling by the minute.

The cupboard door was opened and a bowl taken out. Origo was at his Diamond's heals as he waited. The packet was emptied into the bowl. Lovely roasted pieces of turkey.

Origo wagged his tail as Diamond picked the bowl up.

"Right" she said, not putting the bowl on the floor.

Origo tilted his head, wondering what she was doing. He could see that Diamond had no intention of giving him his turkey yet.

"Puppy, I want you to sit" she said.

But Origo did not sit. He was looking from the turkey, to the bowl.

"Origo"

Diamond's voice was harder and more determined. She looked down at him. Origo only whined, not really understanding what she was doing.

"Sit and I'll will give you the turkey"

But it seemed not understand what she was saying. Diamond took a deep breath.

"One day, Origo, one day you'll sit down for me" she said, placing the piece of turkey back into the bowl.

Diamond then placed the bowl on the floor and walked away.

The day was getting on now. It had been an hour since Diamond had arisen. Hobbits of every age were waking up. Elanor Gamgee lay in her nice, warm bed. She was listening to the sounds of her younger siblings that had already woken up.

She looked over to one side. Standing on the bed side table were lots of toy horses. Some were small and decorated to look exactly like horses. But there was one that always made her smile.

It was the largest horse she had. A string of multicoloured beads rested around his neck. She smiled and picked her horse.

She smiled.

"Good morning" she said, smiling.

The horse, although made of wood, seemed to answer back.

"And how are you?" asked Elanor, moving the beads around his neck.

She smiled as, in her imagination, the horse answered back.

"I'm tired as well" she said, yawning a bit as well.

Hunger was now getting to her. With her spare hand, she whipped the duvet away. She was wearing a night gown, like she always did.

The air around her was very cold. So cold, in fact, that Elanor started to shiver.

"I cant wait for summer to come" she told her horse as she placed him back where he belonged.

The small girl took a deep breath. The coldness of the tiled floor shot up her large feet as she made her way to the door. She pulled on the handle and opened.

The large round door squeaked as she walked into the corridor. She smiled as she looked each way. There seemed to be more noise coming down from one way to the next. This quickly became louder.

Merry and Rosie were laughing and chasing each other. They laughed and rushed past Elanor. Elanor watched them as they ran down the corridor, then carried on to the kitchen.

In the kitchen was Samwise and his wife, Rosie.

"Good morning" Elanor said, smiling.

Samwise was eating some toast as Elanor smiled. A small stick of creamy butter lay on a small glass butter tray. A knife had been placed on the side. Elanor sat upon her seat. There was a rack of lightly toasted bread.

Elanor took a few slices and placed them on her plate. She then, carefully, picked up the small tray. Elanor placed it down nearer to where she was and picked up the knife.

Sam smiled as she took one of the three pieces of toast that he had left. He took a bite and watched his daughter. Elanor then started to spread butter over the warm slice of the toasted bread.

She placed the knife back on the butter tray and started to eat. Rosie was humming to herself as she held her youngest child.

"Alright, mummy is going to get your food now" she said, smiling.

Samwise smiled as Merry and Rose ran in.

"Be careful now" Samwise said.

"We want to go outside!" Merry said, standing there.

Samwise took a deep breath, knowing that he couldn't stop his children from going out and enjoying the snow.

"Alright" he said, taking a deep breath.

"But let me finish my breakfast"

Merry and Rose smiled and ran out of the room. Samwise picked up his mug of tea. The water was warm and drank up. Samwise took a deep breath as he placed the mug on the table mat.

He smiled, looking at his youngest son. Pippin was now getting bigger and bigger as the days went past. He was now eating solids and learning to walk. But it seemed harder with the amount of children running around.

Samwise got up from his seat. There seemed to be more toys out lately. Yet, he knew why. Yule had come and gone a few days before.

"I'm just going to check on Frodo" he told his wife.

Rosie smiled and nodded. She was not cooking any more, but cleaning. She had a wet cloth and was now wiping down the surface of work top. Pippin was giggling as he grabbed his mothers hair and let go.

He had only just started to talk.

"Dun!" he said, wriggling.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"You be careful now" she said, watching him waddle off.

Rosie took a few seconds to watch what he was doing, then went back to work. The sink was filled with warm water. Rosie placed the cloth in and rung it out. She then started to scrub again.

But she was not the only hobbit to have a large cleaning up session. Diamond, who had had something to eat and drink, was now dusting every little surface of her home.

"Maybe I'll take Faramir over after lunch" she thought, looking at the clock.

She knew that she could get most of the cleaning done on her own. She took a deep breath as she finished dusting the kitchen.

Diamond was still very tired as she walked down to a small cupboard. The small door, much smaller then all of the others and the only one that wasn't round.

The door was opened, a small squeak came from the hinges. There were buckets, mops and brooms. Diamond slid a mop out and a bucket. She then closed the door as a small puppy came in from the kitchen.

Diamond smiled.

"I'm going to Pearl's again today, would you like to come?" Diamond asked, standing there.

The reaction of the puppy made Diamond smile.

"We're going after lunch, alright?" she asked.

Origo nodded and ran off. Diamond continued to the kitchen and placed the bucket in the sink and the mop to one side. She took a deep breath as the bucket started to fill with water. Only the bathroom did not have running water.

After a minute, boiling hot water was filling the old, wooden bucket. A small bit of water vapour was snaking upwards off of the surface of the water. Diamond took a deep breath and placed the bucket on the floor.

Origo was now wondering the house. His eyes were searching the place.

"Where is she?" he asked, looking around.

Ivy and Origo were playing a game. But Origo could not see her anywhere. His little eyes ran all the room. he knew that she was there somewhere.

In fact, Ivy was right above him. She was giggling silently, knowing that he didn't know she was there. Origo then turned around and walked out of the room again.

"Puppy?" she asked, then zoomed out of sight.

Origo spun around. but nothing was there.

"Ivy?" he asked, walking back a bit.

But there was still no sign of his little fairy. The puppy began to whimper sadly.

"Maybe she doesn't love me" he whined.

Ivy poked her head though the door.

"Of course I love you, puppy" she said.

Origo looked around, his tail wagged. Ivy then knew that it had been Origo's plan all along.

"You're a very sneaky puppy, you are"

Origo wagged his tail.

"You have to find me now" he told her, bounding off.

Ivy smiled and waited. Origo ran down the corridor and into the kitchen. But he was stopped. A large broom was being swept over the tiled floor.

"Watch out, Origo!" his Diamond told him.

Origo stopped and stood there for a few seconds before running out of the room again. Diamond smiled, yet a small bit of her wanted to know what he was doing.

But this was soon chased out of her mind by the task she had in front of her. she had a lot of cleaning to do, but not very long to do it. The mop was then placed in the water again. The sound of drips erupted when she took it out.

The candles that were burning on their stands showed up where the water was. But Diamond still had the rest of the room to do. There was a dramatic difference in the cleanliness of the tiles.

Meanwhile, Origo was hiding where he thought was a good place. His little ears seemed to pick up sounds better then normal. He could hear the ticking of the clock and the small crackles of the heath.

Origo's eyes were now getting used to the darkness under the bed. It was then that he started to hear it. Faramir had started to wake up. But Origo was not the only one to hear him. Diamond took a deep breath. But she did not stop mopping the floor. Origo was looking at the crib. But there was no sign of Ivy or Diamond.

Ivy was in fact still looking for him. She knew that he could not have gone in any of the rooms with closed doors. There were only a few rooms where the doors had been left open.

Ivy fluttered into the kitchen. Diamond took a deep breath. She was tired as she finished up mopping the floor. She yawned as she lifted the bucket up. The water was dirty and the sound of Faramir crying grew louder.

The bucket and mop was placed near the wall. Diamond slowly made her way to her room. The door opened onto the warm room.

"Alright, alright" she said, walking over to the cot.

Faramir was then picked up and hushed. Origo was still hiding under the bed. He could see his Diamond's feet. But he was playing a game. He needed to be quiet.

A few homes down the road, Abira scurried after her owner. But neither of them were heading outside. Lunch time was fast approaching. Pimpernel smiled as she walked into the kitchen. Pearl was already getting lunch ready.

Pimpernel opened the cellar door and walked in. Abira, unlike Origo, walked in as well.

There were many new smells in here. Some that Abira had never smelt before. Pimpernel picked up the bacon off of the shelf. Pimpernel looked down at her puppy.

"Come on then pup" Pimpernel said, walking past.

But Abira did not move. She wanted to explore every packet that she could see. But hearing her Pimpernel call her, Abira had to save the exploring until later.

Pimpernel smiled and closed the door after her puppy. But Pimpernel was not going to cook the bacon. Pearl was.

"I'll leave this for you" Pimpernel told her sister, placing the pack on the side.

Pearl looked at the packet.

"Don't you think you can do it yourself now?" she asked.

But Pimpernel knew that she was not ready to do it yet.

"I don't…"

But Pimpernel could not find the words to say what she meant. The memory of the fire was still too near. Not enough time had past yet. Pearl took a deep breath, knowing that she will probably never know what her sister had been though.

"Alright, just leave it with me" Pearl said.

Pimpernel gave a smile of embarrassment. She knew that she had to take care of her puppy by herself. But she was not ready. Abira had been looking up at her Pimpernel. For some reason, Pimpernel thought that her puppy knew what they were saying.

"But, she cant…" she thought.

Pimpernel gave a small smile and picked her Abira up. The puppy was very warm and soft.

"You alright, girl?" Pimpernel asked, kissing her puppy on the head.

Abira gave a small whine and licked her Pimpernel. Nelly giggled and walked out of the room, leaving Pearl working on the chicken.

Origo, meanwhile, was getting very sleepy where he was. The warmth of the fire and the wait had made his very sleepy. But he would soon be woken up. A small green light fluttered into the room.

"He's a very good hider" she thought to herself.

But yet, there was no sign of him in here. The fairy landed softly on the floor. There were no other sounds as she slowly looked around.

"Origo?" she asked.

But she did not expect an answer. She knew that he would not give himself away that easily. The fairy slowly walked over to the bed and fluttered up.

"Maybe he's under the duvet" she told herself.

She walked over, the bed was very bouncy and soft. The duvet was akin to a mountain to her small stature. She knew that she could never be able to lift it.

Sounds echoed from the kitchen. Faramir was crying again. Ivy did not know how close she was to the puppy as she fluttered around the room. Her hair waved in the wind as her fragile wings lifted her off of the surface of the bed.

It was then that she had an idea.

"Maybe he's under the bed" she thought, as she stopped and fluttered in midair for a few seconds.

She then darted to the floor and stopped inches before she crashed. She landed lightly on the floor again. Ivy made for the small gap under then bed.

It was then she saw the first signs of a puppy being under the bed. The dust had small paw prints in the dust. She smiled and walked in, leaving no foot prints what so ever.

The fairy had a small green glow about her. Which was helpful in the darkness under the bed. Ivy stopped and listened. The sound that she could hear from in the room were now blocked out by the bed.

The fairy slowly made her way deeper in the darkness. The boxes that were stored there were taller then her.

As she rounded one of the many boxes, her green glow fell on what she was looking for. A smile came over the fairies face. Origo had fallen asleep under the bed.

"He can sleep anywhere" she though.

Origo was resting on his dusty paws. His little eyes were closed.

"Origo?" asked the fairy, walking slowly up to him.

But the puppy did not wake. Ivy took a deep breath. It would be lunch soon. The snow outside was still stacking up outside. There seemed to be no end to the snow. There were no birds flying around. They had all hunkered down in the canopies of trees.

The wind was too strong for them to fly. Small robins nestled on large branches. Snow seemed to stick to nearly every surface. Yet, there were dark ribbons running though out the land. these were rivers, ancient ones. There were a countless number of bends and twists as the river wound towards the distance lake or ocean.

Ancient forests, once teaming with life, were now still and cold. But not all was as it seems. A bang came from deep within the heart of the forest.

A large leg came down and slammed into the earth. But it was not a leg of any living being. This was of wood. Treebeard was walking in the forest. His slow pace meant that he would not reach his destination until the night.

Treebeard was thinking deeply. Drips were running down the bark and branches of the old tree.

But his memory was getting the better of him. But yet, he was one of the wisest creatures to walk the lands.

"Maybe a song" Treebeard told himself, taking a deep breath.

Yet he did not start. There seemed a substantial delay as he took a very deep breath.

"O Orofarne, Lassemista, Carnemirie!

O rowan fair, upon your hair how white the blossom lay!

O rowan mine, I saw you shine upon a summer's day

Your rind so bright, you leaves so light, your voice so cool and soft:

Upon your head how golden-red the crown you bore aloft!

O rowan dead, upon your head your hair is dry and grey;

Your crown is spilled, your voice is stilled for ever and the day.

O Orofarne, Lassemista, Carnemirie!"

It took him quiet a while to finish. Ents were slow, but sure creatures. The snow continued to pelt down as Treebeard continued on his journey.

The hours were passing as the snow, after nearly half a day, looked like it would finally run out. Origo had now been found and woken up. Diamond was sitting at the table in the kitchen. She held baby Faramir in her arms. But he seemed not to cooperate with her. A spoon full of home made baby food. But Faramir cried even harder the more Diamond tried to feed him. Diamond was tired. She needed all the help she could. But Pippin had, in her eyes, taken the wrong path.

"Should I take him back?" she asked herself.

Origo was eating his own lunch. He seemed not to have an idea of what was going on. all he knew was that he was going to see his Abira again.

The bowl was licked clean. He loved his turkey as much as his Diamond and his Abira. The puppy wagged his tail as he scooted around to his Diamond. The tired hobbit looked at him and smiled.

"You seem awake" she said, sounding very tired.

Just then, as she went to pick up the spoon again, a knock came at the door. She looked around.

"Just what I need" she said to herself, slowly getting up off of her chair.

She walked down the corridor and, with one hand, opened the large door. The door swung open and, standing in the freezing temperature, was Pearl.

She smiled, her was cold.

"Hello" she said.

Snow flakes had been caught in her large coat and had started to melt.

"My Pearl, you must be freezing, come in" said Diamond, moving out of the way.

Pearl shivered as she walked in. Freezing drips of water were falling from her coat. Pearl started to take off her coat.

"Oh, he's not very happy, is he?" she asked, giving a small smile.

But she knew she had said something which Diamond did not approve of.

"Sorry" Pearl said, taking a deep breath.

The atmosphere was now tense. Diamond took a deep breath. Her mood was now sharper then usual.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Her voice sounded sharp and a small hint of anger erupted.

"Well, I was hoping I could take Faramir to ours early" Pearl told her.

But the baby was still crying. Diamond looked down at her son.

Was she ready to trust someone else with her son this soon?

"Well, I do need to get the house cleaned" she answered, thinking about what to do.

Origo was standing behind them.

"Alright, but what will you do about Pippin? You said you were going to talk to him today"

Pearl nodded.

"I have thought of this, Pimpernel can look after him while I'm gone" Pearl said.

But that idea did not suit Diamond. After all, Pimpernel was the cause of the fire.

"I don't know, it's just…"

But Diamond did have to finish the sentence.

"I know what you think and Pimpernel did not mean to start the fire. That does not mean she will do it again"

There was said with a small bit of coldness.

"I know it was an accident, but then again, it could happen again. I'm just not sure at the moment"

Deep down, Diamond knew for a fact that it would not happen again. But she could not risk it. It would take a lot to convince her otherwise.

"Diamond, you haven't even seen Pimpernel since you came back. She's changed. She is not herself any more. I remember her being carefree and happy"

There was a slight pause.


	50. Day Twenty Three, Part Two

"But now, now she stays inside all of the time"

There was a strange silence. Diamond finally knew how it had effected Pimpernel.

"Alright" she said, looking down at her son.

"Alright, he can stay with her"

There seemed to be no lie in what Pearl had said. Faramir, still crying, was past over to his auntie. Origo slowly walked forward. He had been listening in.

Pearl smiled and looked down at him.

"And I guess that you would like to come as well" she said.

Origo looked between his Diamond and Pearl. Diamond took a deep breath.

"Would you like to go with auntie Pearl?" Diamond asked.

But still, Origo did not understand. A small, invisible fairy was standing there. Ivy knew that Origo had a hard time.

"Puppy, do you want to see Abira again?" asked the fairy.

The puppies tail began to wag. He loved seeing his Abira.

"Go with Pearl" Ivy said.

The puppy bounded over to this new hobbit and looked up. The girl looked down and smiled.

"Do you want to see you Abira?" Pearl asked, smiling.

Origo nodded, making his ears flop cutely. Without warning, Origo was picked up by his Diamond. The puppy looked at her and licked her. a warm, tired looking smile came over her.

"You'll be alright with them pup" Diamond said, kissing him.

There was a moment of silence as Origo was placed back on the floor.

"Right, I have to be back at the house" Pearl said, holding the small bundle of Faramir.

The door opened again and a cold wind blew at them. Ivy was fluttering near by.

"Go on then puppy, you'll get to see Abira" Ivy said happily.

Origo looked over at his Diamond. After a few seconds, the puppy started to walk forward. But then he stopped.

"Will you come?" Origo whined and looked back at his Ivy.

But she was not there anymore. Origo's little head moved over to the large door that was now open. The cold wind hit the small puppy as he walked forward.

"I'll see you later Pup" his Diamond told him.

The snow was very cold. Origo walked out. He looked up a little bit. Snow flakes were still falling to the ground as a thick carpet of white lay before him.

Pearl, having walked on a bit more, opened the gate. The door behind the puppy slammed shut. Origo looked around. the door was too large for him to even contemplate moving.

"Come on" Pearl said, waiting at the bottom.

Origo trotted onwards, leaving small paw prints in the snow.

Meanwhile, Abira was laying on her owners bed. Her fluffy head on her paws. A yawn came over her as she waited. The candles flickered as she lay in a fluffy ball.

But something got her attention. The large front door opening. A cold, but gentle breeze ran though the house. Abira was now very aware.

Origo came in from the cold into the lovely warmth. There were many drips of water sticking to his once warm fur. Origo took a few steps forward before shaking his whole body. Drips of cold water flew in every direction.

Pearl smiled. There were small wet paw prints on the floor now. Origo looked around. he still could not see his Abira or his little Ivy.

Origo then barked as Pearl walked by. Abira's small ears picked it up instantly. Standing on the bed, the puppy walked to the edge. With one split second look, she jumped and landed on the floor.

Abira the rushed out of the room and down the corridor. A few seconds later, she stopped as she saw what she wanted to see.

Origo was standing there, looking around.

"Origo!" Abira barked and scooted towards him.

The two puppies wrestled as Pearl smiled and walked by. Pimpernel walked out of the study, hearing the barks. She smiled as she saw her sister.

"Could you take him?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel looked confused.

"Are you not staying here?" Pimpernel asked as she was handed her nephew.

"I have to go and see Pippin about something"

Faramir was not crying any more. He seemed to be taking in his new surroundings. Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"Do you trust me?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl looked into her sister eyes. There was a moment of silence between them.

"Of course I do" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel gave a small smile.

"I'm glad you still do" she said, looking away.

She was surprised that anyone did after what had happened. Her eyes then caught the puppies as they ran past. She smiled, knowing that Abira now had a friend to play with.

"Right, I'll see you both later on"

Pearl turned and walked towards the door again. Pimpernel watched as the door opened and closed as her sister went outside.

The house seemed much quieter now as Pimpernel turned around and walked to the kitchen. She smiled down at her young nephew.

Meanwhile, Diamond was mopping up the rest of the floor. Her eyes were feeling very heavy. A yawn came over her.

"Maybe for just a few minutes" she told herself.

The hobbit slowly walked to her bed room. Her bed was unmade. The hobbit the lay on the warm bed. Her eyes were now very droopy. A yawn came over her as she turned on her side.

Her eyes slowly started to shut as she lay there. The clock ticked and the healthy fire crackled. The conditions outside were nothing much to talk about. A carpet of white snow had been dumped across the land as far as even an elf could see.

A small figure trundled though the onslaught of flakes. Pearl was shivering as she made her way to Merry's home. The journey seemed to take even longer in the harsh, cold wind. Small cold flakes landed on Pearls skin.

The hobbit gritted her teeth as she continued to walk. Her small fingers were numb with the coldness. Hunger was now getting to her. Lunch had not even been started and didn't look like it for the next few minutes.

Merry's large front door came into view. It was yellow. The gate was banging in the wind as Pearl made her way to it.

A couple of seconds later, she reached the door. She knocked three times. Her hand was now so numb that she could hardly feel anything.

Inside, the fire was crackling in the heath. Merry, who had finally sobered up enough, was sitting at the desk. There was a piece of parchment before him.

"Now" he thought, looking down at what he had written before.

There was only one word written on the parchment.

Longbottom leaf

Merry smiled as he dipped the tip of the feather quill into the small ink pot. He gave it a small tap and began to write.

First Grown: Longbottom, Southfarthing

But something new had distracted him. there was a knocking sound coming from the corridor. For a moment, Merry just wanted to leave who ever it was and get on with writing. But that was most rude.

So, taking a deep breath as he arose from his seat, Merry went to answer the door. A minute or two later, the door opened. Standing before him, a cold looking Pearl.

"Pearl?" asked Merry.

"Do come in!" he said, getting cold as well.

The shivering figure of Pearl came into the house. Drips of melted snowflakes were falling onto the tiled floor as the door was shut behind her.

"I need to talk to Pippin" she said, taking off her wet coat.

Merry's hopes were dashed. He had not had a visitor for a very long time. A small bit of disappointment crept up. But Merry tried not to show it.

"Of course, he's in the spare room" Merry answered.

So, without another word, Pearl walked past him. Merry knew little of what she was here for. Pearl walked down to the spare room. The door had been closed. But it did not remain shut for long.

The door flew open. Pippin, who was laying on the bed, sat bolt upright. He looked over at the door. Pearl walked in, without saying another word, closed the door.

Merry was left outside, the closed door now in his face. He took a deep breath and looked around. Merry had always been left in the dark when it had come to important things. But he knew that there was nothing he could do. Taking a deep breath, he walked away, back to his study.

Pippin was looking at the figure that was now standing there.

"Pearl?" he asked.

Tiredness was getting to Pippin, but he would soon lose it.

"How could you?" asked Pearl, shaking her head.

Pippin rubbed his eyes, wondering what she was on about.

"How silly can my little brother be?" she asked.

Pippin was still trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, a hint of his tiredness came out in his voice.

Pearl could not believe what he had just asked.

"What am I talking about?" Pearl asked in amazement.

"I am talking about Diamond, Pip. I am talking about the one person whole loves you more then anything!"

It was then that the feeling came back to Pippin. He took a deep breath and looked up.

"I just…" he started, but stopped.

Pearl was standing there, looking at him. Deep down, Pippin knew that he had acted wrongly towards Diamond. He knew that he had not taken her feelings into account.

"What should I do?" Pippin asked.

Pearl took a deep breath and walked towards her younger brother. She stood there for a few seconds before sitting on the bed next to her brother.

In the room just down the hall, Merry was sitting back at his desk. the quill had been picked up again and he had started to write.

There were now a few lines of writing on the parchment.

Grown: Longbottom, Southfarthing

First Grower: Tobold Hornblower

Merry stopped for a while, wondering what else to put.

"It isn't much to start off with" he thought, looking around.

There were many books in his study. Just like every household, there were new and old books. Merry arose from his seat one more time and walked over to the shelves. Merry knew that he could spend hours looking though the books. But the tradition of smoking was much more important.

Merry picked out an exceptionally old book. It had a peeling grey cover. Merry opened the book. As he did so, a small sheet of paper fell down from the book.

The crisp paper fell at his feet. Merry looked down at the floor. He blinked and slowly picked it up. There was writing on it. Old, unreadable writing covered both sides of the paper.

Merry opened the book again. The hobbit looked at the pages. There were no numbers on the pages, so Merry did not know where it should be placed.

Back in the room, Pearl was talking to her younger brother.

"I remembered when I first met her" Pippin said, looking down at an invisible point.

Pearl looked at her younger brother. She had never heard how the two of them had met. Pippin took another deep breath. Deep down, the girl wanted to know more.

"And, what do you feel?" Pearl asked.

Pippin slowly looked at his sister. There seemed to be a different sort of look in his eyes. The hobbit took a long, deep breath.

"How did I feel?" he asked, looking away.

Images were now flashing before his eyes. A warm spring day had arose around the Shire. Birds were singing as the day warmed. The trees all around were blowing in the gentle wind.

Pippin yawned as he arose early. The night before had been eventful. Yet, Pippin could hardly remember it. There was movement in the kitchen. Paladin, Eglantine, Pearl, Pervinca and Pimpernel were seated at the table.

Pippin looked more tired then any of them.

"Your late!" Eglantine said, standing at the table.

She had a pan of hot bacon in one hand and a spatula in the other. Pippin did not want to argue.

"I'm sorry" he said, taking his seat.

His plate was full of cooling food. Eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, beans were piled on the plate to names a few. A fork and a knife had been placed on either side.

"I cant believe she's getting married" said Pearl, smiling.

Pimpernel sat near by. She seemed not to have aged over the years.

"Neither can I" Vinnie said.

Pimpernel seemed not to talk as much of the others. She sat there, listening to what her sisters had to say. The girl's night had been eventful as well. They had stayed in. Like the boys, they had had ale. But not as much as they did.

Rosie was already up. She had been since five o'clock that morning. A mixture of nervousness and excitement ran though her as she sat on her bed.

The sun was now up in the east. The day was better then anyone could ask for. There was but a few clouds sailing in the sky. There was no threat of rain spoiling her day.

As the hours ticked over, five o'clock ticked over to six. The to seven, eight, nine and then ten o'clock. Hunger was now getting to Rosie as, finally, she snapped out of her day dream. The chimes of the clock caught her attention.

Pippin snapped out of his day dream.

"Well, I felt happy" Pippin told her.

"Happy and…"

He paused for a second.

"Safe"

Pearl found there to be, like Gandalf did years past, no lie in what he said. Pearl took a deep breath. The two of them had been talking for the best part of half an hour. But it seemed a lot quicker.

"Do you love her?" Pearl asked.

Pippin looked over at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, do you want her back? Do you love her?" she asked.

Pippin fell silent. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard.

"Yes" he said, looking back at his sister.

"Yes I do"

"Then why don't you show her? Go over to Diamond and tell her!"

But Pippin shook his head and looked away.

"I cant" he said, looking down.

"But why?" she asked.

"Because she wont want me back"

It was then that Pearl got an idea. She smiled as she looked over at her younger brother.

"Why don't you write what you feel down on parchment?" she asked.

"Write Diamond a letter, it maybe easier for both of you"

Pippin looked over at his sister.

"Would that work?" he asked, not very confident.

Pearl gave a small smile.

"Well, yes I do" she said.

The sun started to dive as the day grew later. The clouds started to part as Pearl walked home. Lunch had come and gone. The journey back was much easier then the journey there.

A door opened, a cold blast of air entered the house as Pimpernel sat in the kitchen. She had a small baby in her arms. He was fast asleep. His little eyes closed, his small chests rising and falling as he breathed.

Pearl hung up her coat and walked though to the kitchen. There, she smiled as she saw her sister.

"How is he?" she asked, walking around.

She gave a smile as she laid eyes upon her nephew. Pimpernel yawned as she sat there.

"I guess I should make lunch before we do anything else" Pearl told her sister.

Pimpernel nodded.

"Bacon sandwich be alright for you?" Pearl asked.

"Yes please" Pimpernel said, getting up from her seat.

She smiled as she walked towards the door.

"I'll be in the lounge" she told her sister.

Pearl nodded and went into the cellar. She walked up to a shelf and picked out a packet of bacon. She then walked out again and closed the cellar door. She smiled as she got things ready. She got a pan out from the cupboard near by. There were many used pans there. Pearl brought out a particularly battered and used looking pan.

She placed it on the hob and started the fire underneath. The flames started to heat up the metal hob. But Pearl had yet to put the bacon in.

Pearl stood there, pack in hand. She was thinking of the conversation she had just had with her brother. She knew that Pippin loved Diamond. It had been evident in what Pippin had told her. But he was still being difficult. He was not accepting the fact that it was his fault.

Pearl took a deep breath and looked away from the slowly heating pan.

"Maybe I should just let it go on between them" he thought.

She knew that her words would hardly change anything. But little did she know that Pippin had actually listened to her. in fact, he had taken aboard nearly everything that she had said.

Pippin walked into study. He was very sober and focused on getting Diamond back on his side. Merry was still writing on his new project.

"Merry, I need some parchment"

Merry looked at Pippin.

"What do you need it for?" he asked.

There were many words written on the parchment in front of him.

"Its important" Pippin said.

Pippin didn't want to tell Merry what it was for. A few seconds of thinking past.

"Alright" Merry said, taking a deep breath.

So, Pippin gathered a piece of parchment, a quill and an ink pot. Without another word, he walked out and shut the door again. Merry had now lost all of his concentration. He looked down at what he had written. He mumbled the last few words. But no idea of what he was about to say came to him.

Pippin, on the other hand, was having a better luck in writing. He had got into the lounge and shut the door. The ink pot was opened and the quill dipped inside. Pippin looked at the piece of paper.

"Come on Pippin, think!" he told himself.

He smiled as he knew what to write.

Dear Diamond

He started, but the rest did not come so easily.

I know, over the past few days, that my behaviour had declined. I can not say how sorry I am. But I am sorry. More sorry then in have ever been.

All I can ask for is your forgiveness.

Pippin was finding it very hard to write. Everything that came out of him did not sound like him at all. But he knew he had to carry on.

All I want is to start a fresh. Start with a new sheet and work on it. I know it may be hard to read this letter, but it's all the truth I can tell.

Pippin read back what he had written. He smiled as he placed the quill down on the table. he folded the parchment and placed it in his pocket. The stopper was then placed back in the neck of the ink bottle. The quill and bottle were picked up as Pippin left the room.

The temperature outside was getting colder and colder as the sun fell slowly down in the west. Hobbits had already had lunch and every snack since.

Dinner was now being prepared in most households. But, in one, a hobbit was sleeping. Diamond had continued on sleeping. But she would not sleep for any longer.

Pearl was waiting outside in the coldness. But she was not alone. She held, in her arms, a tiny bundle. Faramir was shivering as much as the small puppy on the floor.

Ivy was with Origo. But, unlike the puppy, the fairy could not feel the cold. The small puppy whimpered as he stood there, waiting for his Diamond to open the door.

"Maybe she cant hear it" Ivy said, looking at the large door.

Origo whined.

"Should I go and see where she is?" Ivy asked.

Origo gave a small nod. He didn't want to move due to the coldness. So, Ivy fluttered up and though the door. Origo yawned and shivered. He sneezed.

"Bless you pup" Pearl said, taking a deep and shivering.

Diamond was still laying on her bed as Ivy fluttered in. she stopped in midair, looking at the sleeping hobbit. Ivy now had to wake Diamond up. But she knew that the hobbit could not see or hear her. a different plan must be taken.

Ivy fluttered up to one of the stands that held a candle. The small, flickering flame was then extinguished. The fairy looked back at the sleeping hobbit.

"Sorry" she said.

The next second, the metal stand that had once been secularly attached to the wall had now fallen. It spun slowly in the air and crashed with a loud bang that echoed around the room. Within the second, Diamond had awoken and sat upright on the bed.

There seemed to be no noise in the house. But, quickly, Diamond's hearing came back. Diamond looked around. She noticed something strange about the room. It was then she noticed that something was different about the wall. The stand was laying just a few feet from her.

"How did…?" Diamond asked, looking down at the floor.

But something new distracted her. Barking came faintly from the other side of the door. The door had been left a jar.

The hobbit wondered if she was just hearing things. But another round of barks confirmed that she was not just hearing things. The hobbit stood on the cold tiled floor that ran though out the house. Diamond looked down the hall way. A small whistle of wind blew past her.

Three, seemingly loud bangs coming from the front door. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the cold corridor. There was a click and the door opened.

Origo darted forwards before both Diamond, Pearl or Ivy could see him. The small puppy brushed past his owners feet. Only a small black dot rushed from the corner of her eye.

"Hello Diamond" a voice said.

Diamond looked around and saw Pearl standing there. Her feet were wet and cold, for hobbits did not have a need for shoes.

"My dear Pearl, do come in!" Diamond said, not wanting her to stand out in the coldness a second longer.

So, Pearl entered the house, still carrying Faramir in her arms. The door was closed quickly behind her. Diamond smiled as she looked back around.

"How is he?" she asked, looking at Pearl.

She gave a small smile and looked down at Faramir.

"He's asleep" she answered.

But Diamond was not talking about her son.

"No, how is Pippin?"

There was a strange silence. One that Pearl did not like.

"Well, we had a talk and" she paused.

Diamond looked at her. Pearl could see the loneliness in her eyes.

"And what?" Diamond asked.

"And I think its best you wait until tomorrow" she answered.

Origo had come back out of Diamond's room. he was still in his playful mood as he walked towards her. but he stopped. He had a strange feeling that he had never got from her.

The puppy knew that something was wrong. He gave a small whine as he neared Diamond's feet. Diamond looked down and gave her puppy was warm smile.

"Well" said Pearl, handing the sleeping baby to his mother.

"I best be off" she said.

Diamond took her some and held her in her arms.

"Thank you for looking after him" Diamond said.

"No problem, he was well behaved" she said.

Diamond gave a proud, but embarrassed smile.

"But I still did not get my work done, I accidently fell asleep" she said, looking at the floor.

The bucket of water and the mop were still standing outside of the kitchen, ready to be used. But other important things had to come. Eating and getting Faramir ready for bed were now on Diamond's priority.

"Well, I best be off, dinner has to be prepared"

So, Pearl turned around on the spot and opened the door. A second wave of cold air met Diamond as Pearl walked out. The large door was shut, stopping the wave of coldness fighting its way in.

Diamond looked down at her son. There was a strange feeling in her bones. Something big was missing from her life and she knew exactly what it was.

Pippin was not around. The house seemed bigger then normal. The distances felt further as Diamond walked down to her room. The whole house, although all of the candles were still flickering, seemed darker.

Faramir was placed in his cot. Origo was standing at the door. His small tail was wagging as Diamond turn back to him.

"Right" she thought, walking over to him.

The next seconds, Origo was scooped up and given a massive hug.

"Lets get you some food and then we'll have an early night" Diamond told him.

Origo whined happily and licked his Diamond. So, holding her puppy in her arms, Diamond walked down the corridor to the kitchen.

But Diamond was not the only one preparing food. Samwise was in the kitchen, along with the rest of the family. For the first time in a while, Frodo was sitting at the table. but there was something strange about him. he was quieter then normal.

Rosie, his mother, seemed to pick up on this straight away. But she did not know the reason for his withdrawal. All she could do now was watch as he took mouthful after mouthful. Normally, he would have been the first to finish his dinner. But this time it was not the case.

Elanor, his older sister, had finished what she had on her plate and was now eyeing up the rest of the food. Bowls and bowls of food had been lain out across the table.

"Could I have some more please?" she asked, looking at her mother.

Rosie, who held her youngest child in her arms, took a deep breath.

"Let others have a chance to have a look in" Rosie said, scooping up mush on her spoon and feeding it to Pippin.

Elanor sighed and looked down. The dinner table was now a very boring place to be. The attention of the young girl was short. Her eyes wondered from her mother, then onto her father. There were toys on the floor. To the girl, this was torture. Elanor looked over at her mother. But she was not looking back. The young girls hands were twitching. She needed to play or do something to pass the time.

The clock was ticking slower then normal. Elanor looked back at the table and saw that her mother had hardly started.

"Could I be excused from the table?" Elanor asked, hoping that she would.

But it didn't.

"Wait until everyone is finished" Rosie told her daughter.

This seemed unfair. No food and no getting down from the table. Frodo placed his knife and fork on his plate. Rosie took a deep breath.

"Would you like to go back to your room?" Rosie asked.

Frodo looked at his mother. Rosie noticed that there was no fire in her oldest son's eyes. His head slowly moved up and down. His scraped his chair along the tiled floor and slowly walked out of the room. Elanor didn't think that it was fair.

The girl looked over at her mother. But her mother gave a sharp glance in her direction. Elanor's complaints were saved from being told. Elanor went back to looking down.

A door closed down the hall way. A sign that Frodo had reached his room. Rosie took a deep breath and continued to feed Pippin.

After what seemed like half an hour for Elanor, her mother spoke.

"Alright, Elanor, you can have some more, but not too much"

A smile came over the girls lips and she reached for the nearest bowl. It was roast potatoes. They were done to perfection. They were crispy and brown. A large spoon had been left in the bowl. Elanor picked up the handle and scooped out five more roast potatoes.

Rosie took a deep breath. She really needed to talk to Frodo. But she couldn't let on to her other children.

"Could you hold him please?" she asked her husband.

Sam smiled as he placed his mug down and took his youngest child. Elanor was watching her mother hand over the child. Rosie gave a quick glance back, but said nothing. She walked out of the room and down the corridor. The door to her son's room looked a lot like the other rooms in the house.

Rosie took a deep breath and opened the door. The room was hot and dark. The heath seemed not to be as lively as normal. The candles were burning at their lowest they had ever been, almost to the point of going out.

There were no words exchanged between the two of them yet. The door was slowly and quietly closed. Frodo continued to lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling.

"Are you going to talk?" Rosie finally asked.

Her eyes were focused on her son. But he did not even take one glance at his mother. Rosie's question was unanswered. She gave a deep breath and walked over to the bed.

Frodo's mind was back on what had happened to him. He felt his mother sit on the edge of the bed. Frodo yawned as he lay there.

"Frodo?" Rosie asked.

The next second, Rosie took Frodo's small hand. It was the first time that he had felt his mother's touch in a while. In fact, he could not remember when it had been just him and his mother in the same room.

"Are you going to talk?" she asked.

Frodo took a deep breath and nodded. Rosie gave a small smile.

"Are you…" started Frodo.

"Are you angry at me?" he asked.

He was very worried that his mother would not love him again. But there was something in Rosie's eyes that reassured him.

"No" Rosie said, looking at her son.

"No, I'm not angry" she said.

Frodo took a deep breath and looked away. He did not trust the words of his mother.

"I saw…" he paused for a moment and looked at his mother.

"I saw them"

Rosie was confused at what her son had just said.

Questions ran though her head trailed by pictures of the worst things she could think of.

"Who did you see?" she asked, looking at his eyes.

There was a small bit of worry in her voice. But her question was soon answered.

"Pippin's trees" Frodo said happily.

Rosie wondered what that meant.

"Trees?" she asked.

Frodo smiled and nodded.

"They talked to me" Frodo said.

"Talked?" asked Rosie.

This, to Rosie, seemed impossible. She did not know what to say. She knew that her son would not lie to her. But then, it seemed impossible for trees to talk.

"What did they say?" Rosie questioned further.

"Well" Frodo started, trying to remember.

"They asked me things, things I didn't know" Frodo said.

It seemed harder to remember now. It had been a few days since then.

"Like what?" his mother asked.

There was a strange silence in the room. Only a small bit of noise echoed though from the kitchen. But it was mostly pots, pans and bowls being put away.

Rosie's ears were ringing with silence as she continued to hold her son's hand. She looked at her son.

"Well" said Frodo, small things were now surfacing in his mind again.

The coldness was getting to him. Frodo's eyes could see the snow flakes falling all around him. The cold wind and the feeling of hunger were brought back. The sound of wind rushed past his ears.

His fingers were numb and feet as well. Bangs grew louder as something, much bigger then any building around, came towards him. Fear ran though the small hobbit as a large creature stood before him.

Frodo had lost his voice. The fear that had already felt increased ten fold. There was a strange sound coming from the tree. One that was unusual for a tree.

"Orc!" said a loud voice.

Frodo Gamgee backed away as a branch fell towards the frozen ground. Frodo jumped out of the way. The branch seemed to snap into splinters that flew in near every direction.

But this branch was just a starter. Another shattered only a foot from him.

"S… stop!" he shouted.

There was near silence as the tree stopped its barrage.

"Please? I'm lost" he said, cowering where he stood.

A low grumble echoed around the forest. The tree seemed to become a solid statue.

"Lost?" it grumbled.

Frodo was both shivering with fright and shivering with coldness. His hair was wet and stuck to his face. Cold drips fell from his nose.

"Yes" he whimpered.

He missed his family and the safety of his home. The tree seemed to stand there for a few seconds.

"Where are you from?" it asked slowly.

Frodo did not know weather to trust to trust the tree or not.

"Hobbiton" Frodo told it.

The tree gave a groan in acceptance.

"Hobbiton, ah?" it asked.

Frodo gave a small nod. The tree slowly started to think.

"What are you doing from you home?" the Ent asked.

Frodo took a deep breath, remembering how much trouble he would be in when he got back. But the worries changed.

"What if I don't get back?" he asked himself.

The small boy looked up.

"Would you help me get home?" he asked, playing his last

card with the Ent.


	51. Day Twenty Four, Part One

Pippin woke yawning. The night had been long, and at times, sleepless. But the hobbit did not rise from his bed. Yet another yawn came from him. Pippin had lost count how many he had.

The clock on the wall showed it to be earlier then normal. The window seemed to show the outside. The light from the sun was fighting against the thick blanket of white cloud.

Yet no flakes fell from the sky. A noise came from the kitchen. A loud smash. Pippin raised his head just a few inches.

"What was that?" he asked himself.

But curiosity got the better of him. The duvet was then pulled off of him. The cold air replaced the warmth that he had felt. Pippin shivered as he sat on his bed. The hobbit stretched and stood up.

He grabbed his nightgown and put it on. the candles stood silent, still and unlit as he opened the door. A small bit of light showed Pippin the way to the kitchen.

He rubbed his eyes as the door came into view. Pippin pushed it open and stopped. He saw Merry trying to clean something up.

"Merry?" he asked.

It was evident that Pippin was still very tired. But Merry was not. Merry stopped as he held the broken shards of a bowl. The rest was scattered around the floor.

"What happened?" he asked.

Merry stood up.

"It was the bowl, it just seemed to slip from my grasp" Merry answered.

Pippin rubbed his forehead with his hands. For a moment, a small bit of the tiredness had been taken away from him.

"Alright" said Pippin, not wanting to waste any more energy on the subject.

Merry took a deep breath and started to gather the splinters of the bowl. Some were bigger then others. Others had sharper edges. Merry looked down at the broken bowl.

"There is no chance of fixing it" he said, placing them on the work top.

The next second, he opened one of the draws and looked inside. There were layer upon layer of paper bags of every size. Merry picked out one of the smaller bags. He then closed the draw again.

Pippin closed the door to his room. It was then that something caught his attention. A small folded up piece of paper. Memories came flooding back to him. The paper had words written on it. Pippin slowly walked over to the bedside table and picked it up. Yet he did not unfold it. He knew exactly what the words said.

He looked forward. His mind focused on what he was going to say later.

"But why wait?" he asked himself.

He was sure that Diamond would be up by now. So, Pippin placed the letter down and walked towards the door again. He would see Diamond early and get it out of the way.

But Diamond was not awake yet. She was still sleeping in her bed. The clock on the wall showed it to be nine o'clock. Diamond knew that she would have a lot of work to do. But sleep seemed to be more important.

A small puppy was sleeping as well. One of Diamond's big hands had scooped him up.

Both were sleeping longer then they would have liked. But that was about to change. A small whine came from the cot on Diamond's side. It grew louder and louder as the seconds past.

Diamond slowly opened her eyes as the sounds met her ears. A yawn came over her as she rolled onto her back.

"Pippin, get Faramir" she said tiredly.

But there was no answer. She then looked to her right and saw that Pippin was not there. It was then that she remembered that her husband had moved out for a while.

She then looked back to her left. For a few seconds, she just wanted to lay there and let her son cry. But she knew she couldn't. the duvet was then drawn from her.

Origo gave a small whine as the coldness hit him. Diamond had forgotten all about her puppy being there.

"Oh, sorry pup" she said, lifting him and placing him on the warm pillow.

Origo whimpered, but settled down again. His fur was fluffy and warm as Diamond stood up. Origo's could still not keep his little brown eyes open for any longer.

Diamond hushed her son as she picked him up. She looked back at Origo, curled up on her pillow. She gave a small smile.

The hobbit let her puppy snooze on as she walked out of the room. She yawned as she looked down at her son. He was precious to her. But she could not help but see Pippin in him.

The kitchen seemed to be much warmer then the rest of the house. Diamond smiled as she picked up a log or two and placed it on the fire. Baby Faramir was giggling as his mothers hair tickled his face.

Diamond had to do most things with only one hand. At first, it was difficult. But as she got used to it, it became easier. The cupboard door was opened and a bowl was taken out. Diamond closed the cupboard door again. She was very tired as she walked towards the cellar.

The door creaked open as she walked inside. It was much colder and darker here then the kitchen. The crackling fire was now growing as it took a hold of the fresh wood.

Diamond smiled as she took a small bowl from one of the shelves. It had a small bit of food in there for Faramir. Diamond had made it as smooth as she could. Faramir gave a small yawn as his mother went back into the kitchen. The bowl was placed on the table. A draw was then opened. A small, silver spoon was then picked out. Diamond left the other cutlery laying in their own compartments.

A seat was then pulled out, sending a scraping sound around the room. There was still no sign of Origo around. he was still snoozing on the warm pillow. His small eyes were closed and he had curled into a fluffy ball.

But his sleep was not dreamless. Images of old were flashing before him. a river, cold and slow, could be seen though the trees. But he was not alone. Another small puppy was walking beside him. their paws were covered in drying mud. A few times, the two puppies had to jump logs. But they were not a problem for them.

It was after days of travailing that the puppy finally stopped. There was a figure in the forest. It was larger then them. The second one stopped beside him as well.

The forest seemed less forbidding where he was. But there was still the task of getting over the river. It was not deep or as fast as others. It was gentle and sang a beautiful song as it made its way to a distance sea or lake.

Leaves and twigs were caught up in the rapids.

The two puppies slowly walked and stopped at the edge of the river. The figure was quickly walking away.

"What shall we do?" asked the girl puppy.

The other one was looking around. for the first time in a while, he did not know what to do. His small eyes darted up and down the river.

It was then he saw it. A tree laying across the river. Without another second wasted, he scurried off. The other puppy was left standing there.

"Where are you going?" she whined, hurrying after him.

The first puppy got to where he wanted to get. The tree looked very unstable.

"What are you doing?" asked the girl, tilting her head.

But the first pup was not listening to her. He slowly and carefully climbed onto a precarious looking branch. But it seemed to hold him well enough. Now all he had to do was to get to the other side.

He could see water rushing from one side to the other.

Even though he was small, the log seemed to bounce as the puppy crossed it. A few times, the puppy stopped to get his balance back. His small heart was racing as he slowly made his way over.

After what seemed like minutes, the puppy jumped off of the end and onto the ground. He looked back at the girl puppy.

"It's safe, you can come now" he said.

But confidence was not so high in the small puppy who was now stuck on the other side. She used her small wet nose to sniff the perimeter of the log.

But her mind was still not made up. She knew that her friend had done it, so there was no reason she couldn't. the small puppy then started to climb up the way her friend did.

A second or two later, the girl was standing on the edge of the fallen tree. It stretched out before her. to her, it seemed very long and dangerous. She looked down, trying not to lose her balance as she place a small, fluffy paw out.

In reality, Diamond was sitting at the table. Her eyes were drooping as she sat there. A spoon was in her hand. She scooped out the last of Faramir's breakfast. The baby had been on his best behaviour since he had gotten up.

Diamond looked in the bowl. There was nothing left.

She smiled as she placed the spoon back in the bowl.

"All gone" she said tiredly.

The baby in her arms was looking around. Everything seemed bigger to him then it did for Diamond. His mother then got up and walked towards the door. Lights flashed by him.

Diamond was going to put him back in his cot so that she could get washed and dressed. Faramir was placed back in his cot. As Diamond walked away, Faramir started to cry.

His mother looked back. But she didn't come back to him. Origo was slowly coming around from sleep to a annoying sound.

"What is that?" he whined, looking over at the cot.

The small puppy stretched as the noise grew louder. Origo raised his head, wondering where his Diamond was. A large yawn came over him.

Faramir continued to cry for the next few minutes. Origo stood on the bed, looking around. hunger was now getting to him as he walked towards the opposite edge of the bed. Curiosity was getting the better of him.

But the cot was too far away to see inside. The door down the corridor then opened. Origo looked away from the cot, his attention back on the end of the bed.

Diamond walked in, looking more awake. She smiled as she saw her puppy was now awake.

"Good morning" she said, lifting him up.

Origo gave a small whine as he was placed on Diamond's shoulder. Origo was kissed gently on the head by his Diamond.

"Had a good sleep?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whine. Diamond smiled.

"Good" she said.

Origo was then placed on the floor. He watched as his Diamond walked away from him. Origo's attention was now back on what he wanted in the first place. He scurried over to his basket. He then picked up his toy turkey and trotted back to where his Diamond was.

The puppy placed the toy turkey down and looked up at his Diamond. He gave a small whine.

"Alright, I'll get it in a minute" Diamond answered.

Origo's little tail started to wag as he picked up the small toy and scurried out of the room. But Origo was not the only one going to the kitchen.

A small, green fairy was fluttering in the kitchen. She landed softly on the edge of the table, waiting. After a few seconds more, Origo entered the room.

Ivy smiled as the puppy did not notice her. The fairy started to flutter quietly to her puppy. She was only a foot away, but still, Origo did not notice her.

"Got you!" she said, grabbing onto his fur.

The puppy yelped and started to run around. But the fairy did not let go. She seemed to enjoy the rid as Origo ran around the table.

"Puppy, slow down!" Ivy shouted, trying hold on.

The next second, Origo ran right into one of the cupboards. His head collided with the hard wooden door. The puppy gave a small yelp and flopped on the floor.

Ivy let go and fluttered there. Shock ran though her.

"Oh no" she said, looking down at the still puppy.

Origo showed no signs of movement. It was then that Ivy's worse fears came into being. Diamond was coming to the kitchen. Ivy knew that she couldn't be seen, but that did not stop her from worrying.

Diamond smiled as she walked in.

"Right" she said.

But something made her stop. She stood there, looking at her still puppy.

"Origo?" she asked, slowly walking up to him.

Origo was defiantly not sleeping. Diamond looked closer as her puppy. His eyes were closed, yet he was still breathing. Diamond extended her hand and touched his fur. But still, he did not move. Ivy was fluttering just a few feet away.

"Origo, come on, I'm going to get you some turkey" she said, hoping that would rouse the pup.

But it did not. Diamond took a deep breath and picked up the limp puppy. Diamond placed her puppy on her shoulder and looked at him.

"If he's sleeping, why didn't he wake?" she thought.

Ivy fluttered where she could see Origo. Diamond took a deep breath and started to walk out of the room. Ivy fluttered closely behind.

Diamond walked though the corridor and back into her room. she slowly and carefully placed Origo in his basket. Diamond stood up again, still wondering what had happened.

Without another second thought, Diamond turned and left. Ivy was left fluttering by herself. A small tear ran down her small face.

"Origo?" she asked, fluttering a few feet forward.

She was very worried for her friend now. Likewise with Diamond, Origo did not move or make any sounds. The fairy landed on the floor gently. She was smaller then her puppy friend. The fairy walked slowly forward.

"What have I done?" she asked herself.

She was close enough to touch his fur. His small chest rose and fell gently. Ivy touched Origo's warm fur.

"Origo, I'm very sorry. Please wake up"

But it seemed like he never would. Ivy walked onto the bed. She slowly sat down next to the puppy.

"Don't worry, I'm going to be here when you wake up"

But she did not know how long he would be like this.

Diamond was tipping away the dirty water from the day before. The tiles that she was standing on were cleaner then the ones that made up the rest of the house.

The mop had been brought in and was now resting on the edge of the table. Diamond, although she had not eaten, seemed not to be as hungry as usual.

The water started to fill up the bucket again. The stream of water created bubbles that popped almost instantly. The tap was then turned off. A few drips fell from the tap into the large bucket of water. Diamond then lifted the large bucket out of the sink and placed it on the floor.

Diamond took a deep breath and stood back up. She looked around, wondering what she could do. But the first job to do was to clean the floors.

So, grabbing the large bucket of warm water in one hand and the mop in the other. Diamond walked down the hallway to the big front door.

The bucket was then set down on the floor. A few drips escaped the bucket as Diamond took a deep breath. She was in need of help. But there was no one about.

"I best get started then" she said, dipping the head of the mop in the warm water.

The sound of water sloshing around echoed though the quiet house. Faramir had, reluctantly, fallen asleep again. Origo had still not come round from his small accident.

Ivy was sitting right next to him, waiting for him to come around.

"I know I shouldn't have done that" she thought, replaying the images in her head.

She could see him running and then bashing into the cupboard. Ivy knew not of how long Origo would be like this. It could be a few minutes, or a few hours. A few times, Ivy looked back, wondering if her puppy was actually asleep.

In fact, a very horrible thing had happened to the poor pup. The mind had been wiped of any knowledge and memories he had gained from his existence.

As the day wore on, Diamond continued to clean. Hunger was now getting to her. But she had lots to do. The water still sloshed around as the mop was thrust into the water. A few seconds later, it was taken out again. Diamond then continued scrub the floor. The candles glinted on the cleaner floor. But there were still many rooms to do.

In other homes all around the small town of Hobbiton, mothers and wives were cleaning. The day had not started out too well. A gloomy atmosphere engulfed the whole town.

Today was certainly not a day to be busy. But one hobbit had no choice. Pippin was sitting in his room, reading and re-reading the words that he written down the night before.

He took a deep breath and looked up. The time was now right to give it to Diamond. Pippin got up and walked towards the door. He opened it, the hinges creaked as always.

There was no sign of Merry at all. Not sight or sound of him. Pippin walked towards the kitchen. He did not know why, but he was nervous. Nervous and scared.

"Just a small bit should do" he said, placing the letter down on the table.

There was a cabinet full of old and unopened bottles. Pippin opened the two doors and looked. The bottles were all different shapes, sizes and colours.

Some were whiter then others, the rest were darker. Some had less liquid in, some had a thick layer of dust. Pippin took a deep breath as he took one out. He did not mind how old or how much the whiskey was worth.

A small glass was placed on the worktop. The two cupboard doors were then closed again. Pippin took a deep breath as he took the old cork out of the neck of the bottle.

The whiskey bottle was then picked up. Pippin gave the bottle a small sniff. The smell was very strong. Pippin smiled as he tipped smoke of the amber liquid into the small glass. The glass slowly started to fill. A few seconds later, the glass was full. Only a small bit was left at the top. Pippin placed the cork back in the bottle and placed it back in the cupboard.

The small glass was picked up. Pippin turned around and took a deep breath. He walked over to table. He drew out one of the chairs and sat on it. The note was on the same side of the table as he was.

Pippin looked deeply at the note. Its words echoed in his head.

"But were they good enough for Diamond?" he asked himself as he looked at it.

A few bouts of doubt came over him. But he brushed then off. His attention then came back to his drink. Pippin looked down at it.

But now Pippin encountered another problem. A different voice came into his head. But it was not as strong as the voices that normally argued in his head.

Pippin took a deep breath and picked up the glass. He lifted it higher and higher until it was just an inch from his lips. But he stopped. For a moment, he moved his head and looked over at the sink.

But looking at it seemed the wrong idea. Without another second wasted, Pippin downed the whiskey. The glass was then placed on the table again.

Pippin's mouth exploded with a tingling sensation ran down into his chest. But the tingling sensation slowly turn into turned into warmth.

Pip's confidence rose as well. He got up grabbed the letter, leaving the small glass standing on the table. Pippin left the room and walked down the hall way.

The door suddenly opened. Merry was sitting at his writing desk like he had been for the past few days.

"I'm going over to see Diamond" Pippin told him, standing at the door.

Merry looked around from his work, a few pieces of parchments had been covered, both sides, with writing. But there was still a lot of writing and planning to do.

"How long will you be?" Merry asked.

Pippin shrugged his shoulders.

"Not long, are you going to get lunch ready soon?" Pippin asked.

Merry nodded.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Nothing too big, roast chicken would do" Pippin answered.

Merry took a deep breath, wanting to argue his friend decision.

"Alright" he answered, sounding a bit tired.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"Well, I'm going. I'll be back in a while"

Pippin then turned and walked out of the room. The door gently closed as Pippin walked out. The hobbit then made his way down the dully lit corridor to the front door.

But Pippin did not go to the door right away. Instead, he stopped and took his coat off of the hook and put it on. Its brass buttons, six of them, were done up. Pippin took one last look at the letter.

The door then opened, letting a strong blast of cold air. Pippin squinted as the coldness tickled his face. His hair blew as he walked out onto the crunchy snow. The door was then closed behind him as he set out on his little walk.

Birds were flying around, but the wind that was blowing in his ears. His hair blew in his face as the hobbit continued to walk.

Nervous were getting to him.

"You shouldn't be nervous, you've been though worse then this" he told himself.

And it was true. Pippin and his three fellow hobbits, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Frodo Baggins, had been though more then other hobbits had even dreamed about.

But there was a small part of Pippin that wanted to go travailing again. He had gotten used to being around big folk, as they were called by the hobbits.

But it was a much deeper feeling then anyone knew. Gondor was where his heart truly lay. Of course, he had a family now. But his mind kept wondering to distance lands.

A few minutes later, Pippin arrived at the gate that lead to the large door. Pippin stood there. His mind seemed to keep changing every few seconds.

His feet were now getting cold. The snow he was standing on was melting slowly. The paper was dancing in the wind. Pippin's hands were so numb that he could hardly feel the paper in his grasp.

"Alright" he said, walking forwards.

With his free hand, he unhooked the gate and walked though. The wind blew the gate shut with a loud metallic bang. But that did not bother him much.

Pippin now stopped at the door. He took a deep breath, the small bit of water vapour came out of his mouth. Pippin then raised his hand and knocked three times on the door.

There seemed to be no sounds coming from the house. But then, a small sound grew louder from the other side of the door. The large door clicked and swung open.

Standing there was Diamond. She looked out and saw exactly who it was.

"Pippin?" she asked.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"I have something to show you" he said.

"Am I allowed in?" he asked.

Diamond took a deep breath. She knew that she could not stand at the door for long.

"Is it important?" she asked.

Pippin nodded.

"Very" he answered.

Diamond opened the door a little bit more.

"Come in" she said, moving out of the way for him.

Pippin gave a small smile and walked in. he was just about step off of the mat when he was stopped.

"Whip your feet first" Diamond said.

There seemed to be no happiness in her voice. She was not her bubbly self. Pippin looked down. There were blades of grass on the souls of both his feet. He picked them off and dropped then on the mat.

Diamond looked at him.

"What do you want Pippin?" Diamond asked, looking tired.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked at Diamond. Yet there was something missing. Something deep down inside felt very different. There was no connection between the two of them. No love, just an endless gap that seemed only to get bigger.

"Well" he said, looking down at the letter he had.

There were a few drips of water on the surface of the parchment.

"I want to give you this" he said, holding it out.

Diamond looked down at his hand. She had never received a letter from him.

"What is that about?" she asked.

There was an awkward silence in the hall way. Pippin looked down, struggling to find the right words.

"There the words I cant say" he told her.

Diamond gave him a blank look. The two of them looked at each other eyes yet again. Diamond looked down at the piece of parchment she now had in her hands. She had never received a letter from Pippin before.

Pippin, meanwhile, was looking around. Everything seemed different, even though he had only been away for a day. everything seemed different then before. the homeliness had gone.

"Well, I have to get going" Pippin said, looked at his wife.

Diamond gave a small nod, but did not say anything. Pippin suddenly felt like he had over stayed his welcome. He gave a small smile and headed towards the door.

Pippin took a deep breath as he opened the door. Deep down, he wished Diamond would call him back. He wanted everything to be back to normal again. But he knew that he had to leave it.

Diamond stood at the door way for a few seconds before slowly closing it. She took a deep breath and looked down at the letter. A part of her wanted to read what Pippin had to say.

But the other part did not care. Diamond walked back down the hall. She expected Origo to come running up to her, wagging his tail.

But he did not. Yet, that was about to change. Diamond walked into the kitchen. She took a deep breath as she sat down. The note now in her sights.

It was not much, juts a folded sheet with writing on it. The sheet was then unfolded and words were spread over only one half of the sheet. Diamond noticed it to be Pippin's hand writing.

Dear Diamond,

She read, her heart beginning to beat quicker.

I know, over the past few days, that my behaviour had declined.

"Well, that was true" she thought and read on.

I can not say how sorry I am. But I am sorry. More sorry then in have ever been.

All I can ask for is your forgiveness.

The words seemed to say more then Pippin could ever had said. Diamond's eyes continued to run over the last sentence a few times.

All I can ask for is your forgiveness.

"My forgiveness?" she asked.

But that was not all of the words Pippin had written. There was still a few more lines.

All I want is to start a fresh. Start with a new sheet and work on it. I know it may be hard to read this letter, but it's all the truth I can tell.

Diamond now had a difficult decision to make. To let Pippin back, or to do without him for a few more days. Both seemed the better choice at the moment.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked around. Of course, she needed all of the help that she could get. But then again, she couldn't bare being hurt by him anymore.

"Maybe I'll should think about it for a while" Diamond told herself.

She took a deep breath and looked around. Cleaning quickly returned to her mind. The chair was pushed back, making a scraping sound.

Diamond walked out of the room, leaving the letter resting on the table. The mop and bucket had been left in the hall way where she was working. She picked up the mop again, leaving a small wet patch on the floor.

Diamond knew little of what happened to Origo. The small puppy was still laying where he was put by Diamond. He small eyes were closed. An emptiness spread far beyond his eye lids.

Everything was black and empty. His mind was clear and his senses new. A small whine came from him as he woke up. His small eyes started to wake.

Ivy, who was sitting by him and had been since he had been there, took a look around. small whimpers came from the fluffy pup.

"Origo?" she asked, not sure if she was hearing things.

But the soft whimpering grew louder and louder. Origo could hear things. New ones that he did not like. His small eyes suddenly opened. Everything was different and scary.

The puppy stood up as quick as he could. His eyes had a different glint to them.

"Ori?" asked Ivy, standing there.

Origo looked at her sharply. His eyes surveying her intently. But he did not need her. The whimpering had quickly changed to growling.

Ivy took a few steps backwards, having been pounced before and knew exactly what Origo was like. Her wings slowly unfolded her delicate wings.

The next second, Origo launched himself at her. The fairy flew away with only inches to spare. The puppy continued to growl at her.

"Origo, what are you doing?" she asked, trying to figure out what Origo was doing.

She too did not know that Origo had lost his memory.

"Who are you?" Origo growled angrily.

Ivy tilted her head. This was a question Origo had never asked her before. Ivy fluttered there, wondering what to tell him.

"I'm Ivy" she said, sounding silly.

"Puppy, you know that!" she told him.

But deep down, Ivy knew that there was something wrong with him. Origo continued to look around. He had no knowledge of his surroundings. There were large things and small things. Yet nothing had names to them. Nothing seemed to have uses to the puppy.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking up.

His tail had ceased to wag and his eyes continued to dart around the room.

"Your in your home, Origo"

But everything seemed to hit a brick wall with the pup. Ivy was now thinking quickly. The only other creature that she could tell was Origo's friend, Abira.

"But what can she do? She's a puppy" Ivy thought, not knowing what secrets both of the puppies held.

"Puppy, could you stay here for a minute?" she asked.

But Origo was not listening to her. Ivy took a deep breath, but did not flutter right away. Her decision was still being made.

"Just, stand there" she said, fluttering over to the wall.

Origo watched as the fairy flew towards the wall. Origo looked away for a split second. When he looked back, she was gone. Origo looked around, wondering when she had gone.

Noises came the other side of the door, but that did not worry the puppy.

"Hello?" he barked, wondering where the small green thing had gone.

He reached the wall and stood there, looking up. Origo looked up.

"Maybe I can go and see where she went" he thought, looking at the wall.

The next second, he kept on walking. His head hit the wall hard and whined. He shook his head and looked at the wall again.

"Why cant I go though?" he whimpered.

The next second, the door opened. It was Diamond. The mop and bucket were sitting just outside the door. She smiled at her puppy.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked.

But she stopped in her tracks. Origo was not making the usual sounds. Instead, he was growling. Diamond stopped in her tracks and looked down at her puppy.

"Origo?" she asked, seeing him bare his small, sharp teeth.

But it seemed not to make a difference. Origo backed away, looking quiet scared of her. Diamond took a deep breath.

The puppy started to bark at her, having figured that she was not very nice. Diamond was now very confused.

"Origo, shush" she said.

But her next sentence had already been fulfilled. Faramir, who had been sleeping peacefully in his cot, had now woken up and was not happy about it.

Diamond looked over and took a deep breath. She had never had this much trouble from her puppy since he came to her. Diamond walked over to the cot and picked up her son.

"Alright, alright" she said, cradling him on her shoulder.

Origo quietened down, watching them. His eyes had a small questioning look about them as he watched this strange, noisy creature was picked up. Diamond took a deep breath and looked over at the small puppy.

She knew something was up with him.

But what?

Origo looked the same as he always did. His fur was soft and warm. The small brown patches were still the same. But he seemed more angry or scared.

"I don't know pup" she said, walking to him.


	52. Day Twenty Four, Part Two

Origo backed away a bit, his eyes never leaving Diamond. Diamond shook his head and stopped.

"What is up with you?" she asked, having no idea about the truth.

But Origo's behaviour was very different. Diamond looked down at her son. He was still crying.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, knowing that he would be.

Diamond took one last look at her puppy and walked out of the room. Origo's small eyes followed her until she was out of sight.

Ivy then came fluttering back though the wall.

"Puppy?" she asked, fluttering closer.

But she did not receive the same response as the first time. Origo did not growl or jump for her. Instead, he stood there, a little bit confused as to what was going on.

"Abira wants to see you"

Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that Origo did not know anyone. Ivy quickly thought about how she could take Origo with her.

"Maybe Abira would come here" she thought, looking back at the wall.

For a few seconds, the fairy did not know what to do. She took a deep breath and looked back at the puppy.

"Alright, wait here" she said, fluttering her wings and flew towards the wall.

The next second, Ivy was gone again. It took a minute or two to reach Abira again. But she was not in the same room. Ivy fluttered towards the door and out of the room.

"Where are they?" Ivy thought, looking around.

She fluttered to the next room. but it was an empty bedroom. The bed was still untouched since the time it had been made by Pearl.

The room was colder then the rest of the house. The door was shut. But that did not bother the fairy much. The fairy fluttered though the door. Even though she could not feel warmth or coldness, she knew that the corridor was warmer then the room then she had just left.

A noise echoed down the hall way. It was the only sign of life. Ivy's small wings propelled her along. The small fairy flew though the door to the other side.

The kitchen looked like any other hobbit kitchen. A large oven was sitting by the fireplace. The fire was crackling in the heath. Two girls were sitting around the table.

"But she can't do it all by herself" Pearl told her sister.

Both had a mug of tea before them. Lunch was only a few minutes away as a chicken browned. Vegetables had been prepared and were now boiling or roasting.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and picked up her mug.

"All we can do is let them sort it out by themselves" she told her sister.

But Pearl did not think that that was a good idea.

"But Pippin is not himself these days. Ever since he went away, he has changed" Pearl pointed out.

The two sisters knew little of what had happened to their younger brother on his trouble. They had only heard drunk stories about what had happened. But neither of them knew if it was just drunken banter or the truth.

"He has just grown up, that's all" Pimpernel said.

Pearl took a deep breath and looked deep into her mug. The tea was now quite warm as she drank the last bit. The two girls made eye contact. Pearl smiled as she placed the mug back on the table mat.

She took a deep breath and got up. She left the mat there and walked around the table to the other side. A thick cloth was then picked up. The chicken was ready to serve up. Pimpernel got up from her seat as well as a wave of warm air came from the oven.

Pearl slid out the heavy bird and placed it on the worktop. The oven door was then closed. Pimpernel got up from her seat as well.

She grabbed the two mugs and placed them by the sink. The table was then cleared of bowls and tables mats were placed out.

But neither of the girls knew that Abira was now on a very important mission. She was standing in the bed room, looking at a small green light. The light was radiating out from the small fairy.

"And, he would do it?" Ivy asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Abira was looking around. she needed to get to her Origo very quickly.

"Will you take me to him?" she barked.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked out at the door. Muffled voices came from the other side, a sign that the hobbits were busy.

"Alright" she said, looking back.

Abira ran up to the door, but it was not a jar. Abira had been sleeping on Pimpernel's bed. Yet there was still hope for the little puppy.

The small fairy fluttered to the door. She looked at the handle, her small hand touched the metal of the handle and it clicked open. The door swung back.

"Come on, we need to be quiet" Ivy said, looking around.

Abira nodded and trotted forwards. She looked back, knowing that it would be tough for her Pimpernel. But she had to do it.

The puppy and fairy exited the room into the warm corridor. Ivy fluttered there for a few seconds, looking around. She knew that she could not leave the puppies in wild by themselves. Especially in the coldness of winter.

Abira was already making her way towards the front door. Ivy took a deep breath and fluttered down the hall way. Abi was looking back, waiting for her.

"Are you ready?" Ivy asked.

The puppy gave a small nod and looked back towards the

door. As before, Ivy fluttered up to handle. There was a small click and the door opened. A cold wind blew into the house.

Abira snaked her way though to the outside. Her fur blew in the wind as the door closed behind her. Ivy closed it with a louder bang then normal.

She stopped, listening to the other side of the door. She did not want to give away what had happened. Ivy knew that if Abira was caught then Ivy would have to take Origo by himself.

After what seemed like a minute, Ivy looked down. She smiled and fluttered to the puppy. Abira watched her come closer.

"Come on, lets go" she said, smiling.

The pup quickly turned and scooted off. The gate was closed, but that was no obstacle for the small puppy. She simply hopped though the gaps. Ivy smiled as she fluttered over. Abira, trotting quicker then normal, led the way.

Origo was still standing in the exact same spot that he had watched the fairy disappear from. But there would be no appearances from the same wall again.

Origo yawned, feeling something strange come across him. Sounds were echoing down from the kitchen. Sounds of crying. Faramir was being fed.

Diamond took a deep breath as she tried to feed her son. But he was not having any of it.

"Come on, eat it like a good boy" she said, placing the spoon near his mouth.

But this made him cry even more. Diamond now had no idea on what to do. She placed the spoon back and looked down at her son.

Pippin then slowly crept into her mind. The note had been circulating around in her head since she had read it. She seemed not to escape the image of Pippin. Even looking at her own son, Pippin could be seen.

The chair was then pushed back and Diamond got back up.

"Maybe he needs more sleep" she thought, walking out of the kitchen.

Origo could hear the noise of the baby grow louder. Origo backed away as Diamond came in the room. She looked at her puppy, but did not talk to the pup.

The crying baby was placed back in his cot. Diamond smiled and walked away. Origo was now looking at a specific point in the space before him. Diamond wondered what Origo was doing. But she did not make it known that she was watching.

"She's just outside the front" Ivy said to the puppy.

Origo looked blankly at Ivy.

"Come on, lets go to the door" the fairy said, fluttering towards the opened door.

Diamond noticed that Origo's eyes were following something. It was quiet clear to her.

"Origo?" she asked, wondering if he was alright.

The reaction she got was different. Origo's eye looked right at hers. But there was something different about him. Normally, he would be excited to see his Diamond. But not this time. He gave his Diamond a blank look.

"Do you want some turkey?" she asked.

Ivy was watching what was happening. She could see the loneliness in her eyes as the puppy gave her a blank look.

Ivy knew that she could help, but it would mean having to take Origo away from her. Ivy now had a difficult choice to make. To let Origo stay here, or to take him to Mirkwood in search of Radagast.

Diamond took a deep breath and walked out of the room. She wondered if her puppy did not like her any more.

"Maybe he misses Pippin" she said.

The hobbit walked down to the kitchen. Cleaning was now on her mind. It always was when she was upset. It kept her calm and occupied. And, of course, there was still a lot of work to do.

"Alright, she's gone" Ivy said, looking out of the door.

Origo stood where he was, in his own little world. Everything was, yet again, new to him. The urge to explore was now getting stronger and stronger.

But Ivy was not having any of it. She knew exactly what Origo was thinking. And she couldn't wait, Abira was waiting out of the door in the freezing weather.

"Come on, lets go" she said.

But Origo whined.

"Go where? I like it here" he told Ivy.

Ivy took a deep breath. She would have to use all of her persuading power on him.

"But, we're going to a better place, much better then here" she said, happily.

Origo tilted his head.

"Where is it?" he asked.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked back.

"It's a secret, you'll love it" she answered.

But the puppy looked back. Something deep down inside of him wanted to stay, but if this small thing said he had to go, he had to.

"How far away is it?" he asked.

Ivy knew that she could not tell the truth to him. he would not follow if she told the truth.

"It's just down the hall way, someone wants to see you" she said.

Origo took a few steps forward.

"Who?" he asked.

Ivy was getting annoyed at all the questions she was being asked.

"Puppy, please follow me"

She fluttered away.

"Come on, follow me" she said, zooming left and right.

Origo walked slowly behind, wondering what the little green light was doing. It was very beautiful. A small part of him wanted to chase it. But it never came close enough to pounce. Ivy knew that she had to get Origo out into the wild. But that would be harder.

Ivy stopped at the door.

"Are we there yet?" Origo asked, looking around.

He had a strange feeling that the fairy was leading his somewhere. But the puppy did not question.

"Come on, we have to be quick" Ivy said, fluttering up to the door handle.

There was a small click came from the door. Origo wondered what the green light was doing. Ivy then looked down at the puppy standing there. She could see herself glinting in the puppy's eyes. The cold air was rushing in.

Origo did not like it and backed away.

"No" he whimpered, preferring the warmth of the home.

But Ivy wasn't taking any of it. Abira was waiting on the other side. She could see that the door had opened a little bit. She wondered what was taking them so long.

She walked forward a bit, but couldn't see Origo or Ivy. The coldness was now getting to her. a small bit of hunger got to her as well. But all she needed was to see her Origo.

"Come on puppy" a voice said.

Abira knew exactly whose voice that was. It was Ivy's

"Hello?" Abira asked.

Ivy looked back, hearing the little whimpering puppy. Origo looked down as well. A small face came around the side of the door. Coldness was flooding into the hall way. The candles seemed to dance as the wind tickled them.

"Who is this?" Origo asked, looking from the fairy to the new creature.

Ivy took a deep breath, she knew that Abira understood what had happened to Origo.

"This is who we're going on an adventure with"

Abira did not break her gaze from Origo. There was worry in her heart. If Origo could not be fixed, then the end would come sooner then she had expected.

"Do you think we can fix him?" the puppy asked.

Ivy fluttered down to the floor. She was standing between the two identical looking puppies.

"I don't know, maybe if we're quick enough, we can" she answered, looking at Origo.

There was a noise from the kitchen. It was Diamond. She had felt the small wave of coldness rush though the house. Lunch was being prepared. She smiled as she walked down the hall way.

A small click echoed down the hall way. Diamond stopped for a split second.

"Is that the…?" she asked herself.

But she did not believe what she had heard. The large front door came into view. There seemed to be no change in the door. Diamond wondered if it was just her or the door. She shook it off, blaming it on the tiredness.

But she did not know that she would not see her puppy for a very long time. For Origo was on his way to Mirkwood to see Radagast. But he was not alone. A fairy, named Ivy was fluttering near by. The day seemed only to begin as they walked down to the gate.

Neither one of them knew what things would happen on their adventure. All Abira and Ivy knew was that they had to help their friend.

Hours seemed to pass slower as they walked. The clouds above were thin, but the coldness was not giving up. The wind was stronger then it had been for the past few days.

There was still a few hours of day light left. Birds, only a few, were flying though the cold, clear skies. The trees around stood as leafless pillars, rising far above the three wonders.

Origo was shivering just like the other puppy. The bridge was where it had been for many years before. But all of the old stones had been covered in snow. A few sharp looking icicles were hanging from the thatch that made up the roof of the Green Dragon.

Abira gave a small glance at Origo. Images of times past crossed her eyes. It was not the only adventure that they had been on.

A picture of a log came across her mind. She knew how close she had been from falling in. But her Origo always helped her out. But this time was much different.

"This way" Ivy said, fluttering on a bit.

But once again, Origo's consecration had been stolen. His eyes were looking at a creature just a few feet away. Abira stopped and looked around. She noticed that Origo was looking at a tiny, red breasted robin. The bird stood for a few seconds, quickly surveying the situation before fluttering off.

Abira gave a small wag of her tail before walking on. but Origo did not move. His eyes were fixed on the small dot. The bird vanished.

"Come on!" Abira whined, getting a little bit annoyed.

Ori looked around and walked towards her. He gave her a quick glance and carried on walking. Abira felt like she had lost a friend. She gave a small whine and looked down.

Ivy noticed what Origo had done. The small fairy fluttered about to Abi. Abira was very upset that he did not know her. normally, Origo would protect her, but it seemed to be the other way around.

"Don't worry" Ivy said, fluttering just inches from her.

The small green glow seemed to grow in the on coming darkness. But there was still a few hours of light left. The clouds overhead thickened as the temperature deepened.

The small group started to walk over the bridge. But it took much longer with Origo stopping every five seconds.

"Puppy, come on, stay away from the edge" Ivy said, fluttering past him.

Origo looked down and then at the green thing, fluttering away from him.

"Why?" he whined, taking yet another look.

Ivy took a deep breath and landed on the soft snow. The coldness and wind did not effect her. But the small hairs on the puppy were catching the snowflakes on his paws.

"Because its very dangerous down there" she said, knowing it would lead to yet another question.

"And that is why we have to move"

She fluttered on a few feet and stopped. Origo was now very tempted to look over again.

"But if it said I cant, then I'll have to listen to her"

The day continued on as the small wonderers put distance from them and their homes. A few times, Abira's mind went back to her Pimpernel.

Did Pimpernel realise that her precious puppy was missing?

Yes.

Pimpernel was looking around the house. The puppy had not been seen since before lunch. Slices of bacon had been placed in her bowl. But there was no sign of an excited puppy around the house.

A small part of Pimpernel knew that Abira had gone. But it did not surface strongly. Pimpernel scratched her head as she entered the kitchen.

There, Pearl was getting lunch ready. A pile of vegetables were piled before Pearl as she sat there.

There seemed to be a large mound of potatoes, uncooked, were being chopped up.

"You haven't seen Abira, have you?" Pimpernel asked, looking confused.

Her sister looked over and tilted her head.

"No, I thought she was sleeping" Pearl answered.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked around. There was still no sign of her puppy anywhere.

"Maybe I should check one more place" Pimpernel thought, turning and walking out of the room.

The house seemed quieter then normal. The slaps of her bare echoed down the hall. The chopping sound echoed as Pearl continued to prepare their dinner.

Pimpernel walked down the hall way.

"But, she couldn't have" she thought, looking at the large front door.

The hobbit slowly walked up to the door and slowly opened it. The light had been decreasing in power since midday. Yet there was still enough to see a mile or two.

The snow had prints on it. Pimpernel could see that there were defiantly paw prints in the soft snow.

"But how…?" Pimpernel asked, looking around.

It seemed impossible for her puppy to get out. But some how, she did. Pimpernel took a deep breath, wondering if she'll ever see her puppy again.

Pearl was now standing at the hot stove. The chicken had been placed on the side to cool down. The rich smell of chicken had now spread to other parts of the house.

Pearl looked around as her sister came into the room. she gave a small smile.

"Did you find her?" she asked happily.

But Pimpernel was far from happy. She slowly shook her head as she sat down. Pearl instantly knew that something was not right as Pimpernel took her seat.

"She's not here" Pimpernel said, her eyes looking into a far off point.

Pearl left the pans bubbling or frying on the hobs.

"Who's not here?" she asked.

Pimpernel gave a deep breath.

"Abira" she answered.

Pearl wondered what she meant by this.

"But, isn't she in the house?" she asked.

Pimpernel slowly shook her head.

"I saw her paw prints in the snow" she said.

But thoughts came differently to Pearl. It seemed more sense then Pimpernel.

"Maybe she could have been taken" Pearl told her sister.

But Pimpernel knew that she had not been taken.

"No, she hasn't"

Neither of the girls knew the real reason of Abira's disappearance. A knock then came at the door. It echoed around the house. Pearl looked up and took a deep breath.

"I wonder who that could be" she said.

Pearl then left Pimpernel sitting at the table and walked out of the room. Pearl arrived at her front door and opened it.

It was Diamond.

She was carrying a sleeping Faramir in her arms.

"Diamond? Do come in!" Pearl said, letting her in.

The hobbit walked inside and the door was closed.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

Diamond gave a small smile.

"Is Origo here? I cant seem to find him" she said.

Pearl thought that this was very strange indeed.

How could two small puppies vanish?

Surely they would have had someone much stronger and taller open the large front door for them. Nothing was making sense for her.

Pimpernel was could now hear the muffled voices of her sister and of Diamond. Their conversation was different then normal. curiosity got the better of her and she got up and walked out of the room.

Diamond and Pearl were standing near the door. Diamond still had her coat on and a bundle in her arms.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Night was surly coming upon them now. The candles seemed to be brighter then normal. Their light spread over the small area around them. They danced as Pimpernel walked by.

"Origo is missing as well" Pearl said.

Diamond looked at Pimpernel.

"Abira is missing too?" she asked.

Pimpernel nodded.

"I thought she would have been with you and Origo"

Pimpernel was now very worried.

"But what if they are in trouble somewhere?" she asked.

Worry crossed her face. She needed to find her puppy very soon. A small part of her, deep down, knew that she might not see her puppy again.

"Maybe we should go out and find them" she said.

But the harsh weather would make it impossible to even see where they were going. The wind seemed to extinguish all attempts of lighting fires.

"I think we should wait until the morning before we start looking for them" Pearl said.

But it did not go down well with her sister.

"Morning? But they could be in trouble now!" she said.

Pearl took a deep breath and looked down. There was now a fork in the road. In one direction, she could go out into the coldness and try to track the puppies down. But on the other road, she could stay in the house and wait it out, see if they come back.

"I know they could, but the coldness and darkness will make it too hard to look"

But Pimpernel was not having any of it.

"Fine" she said.

The next second, she walked past them to the coat. She picked out hers and started to put it on.

"What are you doing?" Pearl asked.

But there was no answer. Slowly, Pearl realised what her sister was doing.

"Your not going out in this weather!" Pearl said, worried that Pimpernel might do something silly.

"Of course I am" she answered.

There was an awkward silence as Diamond stood there, holding her son in her arms. Pimpernel buttoned up her coat and, without another word, the door opened up.

A second later, the door closed on the world outside. Pimpernel could now see why Pearl did not want to go out. snow had started to fall, not heavily, but noticeably. A few flakes touched her warm skin.

She stood at the door for a minute or two, weighting up the options. But there was one thing clear to her, she had to find her puppy.

The paw prints were now being covered with fresh, soft snow as she walked down to the gate. It was then she noticed that there two sets of prints. Pimpernel then opened the gate, walked out onto the road and closed it again. The level of light had fallen dramatically.

The light of the candles did not seem to reach this far out. It was now very difficult to see. But that did not stop Pimpernel from searching further.

It seemed the longer she spent, the more her eyes got used to used to the ever growing darkness. But still, her eyes could not see the prints in the snow.

She closely surveyed the area before her. Every so often, she could see small paw prints. At times, she completely lost sight of their tracks. A few times, she stopped and listened.

But all she could hear was wind and feel the sharp coldness of the flakes on her cheeks. The wind seemed to effect her hair most of all. It would get whipped up by the wind. she constantly had to move her hair out of the way.

Hope started to trickle from her heart as she neared the Green Dragon. There were a few other hobbits walking to and from the pub. The large door seemed be closed most of the time.

The chimneys seemed to be expelling more then the usual amount of smoke. Pimpernel past some of the hobbits as they came up the hill. But she was not in the mood to say anything to them.

The lights from the round windows lay across the ground. Foot prints criss-crossed in nearly every direction. This made it harder for Pimpernel to distinguish the paw prints from the foot prints.

"Maybe I should just give up" she thought, looking back to towards Pearl's house.

She could see the door open for a few seconds and then close. She took a deep breath.

"Maybe just a little bit further" she said, looking at the bridge.

There seemed to be less foot prints here. But that would not make it any easier. The darkness covered the tracks that, in light, would have been very noticeable. Yet that did not stop Pimpernel from heading towards the bridge. The sound of water met her ears as she got to the edge. The trickling sound seemed to come from underneath the bridge.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and stopped at the edge of the bridge.

"Where are you?" she asked, looking around.

She couldn't see why they would be heading away from Hobbiton. Pimpernel knew that she could not go on any further. Her feet were cold and her cheeks were tingling.

Diamond, meanwhile, had got back to her house. It seemed very quiet now, only her and Faramir now. But Faramir was laying in his cot. He was very tired as he lay there. The baby gave a small yawn as his mother walked out of the room.

Diamond walked back down to the large door. But she was not going out again. Instead, she stopped and hung up her coat again. She smiled, hunger getting to her. the coldness that had once clung to her skin was now changing to a pleasant warmth.

Food was now on her mind. She knew that dinner was still being prepared. The smell of chicken met her as she opened the door to the kitchen. The chicken was still slowly cooking in the oven.

Diamond took a deep breath as she looked down on the floor. Origo's bowl was still empty. He had not come back for food all day. The hobbit took a deep breath and picked it up. She placed it by the sink. The chicken was still cooling on the side as Diamond got many bowls out.

A few minutes later, she placed one type of vegetable in each bowel. There was a lot more then even Pippin could eat on his own. Bowl after bowl of cooked and boiled vegetable was placed on the table.

Diamond smiled, seeing all of the lovely food she had made. The large chicken was then carved into. Slices were placed on a plate. A small bit of vapour raised up from the meat. It brought up the sweet smell of the honey coated meat.

Diamond stopped after a minute. There was a large pile of warm slices as Diamond put the caving knives and the two pronged fork down on the side. Less then one quarter of cooked bird was used.

The hobbit placed the plate on the table mat. But still, she did not sit down to dinner. Instead, she turned around, opened up a cupboard and brought down a mug. She closed the cupboard door again and walked to the cellar.

The cellar door was large. But Diamond had no trouble in opening it. The temperature was lower then it was in the kitchen. Two big barrels were situated at the bottom end of the cellar.

Diamond bend down and place the mug on the floor. A tap had been hammered into each barrel. Diamond turned one on and amber liquid started pouring out.

Diamond smiled as she watched the level of ale rise slowly. After a minute, the tap was turned off. The sound of the last few drips echoed around the room.

The hobbit then stood up again, feeling very tired now. She walked out of the cellar and quietly closed the door. Finally, after what seemed like a long list of things to do, Diamond sat down at the table.

She smiled as she picked up a bowl. Parsnips were pilled nearly to the top. A spoon had been placed in each bowl. A gravy boat full of hot, dark brown liquid stood on the table as well.

It seemed to take a while before everything Diamond wanted to eat was on the table. the gravy was the last thing to be put on the plate. The thick liquid was poured over every bit of the plate and then set down again.

Diamond took a deep breath as she started to eat. The room was very quiet indeed. Normally, she or Pippin would be holding their son. But neither of them were present. Not even excitable Origo was there.

"Is this how my life is set for me?" she asked herself.

Everything seemed to be going wrong for her.

"But what could I have done to make it so wrong?" she asked herself.

Every relationship she had seemed to fall apart. Pippin was now living with Merry. Origo was now gone, Diamond did not know where he was. And Faramir was too young to talk or to understand what was going on.

Diamond ate the rest of her meal in a sad silence. Her appetite seemed to disappear quicker then normal. She only finished eating her large pile of chicken and roasted parsnips. She loved parsnips. If there was something that she could eat all day, it would be them.

The fork was then poked into a tender sprout. Diamond smiled as she ate it whole. She smiled as the sound of the clock suddenly registered in her ears. She looked around at it.

It wasn't even ten o'clock. She looked back around and continued eating. Diamond picked out more food, not wanting her own cooking to go to waste.

The clock seemed to tick on as Diamond continued to eat. A small part of her was not getting hungry. But the other part was full up. She looking around at the clock again. Only ten minutes had past. But it felt more like half an hour by herself.

Diamond, after what seemed like one or two hours, finished up. But there was still food left in every bowl and gravy left in the warm boat.

She rose from her chair and placed all of the bowls on the work top. She opened a draw and got out some paper bags. She then placed the last of the roast potatoes in two of them, parsnips in another, sprouts in a different bag.

The bowls were cleared of their food and placed next to the sink. The cellar door was then opened. Diamond would save what she had cooked for tomorrow. Lots of packets had been saved.

She placed them all on one shelf and walked out again. The smell of chicken hit her again. the cellar door closed, leaving all of the food inside. She picked up her mug and drained it.

Tiredness was now gripping her with its large, gentle fingers. She smiled as she walked out of the room.

"I must say" Diamond thought to herself.

"That that was not half bad"

But Diamond did not make her way to her room. Instead, she made for the bathroom. There, she got washed. Soapy water swirled around the bowl as she pulled the plug.

She walked over to the towels and rubbed her hand dry. She walked out again, along to bedroom. Finally, after a while, she changed into her night gown. She smiled, looking into the cot. Faramir was fast asleep.

She stood there for a minute, wondering what he was dreaming about. The fire crackled merrily in the heath, sending out warmth that filled the room. Diamond walked over to her side of the bed and got in. She draw the duvet over her.

Tiredness seemed to flood at her as her eyes slowly closed. She would, for the second time, spend a night by herself.


	53. Day Twenty Five, Part One

Darkness that had once fallen upon the cold land. All but one hobbit seemed to be asleep. The midnight hour had come and gone. But the sun was still hours from rising.

Diamond Took was sitting in her dully lit kitchen. She was holding a small bundle. The bundle was that of her son and he was crying. Faramir was his name. Pippin had named him.

A bowl had been set on the table before them. A small silver spoon was held in Diamond hand. She took a deep breath and looked down. A small part of her wanted to give up. She wanted to run away from the Shire and live on her own.

She knew that there was always the option of giving Faramir away. But that option hurt her more then anything she had ever felt.

She knew that she could not give up on him. But yet she could not help thinking that she was the only one going though this. Faramir was still crying. Diamond took a deep breath as she placed the spoon back in the bowl.

"I guess I'm not the only one" she thought.

Diamond then got up from her chair and walked out of the room. The bedroom door was then pushed opened. The warmth seemed to seep out as Diamond walked over to the cot.

She placed her crying son back inside and tucked him in. But this did not stop him from crying any less. Diamond took a deep breath as she walked away from the wooden cot.

Her eyes then met the window. Somewhere in the dark blanket of night, her puppy was. Diamond stood there. The more she did, the more she felt pain in her heart.

She then got back into bed and drew the covers over her again. The bed was larger without Pippin there. Diamond missed him dearly. But she couldn't bear him being there.

The feeling of being tired did not come back to her. It seemed her brain was now too active to let sleep come to her. for moments at a time, she closed her eyes. But something made her open them again.

The ticking of the clock seemed to radiate all around the room. the level of darkness outside seemed to slowly grow as another day had started.

Diamond seemed to slip slowly into an uncomfortable sleep. There were no dreams tonight. Birds started to sing as the blueness rose in the east. The silhouettes of trees and hills were black against the calming blue sky. The clouds seemed to take on colours of all sorts.

Deep purple, steel gray. Some with hints of light orange and pink tinges. These colours slowly changed as the blueness seemed to take a hold of the darkness.

The darkness set in the west as the sun rose in the east. Bird had started to sing again as the day grew brighter. The creatures of the night went back to their dens.

Only their tracks were the only evidence of their existence.

Diamond slowly opened her eyes. For a few seconds, she wondered what had happened. But then I came to her.

"I must have fallen asleep" she said.

But the tiredness was not fully taken away. A strange feeling then wrapped around her heart. She looked down at the floor and saw Origo's empty bed. His toy turkey was laying all by itself.

She took a sad sigh and looked away. Faramir was still asleep as hunger got to Diamond.

"Maybe I can just go for a bite to eat" she said.

The duvet was then taken off. The coldness of the air got to Diamond. Hunger could wait as the fire was eyed upon. There were a small metal basket of chopped wood. Diamond placed some of the logs into the hot embers. For a few minutes, all she did was looking into the growing fire. The crackling of the fire seemed to echo around the larger room.

Diamond looked away from the hot fire. The level of light was defiantly rising. Diamond was not the only one that was now up. Estella Bolger was awake now. Her room was much warmer then normal. The hobbit was standing at the window. Today was going to be a very trying day for her.

The door behind her slowly opened. Estella's gaze was then broken as she looked around. it was her mother. The two of them looked alike.

The door was closed behind her. Estella took a deep breath.

"Are you feeling alright?" Rosamunda asked.

Her words echoed around the quiet room. The words echoed around Estella's head.

"I…"

But the words did not seem to describe how she was truly feeling. Her mother seemed to pick up on her wordlessness hurt.

"It'll be alright" Rosamunda told her.

Their eyes met. The feeling in Estella's heart seemed to melt into another. But the second feeling was one of comfort. There was comfort in her mother's look that Estella had not felt for a very long time.

Rosamunda had been getting lunch ready in the kitchen when the large round front door opened and then closed again. The smell of chicken had spread to nearly every corner of the house.

Estella was much younger and shorter then she was in the present. Her hair was still brown and curly, but still at the same length.

Rosamunda looked around.

"Estella?" she asked, holding a prong in one hand and a cutting knife in the other.

Estella seemed to be crying and holding her knee.

"I fell over" she said in a sad voice.

Rosamunda took a deep breath and placed the knife and prong on the work top.

"Alright, sit down dear" she said, wiping her hands on her white apron.

Estella limped over to the seat and sat down. Rosamunda walked over to her daughter. Rosamunda bend down. She saw a small graze on Estella's knee.

Just then, another hobbit came into the room. He was younger then both Rosamunda and Estella. His name was Fredegar and he had not changed a bit. He was still as big as he was. Maybe bigger now that he had gotten older.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at his older sister sitting on the chair.

"Nothing dear" his mother answered.

Hunger was on Fredegar's mind now. He eyed the half cut chicken sitting in a trey on the worktop. A plate had been set out and a pile of cut chicken near by.

"That is for your lunch" Rosamunda told him.

Fredegar looked away and mumbled something under his breath.

"Pardon?" his mother asked, getting a bowl out from the cupboard.

"Nothing" he said, knowing what trouble he could be in if he told her.

Rosamunda walked over to the sink and turned the tap on. The bowl started to fill with cool, clear water. Fredegar had now left the room again. he headed back down to the corridor to his room. The large door had been left ajar. He looked back down the corridor one more time and closed it behind him. Back in the kitchen, Rosamunda dabbed a dry cloth into the clear water. she gave her daughter a warm smile as she dabbed the cloth on the water. Estella screwed her face, but did not complain. It took a few minutes for Rosamunda to clean Estella's small graze.

Fredegar was kneeling on the floor. His ears were very sharp. His heart was racing as he reached under his bed. A small box was grabbed and slid out.

Unlike the other boxes, there was no dust on this one. A smile came over his face as he opened the box. Inside, there were packets of chocolate. Fredegar picked a pack up and placed it on the bed.

"I better get some more" he thought, looking into the wooden box.

The lid was closed and the box placed back where he hid it.

But that was many years ago now. Fredegar had not come out of his room for a while now. But that did not mean that he had not eaten. The last time that he had had been the day before. an empty plate had been left on his bed side table.

A door down the corridor opened and quietly closed. Foot steps came down the hall way. Fredegar knew exactly who it was but did not moved from the bed.

Emotion was high in the electricity of the air today. For today was not just any ordinary day. Today was the day that Odovacar would be buried. Rosamunda was now on the other side of the door. She placed her hand on the door. But she did not open it right away.

Fredegar knew that any second, his mother would come in. The door gave a small click as it opened. Fredegar's room was dark and cold. The large figure of her son was laying on the bed.

The door was closed behind her. She took a deep breath as her eyes slipped around the room. her eyes then came across the empty plate. She gave a small smile, knowing that Fredegar was coming around.

"Good morning" she said, looking at her son.

But there was no answer. Between them, the two of them knew the other's feelings. Rosamunda looked down. There was a rug underneath the bed. Her feet touched it as she walked nearer to it.

Rosamunda knew how hard her son was taking it.

"Your father's funeral is this afternoon" Rosamunda said.

But once again, she was ignored. Fredegar took a deep breath. Lots of things were buzzing in his head. Many questions and arguments were circulating around his head.

"Are you going to come?" his mother asked.

Fredegar suddenly sat up on his bed and looked at his mother. His eyes were red and a tear was running down the side of his cheek. His looked seemed to say a million words.

Rosamunda's heart melted. She walked over and sat on the bed.

"Come here" she said, sitting on the bed and throwing her arms around him.

Emotions spilled out of the both of them as they sat there.

"I'm sorry" Fredegar whispered.

Many different emotions were spilling out of him. Tears were now coming from both of the hobbits.

"I'm sorry for everything" he said.

Rosamunda was breathing heavily as she drew back and looked at her son.

"Sorry?" she asked, not understanding what her son meant.

A tear ran down the chubby cheek of the hobbit.

"What do you mean?" Rosamunda asked.

In households around Hobbiton, the day started like any other. Rosie Gamgee had been up now since first light. She had more then the usual amount of children. A yawn came over her as she walked down the hall way. There was a massive pile of dirty clothes. She made her way down the corridor. The house was much busier then normal.

A door was approached. It was closed unlike the others. Rosie bundled all of clothes into the one arm and opened the door. On the other side of the door was a warm room. There was a bed in the middle of the room. Light was flicking from the candles or flooding in from the small round window.

"Elanor dear, I need your dirty things" Rosie said, standing at the door way.

Elanor had already gotten up and was already dressed. She was laying on the bed, holding her wooden horse. She was spinning the beads around his neck.

"Alright" she said, taking a deep breath.

Tiredness was getting to her again as she sat up. The fire was raging in the heath as the young girl placed her horse back on the small bed side table.

She got off of her bed and walked over to a small chair. There were clothes laying over the back. Elanor picked them all up. She yawned as she walked towards the door. She opened it and went out.

The house was noisy now. Everyone seemed to be up as Elanor made her way down to the kitchen.

"Ah!" she said, feeling a sudden sharp pain come from her foot.

She hopped and looked down. A small toy had been left in the middle of the corridor from the night before. Elanor looked down at the soul of her foot. But there were no marks there. The pain seemed only to last for a few seconds. Elanor then started on her small walk to the kitchen again.

There was a lot of movement and chaos in the kitchen. A large pile of clothes had been put near the door.

"Should I just put them here?" Elanor asked.

Rosie looked around.

"Yes dear" she answered as she placed the pile of empty plates at the side of the sink.

Frodo, their second oldest, was still sleeping. His dirty and used clothes had been taken out for him. His dreams had been very different over the past few days. They were darker and colder then his normal ones. For he had seen a creature that had only been written of and seen by two others for many miles around.

Ents.

"Would you help me get home?" he asked, playing his last card with the Ent.

The Ent towered above the small boy. Frodo was shivering with fright and coldness, although the initial fright was now dying down, there was still a bit left.

"Get home?" said the tree.

Clogs seemed to be turning in its head.

"I can not say I know where you live" it said.

It was true, Frodo did not know where he lived from where he was, so why would the tree?

Frodo took a deep breath and looked around. Nothing seemed familiar about this place. He had been walking since lunch and had nothing to eat or drink since then.

"Could you try and help me?" he asked, looking around.

"I came from that way" he pointed.

The Ents old eyes peered though the darkness. Snowflakes were still falling as Frodo stood there.

"Well" said the Ent, thinking deeply.

"I was not going that way" it said.

Frodo needed all the help he could get at that time. But the Ent was refusing.

"Please? I want to go home"

But the Ent seemed now only to ignore him. Frodo watched as its large leg rose and swung right over his head. Its wooden leg seemed much bigger then he was. Frodo felt a few pieces of soil falling on his hair as he watched the tree walking away.

"Are you going to help me?" Frodo asked, looking at the tree.

The tall figure seemed to blend in with the other trees now as it moved off. Frodo was too cold and numb to move after the tree.

The door to his room opened. Samwise Gamgee walked in, carrying a plate. He smiled as he saw his son still sleeping.

"Frodo-lad?" he asked as he walked to the bed.

Frodo's sleep was then taken away from him as he awoke. He opened his eyes and saw a blurry figure standing over him.

"Alright" he groaned.

Samwise gave a small smile and walked out again. but tiredness got him as his eyes closed. But the dreams did not come back to him. instead, his father came back.

"Frodo, get up now"

To Frodo, his father had come back quickly. But to Sam, he had been away for nearly an hour. Frodo groaned. Now he was fully awake. Sounds started to echo down the hall way, disturbing Frodo even more.

His mother could be heard from the kitchen. But her words were muffled and unrecognisable to his ears.

"I guess I should get up" he told himself, yawning.

The day outside was pouring though the window as the young boy got out of bed. He rubbed his eye as he made his way to the door. He pulled it open, it having been left ajar by his father.

The smell of bacon hit his nose. A small smile came over the boy. He knew how much he had his siblings meant to Rosie. But how much, none of the knew. The sounds of his younger siblings echoed down the hall way.

"Give it here Merry!" said the voice of his only older sibling, Elanor.

As he entered the room, he saw his older sister and younger brother before him. Elanor was standing near a large pile of washing that Rosie would do later that day.

Elanor had grabbed the other end of the sheet and pulled. Thinking it a game, Merry pulled as well and laughed.

"No Merry!" Elanor said, pulling even harder back.

The next second, a strange sound came from the sheet. A ripping sound. Elanor gasped as a large rip had gone nearly half way though the sheet.

"Oh no" Elanor said, knowing what could happen.

Both of her parents were busy with other things.

"What shall I do?" she asked, looking around.

It was then she saw her younger brother standing there. The trouble had just gotten worse. But neither of them said anything.

"I have to hide it" Elanor thought.

So, she grabbed picked up the ripped sheet and quickly walked out of the room. Frodo continued to stand there, he gave a small smile to himself as he went to his seat. He knew that, what ever Elanor had done, she did not wanted their parents finding out about it.

Frodo sat on his own seat and smiled. There were still lots of pieces of toast. He grabbed a few and placed them on his plate. A large slab of creamy butter lay near by. A silver knife had been stabbed into the butter.

Frodo took the knife out, scrapped up a bit of butter and then started to spread it on his toast. Rosie then came into the room again.

"Good morning dear" she said, walking over to Frodo and giving him a big hug and kiss.

"Oh mum" he said, brushing her off.

The boy continued with his spread the butter thickly onto the warm toast. Frodo's other siblings had already started playing. A door closed down the corridor. Elanor had successfully hidden the ripped sheet. But that did not mean her troubles were over. In fact, they were just beginning as her mother walked into the kitchen. Elanor stopped in the hall way, knowing exactly what she was going to get.

Rosie picked up the dirty sheets and walked out again.

"Do you need any help?" a voice asked as Rosie walked out of the room.

Elanor was standing there, a smile across her face. Rosie smiled as well.

"No dear, I can manage" she answered as she looked back.

She then walked on a way, down towards the room that was interlay devoted to washing. This room was used only once a week. Rosie opened the door and walked in. A large, dry tub was standing in the middle of the room. There was a large wooden paddle. Rosie took a deep breath as she placed the washing on the floor. Elanor was just outside the door. She was watching her mother as she went over to the heath and started to make the fire bigger.

Elanor knew that, one way or another, her mother would find out, sooner or later. The fire was now being stocked up. The flames were now growing bigger as Rosie walked out of the room.

Elanor scooted to her room just in time as her mother came out of the room. Rosie was carrying a kettle to the kitchen. She walked in and placed it by the sink. Rosie turned the tap on and placed her finger under the torrent now coming out.

Rosie took a deep breath as she picked up the kettle. She placed it under the stream. The water started to slowly fill up the kettle. The weight of the kettle grew and grew.

After about a minute, the tap was turned off. Rosie knew that it would take many more water filled kettles to fill the barrel. Rosie walked back to large washing tub. But she did not pour the water into the tub. Instead, she placed it on the metal hook that was placed on the brick arch over the fire.

Rosie smiled as the flames were now big enough to heat the water up to the temperature that Rosie wanted. Rosie then occupied herself as the water heated.

All hobbits were awake now. even a tired Pippin was up. He was in the kitchen. Pippin had eaten what he wanted. Eight pieces of toast and two bacon sandwiches.

A lot of things were rushing around his head. Diamond being the on his mind the most.

"Maybe another letter would be good" he thought as he picked up his mug.

His mind instantly started to tick. A smile came over his face as he downed the last of his ale. His seat scrapped as he got up and walked out of the room.

Merry was nowhere to be seen as he walked down the hall way to the study. But Pippin curiosity was quickly answered as the door was opened.

Merry was yet again at his writing desk. A quill was held in his hand and a scratching sound came from the piece of paper. Merry seemed to finish his sentence and look around.

"I'm glad to see you up" Merry said.

The two of them smiled.

"I need to borrow some parchment" Pippin told him.

Merry took a deep breath. But instead of getting just a single bit of parchment, he reached under the writing desk. He draw out a few books.

"Here" he said, handing Pippin one.

Pippin was confused.

"So you'll wont have to ask for a while" Merry told him.

Pippin smiled, taking a quill and an ink pot. It was much more then he had hoped for. Merry smiled and turned back to his work. Pippin turned the other way. The door was closed again as Pippin smiled.

Pip flicked though the pages. All were wordless and clean. Ideas had now started circling his head as he walked back to the kitchen. The book was placed on the table as Pippin sat at the table.

"Right" he said, opening the book again.

The pages were blank, like a canvas ready to create a beautiful painting. But that was not what Pippin wanted the paper for. In fact, he was going to create a very different picture.

The night had been a hard one on both Origo and Abira. Abira's friendship and loyalty had been ripped apart. But the two puppies were not alone in their quest. A small fluttering creature had come with them.

"I'll look in this one" Ivy said, fluttering before them.

The night was very cold on the puppies as they walked forward. The cold wind made both of them lower their heads as the wind tried to push them back. Flakes were falling from the sky, seemingly slowly them down even more.

Near by, a fox hole lay in the snow. The darkness only gave up its location due to the snow. Ivy landed neat by to the entrance and waited for the pup to come.

"Wait here" Ivy said.

Origo was whimpering. He did not like the coldness one little bit. Abira's small brown eyes looked over at him. There was a sense that Origo and Abira did not belong together. After thousands of years, this was the only time Abira felt distant from him.

The small green fairy fluttered down into the dark den. Her wings stopped fluttering as she landed on the soft soil. Drips of cold water fell from the low ceiling. Roots and twigs stuck out of the sticky mud as Ivy made her way downwards.

The wind whistled over head as Ivy came to what seemed a small chamber. She slowly poked her head around. her green glow fell on no beasts. Just more soil.

She took a deep breath, relived that no foxes or in fact no other beasties were there. The only evidence that foxes had ever called this home was the strands of fur that had been left in small bundles.

But this was not the only chamber that Ivy had to check. There was one more deeper down in the mud. Abira and Origo were shivering as they stood there. Origo seemed to be suffering the most.

"It'll be alright" whined a cold Abira.

Her fur was wet and sticking to her. but there was no answer from Origo. Tension arose around them as they waited. It took a few more minutes before Ivy came out again.

"Alright you two, it'll do for now" she said.

Origo walked forward, but stopped. He did not like the darkness that lay before him.

"Are you sure its safe?" he asked, looking a little bit concerned.

Ivy took a deep breath and fluttered by him.

"Very sure puppy" she answered.

Abira watched them. She knew that it was meant to be her that was comforting Origo at this time. But it was not. To Origo, she was just another puppy. Every detail and memory that Origo had ever had had been forgotten.

Origo then ducked his head and walked into the den. There was no light here as Ivy was the second one in.

"Its scary, I cant see" Origo whimpered as came out again.

He shook himself off, dirt flew off. Ivy took a deep breath. She knew that she was the only light source.

"Alright, I'll go first" she said, fluttering to the entrance.

The green light glinted in both Origo's and Abira's eyes. Abira knew that she would have to wait for Origo to go first.

"Come on" the fairy said as she went deeper into the den.

The light seemed to help a lot as Origo went after. Abira walked to the edge of den. She could not see the light anymore. But she could still hear Ivy talking to Origo.

"Wait here while I get Abira"

Abira looked around. She knew that Origo would not like her being there. The darkness of night seemed to go on for ever. The light of the fairy grew as she came out again.

"Alright, come on" she said.

But Abira just stood there. She did not move from her spot.

"He doesn't want me around" Abira told Ivy.

Ivy looked back, she was on the edge of the tunnel. She looked back at the puppy, knowing how hard she would find it.

"It'll be alright, we'll get to Radagast and he'll be able to sort Origo out" Ivy told her.

Abira knew that Radagast was the only being who could fix her Origo. Ivy smiled and went back to the tunnel Abira slowly followed, finding a bit of hope in what Ivy had said.

The green glow of the fairy made it much easier to see where they were going. Ivy stopped as she reached the chamber that Origo was in. Origo, who had been resting his head on his paws, lifted his head up.

Abira came around the corner. This was the one creature that Origo did not want to see. Low growling came from the pup as he saw her.

Abira back away, out of view.

"Origo, that wasn't very nice" Ivy said, fluttering in.

"But why is she here?" Origo asked the fairy, his eyes darting to the entrance of the chamber.

"She's here to help you" Ivy told him.

Origo didn't not understand. Abira was still standing outside of the chamber, taking in every word that was said. She sunk to her lowest feeling that she had ever felt. She loved her Origo deeply. She had even helped him when he needed it most.

But now, everything seemed to have flown out of the window.

"I don't need her help" Origo told Ivy, his eyes darting towards the entrance to the chamber.

Abira was hurting more then anyone knew. Origo seemed to be against her.

"Yes you do pup, she loves you more then anything" Ivy said.

But the words did not seem to have any effect on him. Hope was slowly fading away as Origo rejected Abira more and more times.

"Please pup, just think about it" Ivy said, coming out of the chamber.

Ivy's light fell on the whimpering puppy. Ivy stopped and looked at her. Abi was suffering for reasons that did not involve her.

"Come on, there's another chamber just there" she said.

Abira got up and followed the fairy into the second chamber. This one was a little deeper in the one Origo was in. The sound of the whistling wind had died down, but the coldness seemed onto to get worse.

"I know how you feel" Ivy said.

Abira was confused.

"How?" she asked, whimpering as she laid her head on her paws.

Ivy knew that Abira did not have the full story yet. To the fairy, now was a better time then ever to tell her side of the story.

"Well" Ivy said, taking a deep breath.

"To put it simply, it was my fault"

Abira slowly raised her head from her paws, wanting more of the story.

"Your fault?" she asked, her eyes focused on the small fairy.

Ivy nodded, replaying the events in her head.

"It happened yesterday morning" she started.

"I was sitting on the table in the kitchen waiting for him to come in. and he did. Normally I would just flutter down to him. But this day was different. He did not notice me sitting on the table. So, I slowly fluttered down to him"

There was a split second of silence as Ivy let it sink in.

"So, I fluttered to within inches of him. But he still did not notice me. So, I grabbed his fur. But I did not realise that he would have the reaction that he had. He yelped and ran. But the thing is, I did not let go. For a few seconds, it was still a joke. A joke that went out of hand quicker then I could ever have imagined"

The loud bang echoed around her head.

"Bang" she said, looking down at the floor.

The last words hung on the silence.

"He hit the cupboard door. The pup gave a small yelp and…"

There was a strange silence.

"And he just" Abira said, not quite understanding what Ivy was on about.

"Lost his memory?" she asked.

Ivy gave a small nod of her head, but did not make eye contact. Abira felt a strange sense run over her. it seemed to slowly erupt from the depth of her heart.

"You're the one who made him run into the cupboard" Abira said.

Ivy noticed a change tone to Abira's words. She slowly raised her head.

"You're the reason why he can not remember me. You're the reason why I am away from my Pimpernel"

Abira slowly got up. The tension of the small chamber rose quicker then anything. Ivy backed away, feeling a little bit scared.

"Yes, Abira, it was all my fault" she said.

A small bit of fear was evident in her voice.

"You're the reason all this has happened. Ever since you came here, ever since you met my Origo, all you have done is destroy him"

Within the second, Abira pounced at the fairy. But Ivy seemed to vanish in an instant. Abira growled as she looked around for the fairy.

"That was not very nice!" a voice said behind her.

Abira spun and looked as the greenness fell again. anger was rushing though Abira's veins harder then at any other time in her life.

Being curious, Origo got up and walked to the entrance of the chamber he was in. Abira then rushed past him, ignoring him completely. She was too busy trying to find the fairy as she went to the entrance of the den.

Abira made it out into the cold night. The wind seemed not be as cold as before. But there was still no sign of the green fairy.

Deep down in the den, Ivy popped up from the floor of the den. There was no sign of Ivy anywhere. In fact, she was back down, near Origo.

"Maybe I should go and talk to her" Ivy told Origo as she looked down the small tunnel to the surface.

Origo yawned as he rested his head on his little paws. He was still cold and tired as he lay there. Ivy took a deep breath. She knew exactly what to do.

Origo raised his head.

"Where are you going?" Ori asked, too tired to move.

"Just stay there pup, I wont be long" Ivy said, extending her wings and fluttering off.

Origo yawned as he was left on his own. His eyes were not used to the dark and it was quite scary. He whimpered as he lay there.

"Ivy?" he whimpered.

But there was no sign of any light coming from anywhere. Origo whimpered as mug clung to his little paws.

"Ivy?" Origo barked.

But the wind was too loud for the little fairy to hear. In fact, she was fluttering high above the ground. Her eyes were scanning the small area around her. Abira seemed to have wondered off. But Ivy did not know that she was being watched by the very creature she was trying to find.

Abira poked her head around from the tree.

"Abira?" shouted Ivy as she fluttered.

Only her green light could be seen as she fluttered smoothly around. Abira was very angry and upset at what the fairy had told her. Ivy seemed to flutter down to the ground and wait.

Now was her chance. Abira, without another second being lost, took her chance. The puppy ran at Ivy as fast as she could. For a few paces, Ivy did not notice the large puppy coming towards her.

But that did not mean that Ivy did not see her coming. She turned just in time to see Abira running at full speed. Ivy started to flutter her wings as Abira was just inches away from her. The puppy snapped her jaws, thinking that she would catch the fairy. But I never happened. Ivy seemed to get out of the way of her jaws just in time.

Abira ran on a few paces before stopping.

"Abira, what are you…"

But her sentence was cut short as Abira went for her again. This time, Ivy stayed higher then she was this time. Abira was growling.

"Get away from Origo!" Abira told her.

Ivy took a deep breath. She knew that she had no right in being around. but Origo now trusted her and not Abira.

"Abira, I wish that I could walk away. But I'm in this situation too deeply now. I wish that it had been you that he had first seen. But this is the way it is and no one can change that!" Ivy shouted over the wind.

Origo had now found a way out as the other two talked. Ori's small, fluffy head came out of the fox den. The green light of Ivy hit the small pups eyes.

Abira had fallen silent. She knew that there was truth in her words. But that still did not make her any more happier in her situation.

Without warning, Origo sprinted and tackled Abira.

"No puppy!" Ivy shouted, fluttering around.

Neither Ivy nor Abira had ever seen Origo this angry. Abira tried fighting back, but Ori was too strong. He pinned Abira down and growled.

"Just go" he growled, baring his sharp teeth.

Abira looked into his eyes. There was no bond between them anymore. Ivy flutter down. She seemed the only one who could now control him.


	54. Day Twenty Five, Part Two

"Origo, please puppy, your making things worse!" Ivy said.

But this seemed not to have an effect of Origo any more. For a few more seconds, the two puppies were at deadlock. Origo then eased off, allowing Abira to get up. But what happened next, made everything unbearable for the small puppy. Origo swiped and hit Abira around the head.

"Origo!" Ivy shouted, not wanting Abira to run off.

But Ivy's hope was ignored. Abira turned on the spot and ran off.

"Abira!" Ivy shouted after her, but her voice was not loud enough.

She fluttered after her, but suddenly remembered Origo standing there. He was in a more serious situation then Abira was. At least she knew where she was.

But in fact, Ivy was very wrong. Night had slowly turned to day. Abira had ran for what seemed an hour or two. But there was still no other signs of life. A cold wind seemed to eat away at her fur.

But slowly, she managed to fall asleep. But as soon as she had fallen asleep, she woke again. The cold wind seemed to blow even harder as she lay on the floor. Her a few seconds, she thought that she was back home. But the birds confirmed that she was still outside.

Abira's small eyes opened. The surroundings were blurry for a few seconds. But Abira's eyes quickly cleared up. The sun, it seemed, was still coming up. But the level of light was enough for the pup to see where she was.

Abi yawned as she got up. She had in fact nestled down near a large tree. Drips were falling from the high canopy as she looked around.

"Where am I?" she asked herself as she took the surroundings in.

There was no sign of any paths or hobbits. The night before seemed almost a blur. But all the emotions came flooding back as she hung her head again.

"Maybe I should go and look for them" she thought.

She knew that Origo did not want her being there.

But who else could explain to Radagast what happened?

Who else knew him as well as she did?

This gave her hope and strength to go after them. But the direction was unknown to her as she looked around. There seemed less snow here. The patches that were present had no signs of her paw prints.

She walked for a minute or two and stopped. Her eyes darted around. The forest seemed to stretch on for further then she could see.

The level of light rose and rose as the sun came up. The morning grew later and later. But still, Abira was searching for any signs of anything familiar.

Hunger was now very much etched in Abira's mind. But there were no houses to see. Abira's pace was slower then normal. Hunger was now getting to her more then ever. But, for hour after hour, Abira continued to walk. Breakfast in households came and went. But still, Abira had not had a bite to eat for what seemed a day.

Pimpernel was still trying figure out how her puppy and, of course, Diamond's puppy, had escaped and why they had done so.

"But what if they are hurt?" Pimpernel asked, looking worried.

She had hoped that Abira would have come back. But she did not. In fact, there was no sign of either puppies.

"I'm sure their fine, Nelly" Pearl said, facing her.

But this made no difference to Pimpernel's worry. In fact, images were circling her head quicker then ever. Pearl knew that Abira meant a lot to her sister. but then again, Pearl could not help thinking that Abira had survived without Pimpernel before.

Pimpernel was standing there in a state of helplessness.

"Maybe it's best if we do something to take your mind off of her" Pearl said.

Pimpernel's face changed from worried to confused.

"Take my mind off of her?" she asked, wondering what her sister had in mind.

Pearl smiled and got up from her seat. Pimpernel watched as her sister walked to a cupboard. A few seconds later, she stood up, holding a large, old-looking book.

"What say we make something nice to eat?" Pearl asked, placing the old book on the table.

Pimpernel gave a small smile. when all else fails, food was the answer. And a lot of it.

"You mean, we could make anything we choose?" Pimpernel asked, looking at the book.

Her sister nodded and smiled.

"Anything" she said, sliding the book over to her.

"That you want"

Pimpernel took a deep breath. It had been a long time since she had made anything by herself. The cover of the book was turned and revealed hand written words.

A table of condense page was the first of what seemed hundreds of pages that made up the old book. Stains seemed to cling to every page as Pimpernel flicked though.

Lots of different recipes.

Cheese cake, carrot cake, muffins, flapjacks, cookies and biscuits to name a few. It seemed a difficult choice to make.

A few titles caught her eye. But, as she got nearer to the middle, one stood out.

"What about this one?" she asked, pointing to it.

Pearl looked down and smiled.

"Chocolate cake sounds good" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel smiled as she picked the book up. Without losing the page, she placed it on the work top. Pearl was now looking at the cupboard for some mixing bowls.

She placed them on the work top. Pimpernel walked by and opened the large door of the cellar. The cellar was cooler in temperature then the kitchen was.

Lots of thin paper bags and things unknown to Pimpernel had been placed there. Pimpernel knew exactly where to find everything that she needed to make the cake.

Pimpernel walked out again, carrying a few different things. A bottle of very old and mature whiskey, just for a small kick as they ate it. A bar of strong chocolate was placed near by. Eggs in a separate paper bag. Seven or eight by the weight of it.

A jar of white sugar was placed on the work top as well. But there was one last thing that Pimpernel needed. She needed cream.

"It looks like we're out of it" Pimpernel said, coming out from the cellar.

The possibility of not being able to make the cake slipped away.

"Well, we could ask someone if we could have some" Pearl said.

Pimpernel nodded, agreeing with the idea.

"Do you think Pippin will have some?" she asked.

Pearl thought for a split second.

"Yes, I'm sure he will. He's staying at Merry's house, isn't he?" she asked.

Nelly nodded. Pearl took a deep breath and looked towards the door. The prospect of going outside in the coldness did not seem very attractive.

"Well, I'll see you in a few minutes" Pearl said, walking out of the room.

Pippin was in fact busy. A quill was held in his hand. A book full on more empty pages then full was laying before him. Pip took a deep breath as he came to the end of the sentence.

His eyes ran over the last words.

"Now, what happened next?" he asked himself.

Merry was still working in the other room as a chicken browned and cooked in the oven. The smell, although all around the house, Pippin could not smell it any more.

Just then, as he started to write again, three knocks came from the front door. Pippin's attention was broken. He took a deep breath, wondering who it was.

His seat scraped as he got up. His large feet felt the bitter wind coming from the outside. He walked down the hall way. The study door seemed not to open. Merry was still busy as Pippin walked down to the door.

The large door swung open. Cold air rushed in faster and stronger then ever.

"Pearl?" he asked, feeling his face tingle.

His older sister gave a smile.

"Hello, can I come in?" she asked.

Pippin nodded and smiled, moving out of the way. Pearl came in and felt the warm surround her. The smell of chicken hit her nose, making her hungry.

"I need some cream for the cake me and Pimpernel are making" she told him.

Pippin smiled.

"I'm sure Merry has some, let me just ask him" he answered.

So, Pearl and Pippin walked to the study. Pippin knocked and waited. The door opened and Merry stood there.

"Pippin, what do you want? I'm busy" Merry said.

But this was before he saw Pearl standing there as well.

"Oh" he said, finally spotting her.

"Hello Merry" Pearl said.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Pearl smiled.

"I need some cream for a cake that me and Pimpernel are making" she explained.

Merry smiled.

"I'm sure that I have some in the cellar" he said, walking out and closing the door quickly behind him.

The three hobbits walked down the hall way to the kitchen. Pippin suddenly saw that he had left the book open on the table. but, before they could say anything, he closed it and held it in his hand.

Merry opened the cellar door and walked in, leaving Pearl and her brother waiting in the kitchen.

"What book are you reading then?" Pearl asked, noticing he was holding one.

Pippin looked down. It was a question that he did not want to answer.

"Oh, well, nothing. I've finished it now anyway" he said as Merry came out.

Merry was now holding what looked like a vase.

"Here you go" he said, holding it out.

"Thank you" Pearl said, taking the heavy jar.

Pippin smiled.

"Well, I better get going, Pimpernel is not in a good mood" she told them.

So, Pearl departed, closing the front door as she went. Pippin looked down at the book.

"I think lunch is ready" said Merry, taking a small towel to protect his hand as he opened the hot oven.

A blast of heat hit him as he looked. The chicken seemed to have browned nicely in the heat. Merry left the oven door open as he went to get another towel to wrap around his hand.

The chicken was then slid out and, with a small bit of difficulty, lifted and placed on the work top. Pippin had now gone out of the room.

He walked down to the room he was staying in. the door was opened to a darker room then the others. Only a few of the candles were alit. The fire was burning in small, red embers now. but still, a small bit of silver smoke snakes up into the brick chimney.

Pippin placed the book on the bed and walked out again, leaving the door ajar this time. The sound of metal on metal echoed down from the kitchen. Merry had not finished lunch yet. Vegetables and gravy needed to be prepared.

Pip smiled as he came in.

"I am very hungry" he said, eyeing the chicken.

"Me too. I've been sitting down in there for a while now" Merry said as he placed a pan on the hot hobs.

But Merry and Pippin were not the only ones eating.

Nearly every hobbit had prepared a large lunch. But there were some who were used to making more food, but couldn't.

Diamond took a deep breath as she sat at the table in the kitchen by herself. Normally, a small puppy would be eating in the same room. Origo was his name, but he had not been seen since the day before. this was because he was on a journey that could cost him and one other creature's life.

Origo was miles away from Hobbiton and the safety of his home. But he did not know it. He was blindly following the orders of a small fairy.

This small fairy was the reason he was there. Ivy was her name and she was fluttering near him.

"No puppy" she said, fluttering after him.

Origo scurried off into the woods. Ivy fluttered quickly after him. He had done this many times before.

"Puppy, come on stay on the path" she said, fluttering before him.

"But, I want to go over this way" he whined and looked to the forest.

Everything was more interesting then before. Ivy seemed to repeat herself every five minutes. But she could not complain. After all, it was her fault.

A small distance away, a creature was tracking the two wonders. This creature was old and wise. But also small and fluffy. It was another puppy. Unlike Origo, this was a girl. And, unlike Origo, she knew what direction they were going.

Abira had been following them for a few hours. But neither Origo or Ivy knew that they were being followed. Abira hid behind a tree as she came close to the two of them.

The small puppy peered around the side of the tree, fearing that Origo might see her again. Abira's choice was to stay back and follow them from a distance. She did not want to reveal that she had indeed intended to follow.

The sun was now lowering in the western half of the sky. Clouds seemed to gather as the wind picked up. Origo and Ivy had been travelling for many hours now. but they were still not at the Great East Road.

Ori gave a small yawn, looking very tired now. his paws were wet and his fur was not keeping in the heat as well as it should.

"I need a rest" he whimpered, hanging his head.

Ivy, on the other hand, needed no rest.

"Just a little further pup" she said, fluttering near him.

Her fragile wings had been working nearly all day. the wind had been a constant struggle for her, but she showed little sign of its power.

Abira ran from tree to tree, never keeping them out of her sight for more then a few seconds. It was then that Ivy stopped and fluttered in midair for a few seconds. Abira watched, very curious to know what they were talking about.

After what seemed a minute, Origo and Ivy went off of the small path. Abira watched them as they walked into the forest. The two of them were blocked out by every passing tree.

A few times, they stopped, obviously looking for something. But it wasn't long until they found what they were looking for. They were now out of view from Abira. She waited where she could see for a few minutes.

"Where are they?" she asked, looking around.

Abira did not know that the two of them had actually found a place to stay for a while. Origo seemed more trusting of Ivy. The green fairy fluttered into the empty chamber. Like before, Ivy had to check weather it was safe or not.

The fox den was smaller and full of roots from the tree just a few meters away. But the chamber was much warmer. The light from the fairy seemed to cover nearly every inch of the chamber.

The wind did not seem to penetrate this den like the other. In fact, both Ivy and Origo were happier here then in the other den.

Neither of them knew that another small pup was near by. But Abira was too scared to enter the den and make her presents known.

Abira yawned as she laid down on a dry patch of ground. She rested her head on her fluffy paws. All she could do now was wait until they re-emerge from the ground.

Tiredness had gotten the better of Origo as Ivy sat near by. She looked as the puppy's eyes slowly shut. She gave a small smile. but she couldn't help thinking of Abira. A few times, she wished that she had run after her. But Origo was more needy.

"And she's probably back at home already"

Hours past as Origo slept. Abira too managed to have some sleep. But not much. The sun was creeping down to the west. The sun did not travel high in the sky this time of year. The shortest day of the year had been a few weeks back.

This was a sign that winter had fully set on the people and creatures of the land. coldness was clinging to the ground. The wind was stronger and colder then ever before.

Pimpernel and her sister were sitting at a table.

"Well, I better see how the cake is getting on" Pearl said.

Pearl was the one that had to place the cake in the oven. Pimpernel was still not confident around fire. And she had a good reason.

Pearl got up from her seat and walked over to oven. She had been sitting facing the fire. Pimpernel was facing away. Even the slightest crackle would make her scared. But she did not show many signs of it coming though.

Pearl opened up the oven. Pimpernel did not even look back. Inside, a hot baking trey. A cake had been cooking for about an hour now and Pearl took it out.

The surface of the cake was now a lovely colour. Pearl smiled as she placed it on the side.

"It's looking fantastic" Pearl said, smiling broadly.

Pearl then remembered what she had seen a few hours before.

"Pimpernel" she said, trying to find the right words.

"When I went to get the cream, I noticed that Pippin was reading a book" she said.

Pimpernel did not seem to find this as strange as her sister did.

"So, he might just be reading" she said, taking a deep breath.

Pearl got out a large cutting knife.

"Pimpernel, we both know Pippin well, he hardly reads the books that he gets for Yule and his birthday!"

Pimpernel swayed in opinion. But did not change her mind.

"I still think he only wants to read" she said.

Pearl got out two plates out and placed them on the work top near by. The cake was cut into. Eight pieces altogether. Two of those eight were placed on the plates.

Pearl turned and smiled as placed the two plates down. The slices were bigger then normal. the cake was still very warm as two spoons were placed out as well.

Pimpernel smiled as she took her spoon.

"This looks great" she said, scooping a bit of the cake onto the spoon.

Pearl did the same and they both ate. The cake was at the right temperature and taste for the two girls as they ate. Pearl seemed to eat hers quicker then her sibling.

It took them a few minutes to eat. Pimpernel was still hungry as she eyed another piece. But she had to wait. Pearl finished a few minutes later. Her plate was cleaned of cake.

"I could have another piece of that" she said, a sitting back.

A smug smile came over her as she felt full. But that did not mean that the food would be wasted. In fact, a piece of cake was placed on each plate.

The two girls yet again started to eat. Pimpernel's mind, although she was full up and happier then normal, could not help thinking of her small puppy. Abira's whereabouts were still unknown.

Hours continued to pass as lunch did. Origo was sleeping gently in a dirty and abandoned fox den. A small fairy sat by him. the sun outside was slowly sinking to the western horizon.

But Origo's day had stopped. His small chest was rising and falling quite quickly as he slept. Ivy smiled as she watched him. his little eyes were closed. A few times, he gave a small whimper, but did not wake up.

Outside, Abira was shivering. Her fur was wet and the temperature did not make matters any better. She was whimpering. She was very tired indeed.

The level of light was now lowering, making long shadows of the trees. For some creatures, the night would be the worst time of year. Birds flew in all directions. Some fluttered and landed on branches near by.

Others had their own nests to get to. And some summer birds were not seen at all. Their songs unheard until the warmth of summer.

Lunch past away as the time wore on. Three o'clock was turned slowly into four as the sun continued to sink. There seemed only to be an hour of sun light left.

Abira continued to lay there, she couldn't move now. The coldness was effecting her the most. Her fur, although warm and fluffy, did not seem to help her much.

Four chimes turned into five as a few hobbits were preparing for a very special occasion.

"Fredegar, please will you come?" asked a hobbit standing there.

She was a little bit older then Fredegar was. For this was Estella Bolger. Estella was wearing a nice dress. Her hair was still curly, but it seemed to have been brushed.

But there was no answer from the large hobbit, laying on the bed. Estella stood there, hoping to get an answer.

"Fredegar?" she asked.

Her younger brother took a deep breath, but still did move or say a word. Sounds echoed out from the hall way as the door slowly opened.

"Estella?" a voice asked.

Estella looked around. her mother was standing there. The girl looked around.

"Coming" she said.

Estella took one last look at her brother and then left the room. the door was closed behind her.

"He's not coming" she said sadly.

Rosamunda placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"He'll be fine" she said.

Estella gave a small smile.

"They'll be waiting, come on" Rosamunda said.

Nervous were getting to Estella now. She knew that this would be the final send off for her father. The two of them got their coats on and buttoned up.

The large front door was opened. A cold blast of air rushed in as the two of them walked out. Fredegar, who had been laying on his bed, had not gotten up.

He opened the door to hear the other door click shut. The house was usually quiet. A strange feeling of being watched from every angle. The large bedroom door was quickly shut. The feeling of being watched instantly went away.

The clock on the wall chimed six times as Pippin sat there, at the kitchen table. he was still writing in his book. Page after page had been filled with his hand writing.

"There" he said, lifting the quill off of the paper.

Pippin smiled as he placed the quill down on the table. Pip flicked though to the first pages. He had left them blank.

"Now" he said to himself, looking at the blank pages before him.

"What should I call it?" he asked himself.

Just then, sounds came from the corridor. Pippin looked over at the door and knew exactly who it was. The book was then closed and Pippin stood up.

Merry came in. he had a smile on his face.

"What would you like for dinner?" he asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Just the normal roast chicken and roast potatoes" he answered.

Merry smiled and nodded. His eyes darted to the book that Pippin was holding.

"Are you writing a book as well?" Merry asked, looking from Pippin to the book.

Pippin looked down at the book he was holding.

"It's just a little thing I'm working on" he told Merry.

"Could I read it?" he asked.

"No" Pippin said rather sharply.

Merry was confused.

"Why not?" he asked, wondering why his friend was being so protective over it.

"Because its not for you" Pippin said.

There was an awkward silence between them. The matter of the book had instantly gone sour.

"I best be getting on with dinner then" Merry said after what seemed like a minute or two.

Pippin took a deep draw of air and, without saying another word, walked out of the room.

Rosamunda and Estella were now standing outside in the freezing cold. Both were shivering. A wooden coffin lay at the side of a small hole. Both girls were in thought as four other hobbits stood by.

"Are you ready?" asked one of them.

Rosamunda broke her eye contact with the coffin. She nodded and took a deep breath. A tear ran down Estella's face.

"He should be here" Estella said.

Rosamunda looked at her daughter.

"Of all the times that we needed him here, he's not"

"He'll come though it" Rosamunda said.

Estella's gaze was broken as she looked at her mother. The two of them stood there and looked at each other for a few seconds.

"He'll be himself, just give it time" she said.

The wind blew around them as the four hobbits lifted the coffin and slowly lowered the coffin into the whole. The sunlight was now going down as flaming torches were lit around them.

The four hobbits placed the coffin in the bottom. The two long pieces of rope were taken from underneath the coffin.

There were four spades standing in the wet dirt. The four hobbits stood there.

"It's time" Rosamunda said.

Estella took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. So, the two of them, lit by the flickering candles, walked forward.

The two of them walked to the edge of the whole. The outline of the coffin could hardly be picked up by them now. the clouds above were taking on many different colours.

Birds had fallen increasingly quiet as the sun set. Rosamunda squatted down and grabbed a handful of sticky dirt. She looked down. Thoughts were running around her head. But they mostly consisted of the future.

There seemed to be a strange silence as Estella watched her mother stand up again. Estella took a deep breath. She copied her mother as she squatted down. Estella dug her hands deep into the soil.

She looked down at the coffin before standing up again. Her eyes were fixed on the dark abyss that lay before her. The sky above was turning from a pale blue in the west, to a dark, inky blue in the east.

The first few points of light in the sky started to appear. The stars twinkled as more and more revealed themselves from behind the cover of sunlight.

Rosamunda suddenly held out her hand and dropped the soil into the hole. The dirt hit the top of the coffin. Rosamunda stood there for a few seconds before lowering her hand.

Estella knew now what to do. She raised her hand and did the exact same as her mother had just done. There was a few seconds of silence between them.

The four hobbits that were standing on the other side seemed to spring into life. They picked up their spades. Estella watched as the four hobbits started to fill in the hole. Estella sniffed a few times due to the coldness of the air around her.

"Come on" Rosamunda said, placing a hand on her daughters shoulder.

"Lets go home"

Estella looked around and gave a small smile. The two of them then turned and walked away. Estella felt different somehow. She felt like her father knew how much she cared for him.

A smile came over her as the two of them walked back home. The large front door came into view. There seemed to be a flickering candle in one of the rooms. It was Fredegar's room.

The large door was then opened. Both girls made their way in without a word. The door was then shut again. Estella unbuttoned her coat. Her thoughts were still back to her father as she hung it up on the hook. Her mother did the same.

"I think an early night is best" Rosamunda said as she walked behind.

Estella did not seem to realise how tired she actually was until her mother said that. A yawn came over her as she made her way to the kitchen.

"But food will come first" she told herself.

Estella got out a loaf of bread. It would seem someone had helped themselves to a few slices already. But that did not matter. Estella got out a bread knife and closed the draw again.

The darkness and coldness were now locked in a dark and invisible battle over the land. the coldness tried harder then ever to claim victims for its own.

The coldness was nearly conquering the life of one small creature caught in the depth of night. Abira was still fighting off the cold. But she was not laying down in the snow any more. Her patients had paid off as she saw a green glow come from behind the tree.

For a moment, she did not realise what was going on. The coldness had slowed down both of the puppies. Abira made sure that she could see the green light of the fairy at all times.

A few times, Abira seemed to get too close to them for comfort. So, she stopped, hiding behind a near by tree to make sure that she was out of view.

Darkness had now swallowed up the landscape around them. Dark pillars of trees scattered the landscape. Light from any being was rare. Yet, there were one or two dots moving across the lands. They were attached to carts that had travelled mile after mile in the stinging coldness of winter.

But the stinging coldness had been replaced with warmth in the Gamgee household. Elanor was laying on her bed. Tiredness was now getting to her after her large dinner a few hours before.

Just then, a knock came at her door.

"Come in" she said, looking over at it.

The door then opened. It was her mother. For some reason, Elanor knew exactly what it was about.

"Elanor, did you give me your sheets this morning?" Rosie asked.

Elanor put on a confused expression.

"Of course I did, mummy" she answered.

Rosie now had the confused expression on her face as well.

"Oh, that's funny. I couldn't find it after I washed them" Rosie told her daughter.

Elanor gave a quick glance to the closet. Rosie seemed to become very interested in this quick glance. The truth that her daughter had just told her did not quiet seem truthful.

"Elanor, are you hiding something?" Rosie asked.

Elanor was now very worried. Her mother was on the verge of finding out what had happened. Elanor took a deep breath and looked away.

"Elanor, where is the sheet?" Rosie demanded.

Her daughter did not seem to want to talk anymore.

"Elanor, do you want to be grounded?" Rosie asked.

"No, please don't!" Elanor said, sitting up and getting off of the bed.

"Then get the sheet for me" Rosie told her.

Elanor looked over at closet again and took a deep breath. She then walked over to it and opened the door. Rosie waited where she was. The door to the closet opened. It took Elanor just a few seconds to grab the ripped sheet and come out again. she was holding a white sheet.

"Sorry" she said, standing in front of her mother.

Rosie took it and opened it up. A large rip could be seen going almost to the middle.

"How did this happen?" she asked.

Elanor knew what she was about to say would be believable.

"It was Merry's fault really, he was tugging on the other end and then it ripped" Elanor said.

Her voice had a hint of sorrow in it.

"Merry's fault?" asked Rosie.

She shook her head.

"I have not raised my children to lie" Rosie said.

"But its…"

Elanor was interrupted.

"No buts, your grounded starting tomorrow" Rosie said.

"But…!"

"No argument Elanor, I want you to get ready for bed now" her mother told her.

Without another word, Rosie turned, walked out of the room and shut the door. Elanor found it really unfair that she had been grounded.

"Just because I'm the oldest" she said, getting on the bed and laying on it.

Elanor laid there and mumbled to herself. She could hear her mother and father talking down in the kitchen.

"Talking about me" she said angrily under her breath.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. This time, it was her father.

"Elanor, get ready for bed now" he said.

Elanor took a deep breath and quickly got up from the bed. Sam left the door wide open. Elanor walked out and straight to the bathroom. The door was closed behind her.

A bowl of water was poured. Elanor rubbed the soap on her hands and face. She took the flannel and dunked it in the warm water. the flannel was then rinsed and wiped over her face.

After another minute or two, the plug was pulled and the water drained away. Elanor then dried her face on the warm towel.

The door was then opened again and she walked out. Her mother and father were in the kitchen. Sam was still washing dishes up that they had had for dinner and pudding.

A large bowl of water had been poured. Sam took out a plate. Drips fell back into the dirty water.

"Could I have drink of water please?" Elanor asked.

Rosie took a deep breath and walked towards the cupboards. She opened it and got out a glass cup out. she then walked over to the tap.

Sam moved out of the way so that Rosie could use the tap. The water was turned on and the glass was filled.

"There you go" Rosie said.

Elanor gave a small smile.

"Thank you" she said.

The young girl took a sip and smiled.

"Go to bed now, Elanor" said Sam, drying his hands.

The bowl of water was slowly draining.

"But, its still early" Elanor pointed out.

She looked over at the clock, then back at her mother and father.

"Go to bed now, Elanor" repeated Sam.

Elanor took a deep breath and turned around. She then walked out of the room and down the corridor. Elanor yawned as she walked over to her bed side table and placed the glass there. She gave a small smile and turned around.

"Bed time I think now, horsey" she said.

The door was closed with a gentle click. Elanor yawned yet again as she walked to her bed. The large duvet was lifted up and she slid inside.

The duvet was then drawn over the young girl as she rested her head on the large pillow. The door then opened and her father walked in. He was holding a small metal cone on what looked like a brass stick. Sam smiled and placed the cone on the first candle.

The flame was then killed. A gentle wisp of silver smoke snaked upwards and dissolved into the air. Sam did this a few more times. Only two candles, by the door, were left flickering.

Sam smiled at his oldest daughter.

"Have a good sleep now" he said and kissed her on the forehead.

"Tell mummy I'm sorry" she said.

Sam gave a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry about it, your mother is just tired" he said.

There was a moment of silence.

"See you in the morning" Sam said and turned.

"Good night, daddy" Elanor called after.

Sam looked back and gave a small smile before shutting the door. Elanor smiled and looked towards the ceiling. She hoped that her mother would change her mind in the morning. But that was being hopeful.

Elanor fell quickly to sleep as she laid there. Her eyes slowly closed. The land of dreams projected on her eye lids as the hours past.


	55. Day Twenty Six, Part One

The morning rose crisp and clear. The clouds seemed thin and high as the sun rose. Birds were singing as the sun rose in the east.

Chimneys bellowed out thick black smoke that could be seen for miles away. Hobbiton was nestled snugly on a hill side. Patches of white snow were dotted around the country side. Remnants of the harsh weather at this time of year.

Rivers and lakes deepened and their current strengthened as the water that made up the snow melted. The lake that Hobbiton encompassed rose by a few inches. On the banks of the river, small fragile sheets of ice clung to long pieces of grass.

Yet life did not seem to stop in the depth of the river. A few fish continued to swim around, oblivious to the temperature of the water around them.

Schools of small fish swam together around the pond. A few times, one would break that glassy effect on the surface of the lake. The ripples spread out across the surface of the lake.

Hobbits in every house hold were rising from their sleep. One hobbit had already been up since first like an hour or two ago. She yawned as she sat in a chair. But she was not the only one there. a young child was held in her arms. His name was Pippin, after a friend.

"Open up dear" said his mother as she scooped up some mush from the bowl.

But Pippin did not want any of the food. He cried as he laid there. Samwise walked in and smiled.

"How's my little lad?" he asked, looking down at him.

"I don't think he's hungry" Rosie answered, placing the spoon back into the bowl.

Samwise smiled.

"Why don't you come here, lad" he said, taking him from Rosie.

Rosie smiled as she sat there. Tiredness was still clinging to her as she sat there. She took a deep breath and got up, picking up the bowl and placed it on the worktop near the sink.

"I better get Elanor up" she thought as she walked out of the room.

The house seemed to be at its cleanest since last week. Rosie smiled as she knocked on a large wooden door. On the other side, her daughter was sleeping. The door was slowly opened. Light poured in as Rosie saw her sleeping daughter.

She walked in.

"Elanor?" she asked, shaking her daughter.

Elanor slowly woke up. The light from the corridor was a bit bright for her.

"Elanor? Get up now" her mother told her.

The small girl grumbled and turned over. Rosie smiled and walked out again. But Elanor still did not rise. She eyes were still closed as she slipped slowly back into sleep.

Noises echoed down the hall way. It grew louder and louder as more work up. Frodo had awoken, but continued laying in his bed. Frodo smiled as he smelt his breakfast from his room.

This made him feel wide awake now as he sat up in the bed. He took off his duvet and got out of bed. Frodo was wearing a white top and white shorts as his pyjamas.

His door was opened, the smell of his breakfast became stronger as he slowly walked down the corridor to the kitchen. The tiles were colder then the air around him.

A minute later, he entered the kitchen, yawning as he went.

"Morning, dear" said Rosie.

A few pans had been placed on the hot stove. A cracking sound came, then a quick fizzle. Rosie placed the egg shells on the work top. The rate of sizzling slowly started to quieten. Frodo sat upon his seat and yawned as he reached for some toast.

Rosie looked towards the door. Elanor had yet to make her presents known. Rosie took a deep breath, but carried on preparing breakfast.

Elanor had, in fact, started to have a dream again. Yet her sleep was not as deep as before she was woken. After what seemed only minutes, Elanor was woken for the second time.

"Breakfast is nearly ready" said her mothers voice.

Rosie stood there for what seemed a minute before her daughter opened her eyes. There was a tense moment between the two of them. Rosie smiled and walked out again.

Rosie's words then suddenly came back into the mind of the young child.

"Your grounded starting tomorrow"

Elanor took a deep breath. She slowly removed the duvet. The warmth was instantly lost as she sat up. The day was still brightening.

The young girl, although still sitting on her bed, was now very bored. The prospect of going on was not on the list today. The house now felt like an impenetrable cage.

Elanor yawned as she stood on the freezing tiles. Noises echoed down the hall way. Elanor did not like having such a big family around. A few times, she felt very left out as she watched her mother being busy with her younger brothers and sisters.

"And it's always me that gets the blame" she said to herself as she walked down the corridor.

The smell of eggs and bacon wafted down the corridor. hunger struck the young girl. She smiled as she turned into the room. Rosie was placing strips of crispy bacon on a white plate. But not all strips were cooked. Many more were to be placed in the pan.

Sam seemed to be in a world of his own. His gaze seemed to stretch for a hundred miles as he picked up a piece of buttered toast with one hand.

He took a deep breath and looked down at his youngest son. For a moment, Sam's day dream seemed so real. But then, it was not. Sam seemed to quieten as his mind was transported to just a few years past. Frodo Baggins was laying next to him. Ash covered both of their faces. The air around was thick and sulphurous.

Darkness surrounded the two stranded hobbits. Thoughts of home crossed Sam's mind now and again. The beauty of the Shire and the cool breeze of a summer's morning.

"Sam?" said a voice, snapping him from his daydream.

Sam looked up to see his wife standing there. for a moment, Sam was lost. His eyes panned down to Rosie's hands. Held in her grip was a plate and, on the plate, was a warm bacon sandwich.

"Oh, sorry love, I was miles away" he answered.

He took the plate and placed it on the table mat before him. A mug of cooling tea was cooling on the middle table mat.

Sam smiled as he looked at the crispy bacon that was nestled in between the soft bread. Samwise, with one hand, the other holding his son, picked up the sandwich.

Sam's life could get no better then what it was at this moment. But the same could not be said for other hobbits.

The day seemed to be strange for Estella Brandybuck as she made her way to the kitchen.

Rosamunda had already made herself busy with breakfast. Like the Gamgee's household, the smell bacon radiated from the kitchen. The chimney bellowed out black smoke into the clear, crisp sky. A gentle breeze carried the column away to the east. Birds were tweeting as they flew around another clear day.

A small creature was sleeping in the coldness all night. The small puppy shivered as she lay near to a large tree. Drips of freezing water were falling to the soft ground below. A few of those cold drips landed on the fur of the small pup.

Abira whined as a drip landed on her fluffy head. For the umpteenth time, she had been woken from her well needed sleep.

The noises grew louder as she was pulled from her sleep. For a moment, she was back in Pimpernel's bed. But, as her eyes opened, strange surroundings met her eyes. The puppy slowly lifted her head, wondering where she was.

"Origo" she thought.

She started to think of all the things that they had been though. Normally, it had Origo that helped her though things. But when the time came, she could not help. All she could do was to try and find Ivy and Origo again.

"I know where they are headed, but its just how long they have been travailing for"

Abira stood up and stretched. Tiredness still hung on her, but her focus was now in finding Ivy and Origo again.

But Origo and his small fairy were miles away. The great east road was fast approaching. But this was not the first time that Origo had been the road. In fact, it had only been a week or two since coming back from Rivendell.

Ivy, on the other hand, had been all around Middle-Earth many times before. to the fiery Mountain of Doom in Mordor, to the calmness and tranquillity of Hobbiton.

As she fluttered her way against the strengthening wind. hunger was getting to Origo as his pace had slowed. He whimpered as he hung his head.

"Puppy? What's the matter?" Ivy asked, fluttering in front of him.

"Hungry" he whimpered.

Ivy took a deep breath and landed on the floor.

"Would you like some turkey?" she asked, forgetting that Origo could not remember a thing.

The puppy tilted his head. Ivy then took a deep sigh.

"You don't know what turkey is, do you?" she asked.

Origo slowly shook his head.

"Is it nice?" he asked.

It was hard for Ivy to be asked this question. She knew that it was her fault. But she had to be there for the pup.

"Yes puppy, it is very good" she answered.

Origo's little tail started to wag gently.

"Could I have some?" he asked.

Ivy gave a small smile. It would be the first time that Origo would be fed by her. And it wouldn't be the last.

"Sure you can" Ivy said.

Ivy smiled as she moved back a bit. Origo blinked twice. On the second blink reviled a large plate and a pile of turkey. Origo looked at the plate to the fairy.

Ivy was smiling.

"It's a bit hot, so be careful" Ivy told him.

A new smell hit Origo's small wet nose. He whined and moved away, not liking it.

"But puppy, its your favourite" Ivy told him.

But Origo shook his head.

"I don't like it" he whined.

Ivy took a deep breath and the plate vanished into midair. Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that Origo could not carry on with the journey until he had had some food.

"What would you like then?" she asked, knowing that Origo had no idea what food even was.

Origo gave the fairy a blank look. Ivy then thought of new food for Origo.

"What about this?" she asked.

A plate of hot sausages appeared from nowhere. Origo's attention was now on the plate. He seemed to think nothing of appearing and disappearing plates.

Once again, the puppy shook his head. The plate vanished and reappeared again with entirely new food. Beef was next. For a moment, Origo seemed to like it. But, taking a small lick, decided that he didn't.

"Your very difficult pup" she said as another plate appeared.

Smoked salmon lay steaming on the white plate. Origo did not even look at what lay before him. His energy levels were now so low that he could be seen shivering. Ivy could see that Origo was deteriorating quite quickly. He would not last another day and night in the coldness of winter. She took a deep breath.

"There is" she started, thinking.

"One more thing I could do" she said.

Origo whined, wondering what else the fairy could do.

"Well, I could make you warmer" she told him.

Origo tilted his head, wondering what she meant.

"Warmer?" he asked.

Rosamunda stood up from her seat. She carried an empty plate over to the sink and placed it nearby. Estella sat down at the other side of the table. She too had an empty plate. A bacon sandwich had once been sitting on the plate. But now, it was all gone. Eaten by Estella.

"I'll just go and give this to Fredegar" Rosamunda said as she picked up the plate.

Her words lingered in the silent air. The plate was then picked up, a sandwich, which had been cut into two, was laying on the white surface. Scratch marks from breakfasts, lunches and dinners past were the only evidence that the plate had even been used.

The candles glimmered on the plate as Rosamunda made her way down to the corridor to her son's room. she arrived at the closed door and knocked three times.

Fredegar took a deep breath. Company was not what he needed right now. the door clicked out, echoing though the silent room.

"Fredegar?" a voice asked.

There was no reaction from her son. Thoughts circled though the head of Fredegar. His father was mainly clinging onto the forefront of his mind.

Fredegar was not willing to talk to anyone else. All he wanted to talk to was his father. But his father had gone. Regret clung onto the hobbit's heart. Hunger echoed up from his stomach.

"Fredegar?" asked her mother again.

"I've brought you some food" she told him.

But still, no evidence that Fredegar could hear her. this was breaking Rosamunda's heart. The clicking clock and the crackling fire were the only sounds for what seemed like hours as she stood there.

"Maybe he isn't ready yet" she thought.

She plated the plate on the bedside table and, without another word, left the room.

A river run right beneath the small puppy as she stood on the fragile log. She placed her second paw out. the log jolted a bit.

Another puppy was watching her from the opposite bank. Abira looked either side of the large log. There was only a few inches of error either side. Any more either way and she would fall in.

Another puppy was standing on the bank that she was heading to. This puppy was worried, very worried indeed. The other puppy took another step.

"That's it, slowly" he whined as a strong breeze ruffled him.

The girl puppy took yet another step. She was now two feet from the edge. A crack had gone right the way though the fallen tree. Unknown to either of the pups, the tree would give way.

But when? Neither of them knew.

The girl continued making her way across. A loud noise came from under her paws. She stopped suddenly and looked down. The next second, the part of the tree that she was on collapsed under her weight.

Everything seemed to happened in slow motion. The log hitting the water created a wave that grew and grew. Droplets of water flew in near enough every direction. The pup hit the water as well. The current seemed to drag her under.

"No!" the first puppy barked as he watched his friend get dragged away in the cold water.

The girl was struggling to keep her head above the water. Without thinking, the boy pup ran along the side of the raging torrent.

A few times, the pup almost hit a tree, but dodged just in time. His focus was now on his one and only friend. She was being dragging quicker then he could run. But he did not give up.

The river seemed to run like this for hour upon hour. But there was a shallow bend in the river just a few hundred meters down. But every second was critical for the small puppy.

The pup came to a slow and painful looking stop on hard rocks. The puppy lay in the calmness of the bend. Splashing came from the other side of the river as the other puppy rushed over to his friend.

"Mya?" he asked, making the cold water splash onto him.

But there was no sign of life that he could see. The puppy looked around. He was worried. Very worried. The water continued to flow around her wet fur.

"Mya, please get up" the puppy whimpered.

He nudged her with his head. But still, nothing happened. Origo was now on his own and his best friend needed help. So, he dragged her up onto the shallow bank, away from the water.

Yet this did not help much. Twigs and leaves lay on the ground around them. The opposite side of the bank was a small cliff. But it was too big for the small pup.

"There's no way I'm getting over that" he thought.

He knew that Tom Bombadil was just minutes away. But the puppy could not leave his friend laying there.

"Maybe I should go and find him" he thought.

But then, a stronger thought came into his head. An idea. Something that the pup had not done in a while. His shadow lengthened as he grew. His paws lengthened and grew into fingers.

It only took a few seconds to change into his other form. The puppy now stood as a young boy. he had black, shoulder length hair that looked usually clean, despite not being washed for many years.

His eyes were dark brown and intelligent, just like the small puppies he had just transformed from. The boy felt the warmth of sun on his skin. There seemed to be no imperfection about him. His feet were bare as his attention came to the small puppy, now at his feet.

"Mya?" he asked.

His voice was as fair as the wind. He kneeled on one knee and picked her up. Her small chest was rising and falling slowly.

The boy looked up and took a deep breath.

"Old Tom will help" he told himself.

Without another moment lost, the boy, carrying the small pup, ran off. His hair blowing in the wind as he crossed the river. The water splashed on his bare feet as he reached the other side of the river.

The broken tree was now resting on the bed of the river. Silt seemed to have erupted from the bed of the river when the tree fell on it. There was now a dirty line following the current of the water.

The sound of the trickling water lowered as the boy got further away. A few times, he looked down at the small pup in his hands.

Time was running out.

Elanor was now laying on her bed. She was staring up at the ceiling. Time seemed to stand still as noises echoed from the other side of the closed door.

The young girl had been grounded for the day. Elanor took a deep breath as she looked towards the door. The young girl suddenly stood up onto the cold tiled floor and walked towards it.

The door swung open and Elanor walked out. she stopped and looked either way down the corridor. One way led to the rooms that lay in the hill and the other the rooms that lead towards the door, such as the kitchen.

Elanor made up her mind and went towards the kitchen. She rounded the corner and saw her mother preparing lunch.

"I want to talk" Elanor said.

Rosie looked at her daughter.

"And I have told you that your grounded, go back to your room" she ordered.

Elanor took a deep breath, trying to keep calm.

"But I didn't do it!" Elanor told her.

Rosie, was had her hands covered in honey, was not in the mood to argue.

"Elanor, please would you just leave it be for a while. I am busy getting your lunch ready, I'll talk about it later"

To this, Elanor could not respond. She stood there, looking at her mother. She seemed to be more tired then usual. Her head throbbed as the headache grew worse. Elanor wanted to argue, but she felt as though she was now annoying her mother.

Elanor took a deep breath and turned around, leaving her mother standing at the work top. Rosie stopped for a few seconds as the headache became unbearable.

Every sound seemed to be louder and harsher on Rosie's ears. The laughter of her children, although beautiful, was grinding on her nerves.

"Are you alright?" asked a familiar voice.

Samwise had come into the kitchen. Rosie looked around and gave a smile that tried to hide what she was really feeling.

"I'm fine Sam, it's just.."

She stopped mid-sentence. She did not know quiet how to tell her husband.

"Just what?" he asked.

Honey continued to drip from her fingers onto the chicken that sat on the work top.

"Nothing, I'll be… I'll be fine" she said.

Deep down, she knew it was happening again. Yet she was not one hundred per cent sure of it.

Pippin was, yet again, sitting at the table in the kitchen. And, like the days before, Merry was sitting in the study. The ink in the small glass had nearly been all used up.

Pippin continued to write as he sat. A mug of ale, now drained, sat on the table mat near by. The fire had a healthy crackle to it as it sent the black smoke into the cold outside world above.

Pippin smiled as he finished the page. He placed the quill down and flicked back though the many pages he had done.

The title pages then came into view. There, a title stood out at him.

The Memories Of Diamond And Pippin

Pip smiled as he flicked to the first page. A lot of writing had been written here. His eyes began to read.

It was the year 3001. the date, September 22nd. Music and fireworks filled the sky as both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins celebrated their join birthday. Bilbo was 111 years of ages and Frodo, 33.

There was a large white gate and stairs had been built into the side of bag end on a warm, autumn day. The party atmosphere was getting higher as candles were lit.

Hobbits from near and far arrived. There were a few strangers as well, from across the boarders.

"Come on Pippin!" said a voice in his head as he continued to read.

The events of that day were flooding back to him. Pippin was a young boy, there was a lot of movement in his home. His three older sisters were getting ready.

"How about this?" asked one of them.

This was Pippin's older sister, Pearl. She fifteen years Pippin's senior. She took a deep breath, looking at the golden coloured dress.

"Yes dear, that looks perfect" her mother said.

Eglantine had gotten ready earlier then usual. She was rushing around, trying to make sure everyone was ready. Boredom had got the better of Peregrin as he got up from the bed.

All of the Took siblings had their own room. He opened the door and walked out. Voices echoed down the hall way.

Pippin came to Pervinca's room. he stood there, listening to what was being said.

"No, no, that's good" said a voice.

A moment later, Pimpernel came out of the room. she slowly closed the door and smiled as she saw her brother.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked.

Pippin shook his head.

"I need someone to tell me what to wear" Pippin told her.

She gave a warm smile.

"Come on, I think mother is a bit busy at the moment" Pimpernel told him.

The older and wiser Pippin gave a small smile. He suddenly realised that he had not taken his family for granted.

"Maybe is should try and make it up to them"

But that was easier said the done. Pippin took a deep breath as he closed the book. His own words had humbled him. a wake up call stronger then any other he had ever had before.

Pip slowly lifted his mug of ale up. The hobbit looked deep inside the mug. Inside, reflecting back at him, was an image of his self.

"I have to be there for them" he told himself.

"I can't let them down"

Pippin downed his ale and placed the mug back on the table. the book was opened again to the last page that had words.

The hobbit scanned over the last few words. He nodded to himself and picked up the quill again.

The party was now in full swing. Ale was being poured, gallon after gallon. Food was being eaten, mouthful upon mouthful.

The line to get in seemed to go on for ever. Minute after minute seemed to be wasted. And then, after what seemed like an hour to me, we were and the front of the line.

Bilbo was there to meet us.

"Eglantine!" he said warmly.

Pippin was holding his mother's hand. He had seen Bilbo many times before. Pippin was friends with Frodo.

"It's a pleasure you came" he said.

His attention then changed to the whole family.

"And look at this!" he said.

Pippin noticed that Bilbo's voice was a bit slurred as he greeted them.

"Peregrin Took, look at you" he said.

Pippin smiled.

"Hello" he answered.

Bilbo turned to a small table that had been set out next to the gate. Bilbo picked out five of the presents. He smiled as he turned around.

"These are for you, one each" he said, winking at Pippin.

All of the Took family took theirs and headed in. There was a lot of activity as more and more hobbits sat around tables.

Some of the hobbits were drinking, they had been from midday onwards. Laughter could be hear from near enough every direction. Piles of food could be seen in one tent and in the other, barrels of ale.

"Don't get into trouble" Eglantine told her only son.

Pippin looked up at his mother and gave a small smile.

"I wont" he lied.

Eglantine released her hand from her son's. Pippin was now free to do what he wanted. Unless his mother found out.

"Pippin!" a voice said behind him.

It was, of course, Merry Brandybuck. Pippin smiled.

"Hello" he answered.

"I see you've got one of Bilbo's presents as well" Merry said, looking at the box in Pippin's hands.

Pippin nodded.

"I haven't opened it yet" he said.

The next second, Pippin lifted the lid. Inside, a large bag. Pippin picked out the bag. A funny sound came from inside the bag. Pippin opened it up and tipped some into his hands.

The small balls glinted in the many candles that had been lit.

"Marbles" he said, looking at the colours.

Some had blue veins running from side to the other, others had yellow, red, green and white.

"I got the same" Merry told him.

Pippin smiled. The music echoed around as hobbits continued to party. A figure, larger then any other, crossed into the middle of the large field. A light erupted from the end of this figures staff.

After a few seconds, a loud whooshing sound came from the ground. The sound grew as a light grew and something flew up into the air.

A few more seconds past before something exploded in the sky. Colours filled the sky, blocking out the light of twinkling stars.

A loud bang echoed around. cheers erupted from the congregated hobbits. After a second or two, they went back to what they were doing.

"Come on, lets find our table" said Eglantine.

Pippin smiled.

"I'll see you later" Merry told his friend.

Pippin nodded and followed his mother. A table had been set out.

"Ah, here we are" Paladin said, seeing the name on the piece of card.

Hunger was now getting to Pip as he placed the box on the table. The food was placed out on long tables. A stack of plates had been placed at one end of the line.

"Come Pip" said Pearl.

Pippin smiled. Hunger was now making his stomach rumble. The line for food was not as long as it was an hour or two ago. But there was still quite a long wait.

The line slowly moved on. Pippin picked up a plate for himself as he waited with his family.

"Hold out your plate dear" said his mother as she picked up a spoon.

She placed a pile of peas onto his plate. She did the same to hers as well and placed the silver spoon back in the bowl.

In the next one were honey roasted parsnips. Pippin smiled as his mother put more then the usual amount on. she looked down and gave him a wink, then moved on.

A large pile of different meats was next. Chicken, beef, turkey and ham. All had been freshly prepared that day. Pippin was getting more and more hungry as more and more food was piled on the plate.

After a minute or two, Pippin's plate was now very heavy.

"Alright, go and sit down" Eglantine said, placing the last of the food on her own plate.

Pippin smiled and walked back to his place. But it was easier said then done. A few times, Pippin had to steer away from the other hobbits. For they were now very drunk and very clumsy. But after a few obstacles, such as passed out hobbits, he got to the table.

Knives and forks had already been set out as Eglantine arrived at her place. She smiled as she placed her plate down next to her son.

"I'm only going to allow it just this once" Eglantine said, picking up a jug from the middle of the table.

Pippin smiled, knowing what was in the jog. His mother picked up her son's mug and started to pour a large amount of ale into it.

"Thank you" he said as his mother placed it before him.

But a drink was now what Pippin wanted. He picked up his knife and fork and started to eat like the rest of the party.

Food was the only thing that kept Pippin quiet long enough for his family to get some rest from his antics. Pimpernel was the last one to sit down. Her plate was as big as her younger brother's. But she did not start on her food right away.

Instead, she picked up her mug of ale as took a swig before placing it down again. She smiled as she picked up her knife and fork as well.

Laughter, music and the occasional bang above from a firework echoed around them. Ale was still being poured out in large quantities.

It was then Pippin spotted a familiar figure. Frodo Baggins walked around the party. he smiled and nodded to his friends and guests.

"Hello" said Frodo coming towards them.

Paladin stood up and smiled.

"Hello, Frodo" he said, extending his hand.

Frodo smiled and took it.

"Hello, Paladin, it is nice to see the family here" Frodo said, looking at the table.

"Thirty three years of age, ah?" Paladin asked.

Frodo gave a small nod.

"I am getting on in years now" Frodo joked.

Paladin nodded.

"Yet, there are more adventures to come" he said.

Pippin gave a small smile. he knew exactly what this meant now. for Frodo had been on an adventure, one that nearly cost him his life a number of times.

The clock continued tick past twelve in the afternoon. Lunch had been, surprisingly, forgotten as Pippin sat there. Hunger did not seem to bother him much as he continued to write.

Pippin's writing session was only broken by the door being opened. Merry wondered in. he smiled.

"I forgot about lunch" Merry said, smiling.


	56. Day Twenty Six, Part Two

Pippin smiled as well. He looked down at the book and closed it.

"I'm not really that hungry" Pip told his friend.

"Then what would you like to eat?" he asked.

After a few seconds thought, Pippin gave his answered.

"Just a bacon sandwich" he answered.

Merry smiled and nodded.

"Exactly what I was thinking and some ale to go with" he said.

The cellar door was then opened as Merry got the fresh loaf of bread from the shelves. He then picked up a packet of thinly cut bacon and walked out again.

He smiled as he walked towards the work top.

"So, how's your book going?" he asked.

Pippin looked back. It was a question that he did now want to answer.

"It's going well" he said, not wanting to go into any more detail.

"Can I read it?" Merry asked, as he walked towards the draw.

Both of the hobbits knew the answer to this.

"I'd rather you didn't" Pippin said, sliding the book closer to him.

"Pippin, that's the second time you've said I can't, why can't I?" Merry asked.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked at the cover of the book. There were many memories floating around in his head that he did not want to share with him.

"Well, its sort of"

Pippin paused for a split second.

"Personal"

Rosie Gamgee was sleeping in her bed. Her eyes were shut and the fire seemed to be now only hot embers. Illness had caught Rosie, making her head throb and her stomach churn.

She had changed into nightgown and got into bed.

But this did not mean that the activity in the house stopped as well. In fact, it had become more hectic then usual as Samwise tried to control it.

"Ah, no Rose, leave that alone!" Samwise said, seeing that his daughter opening the knife draw.

She smiled innocently and closed it again.

"Can I go out?" asked a new voice.

It was Elanor.

"Your mother said that you are not allowed today" Sam answered.

Elanor huffed and thought quickly.

"But, she said I could, didn't she tell you?" she asked.

Sam looked down at his eldest daughter. He knew that his daughter would not lie to him. yet, there was always the possibility that she would.

"Your mother said that you weren't allowed and I have to stick by it" he said.

Elanor took a deep breath. She knew that she could not argue with that. So, without another word, she stormed out of the room.

Sam took a deep breath and continued to get lunch ready. But he was not the only one. Diamond Took was getting things ready as well.

She took a deep breath as her thoughts turned to Pippin. Neither of them knew that they were thinking the exact same thing.

Diamond had a very different view of the party that she had attended all those years ago. Unlike Pippin, she had arrived much earlier then him.

She was sitting at her own table. She and her mother and father had made their way down to Hobbiton. It had taken them a few hours, by cart, to reach Hobbiton.

They had crossed rough paths and stony passes. The nearest town to where Diamond lived was Dwaling.

"Alright missy, we're taking a small break" said her mother.

Diamond opened her eyes. Little Diamond had been asleep for the past few hours. The sun was now up as they pulled into the small town.

Diamond's mother looked exactly the same as her. both had curly hair and wonderfully big, blue eyes that looked like oceans.

Diamond yawned as she sat up. The cart had been going on this path before sunrise. But now, it was time for a quick breakfast before they headed onwards.

The cart rolled up outside an inn. It was the only one in the town. Diamond's father stopped and got off of his seat. He smiled as he looked around. The morning mist was clearing in the forest that surrounded the village.

From out of the mist came more one story houses that stretched on like snakes into the thick forest.

"Good morning" he said, lifting his daughter from the cart.

Diamond felt the mud slop over her clean feet. She did not like mud one bit. Her mother got out of the cart a few seconds later.

"Come on" she said, holding out her hand.

Diamond took it and smiled. The cold morning air tickled her face as she moved her hair out of her eyes. The small family walked towards the inn.

Diamond's father opened the door and smiled. Diamond and her mother walked in, her father closed the door behind them.

The inn was small and cosy. Candles flickered on their stands that were mounted to the wall. There were ornaments hanging from the wall. Most of them were farm equipment. Long, rushing blades used for cutting wheat. Hooks and horseshoes swung from the nails that had been hammered into the wooden beams.

"Go and sit down and I'll speak to the bartender" her dad told them.

So, that's exactly what they did. Diamond sat upon one of the chairs. But she was too small for it. She could barely see over the top on the table.

Diamond's mother smiled and stood up.

"I think some pillows are needed" she said.

Diamond smiled and slid off of the chair. She looked around and spotted her father talking to the hobbit standing on the other side of the bar. After a minute or two, the bartender nodded and walked off. Diamond's father turned around and walked back towards them.

"Said he'll go and make breakfast for us" he said as he sat down.

Diamond's eyes crept around the room. a musky smell lingered everywhere, a sign that the inn was well used. The door opened again, dragging Diamond's attention to it.

Laughter came from the other side as two hobbits walked in.

"Very well" said one of them.

He was very round in the stomach. He had rosy cheeks and soft looking cheeks. He seemed to have looks that suited a baby better then him.

He and his friend, who looked older then normal walked in and sat down in what appeared to be there usual haunt. The two continued to talk. Harvesting the wheat was main conversation for this time of year.

Diamond's memories were snapped from her as a new noise met her ears.

"Faramir" she said to herself.

So, placing down the large cutting knife, she walked away from the chicken and out of the room. The house was much quieter then normal.

Neither Pippin or Origo were in the house. Only the possibility of Pippin coming back was on Diamond's mind. She opened the door to her room and smiled.

"Just in time for lunch" she said to her son as she came to the cot.

Little Faramir was crying in his cot. But for no longer. Diamond slowly and gently picked him up. She smiled as she calmed him down.

"Come on" she said, turning and walking out of the room.

The young boy continued to run as he held his friend in his arms. Trees rushed past him. Twigs and leaves were displaced as he stamped on the ground.

The boy jumped over rotting logs and fallen trees. Birds spied him as he run past. But the boy was running to a hidden destination.

But this did not stop him from running. Mya, the small puppy in his grasp. It was then that a figure started to show its self though the forest of large trees.

Every so often, the boy would see a figure, making his way towards him. Alarm bells rang in his ears as he slowed down. His heart was racing as he watched the figure coming closer towards him. Without thinking, the small, unconscious puppy was placed gently on the floor.

The boy took one more look, the figure was getting ever closer. So, without thinking, the boy changed back into his puppy form. This would make him less obvious and less vulnerable if the figure was hostile.

In fact, the figure was the person that he was looking for all along. A strange song echoed around the forest.

Old Tom Bombadil is a Merry fellow;

Bright blue his jack is, and his boots are yellow.

The puppy looked down at his friend. Her small chest was rising every so often, but there was no sign of her waking up.

He now had a choice to make. To wait until Old Tom was near or to go and get him.

Toms singing grew louder and louder. But, as he came closer, the singing stopped. The puppy listened as no more singing met his ears.

He looked around, back where he heard it come from. But there was no sign of Tom anywhere.

"He must have…"

But this thought was suddenly changed as two towering legs were standing just feet away. The pup slowly looked up from the big yellow, muddy boots.

"My, my, do my eyes deceive me? Old friends from distance lands standing right beneath me"

The puppy suddenly grew at an amazing speed. After a second or two, a boy was standing where the small puppy had been just seconds before.

"It's Mya, she needs help" said the boy.

Tom took on a strange look at the boy, then down to the dirty ground. Without talking a word, Tom pushed the boy to the side and knelt down on the mossy ground.

After a few seconds, Tom picked up the puppy and walked away without a word.

"Where are you taking her?" he asked.

But Tom did not answer him. The boy then set off behind him. Tom's walking speed was much faster then his. The boy ran after Tom as he carried Mya though the undergrowth.

Rosie Gamgee was now waking after a uncomfortable sleep. Rosie lay on the bed for a while, thinking about the future. She gave a small smile and got out of the bed. She gave a small glance over to the cot.

Sam must have been in the room. Rosie smiled, her head still throbbing just a small bit. Rosie, slowly and quietly, opened the door. She could hear her children playing still. The time was now five o'clock in the evening.

Rosie took a deep breath as she entered the empty kitchen. the smell of meals past lingered in the air. This made Rosie very hungry now. Her appetite was coming back.

Just then, a door down the corridor opened. The sound of bare feet slapping on the cold tilted floor.

"Oh, hello dear" said Sam as he entered the kitchen.

Rosie gave a tied smile.

"Are you feeling better now?" Sam asked.

Rosie nodded.

"A bit" she answered.

Rosie needed to say something very important to her Sam.

"Sam, I need to tell you something" she said, walking over to the door and closing it.

Sam did not know what was going on.

"About what?" he asked.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"This is not the first time that I haven't felt my best" she said.

This gave Sam no clue as to what Rosie meant.

"Well, people do get ill every so often, it'll pass" he said.

Rosie shook her head.

"I've felt like this five times before now" she said.

"Five times?" asked Sam, still not making the connection.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"Sam, I'm pregnant again" she told him.

There was a strange silence in the room now. the words seemed not to have sunk in yet.

"P-p-pregnant?" he asked, still not trusting his ears.

Rosie slowly nodded and looked down. Her hand rubbed her stomach. Sam's smile grew and grew.

"Do the children know yet?" he asked.

Rosie shook her head.

"No, I think we should leave it until the time is right"

Just then, the door slowly opened. It was Elanor. She smiled.

"Hello" she said, walking in.

Sam and Rosie's conversation was cut short.

"Afternoon" said Rosie.

Hunger was getting to the young girl.

"What is for dinner?" she asked.

Rosie smiled.

"What do you want?" she asked her daughter.

Elanor thought for a few seconds.

"Umm, can we have roast chicken?" she asked.

Rosie smiled.

"Of course, would you like honey on it?" she asked.

Elanor nodded and smiled. Rosie yawned as she walked towards the cellar. She opened it up and walked inside. Elanor watched her mother go in. boredom got to the young girl. She turned around and walked out of the room.

The snow outside was pouring down. The wind was whistling though the gaps in the doors. Birds had hunkered down in the trees around, trying to stay as warm as possible.

But birds were not the only creatures trying to keep warm. A small puppy was shivering as she walked ever onwards.

Abira was now very tired, very cold and very hungry. She only had hours to live and the sun was already low in the sky. Flakes continued to stick to her fur.

No one knew where she was. Not even her Pimpernel. But Abira had a job to do and a friend to save. She was following the tracks of Origo as he made his way, with Ivy, to the Great East Road.

There, the two of them would head towards Rivendell before got to Mirkwood. Origo was in a much better state then Abira. Ivy had put a spell on the pup, but a helpful spell.

A warm bubble surrounded the pup as he walked down the path. The snow seemed not to effect on the little fairy as she fluttered though the flakes. The coldness was not bothering Origo any more. But the strong wind was.

He held his head down, fighting against it. Ivy fluttered near by.

"Maybe we should get out of this wind!" she shouted.

Origo whined and looked at him. He stopped in his tracks. The snow continued coming down, covering his tracks that lead for miles.

But neither of them knew, especially Origo, if there were any fox dens around where they were. The sun and the temperature was lowering as the day wore on.

Ivy did not know where to start with looking. The area around them was unknown to her. Her wings fluttered as she turned in the air. Her hair was floating around in the wind.

Ivy was looking around. She needed to find a place to keep Origo safe from the weather. But Origo was not the one that needed to keep safe. Abira was now laying in the snow. Unknown to anyone and on the brink of dying.

Memories flashed before her eyes. Many, many years of memories flashed before her. Blackness surrounded her. Mumbling voices echoed around the eternal black abyss.

"Will she be alright?" asked one of them.

The pup found it hard to understand what he was saying. It seemed like there would be no connection between her and the other world.

"I am sure of it"

The second voice was female. Her voice was fair and soft like a cool summer breeze. Her name was Goldberry. Her hair was golden, almost yellow in the light of the candles. Her gown was brilliant green, just like the lush grass surrounding the house outside. Her eyes were of the bluest blue that made the sky look like it had a hint of smoke clinging to it.

"Leave her be, she needs to sleep"

"Sleep?" asked the small puppy, her own voice was much louder in her head then the others.

On the other side, a boy was standing over her. The small pup was laying on the table, her fur was now dry. Something then came though dark abyss before her eyes.

Light.

The small spot of light slowly started to rise as she was welcomed back into the world. Strange noises met her ears as she lay sideways on a small table. A small, warm sheet had been placed over her, keeping her warmer then usual.

"So tell Pilith, why is it you were crossing the river?" asked Goldberry as she slowly and gracefully sat down.

Pilith, as the young boy was known, took a deep breath.

"It started many years ago, when we first set foot on these lands"

He gave a small pause.

"We were the creation of Valar. There were many more of us wondering the lands ever since the first age. But now"

Pilith stopped and looked over at the sleeping puppy.

"Now, there are only two of us left"

There was a strange silence. Every word that Pilith told them was taken in by both of them.

"What happened to the rest?" asked Goldberry.

Her voice was soft and inquisitive. The woman sat with excellent posture. Pilith took a deep breath and looked down.

"Well, they did what they set out to do" Pilith answered.

"They found who they wanted to spend their lives with and died with them"

There was a strange silence as birds tweeting outside was the only sound that they could hear. The heath was cold and fireless, in this weather, there was no need for it.

"Over here" said a voice.

The snow was now akin to a blizzard as they walked though the forest. Ivy could hardly see where she was going. Her eyes, although better then the pups, were still not good enough.

Diamond found herself looking out of the window. Days had past now, Pippin had not around again. his letter lay read and reread on the kitchen table.

Thoughts were running around in her head. Some more then others. The clock on the wall chimed, breaking her gaze with the outside world.

She smiled as she thought of starting on the dinner making. Once again, she would had to make it just for herself. So, walking away from the window, Diamond walked out of the room.

The hobbit walked down the corridor to the warm kitchen. She, like after every meal, washed and put away the things had had used.

After a few minutes, she got out some cutting knives, forks and trays. She then placed a large vase of oil on the work top too. But that was not all that she needed.

She walked back into the cellar and picked out one large packet and a few smaller ones. She placed them on the work top like all of the other things.

The house was now back to its unusual quietness. But Diamond seemed to have gotten used to this as she opened the larger pack. Inside, a large uncooked chicken. For hobbits were very fond of the taste of chicken.

Hobbits would eat it for lunch and dinner, if they did not run out all of the time.

Diamond placed the chicken on the tray. The bird was featherless and uncooked.

"Almost forgot" she said as she was pouring the oil onto the bird.

The golden stream stopped as she placed the vase back on the work top. Diamond smiled as she walked back to the cellar. Just inside the door were lots of jars.

Some were half empty, some had only a small amount of what they had in left. The jar that Diamond needed had just enough for what she had in mind.

The jar of honey was then picked up. It was a dark golden colour and it was sticky. A small bit of it was sticking to the side of the glass as Diamond walked out.

But food was not on Origo's mind as Ivy took him deeper and deeper into the forest. The path that they had left was now too far away to see any more.

But there was no success in finding a fox den. Every so often, a dark figure would cross the forest near by. They were inquisitive foxes, out for a hunt. But Origo was not on their mind.

The snow came down, looking like curtains in the wind. The ground that had once been snowless was now like a soft white carpet again. Origo's prints seemed to disappear after a few seconds.

Ivy turned around as she heard a small whined coming from the pup. Origo had stopped suddenly. He was looking up at the fairy.

"I know your sleepy, pup, but we have to get you into a den!" Ivy Said as she struggled towards him.

Origo looked around.

"What about that way?" he asked.

Ivy looked where he was.

"What's that way?" she asked, landing on her feet.

A large gust of wind blew her. The small fairy started to fly again, not wanting to lose balance. Origo looked at her with a blank look. Ivy took the hint right away.

"I think we should just go back to the path" she said.

But that was when she knew she had gone too far into the forest. Ivy looked the other way, but could only see a few trees and then a carpet of snow and darkness.

"Great" she thought.

Origo was standing in the snow. His paw prints had now vanished as the snow continued to fall. Ivy and Origo were now trapped in a never ending woods.

"Ivy?" whimpered Origo.

Ivy was looking around. none of this looked familiar, yet it all looked the same. The fairy looked down at the small puppy standing there.

"We need to get out of here, maybe if its best if we… we just go back"

That was easier said then done. Ivy fluttered around, trying to make a choice.

"Right" Ivy said, finally taking charge of herself.

"Right, lets go this way, back towards the path. Then we can work from there"

But Origo was not moving. Ivy fluttered off a few feet before stopping again. It was very hard to turn in the powerful wind.

"Origo?" she asked.

Her wings were fluttering madly. She finally stopped and landed in the snow. She made now foot prints, unlike Origo.

"Puppy, what's wrong?" she asked.

But Origo did not answer. Origo was looking deeply into a distance spot. Ivy stood in front of the puppy. Origo's brown eyes seemed to be focusing on a far away point.

For what seemed like an eternity, Origo did nothing but stand. But suddenly, Origo snapped out of his small trance.

His tail started to wag as his gaze changed to Ivy.

"I'm hungry" he whimpered.

Ivy took a deep breath, knowing just hours before that Origo did not want any food.

"Hungry?" she asked.

Origo nodded his head. Ivy took a deep breath and looked down.

"Alright, what do you want?" she asked.

But still, Origo did not know what he wanted to eat. Ivy needed Origo to eat something, otherwise weakness would start to set in.

"Origo, would you try what I get for you?" she asked.

Origo looked around, quickly making a choice. His brown eyes connected with the fairy's. the puppy slowly nodded. Ivy gave a small smile.

A plate full of turkey appeared before them both. Ivy knew that it was Origo's favourite. But that was up until two days before.

The turkey was steaming as Origo looked at it. Ivy smiled as she watched her curious puppy looked at it. But there was still the little glint in Origo's eye that made him seem human to her.

"Go on, eat it pup" she said, picking up a bit.

Origo sniffed the meat, wondering if it was safe enough. For the puppy had become lest trusting of things. Origo eyes focused in on the small fairy carrying a large bit of turkey.

"Eat it" she said.

The fairy placed the large piece on the other pile of turkey. Origo slowly picked up a piece and started to chew. Ivy gave a broad smile and continued to watch the puppy.

After a few seconds, Origo took another piece. But two pieces were not enough for the puppy. After a few more, Ivy thought that Origo was going to stop.

But he did not.

In fact, the plate was nearly empty as Origo finally finished. Ivy gave him a big smile.

"How was it?" she asked, making the plate vanish.

But Origo did not give her an answer. His fully belly, plus the warmth of the invisible bubble around him made his very sleepy indeed.

"I think we should go to bed" Ivy told him.

The day was getting late as a small cart, carrying a man, a woman and a small girl, entered Hobbiton. But they were not only ones to do so.

"Stable look quite busy" said Diamond's father said as she helped her off.

The path, unlike the one they were on a few hours before, was not muddy. Diamond stood up and took a look around. birds were singing and, in the distance, a few shouts and large bouts of laughter echoed up.

Diamond smiled as excitement began to rise higher then ever. The young girl looked around to see her mother looking towards the large, bustling field as well.

"I'll meet you two down there, I'll go and park the cart" her father said.

Diamond smiled as she took her mother's hand. The two girls walked down the path towards the field. The singing, laughter and Merry-making grew louder as a gate came into view.

The young girl stopped for a few seconds, taking the view before her. she smiled as she started again. After a few more minutes, the two of them reached the gates. There were a few steps leading down to the field.

Standing to one side of the gate was a very important hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins.

Bilbo had been on his feet for a few hours now and it had started to show. A few times, he would show signs of strain by stretching his long and hairy feet.

"Ah, you have arrived" he said, spotting Diamond and her mother.

"Old Bilbo, I have not seen you in a while"

Diamond's mother let go of her daughters hand and embracing Bilbo in a friendly hug.

"How have you been?" he asked.

Diamond's mother took a deep breath.

"We are tired, especially Diamond" she answered, looking down at her daughter.

Bilbo gave a small, confused smiled.

"Diamond?" he asked.

Diamond looked up at Bilbo.

"Is this little Diamond?" he asked.

She gave a small embarrassed smile. She looked down, feeling her cheeks going red.

"Last time I saw you, you barely had a hair on your feet"

Bilbo turned to the small table that had been put out. Presents lay on top, small tags had been placed on them. After a few seconds, Bilbo turned around again. Two small gifts were held in his hands. Bilbo smiled and gave one to each of them.

"Thank you" she said.

Diamond then looked back up at the hill. Her father was still not here.

"Alright, come on Diamond" said her mother.

Diamond stood there for a few seconds before moving off. Her attention was now back to the party as she and her mother walked in. The contents of the gift was still unknown.

"Over here, darling" said her mother.

Diamond had been taking everything in. She had almost walked the completely wrong way. So, turning her course, she made towards her mother.

The party was now in full swing as hobbits sat around and ate to their fill. Diamond and her mother arrived at her table.

Diamond placed her small box at her place. She smiled as she turned around. Seeing all of the plates of food were making her now very hungry.

"Lets get some food" Diamond's mother said, smiling down at her.

Laughter erupted from a table near by as Diamond walked by. It took longer to get to the long and large table of food. There seemed to be too many hobbits on the field. Many hobbits were eating at their tables. But as soon as the music started, the tables seemed to empty as it echoed around.

After ten minutes, Diamond managed to fill up her plate and get back to her table. her mother followed a few minutes later due to being stopped by many hobbits for a talk.

Diamond picked up her knife and fork. She then started on her meal. It was then something hit her back. A small ball rolled away as she looked around.

"Oh, sorry" said a young boy.

Diamond's eyes met his. For a few seconds, there was silence between them.

"That's… alright" Diamond said.

The girl picked up the ball and looked at it. It was red and made of very tight strands of string.

"Could I have it back?" asked the boy.

Diamond looked at the boy and smiled. She held out her hand. The boy took it and smiled.

"Thank you" he said.

Without another word, he ran off. But Diamond did not stop watching him. There was something about him that Diamond was drawn to.

After a minute, Diamond turned around. Food was now back on her mind. Every so often, she could hear the boy talking in the background. But she did not turn around.

Pippin was still writing his view of events in the book.

Merry forced me to go back and say hello to you. I knew I should and I wanted to. But something was holding me back.

I was scared.

Ever since I saw your blue eyes, I've missed them.

Finally, after a few minutes, Merry had made up my mind for me. He pushed me nearer. It was then that I got your attention. My mouth was dry and my brain was stumped. Words seemed to just to get lost in mumble.

As you may have noticed, I left quickly afterwards. Yet my plan on talking to had worked. I finally knew your name. and that was enough.

Pippin smiled as he came to the end of the page.

"I think that is enough for tonight" Pippin said, placing the quill down.

Darkness had come over the land. The clock showed it to be approaching mid night. The candles were now very short. Some of them looked like frozen waterfalls.

Pippin smiled as he finished his fifth mug of ale. Ale was drunk more then any other in Merry's household. The chair that Pippin had been using had been place back under the table.

The mug was then placed near the sink. Pip picked up the book and closed it. The memories trapped between its pages.

He walked out of the room and down the corridor. Pippin took a quick look into the study. The smell of smoke hit him as he looked around. only the heath had a few spots of red hot embers.

Pippin slowly, and quietly, closed the door and walked down to the room that he was staying in. He entered the room and walked over to the bed side table.

The door was then closed as Pippin changed into his night gown. He was too tired to get a wash.

"It wouldn't hurt to miss just one" he told himself as he lifted the duvet up.

Pippin slid into the warm duvet. His head hit the pillow. A smile came over Pippin's lips. Tiredness was defiantly getting the better of him.

He yawned one more time before closing his eyes. Sleep would come easily to Pippin tonight.


	57. Day Twenty Seven, Part One

The day rose as the sun came up. The air looked cleaner then the day before. A new start. But the that did not mean that worries were not all gone.

Pimpernel woke was beads of sweat running down her forehead. For a moment, there seemed to be no sound. Her heart rate was racing. Her breathing was not calm to say the least.

Sound slowly started to come back to Pimpernel as her breathing calmed. Pimpernel slowly sat up in her bed the sound of the crackling fire, the ticking of the clock and the quiet whistling of the wind were all that she heard.

Pimpernel took the duvet off of her. Only then realising how warm it had been. The cold air around made the hair on her feet stand up.

Pimpernel knew that her sister, Pearl would not be awake yet. The door clicked open and Pimpernel walked out. The candles in the hall way were flicking gently as Pimpernel walked past them.

She kept her eye straight, trying to ignore the flickering flames. Her heart rate rose a small bit as she looked at a near by flame. For a split second, Pimpernel saw a face out of the corner of her eye. But when she looked, there was no face, just a flaming candle.

The kitchen door opened and Pimpernel walked in. Usually, a small puppy would be by her side. But ever since her Abira had gone, a massive hole had appeared in her heart. Add that to her guilt and worry, she was not in the best of moods. She felt guilty because she was now living with her sister. Pimpernel felt like a small child again, dependant on other people.

And this time, there was nothing she could do about it. She could not go home, for she had no home to go to. She could not go to her mother, for she did not feel welcome.

Pimpernel was all alone in the world with no one to understand what she had been and was going though. not even Pearl, no matter how much she tried to, did not understand.

Pearl, in fact, was still asleep. Warmth surrounded her as she snoozed on. but something was about to awaken her. a loud crash from the kitchen.

Pearl sat bolt up right in her bed, listening to the sounds echoing down from the kitchen.

"Must be Pimpernel" she thought, laying back.

Tiredness was not getting to her again, but it was uncomfortable. She could hear the clock and the fire crackling in the heath. Not only that, but she could hear Pimpernel in the kitchen.

"What is she doing?" she asked herself, looking over at the door.

Pearl took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. Shadows seemed to dance around the ceiling.

"Well, I suppose that is my queue to get up" she thought.

So, the duvet was thrown off. Pearl felt the same coldness that her sister did. Pearl placed her bare feet on the cold tiles. Like her sister, she felt the coldness of the tiles. But I did not really bother her.

Yawning, Pearl opened the door. The air around her was cold and the house quiet.

Pimpernel was filling up a kettle of water when her sister walked in.

"Good morning" Pearl said.

But it was not for Pimpernel. She gave a small smile, but did not answer back. Pearl knew that something was up with Pimpernel.

"You've had a dream again, didn't you?" she asked.

Pimpernel stopped what she was doing. Her hand lay on a mug that she was getting out of the cupboard. Her eyes seemed to be looking into a distance spot.

"There getting worse" she said.

Pimpernel knew that Pearl would not understand her.

"Worse?" she asked.

"What do you mean by worse?"

Pimpernel looked at her sister. For a moment, there was silence between the girls.

"How many sugars?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl gave a small smile.

"Three please" Pearl answered.

Pimpernel gave a small smile and got out the second mug. The cupboard door was shut as Nelly walked away. The cellar door was then opened as she went to get the sugar and tealeaves.

The kettle was bubbling away nicely.

"I might be out later" Pearl told her as she walked her sister.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Her voice had a bit of noticeable depression hanging onto it.

"Just to Folco's, he's asked me over for lunch" Pearl answered.

This made Pimpernel feel even worse.

"If only he was here" she thought.

But Hamson was not here. He had gone off for a while. Pimpernel did not exactly know why he had. Hamson had gone to stay with his uncle in Tighfield.

There, Hamson would stay. A large breakfast had been prepared for him in the morning, like always.

"Morning lad" said his uncle.

Hamson smiled.

"Morning uncle"

There were two other hobbits sitting at the table as well. One was four years his senior and was called Anson Roper. Anson was Hamson's cousin.

"We have a large order to get out today" his uncle said, drinking out of his mug.

"Thirty miles!"

Hamson gave a smile. he now knew how much work it took to make even a few yards of rope.

"Thirty miles?" he asked.

"Do you think we have enough to make that?"

His uncle took a deep breath.

"We may have to start with shearing some of the wool from the sheep, but that may take up most of the time"

Hamson nodded.

"Well, I could do that while you get on with the sheep shearing" Hamson told him.

"That'll do finely" Uncle Andy answered.

Breakfast was then eaten in silence. A mug of hot tea was place before him.

"Oh, thank you" he said.

The tea had many sugars in it, just as he liked it. A rack of toasted bread lay in the middle of the table. Hamson smiled as he took three triangles. He placed them on his plate, but did not eat them right away. His knife and fork were picked back up.

Hamson started to cut into the, one of many, sausages laying on the plate. He ate the small bit of sausage that was on the end of his fork.

He did this a few more times before finishing them. After about half an hour, Hamson had finished all of his food that had been put on the plate. Even the toast. Hamson smiled as he picked up his tea.

"You'll need a lot of that boy, the weather doesn't look too good out there" Uncle Andy told him.

Hamson nodded and smiled.

"I'm sure I'll be fine" Hamson told him.

Hamson finished his tea and took a deep breath.

"Alright, I better go and get ready"

So, Hamson got up and pushed his chair into the table. he left his auntie, uncle and cousin at the table. the hobbit walked down to his room.

When Hamson left Hobbiton, he packed what he needed. A coat, a few shirts and a few waistcoats. Hamson placed on a white shirt, green breeches made of velvet and a dark green jacket.

Hamson smiled as he opened his large wardrobe and got out a, for a hobbit, big coat. He took it off of the hanger, which was made of metal, and put it on. There were buttons, six in all, all sown to one side. On the opposite side, six holes that had been lined up perfectly with the buttons.

Hamson buttoned up the coat and walked out again. as he entered the kitchen, his uncle was standing up.

"You off out now?" he asked.

Hamson nodded.

"Best take the dog out too" he told him.

Hamson smiled.

"I'll see you in a few hours" he replied.

So, he walked out towards the back door. The door was not at all like the ones in Hobbiton. These were rectangle in shape and did not have the handle in the middle. Nor did it have a knocker.

The door had for large sheets of glass letting natural light in. Yet, natural light alone was not enough. Candles flickered as the door was opened. One even went out due to the wind.

Hamson quickly shut the door behind him. The country side was covered under a carpet of freezing snow. Small icicles had formed on the roof over the door way. The door slammed shut, shutting out the cold and in the warmth.

Hamson sniffed as he took his walking stick. The snow was cold to the touch, but did not bother him. The carpet on the floor crunched under his feet as he walked towards a large field.

In the field were small figures. Only the black legs and a few faces could be seen. But Hamson was not heading there just yet. Instead, he went to a small stable.

The stable door was creaking as he walked towards it. Inside were horses and another small animal. Barking started as he drew closer.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses!" he said as he placed his stick against the wall.

He then took off a leather lead. He opened the rusting metal door. The dog suddenly bound at him, almost knocking him back.

"Whoa!" he said, regaining his balance.

"Whoa boy, sit" he demanded.

The dog instantly seemed to calm down. The dog sat down, but it was still half the height that he was. Hamson smiled and tied the lead onto the dog's collar.

"Come on, we have work to do" he said.

The dog stood up and bounded off. But Hamson was not ready for it. His arm felt like it had stretched a few more inches.

"Sit boy!" he said, struggling to control the curious dog.

The dog wagged his tail, excited to get outside. Hamson closed the door and quickly grabbed his walking stick.

"Right" he said, taking a deep breath.

"Now we can go"

So, Hamson walked out of the stables. He smiled as he closed the door behind him before walking away. Water vapour rose into the air from both the dog and hobbit.

Pimpernel, on the other hand, was nice and warm as she sat at the table in the kitchen. She held a knife in one hand. A small bit of butter was scooped up and spread on the warm toast.

She smiled as she lay the knife on the edge of the butter tray. Pearl smiled as she took a bite of hers. Tea had been poured into mugs and set before both of them.

There was not much to talk about around the table. Pimpernel liked this. She did not have to explain what she was feeling.

The two girls ate in silence. Pimpernel was the first to finish. She drank the rest of her sugarless tea and got out of her chair.

"Are you not having any more?" Pearl asked, taking a few more pieces.

Nelly shook her head.

"I'm not hungry" she said.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"You've only had seven pieces, that's not like you" Pearl said.

But her sister did not answer. Pimpernel was too upset to answer back.

"I'm not hungry" Pimpernel repeated as she picked up her mug.

Like the plate, she place it by the sink. Without another work, she existed the room and went back to hers. The door closed, shutting the outside world with it.

Pimpernel's emotions were running higher today then they had been all week. She reached her bed and laid down, burying her head in her pillow.

Tears ran down her face as she cried. All the things that had been built up over the past few weeks had seemed to come out all at once.

Losing Hamson, her near death experience in her own house, losing Abira and the argument with her mother. Everything had dug into her very soul and no one understood.

Pearl took a deep breath and stood up. She knew her sister was hurting and she would do anything to help. So, she walked out of the kitchen and down the corridor.

Hamson seemed happier then Pimpernel at this moment. But it also been hard on him to depart Hobbiton. Hamson smiled as he reached the sheep. But they were all scattered around the large, snowy field.

This was where the dog came in. The lead was taken off, but the hobbit did not let go of the collar around the dogs neck. The sheep had large woollen coats on, perfect for this type of weather. Hamson smiled as he pulled out a small whistle from his pocket. He smiled as he let go of the dog.

The dog instantly started to run towards the sheep. The sheep knew what was coming next. They started to gather into a group.

Safety in numbers.

Hamson placed the whistle to his lips and blew. The dog instantly stopped and scooped low towards the ground. Its eyes never leaving the sight of the sheep.

Hamson watched as the dog rounded up the sheep, running towards the back, making come closer. Hamson's feet, although used to another that humans were used to, were starting to feel the cold.

A tingling that he had only felt a few times in winter. Hamson took a cold breath and blew yet again into the whistle.

It felt like an hour outside in the cold weather. But the job was done as the last of the sheep entered the small paddock. The small gate was closed.

"Well done boy" Hamson said, stroking the dogs fluffy head.

Hamson noticed how warm the dog was.

"Wish I could have a nice warm coat like yours" Hamson said.

The lead was then connected to the collar again and he led the dog back to the stable. The horse neighed as Hamson walked in. But Hamson ignored him as he put the dog back in his kennel.

"I think a few minutes in the warm would go down a treat" he thought to himself as he rubbed his hands.

A minute later, the door to the kitchen opened. His auntie looked around and smiled.

"That was quick" she said, putting a chicken into the oven.

Hamson smiled.

"He's a well trained dog" Hamson answered.

The hobbit could feel the warmth now surrounding him. But the prospect of spending more time out in the coldness did not look tempting.

"Do you want some tea?" his auntie asked.

Hamson smiled.

"That would be nice, thank you"

Pearl opened the door to Pimpernel's room. Muffled sobs met Pearl's ears as she saw her sister laying face down on the bed.

"Oh no" Pearl said, rushing over to her sister.

"Pimpernel?" she asked, looked down at her sister.

"Pimpernel, tell me what's wrong"

But there was no answer. Pimpernel continued to cry as her sister sat on the edge of the bed.

"Nelly, come on, you have to talk to me"

But Pimpernel did not want to talk.

"Leave me alone" she said.

Pearl took a deep breath and looked away.

"I'm worried about you" she said.

Pimpernel looked at her sister.

"Worried?" she asked though the sobs.

"Why should you be worried?"

There was hint of annoyance in her voice. Pearl looked around. Their eyes met. Tears were running down Nelly's eyes. The candles made her blue eyes look like polished marbles.

"I'm worried because ever since Hamson left, you haven't been yourself" Pearl answered.

Pimpernel slowly shook her head.

"What do you know about it?" she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Pearl knew that she did not know enough about what happened that night.

"Nothing" Pearl said, lowering her head.

"Nothing"

"Then why do you want to know? It has been nearly three weeks since it happened and no one has asked me how I am. The only one that understood me was the one who couldn't talk back"

Pearl knew that this was about Abira. She had noticed a change in her younger sister. The puppy seemed to make her happier. But, now that she was gone, with a trace and there was nothing she could do about it.

Pearl fell silent. With Yule and all, she had forgotten about the house fire. The empty shell continued to sit there, day after day. the cold weather halting all progress to getting the house rebuilt.

"Pimpernel, I'm… I'm sorry" Pearl said, taking a deep breath.

She now had a bout of guilt in her.

"Sorry? Sorry for what? For not wanting to find out?"

Pimpernel asked, unnatural anger rose in her.

"It's not like…"

But Pearl was interrupted.

"Leave me alone!" Pimpernel snapped at her.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"But…"

For the second time, she was interrupted.

"Just get out!"

Her voice echoed around the room. There was now silence between the two girls. Pearl took a deep breath and stood up.

Pearl looked over at her sister, who was now not looking at her. Not wanting to anger her sister any more. Pearl took one last look at her sister before heading to the door.

The door creaked open as Pearl held the handle. The door opened and she walked though. A few seconds later, the door clicked shut.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and rolled over onto her back. She took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling.

Memories came flooding back to her. Both happy and sad.

She smiled as she saw Hamson's face.

"Hello Petal" he said.

Pimpernel was in her own home, the fire had yet to happen. The day was bright and sunny. There were no clouds to speak off. Birds were singing and hobbit children were playing.

Pimpernel and Hamson hugged.

"How are you?" she asked.

Hamson smiled.

"I'm good" he said.

Pimpernel smiled, something was up with her Hamson.

"Your in a good mood" she said, closing the door behind him.

"I was just thinking, would you like to go for a picnic?" he asked.

Pimpernel smiled. She had been on many picnics with him over the summer. She enjoyed every second that she spent with him.

"Sure, I'll just get things ready" Pimpernel said.

She was just about to walk away when she stopped.

"Oh, no I already have a basket ready at home" Hamson said.

Pimpernel smiled, knowing how much Hamson wanted to please her. but a bigger secret was yet to be reviled. So, after a few minutes, Pimpernel got ready. She placed her straw hat on and made sure that her hair was nice and tidy.

"Ready?" Hamson asked, smiling.

Pimpernel was very beautiful indeed. Hamson loved her so much. He held out his hand and Pimpernel took it. He opened the door and let Pimpernel go first.

It had been the first time that Nelly had been out all day. Children were running around, playing games and looking at bugs and insects.

Hamson opened the gate, but let Pimpernel go first. She had butterflies in her stomach as Hamson let her past. But her stomach was not the place that had butterflies.

Orange ones and blue ones fluttered from flower to flower. The grass that carpeted the top of hills. Hobbits seemed to be out in numbers. The tables in front of The Green Dragon were packed full of the elders of the village.

Most of them had smoking pipes before them. A few mugs of ale had been set out.

Markets had been set up. Other hobbits were either shopping or enjoying the fine weather. But Hamson and Pimpernel changed paths and headed away from the centre of town. For Hamson did not live too far away from Pimpernel.

After a few more minutes, they reached his house. Once again, he opened the gate and let Pimpernel go first. Hamson shut the gate gently behind him and followed his Pimpernel to the door.

Pimpernel opened it and walked inside, closely followed Hamson. The two of them headed down the hall way to the kitchen. On top of the table was a basket. Inside the basket was lots of food. jars of jam and marmalade, a few loaves of bread wrapped up in cloth. A few bottles of wine and glasses, knives, forks and spoons had been packed as well.

"What's this?" Pimpernel asked, spotting a box.

Hamson looked into the basket as well.

"Oh, well I made us a cake as well" he answered, smiling.

Pimpernel smiled as well and shut the lid. It was then Hamson seemed to change. He looked more, nervous.

"I just need to, err, get something" he said.

Pimpernel gave a confused smile.

"Alright" she said slowly, watching Hamson walk out quickly.

A small wave of curiosity came over her. But she fought it off. Pimpernel looked down at her feet. A leaf was sticking to her foot. She smiled, lifting it up so that her soul was facing her.

Nelly pealed the leaf off and smiled as Hamson came back into the room.

"Alright, lets get going" he said, lifting the basket off of the table.

Pimpernel smiled as she led the way down the corridor to the front door. The cool wind rushed into the house. The sound of buzzing met Pimpernel's ears. The buzzing of a bumble bee looking for nectar came and went.

Hamson closed the door behind him and stood there, admiring the view.

"Come on" Hamson said, holding out his spare hand.

Pimpernel blushed and took it. There was a tingling in her hands as they walked away from Hobbiton into the calmness of the country side around it.

Pimpernel and Hamson continued to walk out of town. There were meadows surrounding the town as far as even an Elven eye could see.

"Alright" said Hamson, stopping and looking around.

Hamson looked around the area, making sure that no one could see what they were doing or where they were.

"This will do"

The heavy basket was placed down on the ground. Pimpernel smiled, having come to this field a lot when she was younger. Hamson opened the basket and got out the blanket. Hamson laid it out on the soft grass.

Pimpernel sat down as Hamson started to get plates, knives and forks out.

In the real world, the weather was very miserable. For the children of Hobbiton, it was a fantastic day.

"Have you got your coat on?" asked a tired Rosie.

Elanor smiled as stood there. Rosie still was not feeling her best as she did up her daughters coat.

"You be back for lunch and don't go over the bridge" Rosie said.

"Yes mummy, I know" Elanor squeaked.

Rosie gave a tired smile as she watched her daughter run out. The day seemed to just start for the little girl as she reached the front door.

The door opened. Elanor felt the cold wind hit her. A gentle tingling met her cheeks as she quickly closed the candles flickered and almost went out.

There were many hobbits around. some were enjoying the snow, others were walking down to the warmth and cosiness of The Green Dragon.

Elanor smiled as she scooted off towards the large field. Elanor smiled as she walked down. Her hand ran over the smooth, cold wall that separated the field on one side and the snowy path.

After a few minutes, Elanor reached the hedgerow next to the field. A small opening confirmed the way to quicker way to get onto it.

Foot prints dotted the snow, obvious of some movement on and off the field. Elanor edged though the gap. A snowy field lay before her.

On the other side, a group of hobbit children. She smiled as she started to walk towards them. To her, it looked like they had started building snow hobbits already.

"Morning" said one of her friends walking towards her.

Elanor smiled.

"How are you?" Elanor asked.

The young girl smiled.

"I'm alright, why didn't you come out yesterday? I was waiting for you"

Elanor took a deep breath, she did not want to talk about it.

"I was grounded" she said, looking down.

The young girl sensed that her friend did not want to talk about it.

"Want to help make some snow hobbits?" she asked.

Elanor smiled.

"Sure"

So, Elanor walked over to the large ball and helped her friends push it. The snow seemed to gather as the ball was rolled over it. The weight of the ball increased as more snow became stuck to it.

Elanor's heart rate rose as she put nearly all of her strength to move the ball. But, after a few minutes of not moving anywhere, the hobbit children gave up.

"I think we should just build it here" Elanor said.

Her hands were getting very cold now as she dried her hands on her own coat.

"Yes, we could" said her friend.

So, Elanor started on a second ball of snow. Elanor's friends were now throwing snowballs at each other. Hobbits seemed to have a shorted attention span then humans or elves.

Elanor took a deep breath and watched her friends. The ball of snow she had was no bigger then a human hand. Elanor looked around for a better patch of snow. And that's exactly what she found. So, picking the large snow ball up, she carried it away to the fresh, untouched snow.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she rolled over on her side. Her feelings were still not high. She took a deep breath. The door slowly opened.

Pearl poked her head around the door. For a few seconds, she did not say anything.

"I'm going to Folco's for lunch, will you be alright?" she asked.

But Pimpernel did not answer. Pearl took a deep breath and closed the door again. Pimpernel looked at the door.

"No" she whispered.

Pearl stood near the door. She was putting on her coat. A smile came over her as she did up the last two buttons up. Pearl took a look down the corridor. a part of her wanted to stay and comfort Pimpernel. But Pimpernel seemed to refuse any help she was offered.

The door to the outside world was opened and a cold blast of wind hit her. But Pearl smiled as her coat seemed to work as she stepped out into the coldness.

The snow in her little garden was untouched save for a few small bird prints which trailed around the garden. Pearl placed her foot on the crunchy snow.

Pearl continued to walk to her gate.

"Morning Pearl" said a passing elder.

Pearl smiled.

"Morning" she said.

The girl smiled as she headed the other way. Pearl took a deep breath, enjoying the beautiful scenery around her. But after a few minutes, the low temperature got her the tip of her fingers were tingling.

Pearl then rounded the corner and saw Folco's door came into view. Like the surround landscape, the hill and the small garden were covered with snow.

The clouds above seemed to be darkening, threatening the inhabitants below with more cold snow. Pearl opened the gate, making a bit of the snow that had settle on the top fall off.

After a few seconds, Pearl reached Folco's door. She knocked three times and waited. But she did not have to wait for long. A noise came from the other side of the door.

The door suddenly opened. Folco was standing there, a towel in hand.

"Oh, Pearl, I wasn't expecting you this early" Folco said.

A delicious smell met Pearl's nose. She smiled.

"Well, I did not want to arrive late" she said.

Both of them smiled at each other.

"You best come in from the cold" Folco said, opening the door a bit wider.

Pearl smiled as she stepped over the threshold. Folco quickly closed the door behind her, blocking out the coldness and keeping in the warmth. Pearl looked around, it was only the second time she had ever been in Folco's home.

There were no flowers on the table. They had all wilted and been thrown in a basket outside of the door.

"What is for lunch?" Pearl asked.

Folco smiled.

"Just a roast chicken, I've started on the cake as well" he answered.

Pearl followed him down to the kitchen.

"It should be ready in about fifteen minutes" Folco said.

The table in the dinning room had yet to set out. Folco took a deep breath as he placed some of the steaming hot vegetables into their bowls.

"Is the dining room set up?" Pearl asked, not wanting to stand around.

Folco looked around.

"Oh no, sorry, I forgot" he told her.

The empty bowl was then placed on the work top. But Pearl stopped him.

"No, no, I'll do it" she said, stopping him.

"Pearl, you don't have to…"

But he was interrupted.

"Folco, it is alright, I've done it many times before" she said.

The girl smiled and turned around. Folco took a deep breath. He watched as she walked out of the door.

"Folco, you fool" he said to himself.

Pearl opened the door to the dining room. There was a large, round table in the middle of the room. cabinets, a heath and a window embedded into the wall. The glass let the light from the outside into the room.

But one window was not enough. Pearl picked up a small, thin stick that had been resting in a cold metal cylinder. Pearl picked one out and walked towards the fire. The embers were enough to light the stick.

Pearl knelt down on the cold tilted floor. The sound of Folco continuing to get things ready echoed down the hall way. The end of the stick was placed near a burning hot ember.

Just then, a spark alighted the end. Pearl smiled as the flame grew to a healthy glow. She then stood up and looked around. The candles were waiting to be set alight. Pearl walked over to the first one and held the flame near the wick.

The wick became hotter and hotter, the flame then caught the wick alight. Pearl smiled and moved on to the next one, then the next and the next. She did this a few more times before all of the candles were lit.

Pearl smiled as she placed the, now short, flaming stick into the heath. The thin wooden strip was quickly caught and burned. Pearl then went to the cabinet and opened a draw. Inside, a white, folded cloth was then taken out. The draw was then closed again.

The sheet was then unfolded and placed over the table.

"Hmmm" she thought, spotting a stain on the pristine sheet.

Pearl then opened a second draw. This time, table mats. The hobbit took some out as Folco walked into the room.

"Need a hand?" he asked, smiling.

Pearl smiled back.

"Sure" she said, holding out half of the table mats.

After a minute, the table was set. But not fully. A few knives, forks and spoons were placed out. Pearl smiled as she placed a fork one side and a silver knife on the other.

"I'll just serve up the food" Folco said, smiling and leaving the rest of the table making to Pearl.

Folco took a deep breath and walked towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Pimpernel was still laying down on her bed. Tears were still running down her face as more memories of the bad times and the good times came to her.

Pimpernel yawned as she got up. Life was good at the moment. Summer had come and the new shoots and buds had sprung into action. Gardens were now filling out in colour, as hobbits said.

Birds continued to sing as Pimpernel took a deep breath. A road stretched away towards the south, towards a large road, running the length of the Shire and beyond.


	58. Day Twenty Seven, Part Two

Four dark figures could be seen on the path. Pimpernel squinted as she tried to figure out who it was. But it did not bother her. In fact, she went back to working in her garden.

She was kneeling down on a small pad. In one hand, a small rusting hand fork. A muddy trowel lay near by. The earth in the flower beds had been turned over, showing their darker and richer side.

Pimpernel smiled as she saw an earth worm wriggling as he was dug up from the moist soil. Nelly took a deep breath as she knelt up. She smiled as she moved along. There was a small bucket nearby, stones filled the bottom. Pimpernel looked over where she saw the four figures. They were much closer now. It was then that she noticed that she noticed that they were horses.

Nelly slowly stood up, gardening fork still in hand.

"I don't believe it" she said slowly.

The girl then dropped the small fork. It spun though the air to the ground. A bit of mud flew up, but did not hit anything. Pimpernel was now slowly walking to the gate.

A cool wind blew as Pimpernel stopped her hair going in front of her eyes.

"It is!" she gasped.

The gate was quickly opened and Pimpernel scurried off towards the bottom of the hill.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked an elder that she almost knocked down.

But Pimpernel did not even notice or say she was sorry. She rushed on, eyes seemed to be stuck on the site of the four travellers coming her way.

Pippin was looking around. He smiled, sniffing in the clean air of the Shire.

"You know, I could really do with something to eat" he said.

Frodo, who was leading, looked back.

"Pippin, when are you never hungry?" he asked.

Sam and Merry laughed. The sprit of the Shire entering their souls again.

"Peregrin Took!" came a loud voice, making the horses jump a little bit.

Pippin looked around and instantly stopped laughing. But his smile did not sink.

"Nelly!" he said, instantly jumping off of his pony.

Pimpernel stood there as tears started to run down her face.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Pippin and Pimpernel embraced in a big hug.

"And why have you got different cloths?"

Pippin had so much to tell his older sibling, but then again, he did not want to.

"I've been away" he answered.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Like I haven't noticed? Mother will be glad that your back though" Pimpernel told him.

"Was she worried?" Pippin asked.

Pimpernel gave a small nod.

"I still catch her looking out of the window every now and again" she answered.

Pippin looked around at his three friends.

"I have to go and see her, take the pony" he said, nodding towards it.

Merry nodded and took the reigns. Pippin smiled as he let his friends past.

"Come on" he said to his older sister.

Pimpernel smiled as she walked with her brother.

"Pip" Pimpernel said, stopping in her tracks.

Pippin stopped as well.

"Have you… have you grown?" she asked.

She defiantly felt shorter next to him.

"Grown?" he asked, a puzzled look came over his face.

"What do you mean by "Grown"?"

Pimpernel took a deep breath. Words could not seem to match what she meant. But something big had changed about her little brother.

Pippin then started walking again. After a few minutes, the two of them reached a large round door. Pimpernel opened it.

"Hello?" she asked, looking inside.

From the other side of the door, a voice came.

"Pimpernel? What are you doing here?"

It was Eglantine. Pippin smiled, he had missed his family.

"I have someone here that wants to meet you" Nelly said, smiling.

The large, green door was then pushed open. Pippin and Eglantine suddenly saw each other. A large smile came over Pippin.

"My goodness!" Eglantine said, placing her hand over her mouth.

Pippin smiled.

"Hello" he said.

Tears were slowly running down Eglantine's face. She gave a teary smile and threw herself at her only son.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked at a distant spot.

"A dark place" he answered.

The images in front of Pimpernel's eyes then vanished.

"A dark place?" she whispered to herself.

She had no idea what that meant, but that did not stop her from thinking of the meaning. The house seemed to be unusually quiet.

Hunger was now getting to her. she had only eaten seven pieces of toast and that was a few hours ago. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she sat up on her bed. After a few seconds, a strange dizziness came into her head.

But it went away quite quickly. The tiles were cold to the touch as she walked towards the door.

"I think a nice sleep is needed after I get some food" Pimpernel thought.

Sleep seemed the best cure for sadness. The door slowly opened, echoing gently down the hall way. Pimpernel could feel the coldness of the gloomy day outside seeping in though the gaps in the door.

The kitchen seemed colder as Nelly walked into it. She smiled, a whole bunch of food lay before her. all she had to do was to choose.

But nothing cooked. She did not want to burn down her sister's house as well. The cellar door was then opened. Shelf upon shelf of food lay before her.

"Now" Pimpernel said, looking around.

She knew that she needed something big enough to make her not feel hungry until dinner. Pimpernel smiled as she picked up a rectangle shaped package. She smiled as she sniffed the packet.

"It'll do" she said, smiling.

She turned on the spot and walked out. In her hand were two of the rectangle packages. Inside, two lovely bars of chocolate. Pimpernel gave a smile as she walked back to the room she was staying in.

Pearl, meanwhile, was now sitting down. Bowls of food had been set before her. Folco was smiling as he ate in silence.

"This is good" Pearl said, pouring more gravy onto her large portion of food.

Folco looked up and smiled.

"My mother taught me how to cook such good food" he explained.

"She even gave me a cookbook" he told her.

Pearl nodded and cut a very delicious piece of chicken off. She smiled as she ate it. There was plenty more food in the bowls. Pearl was eyeing the roast potatoes in the bowl near by.

Conversation seemed to come to a stand still as time wore on. The clock gently chimed as two o'clock.

"Is that the time?" Folco asked.

He was feeling quite tired now as he continued to eat. Pearl had nearly finished her first portion of food. But Pearl was still hungry and the food was very good.

Pearl placed the knife and fork down. Her eyes darting around. a bowl was picked up. It was full of crispy parsnips, one of her favourites.

She placed a small pile on her plate and put the heavy bowl down again. roast potatoes were next in her sights. The second bowl was then picked up. There were still many, many roasts laying in the bottom. The girl scooped some out and placed it on her plate.

"Oh dear" she said, watching one roll off of the table.

The bowl and spoon were placed down. Pearl looked down and spotted it just below her. she then reached out and picked it up.

The potato was then placed on the table. Pearl smiled as she picked up the bowl again and placed even more on her plate. After a few more had been loaded onto the plate, the bowl was then placed back.

The gravy boat was the next thing to be picked up. The gravy was then poured all over the roasts and parsnips. Pearl smiled as she looked down at the seconds in front of her.

Silence once again came about them as they ate. The ticking of the clock seemed louder as well as the crackling of the fire.

After thirty more minutes, the meal was over. The bowls were near enough clean of all food. as were the plates.

"Well, I don't think I can eat another bite" said Folco as he sat back in his chair.

He held his mug in his hand and looked about. Pearl smiled as she took a sip of her ale.

"Would you like some cake?" Folco asked.

Pearl placed her mug down.

"Yes please" she answered.

So, Folco arose from his seat and started to clear away the bowls and plates. He did this a few times, walking back and forth to the kitchen.

"Right, I'll just bring it in"

So, after a minute or two of being out of the room, he came back. He smiled as he brought in a lovely looking chocolate cake.

Hunger seemed to take on a new wave as Pearl saw the cake. Folco smiled as he placed it down.

"I'll be back in a second" he said, walking out again.

Pearl looked at the cake. Chocolate was, like most of the hobbits that lived in the town, her favourite thing to eat. Bars of chocolate, muffins, cake and warm cookies were the most regularly eaten.

Folco entered the room again, carrying plates. A large cutting knife lay on top of the plates as Folco placed them down.

He grabbed the handle of the silver knife and looked down at the cake. The cake was the cut into two pieces, then into four and finally, into eight.

Folco smiled as he placed on of the pieces on the plate.

"There you go" he said, holding it out for Pearl.

"Thank you" she said, taking it from him.

The piece that laid on her plate was bigger then normal. Usually, more hobbits would be around to eat. But it was just those two.

Folco place the second piece on his plate. He then sat down on his chair and smiled. Pearl took her spoon and cut a sizable piece off.

She smiled as she started to eat it. The taste of chocolate filled her mouth. She smiled.

"This is good" she said, cutting off another bit and eating that one as well.

Folco nodded.

"It's a very old recipe" Folco stated.

"Its been past down for many generations"

Pimpernel had now sitting down on her bed. A few times, her mind swayed into a strange forgetfulness. But some small thing opened the flood gates for memory.

"Abira" she sighed.

The first bar of milky chocolate had been finish. The second bar was upon the small bedside table. hunger seemed to have been tamed as the hobbit sat there.

Abira and Origo's whereabouts were not known to any one in Hobbiton. They seemed to have just, vanished. Their disappearance seemed to have effected both Pimpernel and Diamond.

Emptiness was felt in both of their hearts. A dark void that could not be filled by anything else. The ticking and tocking of the clock on the wall seemed to be louder then normal.

A soft chime echoed around the semidarkness. The wind seemed to whistle in waves every few seconds. Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked over at the second bar of chocolate sitting on the table.

She reached out for it and picked it up. There was a certain resentment about eating the second bar. But then again, she knew that it would take her mind off of things like Hamson and her puppy.

So, unwrapping the paper, Pimpernel started to eat. But this bar was not like the other one she had. Unlike the first, which had a milky taste to it, this one had darker taste.

Hamson was more hungry then Pimpernel was and he was considerably colder. For he had been out in the snow all day, save for lunch. But the warmth had now all gone from him.

The coldness, although there was a roof over his head, was defiantly not leaving him. the loud noise of the machine was very loud as Hamson looked at the fine strands of wool that stretched the length of the long room.

But he was not the only one in the long, noisy room. A figure was walking up from the end. It was Hamson's uncle, Andy.

Talking was useless in this noise environment. Thought was the only think that Hamson could do. The hobbit walked along with the twisting rope.

A grassy hill and green fields came across his eyes. He was sitting on a blanket, holding a plate full of food. sitting next to him, Pimpernel.

She was looking very beautiful. Her straw hat keeping her hair from waving in front of her eyes.

"This is nice" she said, looking around.

A few crows and sparrows flew around. The very complicated song of a near by Skylark echoed around them. A few bugs flew past, but did not bother the two hobbits sitting there.

"You know, we should do this more often" hinted Pimpernel.

Hamson smiled.

"Yes, we should now that the weather is better"

Nerves were getting to him now. He knew that the time was getting very near indeed as he finished his food. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she placed her plate down on the mat. She smiled as she looked around. there were a few red dots amounts the greenness of the grass. Pimpernel knew exactly what these were.

Poppies.

They were in full bloom as they swayed in the cool wind. Hamson finished a minute or two later. The food seemed to have nearly run out, save from the few small morsels left in their packets.

"That" he said, picking up his napkin.

"Was splendid" he said.

A bottle of wine stood on the mat as well. Near by, two glasses had been placed. One stood up, like the bottle and the other had fallen down, but had not smashed.

"I think a bit of wine is in order" said Pimpernel.

This was Hamson's queue to take make his plan reality.

"Err, Pimpernel, before we start" Hamson said, stopping her.

"I need to tell you something very"

There was moment of pause.

"Important" he finished.

Hamson's mouth was now dry and nerves rising quickly. Pimpernel gave him a funny look as she held the unopened bottle of wine.

"What is it?" she asked.

Hamson took a deep breath, it was now or never. So, Hamson got up.

"Stand up please" he said.

Pimpernel slowly stood up as well. But she was not as tall as Hamson. Hamson looked a lot like an older version of Samwise, but his hair was browner.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Hamson smiled as he took her hands. The both of them looked into each others eyes.

"I need to tell you something" he said.

This confused her even more.

"Tell me what?" she asked.

Beads of sweat were running down his forehead.

"Do you know how much I want you to be in my life?" he asked.

Pimpernel gave an awkward smile.

"Hamson, you tell me every day, what is this about?"

"And do you know how much I love you?" Hamson asked.

Ideas and scenarios were running though Pimpernels head now. but none of them were right. Hamson smiled as he reached into his pocket. He then pulled it out.

A small box was held in his hands. The bird song made the moment even more beautiful as Hamson slowly got onto one knee. Pimpernel slowly started to smile.

The small box was opened to show a small ring laying there.

"Pimpernel" Hamson started, looking up.

Their eyes met.

"Will you marry me?"

A door slammed shut down the hall way, making Pimpernel jump. The chocolate bar was only half eaten as she looked towards her door.

Pearl was back home already and in a very good mood. She smiled as she walked down towards the room where Pimpernel was staying.

Three loud knocks echoed around the silence, making Pimpernel jump. The door clicked open and in came her sister.

"Are you still sitting here?" Pearl asked, standing at the door.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked away. All she wanted was to be alone and think things though. but Pearl felt a very different vibe from her sister.

"Pimpernel" Pearl said, slowly walking to the bed.

Pimpernel still did not look at her sister.

"Nelly, you have to"

There was a pause.

"Move on" she told her.

It was then that Pimpernel took a sudden glare at her sister.

"Move on?" she asked.

Pearl knew that she had said something wrong. It was evident in Nelly's voice that she did not approve of what had been said.

"If only it was that easy" she told her.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"Come here" she said, holding her arms wide open.

Pimpernel and Pearl embraced in a big hug. For once, Pimpernel felt like Pearl really did care about her.

"I'm sorry" Pearl said.

Pimpernel pushed her eye a bit. The two of them looked into each others eyes.

"Sorry? For what?" she asked.

Pearl looked down.

"I'm sorry that I haven't protected you better" she answered.

Pimpernel looked away. She knew that the only one who could have protected her from more pain was Hamson. But nothing could replace him. Even Abira couldn't replace her Hamson.

Elanor sat on top of her bed. A towel lay beside her. The coldness had got to her.

"I'm going in" she said.

Her hands had taken on a pinkish colour now. she was getting very hungry now, even though she had gone back for a big lunch.

"Alright, I'll see you later then" said one of her friends.

Elanor nodded and smiled.

"We can finish the snow hobbit later" she said.

So, Elanor turned around and walked back towards the road. Chimneys smoked merrily as Elanor walked back home. It took a few minutes to get home.

The large front door was then opened. Elanor walked though and smiled as warmth finally hit her. Her unusually big and hair feet were now cold and wet.

Rosie, her mother, wondered down the hall way.

"Here you go" she said as she handed her daughter a towel.

Elanor smiled.

"How long is dinner going to be?" she asked.

"About thirty minutes, you best warm up"

Rosie then turned and walked back down to the kitchen. bubbling pans and the strong smell of chicken met her as she walked in.

All of the children were with their father in the lounge. Fires were burning in all rooms, including Elanor's. the young girl took off her wet heavy and wet coat. The snow ball fight had a good one. A few had hit Elanor and her friends as she hid from the boys.

Elanor looked down at her feet. She lifted one up and dried it. Elanor repeated this with the other foot before stepping off of the mat. But that did not mean there wasn't any water dripping down off of her hair.

A few dots landed on the flat tiles. But they did not bother the young girl much. Her room was not far down the hall way. The door had remained closed while she had been out. Elanor smiled as she reached it. The door was opened and she walked in. When she got to the other side, she closed the door behind her.

The heath had a healthy looking fire in it. A rich orange glow filled the room. Elanor smiled as she felt tiredness rush over her as she reached her bed. The towel was placed on the bed before she got on. Her toy horse stood on the bedside table.

Elanor smiled as she picked him up.

"I had fun today" she told him.

The young girl sat upon the bed. The beads were rubbing against the wood. They made a funny noise. The smell of lunch seeped though the cracks in the door.

Thirty minutes ran itself down to twenty and then to ten. The sound of Rosie setting the table echoed around the house. Elanor's hair was now dry as she sat on the bed.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Samwise came in. He was holding Elanor's youngest sibling, Pippin. The youngling was sleeping in his father's arms.

"Lunch is ready now, go and wash your hands" he said.

Elanor smiled as she got off of the bed. The house seemed to be noisier now as the children got ready for dinner. Elanor, although hungry, did not go to the kitchen.

She went right for the bath room. There, she shut the door and walked over to the sink. She twisted one of the taps on and watched the water swirl around and down the plug hole.

The young girl picked up the sweet smelling soap and held it under the torrent of water. The water seemed to cover every inch of the soap. Elanor started to rub the soap between her hands. Small bubbles started to form on her small hands.

After a few seconds, the soap was placed back. Elanor rubbed her hands together even more. The water continued to pour though out.

Elanor smiled as she placed her hands under the flowing water. The bubbles instantly started to wash off as the water ran over her hands.

After a minute, all of the bubbles were gone and the water turned off. Elanor turned around and looked at the towels. She reached out and took one off of the towels.

It took a few seconds to get her hands dry. She smiled as she walked towards the door again. she opened it and walked out. The flames flickered as she walked down the corridor. She entered the kitchen as her mother placed out a few plates. Knives and forks had been placed either side of the table mat. The smell of chicken became stronger as Elanor entered the room.

Her eyes met her mothers eyes. There was a strange feeling shared between the two of them. Something that only her and her mother felt.

Lunch was uneventful as Elanor ate quickly. She wanted to get outside again and help finish off the snow hobbit. But, as the clock ticked, her friends left the field to have lunch of their own.

"Can I leave the table please?" Elanor asked.

Rosie smiled.

"Of course you can" she answered.

So, Elanor got down from the table and started to walk towards the door. Just then, she stopped.

"Can I go out again mummy?" she asked.

Rosie looked over at her daughter.

"Of course, you know not to go to the bridge"

"I wont, I'll be on the field" she said.

Without losing another second, Elanor scooted off. She half walked and half ran down the hall way. She grabbed her coat and quickly buttoned it up. She smiled as she reached for the door handle. The large door was pulled back. A cold blast of air hit her. she smiled as she felt her cheeks start to tingle.

The large door slammed shut after her as she walked on the soft snow down to the gate. A few minutes later, she reached the small gap in the hedge. She smiled as she made her way though it.

Her eyes fell on the spot where her friends had been when she left. But they were not there any more. Elanor took a deep breath and looked around.

"Well, I might as well go back in" she thought to herself.

Hours had past since then. Elanor had come home again and was now in her room. Her toy horse was standing on the table like he always did.

The clock chimed as the hours past. Three chimes, then four chimes, then five and six. Seven chimes echoed around the room as Elanor looked over at it.

Rosie and Sam were still busy. Rosie yawned as she prepared dinner. The fire was raging in the heath as yet another chicken had been prepared and was now cooking slowly in the hot oven.

Just then, Sam walked in.

"Oh, just the person I needed" Rosie said.

Samwise smiled.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"We've run out chickens, could you go down to…"

But Rosie stopped as she felt a strange sensation come over her. the next second, she raised her hand to her head.

"Rosie, what's the matter?" asked her husband.

Rosie was taking deep breaths. Sam walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, I think you need to sit down" Sam said.

But Rosie was not giving in.

"No Sam" she said, feeling a bit dizzy.

"I'm fine" she lied.

Sam took a deep breath, knowing that she was not telling him the truth.

"Well, you don't look it" he told her.

Rosie gave a small smile as she held onto the side of the work top.

"Maybe you're right" Rosie said.

It had been the second time in two days that she had fallen ill. Rosie really did not want to go to bed early. She needed to make sure her family did not go hungry.

"Maybe I need to have a lay down" she said.

The hobbit walked over to the door. Her walk swayed a bit as she opened it up. Elanor's door opened then closed as she walked out. Rosie looked down the corridor to see her mother walking her way.

"Mummy?" Elanor asked, stopping.

Her mother did not seem at all well.

"Are you alright?" Elanor asked.

Rosie knew that her daughter was very bright and would see any curtain of lies that she told. But she had to lie.

"Yes, darling, I'm fine"

Yet another wave of dizziness came over her.

"You don't look it" Elanor said.

Worry came over her. she hated to see her family in pain.

"Elanor, dear, I am fine" Rosie said.

The smell of chicken reached Elanor. A small smile came over her as she looked down towards the kitchen.

"How long is dinner going to be?" she asked as a metallic bang came from the hot kitchen.

Rosie took a deep breath, just wanting to lay down.

"About twenty minutes" she answered.

Elanor smiled and looked around.

"Alright dear, I have to go down" Rosie told her daughter.

Elanor nodded and moved out of the way. Rosie slowly and carefully made her way to her room. She opened the door and walked in. The door was then shut.

Rosie made her way to the bed. She slowly sat down on the bed and laid down. She instantly felt better. Her throbbing head seemed to fade, but not fully disappear.

Tiredness gripped Rosie as she lay on the bed. Her eyes slowly started to close as sounds around her started to quieten. The sound of her children quietened as well.

Sleep grabbed her as she laid there. But the world around her did not stop. The clock seemed to quicken as she continued to sleep.

Pilith was still sitting at the table in Tom Bombadil's home. A table had been set out. the food was different from any other that Pilith had ever eaten.

A loaf of the finest, softest bread and the creamiest of butters. A bowl of honey lay before him as well as strawberries and thick cream.

"You have to eat something, you will not the power that Mya needs when she wakes up. She will be of need"

Goldberry said, sitting on a seat near the fireless heath.

The windows had been opened as well the door. The trees outside were full of green leaves. Birds of every kind were singing their sweet song.

The sun seemed to be going down in the west as the shadows lengthened. Goldberry watched Pilith eat. She noticed that every so often, Pilith would look over at the table where Mya was sleeping.

"Your heart is full of guilt" Goldberry said.

Pilith did not have to look at her to know she was right.

"It's just…"

Pilith took a deep breath.

"Just the way she fell. I mean, I should have made her go first. Then it would have cracked on me and not her" he told her.

Goldberry did not change her expression.

"I see, you think that if you let her first, she would have been alright" she repeated.

Pilith took a deep breath.

"Fate is fate, Pilith, you can not see the future. Not even Old Tom could have seen what was coming next"

But these words were not very helpful. The hours wore on and, eventually, Pilith started to eat. But he could not help the feeling of letting Mya down.

"I should have saved her sooner, I should have been in that position" he told himself.

The night was now setting in. But the temperature was not lowering. The noise of birds and bees had slowly faded with the darkness. Pilith was standing in the clear air outside.

A yawn came over the boy. From the blanket of darkness, a figure could be seen walking on the edge of the light. Pilith watched the figure get ever closer.

It was then that Pilith slowly took a few paces back. His heart rate was rising. He knew that both Tom and Goldberry were still inside the house. The boy slowly back over the threshold.

He placed one hand on the handle. A few more seconds past, the figure was defiantly coming this way. Without a second to lose, Pilith closed the door.

Goldberry was sitting down on the seat. A book was held in her hands.

"May I ask, what you are up to?" she asked, not looking up from the book.

Pilith took his eyes off of the door.

"There's someone out there" he whispered.

Goldberry broke her gaze with the book. Her royal blue eyes looked over at him. The candles that had been lit due to the darkness outside.

"Of course there is" Goldberry said, slowly closing the book.

Pilith was now confused. He looked back at the door, knowing that at any minute, that someone one going to come in. but Pilith had not noticed that something was missing.

"I think, it is time for bed" Goldberry said, standing up.

There were no clocks in the house, Pilith was reluctant to go to bed.

"You now have a choice" she said, walking towards another door.

"A choice?" he asked, walking a few steps forward.

"To sleep in your human form or your animal form" she said, smiling.

Her teeth were a white as snow on a crisp winter's morning. Pilith looked back at Mya, who still had not moved from where she had been placed a few hours.

"I would like to stay with Mya. If she wakes up, I want to be the first one she sees" Pilith answered.

Goldberry nodded and smiled as the handle of the door slowly made its way down. The person on the other side of the door was about to enter the house.


	59. Day Twenty Eight, Part One

The figure stood there. A great big smile came across Tom's face. The door was then, slowly and quietly, shut behind him.

"Off to bed I see, must rest ones head 'til morning and the greeting of the sun!" he said.

Pilith smiled.

"I will be sleeping in here tonight" he explained to Tom.

But Tom suddenly interrupted.

"Say not of your plan, Tom is not so deaf as you think"

Pilith was a bit confused, but after a few seconds of thought, he understood that Tom must have heard them talking about him.

"So, you know that I want to stay with Mya?" Pilith asked.

Tom gave a slow nod.

"Of course" he answered.

"And I do not blame you, she will need you and you will need her"

Pilith smiled. Goldberry had wondered of into another room as the two of them had been talking. But she was not away long. She came back into the room. She was holding what looked like a dog bed.

"We normally use this for injured animals that come to us for help" she said.

Pilith smiled.

"It'll be good enough, I guess" he said.

Pilith walked over to the table. The little puppy was slowly lifted up, Pilith did not want to wake her. Goldberry placed the small bed near the window. She opened the window, which creaked. A cool breeze came into the small room.

Goldberry turned around and looked down. Pilith had already placed his friend on the padded bed. A small puppy was standing there, looking right back up at her. his small tail wagged.

"Would you like a bowl of water?" Goldberry asked.

The small puppy nodded his head. Goldberry then walked out of the room. the small puppy looked at the large person walking out of the room. but his attention changed to the other puppy, now laying on the bed.

Pilith the puppy whined and looked down.

"You are still feeling guilt" said a voice.

Pilith's little puppy eyes looked up at Goldberry. She bent down and placed the cool, clear water near the bed. The puppies tail gave a small wag.

"Your welcome, now, bed time" Goldberry said, giving the puppies head a small tickle.

The puppy seemed to get onto the small mat and snuggle up next to his sleeping friend. Goldberry watched as the small puppy closed his eyes. Goldberry turned and walked back to her seat. The book that had been placed down was then picked up again. The pages were opened again. Goldberry flicked though until she stopped.

Quietness came over her as she started to read again. her eyes strolled over the pages, taking in every word. The words were hand written. Page after page was read.

The night outside seemed to pass without incident as she continued to sit there. The light from the sun seemed come up from the opposite direction. The sound of birds echoed though out the forest. The breeze from the hill tops was cool and refreshing.

A loud call from a passing crow seemed to take effect on one small creature more then an other. A small puppy that had been peacefully sleeping, had now been taken away from her tranquil sleep.

Whimpering came from her as she was torn from her sleep. Goldberry, who had been looking out of the wind for a good number of hours smiled as she turned around. She knew that Mya would wake the next day and she had been right.

She slowly and silently walked over to her. She smiled as she picked up the small puppy.

"I am glad to see you are up" she said.

Mya opened her little, brown eyes. For a moment, her eyes were blurry. But, as she blinked, she recognised the person holding her.

Mya gave a small whine.

"I am" Goldberry answered.

Mya's head was now dry and fluffy. She gave a stretch and yawned widely.

"Pilith wanted to be the first one that you see, but I guess that paths change"

Mya looked down to the floor to see her friend still curled up. The puppy in Goldberry's arms gave a small bark. Mya wanted to see her Pilith.

"He needs his sleep, worry is strong in his heart. It is best for him to rest"

But the puppy wasn't listening. She wanted to see her Pilith. Goldberry took a deep breath and placed her down. But she did not move from where she was. Mya walked over to the second snoozing puppy.

"Pilith?" she whimpered, nudging him.

The pup gave a small whine and curled up. Mya blinked twice. She whined and nudged him again. this time, it woke the sleepy puppy. He whimpered and yawned.

"Pilith?" Mya whined again, tilting her head.

The other puppy looked at her. He looked very sleepy indeed. But the tiredness was making him slower the normal.

"Mya?" he whimpered back.

Mya wagged her tail. Pilith slowly got up onto his four little paws. Mya stood there.

"How long have you been awake?" Pilith asked.

He yawned and stretched. Goldberry was standing there. She could understand everything that they were saying.

"She's been awake for just a few minutes" Goldberry answered.

Pilith looked from the tall figure towering over them. Mya wagged her tail and looked up as well. The two puppies were near enough identical. Pilith being just a big bigger then Mya.

"I think a good breakfast is in order" she said.

Both puppies tails wagged at this. The tall figure of Goldberry turned and walked out of the room. The figures of Pilith and Mya both lengthened as they changed from puppy to human.

Pilith took a deep breath, he was quieter then normal.

"I am very hungry" Mya said, walking towards the table.

Pilith gave a small smile. He could not bare to look at his friend. But Mya knew that he was hurting.

"It wasn't your fault, if that's what your thinking" she said.

Their eyes met. Mya got the feeling that Pilith did not think that way. He took a deep breath as Goldberry walked back in. She was carrying a few plates. The young looking woman placed them down and turned around again. she walked back out again.

"Mya, I almost got you killed" Pilith told her.

Both of them had equally brown eyes.

"But I haven't died, I am still here. Isn't that what counts?" she asked.

Her words gave Pilith a small bit of hope. But he still needed to recover.

"I guess that is, but it doesn't make me feel any better"

Goldberry came back into the room, carrying a bowl from of a sticky amber substance. This was honey. She set it down in the middle of the table. But that is not all that she had brought in. In her other hand, a small wicker basket that held a loaf of bread.

After a few more trips back and forth, the table had been lain. A large glass jug of water had been placed out along with four mugs.

"Breakfast is ready to eat" Goldberry said gracefully.

For having stayed up all night, she looked very refreshed. Like sleep was no use to her. Pilith smiled, feeling the hunger suddenly grow in him.

As he walked towards the table, Tom, yet again, seemed to come out of nowhere. He gave a big smile.

"Hungry I think you are, Goldberry has set out the table. Water, honey and softest bread" he said as he pulled out a seat.

Pilith and Mya sat down as well. Goldberry was the last to take her seat. Pilith smiled as he took some of the bread out of the wicker basket.

But reality was much harsher then the past. Origo, as Pilith was now known, was walking towards The Great East Road. But he was not alone. A small fairy, called Ivy, was fluttering near by.

The sun had come up yet again. the day before had not been very eventful. The puppy had been forced to walk though the cold night. Only stopping for a few hours.

"Come on, puppy" Ivy said.

Her wings were fluttering. But Origo gave a small whine as he stood there. He was wet, but not cold. That was because the fairy he was with blocked out the coldness for him.

The road that they were heading for was now only a mile away. The large road stretched for miles either way. One way brought them to the Grey Havens. The opposite way, brought them to Rivendell. But when they arrived, they would still have many miles to go.

The great east road was now a mile away, yet there was still no one around. this made it easier to move for the two travellers.

Origo gave a small whimper as he stopped. The snow was still melting. It created small streams of muddy, cold water. every so often, drips would impact on the soft mud from the canopy above.

"Alright, would you like turkey again?" Ivy asked.

Turkey was the only food Origo had tasted since the incident. The small pup nodded. Within a second or two, a large plate with turkey appeared in front of him.

Ivy smiled as she watched the puppy eat. Ivy looked around. she could not see far. The trees seemed to spread for miles on either side. A cold wind blew, making Origo's fur wave.

It took a few minutes to finish the plate of turkey. Ivy giggled as Origo looked up.

"Is it nice?" the fairy asked.

Origo wagged his tail. The small puppy yawned.

"I'm sleepy" he whimpered, looking up at the fairy.

Ivy took a deep breath as she stood there, the plate had gone.

"But, you've already had lots of sleep earlier"

The puppy whimpered. This made Ivy's heart melt. She now had a problem. She did not want to stop again, but she did not want Origo to be angry at her.

"Well, why don't we just go on a bit further?" she asked.

Origo whimpered and looked down. The puppy thought that he could get him own way. But that was far from the truth.

"Why are you always mean to me?" he asked.

Ivy was shocked at what the puppy had said.

"But, I'm helping you!" she answered.

"If we can just get to the…"

But a low grumble came from the puppy that stood before her. Ivy backed away. Origo was not very happy with her. But it was then that Ivy had a plan. If she could not tell him to follow her, she could get chased.

Origo then pounced on the fairy, missing her by just an inch. But Ivy did not flutter away far. She did it just enough for Origo to chase.

And that's exactly what he did.

Ivy fluttered slowly back, moving as she felt that Origo was going to get her. But she knew that he would not chase her for long.

The trees past as the small puppy barked and chased the fairy. But for now, it was good enough for Ivy. She smiled as Origo continued to chase her for longer then she thought he would.

The hours continued to pass as the two of them made their way towards the road. The clouds above were gathering, but there was no threat of snow just yet.

Ori was now genuinely getting tired now. He heart rate had rose and his small pink tongue hanging out. Ivy continued to flutter as the pup's pace slowed. The fairy smiled as she looked around. The pup was now trotting on the tick mud. His once clean and fluffy paws were now wet and coated in mud.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Alright, you can have a rest for a while, but we need to get moving again soon"

So, the two of them made their way off of the muddy path. The forest seemed to be full of big, pillar like trees. Origo looked around. a cold wind blew at him.

"Come on, lets find some shelter" Ivy said, fluttering by.

Origo followed the green, glowing fairy further into the woods. The muddy path that they had now left behind was now out of view. But Ivy did not stop.

The wind made the trip seem long then normal. But as Ivy was about to turn back, she saw something looking out of the still forest. She took a second look. It was a strange looking tree.

But the tree was perfect. The inside had been burnt out. There was large streak running up to a point.

"Must have been lightning" Ivy thought to herself.

Origo was looking around as well.

"Come on, we're going this way" Ivy said, regaining Origo's concentration.

Origo then spotted the tree before them. Logs seemed to scatter the forest floor. The snow seemed to not gather here. Yet the ground was very wet.

Ivy was the first one to reach the dark, hollow tree. Leaves seemed to covered the ground inside. Empty spider's webs clung onto the burn wood. A bird eyed the small puppy as he wondered with his invisible fairy.

"Is it scary?" Origo whined, not looking all that confident.

Ivy smiled.

"No, puppy. It's very safe" she answered.

The puppy took a look around before he started on his way in. Ivy was looking at the bark that lined the tree. It was black and very fragile. The wind seemed to whistle though the gaps.

To an outsider, what happened next seemed to come out of the blue. A small bit of back bark cracked and feel to the floor. This was, of course, the doing on Ivy.

"Alright, I guess you can go to sleep now. I'll keep a look out" Ivy told him.

Origo wagged his tail in agreeance. He came in further and placed his nose to the ground. different smells, all new, met him. a yawn came over the pup as he stood there. his ears were very fluffy and floppy.

"Alright puppy, snuggle down. I'll keep a look out" Ivy said, fluttering and then landing near the entrance to the large tree.

Origo stretched and laid on the dirty floor of the tree. He rested his head on his muddy paws. The layer of warmth that Ivy had put around him was very helpful. The cold air seemed not to bother him.

His small eyes slowly started to close. Ivy watched him slowly fall asleep. She loved the puppy very much. But she could not help but think back to Abira.

But Ivy could not leave Origo now. she was the only one Origo seemed to trust. It had now been two days since Abira had succumbed to the coldness. But she was not where she was before.

In fact, there was no sign of her around. The spot where she lay was now covered in snow. Birds flew around in the canopies of the trees.

There were no imprints of shoes or bare feet to be seen, even by the sharpest of eyes. Bird song echoed around the forest. The happenings of Abira were blown away with the wind.

Something strange was happening to the sleeping puppy as he lay in the hollowed out tree. Pictures were flashing before his closed eyes. Talking could be heard as well.

"The day seems fine" a woman said.

Origo could see two other people sitting on seats. One had dark hair which seemed to have a healthy shine to it. The second one was a girl. She had blonde hair which was the same length as the boys' hair.

"The wind is cool and the trees are calm"

The day was, of course, a very nice looking one. A cool breeze ran off from the hills a few miles away. The trees that grew around them were swaying gently as the wind tickled them.

The boy picked up a large mug of clear, clean and cool water. He drank a bit and placed the mug back down. His hunger from the night before had been tamed. Lunch was still a few hours away.

"It is best if Mya rests for today. We have time to explore the forest" the boy said.

Origo noticed that there was an unlit heath. Flowers in clear glass vases were dotted around the room. An open window seemed to let the wind in. A thin sheet seemed to blow over the window. Strands of ivy seemed to flutter in the wind as it stuck to the house.

"That is a good idea. Rest is more important and the woods will not change for thousands of years" the tall, pretty woman standing there.

The woman had a strange coloured dress. A band circled her waist. It was different from the rest of her flowing dress. Her feet had strange things connected to them. Like small, flat pieces of rubber.

Origo looked around.

"I have to get out of here" he thought, wondering exactly where he was.

There was no sign of a small green fairy. The puppy's eyes then fell on the open door. It was his only escape route. So, looking around quickly, Origo made his escape. The pup ran over the threshold, to the outside world. There was no sound on the opposite side of the open door. The pillars that Origo had seen in the other word were bigger and wilder then normal.

There was no sign of the floating green thing. Origo was getting very scared now. The direction he had to go in was unknown to him. His little legs carried him quickly away from the scene. The trees seemed to come slowly closer as Origo seemed to run away from the house.

Logs lay in his path. The puppy seemed to jump over them with ease. For a while, the puppy did not look back. The wind blowing into his face as he continued to run. It was then that he noticed something strange. He gave a small look back. He suddenly stopped, feeling more scared then ever.

The house that he had run off from did not seem to move. He could still hear their voices. But he could not make out what they were saying.

"Maybe…" he thought, looking towards the other direction.

His little legs continued to move as fast as they could. But the house he had left did not move an inch. Worry was now rising. There seemed to be no escape from the house.

In the real world, Ivy was now sitting down. The ground was full of leaves and twigs. It wasn't very pleasant to sit on. but she would do nearly anything just to make Origo happy.

After all, it was her fault that they were so far from Hobbiton now. And it was her fault that Abira wasn't here. Yet, she was unknown to the being world. Neither Diamond or Pimpernel knew of her and her doings.

The freezing wind seemed to slowly pick up pace. Ivy took a deep breath and looked up at the patch of sky that she could see from where she sat. the grey of the clouds was getting every so darker. Birds seemed to have fallen quieter. Their songs had been replaced by wind.

A few snow flakes had started to fall from the sky. But they did not stick to the cold ground. Instead, they melted into it.

But the weather was very different where Origo was. There was no wind, no sound of birds, no way out. the people that he had left in the house were still there.

They had not moved from where they were. And there was yet more strangeness about the picture.

"The day seems fine" a woman said again.

Origo had heard that before. he knew that she had said the same thing before.

"The wind is cool and the trees are calm"

Nothing had changed since the first time she had talked. The heath was still unlit and the boy drank from his mug for a second time.

"It is best if Mya rests for today. We have time to explore the forest" the boy said again.

The green, swaying ivy that clung onto the side of the house was still the same as a few moments ago. Origo's eyes scanned over to the window. The fine, woven drapes were flapping gently in the wind.

"That is a good idea. Rest I more important and the woods will not change for thousands of years"

She had the same flowing dress and different coloured belt. Her feet still had strange looking pieces of leather tied to them.

The door, which Origo had just come in from, was still open.

"I have to get out of here" he thought.

But, as he took a few steps forwards, he stopped. Something was very familiar about his thought. The woman did not move or change in anyway.

"The day seems fine" a woman said for the third time.

Just then, the picture slowly started to vanish as everything turned black. A few seconds later, Origo's eyes slowly started to open. The sounds of the real world slowly came back as the puppy awoke.

Ivy was now outside of the tree. She was looking up. Countless snow flakes were coming down from the grey sky above. There was an eerie silence about the passing snow storm that Ivy found interesting. Only the wind could be heard rushing past her.

Her fragile wing were useless due to the strength of the wind. Origo yawned as he rolled over. He needed more sleep. His little eyes closed again. But the small sounds of the snowflakes hitting the dead leaves was very distracting.

Ivy was getting very wet now as feather sized flakes fell on her. So, she decided to go back to the safety of the hollowed out tree.

It was then, as she made her way in, a creature was spotted though the curtain of flakes falling to earth. Ivy's eyes were fixed on the large creature coming towards her.

It was a fox.

Its red coat could be seen. The four legged creature started and stopped a few times. Its nose caught just a small scent on the wind. Its eyes seemed to focus in on a spot not too far away from where he was standing.

Its ears were sharper then most. The creature was now very inquisitive. The wind seemed to be the only noise that could be heard. The fox's fur was wet. But that did not bother the fox much.

Ivy continued to watch the fox inch ever closer. the fox was only feet away. Ivy was watching the fox as it stopped. For a moment, Ivy thought that the fox would come into the tree. If that was the case, she would have to protect the puppy.

But the fox seemed to have second thoughts. The creature looked around, then disappeared around the back of the tree. The tension seemed to be lifted as the fox was forgotten.

Ivy looked back at the puppy. She was surprised to see that Origo was standing there. His brown eyes were looking at him. he gave a small blink and tilted his head.

"Had a nice sleep?" Ivy asked, smiling.

"It wasn't very long" she told him.

Origo's little tail started to wag. Ivy looked out at the thick curtains of snow. There seemed to be no sign of it stopping.

"It looks like we're staying here until this stops" Ivy said, taking a deep breath.

This would delay their journey for a few hours. Ivy smiled as she walked towards muddy Origo. The puppy was much bigger then her. but she wasn't scared of him.

"We'll be at the big road soon, then we can go to Radagast" she said.

Origo looked around as Ivy stroked the fur above his nose. The puppy then walked around the fairy and stopped at the entrance to the tree. Ori's little eyes looked around. the snow flakes seemed to intrigue the small pup.

Ivy came and stood by him.

"Their snow flakes pup" she said.

Origo gave two confusing blinks. The next second, Ori darted out from the safety of the tree, leaving Ivy standing there.

Ivy watched as the puppy jumped and bit at a passing snow flake. Ivy gave a playful smile and opened up her wings. They started to quickly flutter as they lifted her off of the ground.

"Puppy!" she said, fluttering in the wind.

She was being blown off course every time that there was large gust of wind. Origo looked up at the sky. Many, many white things were falling from the clouds. Million upon million fell.

In Hobbiton, a young girl was getting very excited. A fresh layer of snow was falling onto the layer that had already fallen. But she was not yet allowed out. the smell of food ran though out the house.

"Be right back" she said, placing a toy horse on her bedside table.

She hopped off of her bed and walked over to the large door. She opened it. The smell of lunch put a smile on her face. but she knew that it was not ready yet.

Toys seemed to scatter the floor. Evidence that Elanor was not the only child living there. and this became as she got nearer to the kitchen.

"Merry, behave" said a very stern voice.

Elanor smiled as she opened the door to the kitchen. There was a large table in the middle of the room. There, her father was sitting. Two of Elanor's younger siblings, Merry and Rose were sitting there as well. An ink pot had been placed between the both of them.

Samwise was standing over the both of them. He looked up at his eldest daughter and smiled.

"What's this one?" Merry asked.

On the sheet of parchment, Samwise had written the alphabet. All twenty six letters had been written. They had been spaced out so that the children could rewrite the letter near by.

"That one is a W" he said, looking down.

Merry took a deep breath. He looked at it, figuring it out. Hunger was getting to him. But he knew that lunch was still an hour away.

"Their easy" Elanor said, smiling and walking over to the table.

Samwise smiled.

"Well, they maybe easy for you, but not for others" Samwise told his daughter, looking up at her.

Elanor yawned as she looked around. Candles were flicking and the heath was crackling. The chicken was slowly browning in the oven as a metallic sound met Elanor's ears.

Rosie Gamgee was getting the vegetables ready. Carrots, parsnips, peas and potatoes. There was a large stock of them in the cellar. In the summer months, the fields around Hobbiton and Bywater were a hive of activity as hobbits ploughed the fields and sowing the upturned soil.

The combination of rain and sunlight seemed to make the best food. But some years, the harvest was not as rich as it could have been.

Rosie filled the metal pans up with clear water. the hobs of the oven were very hot. The pans were pans were placed on the circular hobs.

But Rosie had to wait for the water to start bubbling first. She smiled as she looked around. Merry had now finished his work. His quill was resting on the table.

"Right" Rosie said, walking over to the table and picked up the sheet.

Her eyes scanned over the letters. Rosie took a deep breath as there were three missing letters.

"Better, but you still have not done those three" she said, placing the sheet down.

"But their too hard!" Merry said.

He took a deep breath and looked back down. The smell of the cooking chicken was much more inviting then learning. He took a deep breath as he concentrated on letter before.

The letter was made up of two likes. A vertical one and a horizontal one. The horizontal line seemed to be balancing on the vertical.

"What is this one?" he asked, trying to figure it out.

Merry took a deep breath. His eyes scanning over each letter of the alphabet. He read each letter in his mind.

"A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S"

It was then that he got stuck. He took a deep breath, getting a bit annoyed at himself now. Rosie stood there smiling. She knew that Merry was getting frustrated. But she also knew that he knew it.

"Umm" he said, eyes scanning over for the umpteenth time.

Merry's older sister, Rose looked over. She smiled.

"It's T" she said.

Rosie rolled her eyes. She knew that her children helped each other out. To her, she had nothing wrong with it. But sometimes, they had to figure it out by themselves.

"Thank you, Rose" she said.

Rose giggled, knowing that she should have let her brother figure it out by himself. But it was instinct to do so.

"So, that's a T?" Merry asked.

"Yes dear" Rosie answered.

So, dabbing his quill into the near by ink pot, Merry Gamgee started to write. He looked at the letter, the copied it.

"Is that alright?" he asked, waiting for his mother.

Rosie smiled.

"Yes, dear. It's good"

The clock that had been ticking gently on wall now chimed twelve times. Rosie took a deep breath and looked over at it. Both hands were pointing upwards.

Rosie then got out a metal trey. It looked very used indeed. Rosie took a deep breath as she picked up a large vase. It had two handles at the neck of the vase.

The vase was full of golden oil. The trey that had been placed out was now filling with the thick liquid. Pealed and boiled potatoes were waiting to be roasted.

After a minute, the potatoes were placed onto the trey. Rosie smiled as she opened the hot door. A wave of heat met her face. A towel had sheltered her hand from the blistering heat of the handle.

A few seconds later, the door to the oven was closed, trapping the potatoes and cooking chicken in. The flames licked the underside of the two treys as they lay there.

"Alright, that's enough for now dears. We can continue after lunch" Rosie said.

Merry smiled as he got up from his seat.

"But, I want to go out after lunch" Merry whined.

Rosie took a deep breath. The snow outside was still falling.

"Just one more go and then you can go out" Rosie told her son.

"Oh, but it's snowing!" he whined.

Rosie looked over at him. She knew that children loved going outside. Even on a cold, snowy day, their love for the outside world shined though.

"I know it is, but your learning is far more important"

Merry made a sad face, but knew that he could not argue with his mother. Merry yawned as he looked around. the child then walked out of the room, wondering what to do now. all he could do was wait until his lunch was ready.

Pilith was standing at the threshold of the house. His eyes scanning the area. Mya was sitting down at the table. she walk looking over at her friend. She took a deep breath and stood up.

The girl walked towards him.

"You have to forget about it" Mya said.

Pilith turned his head, but did not look back to her. He could not face her.

"It is not so easily done" he answered.

Birds were flying in the cool breeze. Every so often, one would perch up in a near by tree, curious to see the happening in the strange house.

"Time will help you. I am here and you are here. Is that not enough?" Mya asked.

Pilith looked down.

"I can not get that moment out of my mind. All I can see is you, getting dragged under the water" he answered.

Mya looked out of the open door as well.

"I think a walk would suit us" Mya told him.

Pilith shook his head.

"No, I want to stay here"

The two of them looked at each other.

"Mya is correct in what she has said" a voice came.

It was Goldberry. She had been standing behind them for a few minutes as they spoke. She smiled as Pilith looked around.

"But, you said she needed rest" Pilith told her.

"I did so, but fresh air on a day like this is better then any fruit nature can provide. This house is akin to a cage at times. The door is left open for that reason" Goldberry explained.

Goldberry seemed to have a way with words like no other had. Pilith's mind was made up.

"Alright, but only for a small while" he said.

The protection of Mya was upper most importance to him.

"We'll be back before lunch" Mya told Goldberry.

The women smiled and gave a small nod. Pilith felt strange as sensation as he stopped outside. There was a different smell to the world. A cleaner, richer smell.

A small smile came over him as he looked around. There were many colours to see. It was more beautiful from higher up. Usually, both Mya and Pilith were low down to the ground in their puppy form.

Mya followed her friend as they looked around.

"Come on" she said.

The next second, a puppy run off where Mya had been. Pilith gave a small smile. The next second, another small puppy stood where there once was a person.

The two puppies ran along. As they were, the first puppy stopped. The house behind could now not be seen. Only birds and wind could be heard.

Pilith looked around. Mya blinked as she watched him. The next second, the little puppy pounced at her friend. Pilith and Mya rolled around on the floor. Mya tugged at one of Pilith's long, fluffy ears.

She growled playfully as Pilith seemed to over power her now. The puppies continued to play like that. Mya struggled as she was pinned down.

A bird was flying though the ancient forest. The canopies of the tall trees swooped past, only inches from it. Leaves waved in the wind, creating a rushing sound. The bird seemed to slalom though the trees as it made its way though the forest.

A glinting band of water approached though the cathedral like pillars. The small bird rushed past tree trunks as great speed, but only inches away.

It was then that something caught his eye. Two small figures in the middle of a treeless area.

"Strange" the bird thought.

Curiously, the bird swooped and perched upon a thin branch. The bird tilted his head so that he got the two small figures in his sights.

"Curious" he thought.

The two creatures seemed to be fighting. Fighting for an unknown cause. After a few minutes, the two of them seemed to stop.


	60. Day Twenty Eight, Part Two

Pilith looked around, his small tongue was hanging out. The cool breeze seemed to brush against his soft fur. Mya looked around as well.

The first small puppy turned around. the two of them looked at each other for a split second.

"Bet you cant catch me!" Pilith barked and suddenly ran off.

Mya wagged her tail and bounded off after him. Pilith looked back as he ran around the tree with Mya chasing. But Pilith did not run right around the tree he was near. Instead, he ran towards another near by tree.

Mya stopped and saw him run towards the other tree. Her small, pink tongue stick out as she ran. Pilith looked back, knowing that he was just a little bit faster then she was.

Mya noticed that she was actually gaining on her friend. But, just as she was about to pounce on him, Pilith gained an extra foot or two.

The bird continued to watch this unusual behaviour. He fluttered to where he could see them better. The bird fluttered its small wings quickly and swooped just a few meters to another branch.

The wind seemed to slowly bounced the perch. The creatures continued to play as the wind blew. Pilith was the first one to stop. Mya, not knowing he wasn't playing any more, tackled him.

The two of them fell to the ground. Pilith rolled over, Mya rolled over the top of him.

"Mya!" Pilith whined, getting up.

Mya slowly stood up as well. She looked at her friend. Pilith shook himself and looked at his friend.

"Why did you do that?" he whined.

Mya tilted her head just a fraction.

"I thought we were playing" she barked back.

Pilith shook his puppy head.

"Not any more, I'm getting hungry again" he whimpered.

Mya came closer and gave his ear a small tug.

"Race you back" she barked, running off at full pace.

Pilith was very quick off of the mark. The bird that had been perching on the branch fluttered in a different direction from them.

Trees rushed past the two puppies as Mya seemed to be the slower one. Pilith was the first to jump over a small log, closely followed by Mya.

In the real world, the weather was very nasty. The warmth of summer had given away to the coldness of the winter. Snow was still falling as Origo lay with his head on his fluffy paws.

Memories had been erased from the poor pups mind. Everything about his life had been forgotten. Feather sized flakes were still falling. The greyness of the clouds made everything seem darker then normal.

Origo yawned as he lay there. His brown eyes were looking around. The snow outside had started to thicken as it stuck to the ground.

There was no animals to talk of as Ivy continued to look outside. A small whine came from the pup as he lay there. Ivy smiled and looked around.

"Not yet, I think we'll be here for some time" she answered.

Her attention was now on the puppy again. she smiled as she walked over to him. Origo, although small himself, was bigger then the fairy in front of him.

Deep down, Ivy knew that this snow was here to stay. The snow storm seemed to cover a vase area of land. creatures seemed to struggle as the coldness deepened.

Above the clouds, the sky was pale blue. The sun was slowly creeping across the path that it took from east to west. There seemed to be no clue as to weather there was land below or sea.

The clouds seemed to create a shelf of white that stretched for miles either way. Below, wild lands that had been shaped by every force under the burning sun.

Snow, rain, flood and heat. Everything left a print on the fragile land below. The snow seemed to break massive boulders over hundreds of years. The freezing and thawing seemed to take as much effect on rocks as water did.

The rain seemed to have an effect on the land as well. It swelled the rivers and small streams. It would turn parched, cracked land, into a raging flood within a few hours.

The floods were sometimes travailing at such a high speed that trees and sometimes people were dragged with it. But, there seemed to be an upside to the floods. After they had come and went, the fields seemed to grow their crop better. The rich sediment seemed to help it.

Winter gave away to summer. The sun seemed bake the ground below. The rivers that, only a few months before, had been a raging torrent were now struggling to find enough water.

Origo yawned as he rolled over. Sleep was now getting to him yet again. Ivy took a deep breath. She sat cross legged on a brown leaf. The flakes outside continued to fall as the storm raged ever on.

Hobbiton lay just miles from where they were. Lights shone though the gloomy weather. The Green Dragon seemed to be busy as usual.

A cold blast of air entered the pub as a hobbit did. The door was quickly shut as complains from the elders replaced usual talk. But, as the warmth overpowered the coldness, the talking settled back down to usual.

"Coldest winter in a good while!" said one of the elders.

The three or four elders that sat around the table all agreed. Snowflakes could be seen falling on the other side of the cold glass that made up the window.

Condensation had frosted the glass. Droplets of water gathered on the smooth surface. The glum weather seemed to made conversation weak and short.

Fires seemed to be burning bigger and brighter then ever. Their warmth spread out slowly, fighting off the coldness. Smoke rose up in the brick built chimneys. The wind outside grabbed them and took the smoke away from the pub.

The roof of the Dragon was made of solid thatch. On the very edge of the roof, cold droplets were falling to the ground. small icicles started to form. The slowly grew longer and longer.

The prints of animals and hobbits alike were slowly, but surely, covered. There seemed to be less hobbits out in the coldness. Lunch was a considerable factor for this.

Nearly all the hobbits of Hobbiton were sitting down to a warm, filling lunch. Merry and Pippin were sitting in the kitchen. A fire had been lit hours ago and had been stocked up every so often.

A mug of cool ale had been set before them. There were many bowls as well. Roast potatoes, crunchy parsnips and juice chicken.

A thick gravy had been poured all over. Pippin smiled as he took a deep breath. He placed his knife and fork down and picked up his ale. The level of ale had gone down considerably as he drank. Merry yawned, tired from all the research and writing he had been doing.

He was finding it harder then he thought it was going to be to make a book. But make it he did. He wrote parchment after parchment of notes and details. For Merry seemed to know a lot about the art of tobacco and where it was made. There seemed to be many books on it.

Pippin, on the other hand, was very happy with where he was in his very own book. But, unlike Merry, Pippin's book would not be for the hobbits of Hobbiton.

It was for a special hobbit. A hobbit that he connected with the most. Diamond Took. For this was no ordinary book. It told a story of memories past.

Pippin was unusually quiet at dinner. The sound of knives and forks on plates was the only sound. The crackling and random popping of the fire and the ticking of the clock joined in as well.

Pip placed his knife and fork down and picked out a heavy bowl. there were still many, many roast potatoes still laying in there. But they were not as hot as the first load that he had eaten. In fact, these were at the perfect temperature.

The potatoes were placed on the plate. Another ten in total. For hobbits could not just have one serving. Three or four helping were in order.

"I think" said Merry, breaking the silence.

He was looking into his mug of ale.

"I think I need some more" he said.

Pippin smiled as Merry stood up. His wooden chair scrapped along the tiled floor. Merry walked towards the cellar. The large door was opened it.

Diamond, on the other hand, was struggling. She had not even started to make lunch yet. Cleaning and looking after her son, Faramir, seemed to be more important.

The young hobbit seemed to stop for a moment. Her head was spinning. But hunger seemed not to be present. She still was not giving in. Faramir Took was still crying in her room.

Diamond looked down the hall way, listening to him. There was a bucket of water that she was using rested at her feet. The head of the mop was dripping as she took it out of the water.

The floor behind her had already been cleaned. It had a strange glaze to it. The wet mop head was then slid across the floor, leaving a trail of water behind it.

The candles that had been lit were now dancing points of light on the floor. The cries of Faramir grew louder.

"Alright!" Diamond called, hoping that would calm him just a small bit.

Bit it did not. Diamond took a deep breath, the thought of having to leave the cleaning was a very bad one. Normally, Pippin would be able to take care of Faramir. But, now that Pippin did not care about her or Faramir, she had to juggle nearly everything. So, leaving the mop in the bucket, she walked away. But, unknown to her, the mop was slowly slipping.

As Diamond walked away, the long wooden handle of the mop impacted onto the floor. The water that was inside the bucket spilled out all over the floor.

Diamond then looked back and saw the water seeping out all over the place. She closed her eyes, annoyed at everything that was going wrong.

But Faramir was now on her mind. The water was trickling down the gaps in the many tiles that made up the floor. The floor was not completely flat. The volume of water seemed to flow slowly towards the large front door.

The bedroom door was pushed open. It had not been fully shut.

"Alright, mummy is here" said a very tired Diamond, walking over to him.

Faramir was then lifted out of his cot and comforted. Diamond smiled as she held her son. Faramir's hair seemed to be filling out now as he lay there. His hair was golden brown, just like his father's. but his eyes were blue, like his mother's.

Diamond smiled as she walked out of the room again. She walked back down the corridor to the kitchen.

"Now" she said, smiling and reaching for the cellar door.

The door opened to revile packets of food and jars of sauces and spreads.

"Lets see what we have to eat"

Faramir was now whimpering, but was still upset. His mother's voice seemed to have a calming effect. With her free hand, Diamond took out a jar full of an orange substance. This was in fact the food that was fed to feed Faramir.

The cold cellar was then shut, keeping everything inside cool and fresh. The heath in the kitchen was flaming gently, letting out just the right amount of heat for Diamond.

Placing the jar down, so that she had a free hand again, she opened up the cupboard. The cupboard was full of bowls and plates. Diamond got out one of the small bowls. The door was then shut again and the bowl placed on the worktop.

Diamond smiled as she walked a few feet over. There, Diamond pulled out a draw. She smiled as she took out a small, silver spoon. The draw was then closed again, leaving the rest of the cutlery laying there.

The jar was opened, which was quite hard for Diamond. She placed the lid down and started to scoop out the condense. Scoop after scoop was placed in the bowl. after a few minutes, there was enough for Faramir to have his lunch with.

Another dizzy spell hit Diamond. But she knew that she could not leave her son going hungry. Diamond screwed the lid back onto the jar. The bowl was then picked up as Diamond turned around. She walked towards the table and placed the bowl down before drawing out the chair. She slowly sat down, making sure she did not hurt her son. The silver spoon was then picked up, it had a bit of the orange mixture struck to it.

Meanwhile, Origo was once again sleeping. But, unlike last time, he was having no dreams. The flakes seemed to continue to fall as the day continued to get darker.

Ivy was now waiting, for how long, she did not know. Time seemed to drag on. The coldness seemed relentless as the clock ticked. The minute hand of all clocks seemed to go around slower then normal.

An hour had past since midday. But the sun still had a few more hours until it's light would no longer show the way for the creatures that walked the lands.

Diamond had now fed her son and put him back to bed. She could now think about herself. The first time she had done since breakfast. The house was once again quiet and calm. Only the sound of her heartbeat the fire could be heard.

The kettle bubbled as the flames of the heath heated it up. Diamond yawned as she closed the cellar door. In her hands, a lovely loaf of bread. She smiled as she opened the draw. She pulled out a large knife and closed it again. The loaf of bread was placed down on the work top. The paper bag that it had been put inside was then torn off.

Diamond smiled as she moved the bag out of the way. She then placed the sharp edge of the knife on the crust of the bread.

The hobbit then started to cut though the hard crust. After a few seconds, she got to the bottom. But that was not enough. So, a centimetre or two away, she started to cut again.

It took a small while to get the two slices that she wanted. Diamond smiled as she placed the cut loaf back into the paper bag.

Diamond then carried the bagged bread back to the cellar. But she did not leave empty handed. As she walked out, she grabbed a block of cheese.

She smiled as she walked back to the work top. The block of creamy cheese was then cut with a smaller knife. She then cut small slithers of cheese off and placed them on the two slices of bread.

Diamond then got out a small trey from one of the cupboards. The two slices of bread were placed on the trey. Diamond then got a small cloth and opened up the very hot oven. The flames of the fire inside were very hot. The trey, with the bread on, was slid into the fiery oven.

The hot metal door was then closed, keeping the heat inside. The heat slowly caused the cheese melt in the bread. Diamond seemed to only think about cleaning today as she gathered the crumbs off of the work top.

But yet, it was not a bad thing. It kept her mind off of Origo and Pippin. Both of which had left her. A plate was then placed on the work top.

After ten minutes, the oven was then opened. The small of melted cheese met her, making her smile. The trey was very hot indeed. But the cloth helped Diamond not to scald herself. The two pieces of toasted bread were placed on the plate. She smiled as she placed the trey in the sink and turned the water on. There was a little bit of water vapour came off of the trey. But that did not worry Diamond.

The cheese on toast was now on her mind. Diamond smiled as she took her seat. She smiled as she picked up the first slice. The first piece was very hot, but Diamond managed to eat it. Small strands of cheese stuck to Diamond's lip. She licked her lips a few times to get it all off.

To Origo, time was non-existent. His small, brown eyes were closed. Ivy was laying on the floor now. Boredom was now getting to her.

Memories were running past Ivy's eyes. Some were new memories, others were as old as the tree that she was laying in. she was looking right up to a furthers part of the tree. Silver cobwebs scattered the inside edge of tree like small, thin nets.

Ivy remembered what it was like many, many years ago. She and other fairies were living in an very old forest. Ivy and her friends lived in a very beautiful part of an ancient forest.

A clear, trickling stream snaked near by. The day was cool and sunny. The breeze was smooth as Ivy sat on the edge of a branch. She smiled as she looked around.

Just then, a small figure landed on a lower branch. Ivy looked down and smiled. Her wings opened up and began to move. The next second, she fluttered down to the other fairy.

"Good evening, Leila" Ivy said as she smiled.

But something was up with her friend. Unlike Ivy, Leila had a yellow tinge to her. Ivy noticed that her heart rate was quicker then normal. she was looking around, her eyes were darting around.

"We have to get out of here" she said.

Ivy was still confused.

"Get out of here?" Ivy asked.

"Why?"

Leila looked at her. for a few seconds, she did not answer.

"In a few hours, everything here will be gone" she said.

Ivy was getting ever more confused.

"Gone?" she asked.

Just then, Leila grabbed Ivy's hand and shot upwards. Ivy started to flutter her wings as well. A minute layer, they reached the top off the tree. The leaves gave away to blue sky.

"That is why we have to move" said Leila, fluttering there.

Ivy looked over at a horrible sight. A column, bigger then anything she had seen. Flames, bigger then the trees, could be seen lapping up the green and lush country before them.

"How did this happen?" she asked, feeling very weak.

Leila shook her head.

"I have no idea, the wind is coming towards us. We have to get out of here"

Ivy was looking around. Every tree, every sapling and plant would be destroyed.

"We have to tell the others, they need to prepare to leave" Ivy said.

So, nose diving though the canopy, Ivy made her way down to where she lived. Leila followed her. She was now the confused one.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Ivy landed on a large branch. It was then that she made her way towards a round hole. The hole opened up into a small chamber. This was Ivy's home. Although it used to be a woodpeckers home, the bird had not been back for some time.

"Ivy?" Leila asked.

Ivy was standing there. She knew that there was nothing she could do about the oncoming fire.

"We have to get out of here" Ivy said.

She knew that she some of her friends were unaware of the coming danger.

"What about the others?" Leila asked.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"They'll need to be told" Ivy said.

But how to do that, neither of them knew. Leila took a deep breath and looked out. Bird continued to sing as though nothing will happen to their beautiful land.

"I'll do it" Leila said, looking back.

"I'll go and tell them"

Both of them knew that there might not be a chance that they would see each other again. But for Ivy, it was the best news she had ever heard. It meant that she could escape. A small part of her wanted to go with her friend, but a small part of her wanted to escape as well.

The picture suddenly changed across her eyes. Ivy's small wings were fluttering.

"Come on!" she shouted, looking back.

All around her were flames of red, orange and yellow. Flames seemed to block the way. Ivy and her friends seemed now to be trapped.

A wall of flames seemed to stop their progress. The heat was immense as they fluttered there. Ivy quickly looked around. It was then that she saw her way out. It was a small, flameless area right above them.

"Come on!" Ivy shouted.

The wind was hot and the embers, numerous. The fairies continued to flutter up. As they did, there was a loud crack. Ivy looked up to see a massive chunk of fiery wood falling at them.

"Watch out!" she shouted.

Her wings worked hard to move her out of the way. But the same could not be said for the rest of them. Leila and her friends were cut off from Ivy. The big chunk of black wood hit them, dragging them down with it.

"No!" Ivy said.

She watched as the chunk of wood crashed into the ground. Ivy fluttered there, feeling helpless to do anything. It was then another loud crack behind her.

Another tree had broken. This time, Ivy really did have to move. The tree passed within only a foot of her. she felt the incredible heat coming off from it.

The small fairy made her way up. The smoke from the fire could be seen and it was getting closer. After what seemed like a lifetime, Ivy escaped the flames.

But the danger had not fully past. The smoke was thick as she climbed ever higher. Embers continued fly though the smoke. But, as Ivy climbed ever higher, the smoke started to disperse.

A minute later, Ivy broke though to the clean air. She looked around as she fluttered her small wings. She coughed, losing a few feet. The devastation spread for mile upon mile.

There were no trees to speak. The green leaves and the county side had been spoiled. Ivy was getting very tired indeed. The earth below was scorched and black. The small stream that ran though lush country was now running though a blacken carpet of ash and charcoal.

In reality, Ivy took a deep breath as she sat up. Origo was still snoozing as the level of light continued to get lower and lower. Yet, the snow still showed no of stopping.

The time was now getting later and later as Ivy sat there. Ivy's memories flashed past her many times as she continued to sit there.

Origo was still gently sleeping as time past. The sun was now defiantly going down at the sky above darkened.

Ivy was, once again, thinking of the large forest fire that she had witnessed many, many years ago. The land was now black as she landed on the cool ground. There seemed no life other then her for miles.

Black pillars that were once trees stood. Wisps of silver smokes seemed to be the only movement for miles around. the occasional popping of a piece of red hot piece of wood.

Ivy touched down on the cool ground. the river that had once flowed a green and lush country, was now flowing though the destroyed land.

Trees seemed to laying on the ground where they fell. Some fell in the river, blocking leaves that had fallen in the water. Ivy was still looking around.

The sky was now a silver blue as the smoke past over head.

"Hello?" she shouted, looking around.

But there seemed no life about. Not even a green leaf. The trickling sound of the near by. Ivy slowly fluttered over to it. The surface of the water reflected the bluish sky above.

Just then, Ivy was woken up from her day dream by movement. She smiled as she noticed that her Origo was now waking up.

"Hello" she said.

Origo's eyes were still very heavy as he looked over. He gave a small whine and yawned. His small, brown eyes looked around. he gave a small whine.

"I know" Ivy answered, taking a deep breath and looking out as well.

"It hasn't stopped"

Origo slowly stood up, stretching as he went. Origo then whined again, taking his eyes off of the falling snow flakes and onto the small, green fairy standing near by.

"I guess so" she said, making a plate of food appear.

Even though Origo had lost his memory, he still ate turkey. And that's exactly what was on the plate before him. the small puppy wagged his tail, seeming more awake at the site of food.

"We have to get going soon, night time is the best time to travel" Ivy said.

Origo stopped eating and looked over at her.

"I want to stay here" Origo told her.

Ivy took a deep breath, she was not in the mood to argue.

"I know you want to stay here and I do too, but we have to get as much walking done as we can" she explained.

But Origo would be a hard one to convince.

"But, why do we have to go?" he asked.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Because its my fault" she answered.

Everything was coming back to her. All of her emotions were now resurfacing.

"What is?" Origo asked.

Ivy took a deep breath, trying not to blame herself. But it was very, very hard to. She missed everything the way it used to be. But she could not do anything about it.

"Just"

There was a small pause.

"Just eat your food and then we can get moving"

But Origo did not want to move.

"No, I'm staying here!" he whined, getting a little bit angry with the flying thing.

Ivy took a deep breath, anger was now surfacing in her heart. She only wanted to help. But everything seemed to come to dead ends.

"You have no where to stay pup!" she told him.

"We need to get to Radagast!"

But Origo did not want to go. He liked the small bit of shelter that he was in and no one was going to make him move.

"If you want to go, why don't you?" he whined.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Because I have protect you puppy. Your not capable by yourself!" she answered.

Ori looked around. He knew that the fluttering thing got his food from him and his warmth. Yes, she was helpful. But that did not matter.

"What do you think I should do?" he asked, his brown eyes looking at her.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked outside. They needed to get moving. But if Origo did not want to, then they couldn't.

"Listen, if we can just get to the big road, then we can rest for the night there" Ivy told him.

Origo now had something to think about. His little mind was racing with the options that he had. Ori looked at the darkening world outside. Snow was still falling like it had been for the hours before.

"But, what if we don't find shelter when we get there?" he asked.

"We will" Ivy answered.

Origo choice was now swaying. Going seemed to be the better option. But then, another question came into his head.

"But what if there was no shelter there!" it said.

Ivy was looking at him. she really wanted to get moving now. Origo then looked at her.

"What if we don't find any shelter?" he whined.

Ivy took a deep breath. She felt like every answer led to another question.

"We will, puppy" Ivy answered.

Origo was now getting to his answer. His mind was made up.

"I'll go" he whined, looking out at the coldness.

Ivy smiled, knowing that they could finally get underway again. Origo then finished off his food and the plate vanished. Origo was now ready to get going again.

"Come on" said Ivy, being the first one to leave the safety of the tree.

Origo followed closely behind. The wind was still blowing, making all of the trees rustle. Ivy started to flutter. For a few seconds, she was taken by the wind. but she managed to right herself.

Origo was not so keep to go back into the snowy world. But he had to. Ivy said he had to. So, Origo started to walk slowly out. Snowflakes instantly started to hit him. they melted on his fluffy fur.

"Come on, we need to get going" Ivy half shouted.

She turned and fluttered off down the unexplored path. Origo slowly followed, finding it hard to move in the thick carpet of snow.

The tree that they had just left was no longer seen. Only a curtain of white could be seen all around them. Origo could feel the wind now. It was colder then he was used to.

Ivy was fluttering near by.

"Puppy?" she asked, stopping.

Origo seemed to be slower then normal. it was then she noticed that he was shiver.

"Are you cold again?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whine and nodded. Ivy smiled. The next second, Origo felt something strange happen to him. Warmth seemed to trickle from his head to his tail. The shivering seemed to instantly cease.

Ivy smiled.

"Come on, lets keep moving" Ivy said.

The Great East Road was now only an hour away. But the snow and coldness made it feel like a day or so. The light from the sun had now vanished as the clocks chimed five times.

But still, Origo and Ivy did not stop going. Origo seemed to struggle with the amount of snow before him. His little paws were now thick with snow and the fur on his back was wet and dripping.

But still they kept going.

Five minutes past turned into ten. Ten turned into twenty. Twenty minutes slowly, but surely, changed into half an hour. But they were still not at the road.

Origo continued to keep his head down, the snow was battering him all of the time. Ivy started to wonder if she had gone in the right direction. But there was no way in telling. All she could do now was continue on.

Another half an hour past and still, the two of them had not reached the road. Ivy was getting worried.

"It has to be this way, it just has to be" she said, looking though the curtain of white before her.

The small fairy looked around. for three hundred and sixty degrees, all she saw was snow and the faint outline of trees.

Just then, Origo stopped as well. He stood in deep snow.

"Ivy?" he whimpered, not liking the harsh wind.

Ivy turned and looked at him.

"Lets get moving again, we're close now" Ivy said, trying to sound confident.

So, the two of them walked on, not knowing how long they would have to walk for. But neither of them knew that, just around the small bend in the road, was the place that they were looking for.

The road that they were on linked up a large road running north to south. In one direction, it led to the Grey Havens. In the other, the Elven town of Rivendell.

Ivy then saw an strange outline moving along. The trees that it past behind blocked it out. but, as the curtain of flakes cleared, Ivy started to smile. she knew exactly what it was.

It was a cart.

A small light was hanging near the front of the cart. A large horse pulled it along.

"Are we there yet?" Origo whimpered.

He needed shelter very soon. Ivy smiled and looked down.

"Yes, it's just over there" she said.

Origo's small tail wagged. So, the two of them set off again. Sure enough, after a few more minutes, the two of them happened upon the road.

Ivy smiled and looked around. The road that they were now on was much wider and much more well used. Tracks seemed to be more numerous here. They seemed fresher then normal. The snow that was falling slowly filled up any prints that had been lain. Origo looked around as he stepped onto the larger road. The road seemed to stretch beyond to the north and south of them.

"Which way now?" Origo whined, looking at the fairy.

Ivy smiled and looked either way.

"Well, the cart was going that way" she said, fluttering that way.

"But then, I don't know where it was coming from"

It was then she realised something. She did not actually know the direction of Rivendell.

"Either way could be the right way" she thought, looking both directions.

"The best bet is to follow the cart" said one voice.

But then, a second voice came into her head.

"No, the cart was heading in the wrong direction, best to go the other way"

This was not helping. And neither was Origo who gave a small whine.

"I'm not lost" Ivy explained, lying to the pup.

But a small part of her knew that she was a bad liar. The two of them looked at each other.

"Oh alright, I have no idea where we are" Ivy told him.

Ivy looked left and right, trying to make up her mind. She fluttered to the left, which was the right way. But something told her that it was not the right way.

"No, no not that way" she told herself.

The fairy turned around to see the puppy was following her. Ivy smiled.

"Its defiantly the other way" she told the puppy.

The fairy fluttered past as the puppy turned around. But Ivy had a different feeling going to the right. She felt like she should be going the other way.

Yet again, Ivy stopped and looked though the feather sized flakes falling before her. The fairy took a deep breath. This way just did not seem right to her. Origo stopped as well.

He was now getting very annoyed at the fairy.

"Lets just go back to the tree" Origo barked.

His bark seemed to echo around the silence. But Ivy did not want to. They had been walking for many hours and many days. They could not just turn back.

"No, I just need to choose" Ivy told him.

Origo suddenly shook all over, sending cold water droplets all over the surrounding area. Ivy fluttered away, being splashed with ice cold droplets.

Ivy shook her head. She did not like the fact that she did not know the way to Rivendell.

"If only I could remember the way" Ivy told herself, thinking hard.

Origo gave a small yawn and looked around.

"I think we should go this way" he whined, looking down the right way.

But Ivy was the one that did not think he was right.

"But that might not get us to Radagast" Ivy told him.

Origo looked down the other way. Something was right about going that way. Something deep down was telling him to go that way.

"I know it does" Origo whined, starting off of the long journey.

But just as he did, Ivy stopped him.

"You know it does?" she asked hopefully.

Ivy was hopeful that she and the puppy would not have to travel all that way to Mirkwood.

"How?" she asked.

Origo gave her a strange look.

"I don't know. It just"

There was a short pause.

"Feels right" he answered.

There was another moment of pause before Origo set off again. Ivy took a deep breath and fluttered after him. For some reason, she trusted the puppy more then her own judgment.

The two travellers set upon their long journey, vanishing into the curtain of snow.


	61. Day Twenty Nine, Part One

But what if things were different?

What if Origo had not lost his memory?

A small, green fairy was fluttering in the kitchen. She landed softly on the edge of the table, waiting. After a few seconds more, Origo entered the room.

Ivy smiled as the puppy did not notice her. The fairy started to flutter quietly to her puppy. She was only a foot away, but still, Origo did not notice her.

"Got you!" she said, grabbing onto his fur.

The puppy yelped and started to run around. But the fairy did not let go. She seemed to enjoy the rid as Origo ran around the table.

"Puppy, slow down!" Ivy shouted, trying hold on.

The next second, Ivy let go. Origo quickly turned around and started to growling at the fairy. Ivy smiled and shot upwards as Origo bound towards her.

Down the hall way, Diamond could be heard coming down the hall way. She seemed happier then normal.

"Right" she said smiling as she saw her puppy.

It was then that Origo's attention went from the small fairy to his Diamond. His little tail wagged as he bounded towards her. Diamond gave a big, warm smile as she picked him up.

"I guess you want your turkey" she said, kissing the warm puppy on the head.

Origo gave a small whine and snuggled down on her shoulder. The two of them entered into the cellar. Origo knew what was coming next. Diamond would make him find the turkey.

Diamond noticed that her puppy seemed more excited. She smiled. But Origo was not the one to find the turkey for Diamond knew exactly where the packet was.

After a minute, she walked out again. The cellar door was closed again. The warm puppy was then placed on the cold tiled floor. Diamond smiled as she got a clean bowl out. The puppy seemed to be very excited about having his turkey. His small tail wagged as he lost his concentration for a few seconds.

Ivy, meanwhile, was fluttering around at the work top. Diamond smiled as she placed the turkey in the plate. She was oblivious to the presence of the fairy looking at her.

Ivy then smiled as she looked at the packet. An idea popped into her head. Of course, it was not like her to be mischievous, but she could not help it. She smiled as she landed near by. But Diamond had already finished and picked up the bowl.

"Here you go" she said, smiling as she placed the bowl on the floor.

Origo's tail seemed to wag even more as he started on his food. Now was the right time for Ivy to do what she wanted. Diamond stood up. The paper bag was laying on the worktop did something strange. It seemed to be floating slowly off of the work top.

Diamond was transfixed by it. There was no breeze to talk about. She watched it as it got to the edge. Ivy was in fact the reason why the bag was floating. The fairy smiled as she looked off of the edge of the work top.

The next second, she threw it off and watched it float down to the floor. Diamond also watched it float down to the ground as well.

"Strange" she said to herself, looking around.

She started to wonder if her house had some sort of sprit floating around.

"I hope it doesn't continue" she thought, bending down.

As she went to pick it up, the paper moved again. Diamond took her hand back and watched the paper slowly move upwards.

Origo seemed not to be bothered by the fact the paper was moving. In fact, he had finished his turkey was now looking for something to do. Origo was also looking at the floating paper. But he was seeing something much different from his Diamond was.

A giggling fairy was holding the paper. She was looking up at the large hobbit. A large hand came down, almost grabbing the paper. But Ivy shot off, out of range. Diamond stood up again, confusion was getting stronger. She looked down at her puppy who was wagging his tail and looking at the paper was well.

"Maybe he can see who's doing it" Diamond thought.

But for now, she had to forget about it. She smiled to herself as she walked out of the kitchen. Ivy watched her, giggling. She found it funny that Diamond did not know it was her.

"So" Ivy said, placing the floating packet on the floor.

The fairy fluttered and landed near the pup.

"What would you like to do today?" she asked.

Origo knew that Ivy could make anything happen. A small bark came from the pup. Ivy smiled.

"Sure we can!" she said, liking that idea too.

From the corridor, Diamond's feet could be heard slapping on the cold, hard tiles that made up the floor. It was an obstacle that lay before them. One that Origo had to over come. But it would not be easy. Diamond was walking back towards the kitchen, carrying a mop in her right hand and a bucket, still full of dirty water, sloshing around in the bottom.

The hobbit smiled as she entered the room. For a split second, Diamond thought that Origo was waiting for something. Diamond smiled as she placed the mop against the table.

Diamond then walked over to the sink. The water in the bucket was then tipped away. Taking a deep breath, Diamond turned on the tap. The bucket seemed too big to fit. Yet Diamond found a way of getting the water. it was then that the hobbit looked around.

Origo had vanished from where he had been standing. Diamond thought nothing of this at first. She smiled and looked around again at the bucket. But Diamond did not realise that Origo had a plan. He was going to see his Abira.

Ivy fluttered along side Origo. The two of them were heading towards the large, front door. The door came into view as they rounded the gentle corner. Origo stopped, he could not go any further.

Abira was laying peacefully on her Pimpernel's lap. Nelly was gently stroking Abira's ears. A warm smile came over Pimpernel's face as she watched her pup slowly fall asleep. Abira's small eyes were slowly closing and her small chest was slowly rising and falling.

Life had been hard for Pimpernel over the past few weeks and days. Her very own home, the only place that she had ever found asylum, had been destroyed in an unpredictable and fierce fire.

Flames seemed to eat up anything and everything that they touched. Nothing seemed to be safe. From paintings, drawings, maps, precious books, were all lost to the blackness of charcoal.

In Pimpernel's free hand, one of Pearl's books had been opened. Her eyes went back to the written words on the page.

Breakfast had come and gone. Pimpernel was not getting hungry again as the time wore on. her sister, Pearl, was in a different room.

But reality seemed to be very different. Pimpernel had awoken later then normal. for there was no reason for her arise early. A few times, the door to her room had opened. Pearl had been stood there for a few seconds, then silently closed the door and walked away.

The room that Pimpernel was in was now very silent. Only the odd crackle from the fire met her ears. But something else met her ears as well. A soft pattering against the cold window.

Snow was falling outside as the day brightened. Two figures were making their way down the path towards another house. Origo was shivering due to the coldness around him. Ivy was fluttering near by. A few strong gusts of wind blew her off course every now and again.

Origo knew exactly where he was going. The snowy path led around a shallow bend. Garden after garden was past, each covered in a thick layer of snow. Origo suddenly stopped at a closed gate.

Ivy fluttered on before stopping and looking back.

"Are we here already?" she asked, struggling to get back due to the strength of the wind.

The small puppy nodded. Ivy smiled and looked over at the cold, metal latch. The fairy's little wings propelled her though the snowy air to it.

Ivy struggled to keep herself in one place. A second later and the gate was opened. Origo was quick off of the mark and had already slipped though the gap in the gate. Ivy looked back to where Origo had been, but he was not there. the fairy smiled as she saw the pup scooting up to the large, round door. The gate then clicked shut and Ivy fluttered after him.

Inside, Abira was in the nice, warm kitchen. The smell of bacon and the sound of sizzling surrounded the small pup. But it was not her Pimpernel that was standing at the oven. Instead, Pearl was standing there. She had smiled as she flipped the bacon over.

Pimpernel was in fact sitting at the table, deep in thought. A rack of toast had been placed on the table along a few jars of spreads. A soft brick of creamy butter had been placed out as well.

A few slices of toast had been taken. One lay on Pimpernel's plate.

"Right" said Pearl, placing the hot pieces of cooked bacon into the bowl.

Abira's small tail started to wag.

"Now, it's very hot, so be careful" Pearl said, looked down at the pup.

Abira gave a small whine, her eyes darted from Pearl, to the bowl that she was holding. Pearl smiled and placed the bowl before the hungry pup before standing up to her full height of three foot, four inches.

Pimpernel smiled a bit as her eyes darted from her sister, to the last piece of toast that was laying on her plate. The knife was then picked up, along with a bit of butter. Pimpernel held the piece of toast steady as she started to spread.

After a minute, the top was covered in butter. Pimpernel placed down the knife and turned her eating. But, as she took her first bite, something echoed down from the corridor.

She turned her head as she chewed the piece she had already bitten off. Pearl seemed not to notice the gentle click that had met Pimpernel's ears.

So, getting out of her seat, Pimpernel walked out of the room. Abira broke away from eating for a few seconds and watched her Pimpernel disappear from sight.

Pimpernel felt a change in temperature as she walked down towards the door. The cold air was being let in as she rounded the shallow corner.

At the end of the long corridor was the large front door. Pimpernel stopped as she saw something strange standing at door. Another small puppy.

Origo was waiting for Ivy to close the door. But Ivy was not worried about the door anymore. She had spotted Pimpernel standing there.

"How did you…?" the hobbit started, but stopped in midsentence.

The door seemed to shut by itself. Nelly was now very confused. She knew that the small puppy could not open the door by himself. Slowly, Pimpernel walked towards the door that had now been closed. Origo's mission was now to find his Abira.

But reality could not be any more different. Ivy and Origo were many miles from the warmth of Diamond's house. The two of them had left that safety and were now heading towards Rivendell. The snow that was falling seemed to be easing up. The distance that could be seen was increasing with every passing minute.

Hunger and tiredness was now getting to the puppy who had been forced to walk quite a way the night before. Ivy was as tired as well. Her small wings were working very hard to keep her upright.

Origo looked back, he certainly did not like the snow hitting his face. A small whine came from him. Ivy picked up on this.

"Yes, I'm tired as well" she said, but there seemed to be no where for stopping.

No where that they could get out of the snow storm. The clouds above seemed to just be a white sheet all across the land.

The fairy fluttered where she was. The puppy stopped as well. He had a better time of staying in one spot then his fairy friend. The nearest shelter was back where they had come from. But Ivy knew that they could not back track. There was no time to back track.

"What are we going to do?" asked a sleepy looking puppy.

Ivy took a deep breath. All that she could think of was find another abounded rabbit hole or fox den. But, in this weather, it was easier said then done. For not many animals ventured out into the snowy terrain. Not even those with the thickest of fur could stand the coldness for long.

But, with Origo, it was different. He had a magical fairy by his side and that was a very helpful thing in this weather. Ivy had placed a bubble of warmth around the fluffy pup. But this did not mean that Origo was immune to the effects of the weather.

The snowflakes continued to impact on the pup. They melted due to the warmth radiating off of him. Drips were falling from the warm puppy. A small yawn came over him as he waited for a decision from Ivy.

"I'm hungry" Origo whimpered.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Alright, lets just find some shelter first"

So, the two of them continued to walk on for a few hundred meters. Origo seemed to be getting more and more hungry and tired.

Ivy stopped suddenly and looked to her right. For some reason, there was a small path led off of the main one. This one seemed to be used less then the main one.

It was then that Ivy spotted something coming at them though the curtain of snow. A light swayed on a hook as the cart came ever closer.

"Origo, we need to go this way" Ivy said, keeping her sight on approaching light.

The man on the cart was very cold indeed. His hands had turned a pinkish colour. The horse that was leading had its head down, struggling to get through the wind and bitter cold.

Origo and Ivy quickly made their way down the small path. Ivy hoped that Origo was not seen. The fairy slowed down and hid behind a tree. Origo followed suit, still unsure about the plans of his fairy friend.

"What are you doing?" whined Origo.

But he was hushed. Ivy was looking around the tree. The candle that was swinging at the head of the cart slowly moved down the road. Origo poked his head out and looked at the cart as well. All he could see was a shadowy figure moving against the backdrop of whiteness.

Origo rushed into the kitchen and suddenly stopped. His Abira was not looking at him. she was too busy eating to notice that Origo and Ivy were right behind her.

The next second, Abira was knocked over by a playful Origo. A small whine came from her as Ori flew over the top of her. The bowl that she was feeding out of was knocked over and started to spin on the spot.

It was a few seconds before Abira knew what had happened.

"Origo!" she barked angrily as she got up.

Origo wagged his tail as he stood there, very happy to see his Abira. But Abira was not very happy at being bowled over.

"You could have just waited, I was eating!" the pup whined.

Origo's little tail slowed down, noticing that Abira was not playing along. Origo's small eyes were fixed on her.

"But I want to play" he whined, blinking twice.

Abira looked over at her Pimpernel, who had entered the room again. the last bit of toast that she had had been eaten.

"How did he get in?" Pearl asked.

She had been watching the two puppies as she ate her breakfast.

"I have no idea. I checked to see if anyone had come up to the door, but it was only his prints"

What the two girls did not know was that Origo and Abira could understand everything they were saying. Origo looked over at his fellow puppy. The two of them knew that the hobbits were not ready for the secrets that they had.

"Maybe the snow covered the prints up" Pearl said.

Pimpernel took a deep breath. All she knew was that the door was defiantly open.

"No, there wasn't much time before I looked, the snow did not cover his prints"

The mystery was deepening as Origo and Abira stood there. Pimpernel took a deep breath, slowly forgetting about what had happened.

"Well, he's here now" she said.

Origo seemed to look up at her. there was something deep in Origo's eyes that made Pimpernel wonder.

"Are you hungry?" she asked the pup.

Origo slowly walked up to her. Pimpernel smiled.

"Alright" she said.

Pearl knew exactly what was coming next. She took a deep breath and got out of her seat. Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked down. She knew that she should be looking after herself, but she just couldn't do it.

Pilith and Mya had gotten up early the next day. the two of them had slept in their puppy form over night.

"Ah, my friends" said a familiar voice.

Tom had entered the room. His presence seemed to make the small room larger.

"Did you have a good sleep?" he asked.

Pilith smiled.

"We did" he answered.

Goldberry's long, graceful figure then came into view. She had been getting a rich breakfast ready. Tom had taken his seat and was now waiting on her.

Bowls and plates were set out. A bowl of dark red berries, a loaf of the freshest bread and a block of creamy butter were placed on the table. but that was not all that was planned for breakfast.

Goldberry left the room and came back a minute later with even more bowls. One had thick, sticky honey in it, another had rich jam and a third had marmalade, all made by Goldberry herself.

Blocks of cheese, some red and with some berries mixed in. Pilith suddenly realised how hungry he was as Goldberry brought out a large jug of water.

"Thank you" Mya said as Goldberry poured out a large glass of clear water.

Goldberry poured three more before sitting down at her place. Pilith looked around. Tom had started to cut the loaf into slices. He smiled as he took the first two and past them to Mya.

"Thank you" she said, placing them on her plate.

The next two were past to Pilith and the two after were for Goldberry. The final two pieces were cut for himself. The loaf was placed back on its own plate. Mya had started to spread the marmalade onto one of her slices.

Pilith was focusing on cutting a chunk off of the block of cheese.

"Pilith, could you past the butter to me?" Goldberry asked.

Pilith smiled as he placed his knife down and picked up the butter trey. He handed it the woman sitting at the end of the table.

"Thank you" she said.

A knife was laying on the side of the trey. Goldberry picked it up. She scooped some of the soft onto the blade of the knife and started to spread it onto the surface of the soft slice of bread.

Silence feel around the for of them as they ate. The windows had been opened, as well as the front door. A cool breeze was blowing though the house. Sounds of the outside echoed though the house.

Singing birds were spreading their songs to all to hear. The clouds in the sky seemed to be thin and high in the sky. The warmth of the sun seemed to be perfect as the day wore on. Pilith spirits seemed to rise as his hunger was tamed.

"What are your plans for the day?" Goldberry asked, looked at her two guests.

Both Pilith and Mya looked over at her.

"Well, I thought we could explore the area" Pilith asked.

He looked over at Mya.

"That is, if you want to" he said.

Mya took a deep breath.

"I think I would like to stay here today, I am not feeling up to it" she answered.

"But you can go if you want"

Pilith took a deep breath. He wanted Mya to come with him. Mya sensed a small bit of disappointment in Pilith's look.

"I'll go with you tomorrow" Mya told him.

"Sorry, but I'm tired today"

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Pilith took cut off a few more slices of bread and continued to eat. Mya ate the last of her food and sat there in silence.

Goldberry surveyed the girl sitting there. the woman could scene things better then most others. Mya's body language seemed to show Goldberry that Mya was not comfortable sitting at the table.

After a few more minutes, Pilith finished eating. His picked up the mug of clear, cool water and started to drink. The water quickly drained from his mug. For a moment, Pilith just sat there. but, upon taking a deep draw of breath, he got out of his seat.

"Well, I'll see you all later on" Pilith said, nodding.

Both Pilith's and Mya's eyes met, just for a split second. Pilith was the one to break their gaze. And, without looking back, he walked out of the house. Mya looked down, she took a deep breath.

"Do not blame yourself" Goldberry said.

Mya looked up. Goldberry's eyes were glinting in the sun.

"I know how you feel and Pilith does not hate you" she said.

But these words were not very comforting for the girl.

"Maybe I should go after him" she thought, looking at the door.

But Mya had no idea where Pilith had gone. Tom seemed to be listening on the conversation.

"Goldberry is correct, you can not live life blaming oneself. Of course, the road we take will have a few cobbles, but that is to be expected" he said.

Mya took a few seconds to understand what he meant.

"I guess so" she answered.

Goldberry stood up a second later. She pick up her plate. The woman moved around the table and collected the three other plates. Mya smiled as Goldberry came by.

Goldberry then left the room. she entered the cool kitchen and placed the plates near the sink. Tom came in as she left the room again. He was carrying a few of the bowls that had been set out. Mya was now standing up as well. It was then that Goldberry noticed that Mya was helping to clear the table as well.

"What are you doing?" Goldberry asked.

Mya looked around and saw that Goldberry was looking right back at her.

"I'm helping you clear the table" she answered.

A warm smile came over Goldberry.

"My dear Mya, you are always the helpful one. There is no need to help this time. You are a gust in our house" Goldberry said, taking the bowls from Mya.

Meanwhile, Pilith was now walking though the forest. The cool wind blew as he walked further away. The house of Tom Bombadil was now blocked out by the forest.

The surroundings were quiet save for the rustling of the canopies above and bird song. Twigs snapped under foot as Pilith continued to walk. This area was not very known to him. But there was a sense of adventure and exploration in him that could not be ignored.

The day seemed onto to become warmer as the boy walked on. His long, dark hair blew in the cool breeze that swept though the forest.

Hours seemed to pass under the sun. It was then, looming though the trees, that Pilith saw it. A wild out crop of rock. Pilith smiled as he approached it. The outcrop was tall, but not very suitable for large trees. Yet, there were smaller trees rooted into the smallest gaps. Moss, small patches of grass and different coloured lichen. Pilith walked slowly up to it.

There seemed to be more light hitting the rock then on any other part of the forest floor. Pilith smiled as he looked up. He placed one hand on the course stone. Taking a deep breath, Pilith started to climb the towering rock.

After a few minutes, Pilith got to the top. The outcrop was so tall that the tops of the trees were now level with him.

The sun seemed to be stronger up here then on the forest floor. The canopy play a big part in cooling the undergrowth. For mile upon mile, all that could be seen was a sea of green.

The blue sky had silver patches of cloud dotted among it. Every so often, one of the clouds would cross the path of the shining sun. The land below fell dark as the cloud sailed over. But, when it past, the warmth of the sun could be felt again.

"I see you have found my favourite spot in the old forest" said a voice.

This made Pilith jump. He spun around quickly to see Tom standing there. A broad smile covered his face under his brown beard.

"How did you get up here?" Pilith asked.

The smile did not change from Tom's face as he walked over the surface.

"I walked and I climbed" he answered simply.

But this did not help Pilith. He knew that Tom worked in strange ways.

"I thought you were back with Mya and Goldberry" Pilith said.

Tom gave one small nod.

"That I was, until I left" he told him.

Pilith thought better of it to say anymore of the matter in the fear of becoming more confused by Tom's words. Pilith took a deep breath and looked around again. blacks dots seemed to travel over the canopy of the forest. They were birds that were going about their own business, not troubled by the doings of Tom or Pilith.

"Do you like what you see?" Tom asked, now standing next to the boy.

Pilith slowly nodded, but did not say a word.

"She is worried that you do not like her" Tom said, changing the tone in the air.

Pilith took a deep breath and looked down. He did not know what to say. He knew that Mya needed him. At this moment in time, Pilith was disappointed with himself.

He knew that he should have stayed at the house. But he needed to get out of there for a while. Even if it were just for an hour.

"How can she say that?" Pilith asked.

"After all that I have done for her" he said.

Tom's expression did not still did not change. Although, he did take a deep breath.

"Sit" he said, sitting down himself.

Pilith took a few more seconds before he sat down as well. The two of them sat on the edge of mound of rock. Tom looked around.

"I used to come here a lot, at night mostly. The stars would twinkle down on the earth, like they have ever since I could remember" Tom said, looking up at the sky.

At this moment in time, the sun was too bright to see any stars. They were shrouded in a blanket of blueness.

"I spent a countless number of nights laying and looking" he said.

Pilith knew that some old wisdom would soon show itself. And he was right.

"My point is that life goes on, dear Pilith. Just like a seed of an oak tree. We all start off from something that has no knowledge of its surroundings. Then, we see a light. A light that opens us up. And then we grow and grow and grow. Just like all of the trees you see before you, they had to grow and will, eventually, die"

Pilith looked at him. Tom's eyes were deep and full of knowledge.

"And that, from what I understand of your peoples, is what you will do"

Pilith slowly nodded, thinking of the young girl back in Hobbiton.

"Yes, they do" he answered.

Mya was now sitting by the fireless heath. Her mind was racing with thoughts. Goldberry had gone to pick fruit from her garden at the back of the house.

"Would you like to help me gather fruit for lunch and dinner?" she asked, standing there with a woven bag.

Mya took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from the fireplace.

"No thank you" she answered.

Goldberry stood there for a few more seconds before turning and walking out of the room. She walked though the kitchen to the back door.

The door opened and she walked out into the rich garden. There were many different colours. Dark reds, greens and yellows dotted the garden. There were small beds made of soil where the vegetables grew.

There were ripe tomatoes hanging from a vine. There were rows of carrots and rows of cabbages. A few trees had been planted. They were now bursting with ripe fruit. Red apples, pares and peaches were all doing what they did best.

Goldberry smiled as she walked up to one of the trees. The tree seemed to be full of peaches. Goldberry knew that she did not need many of them.

She reached up and picked off a sweet, pinkish peach. Goldberry looked at it. A smile came over her lips.

"A very good crop this year" she thought.

She placed it gently into her bag so that they would not get bruised. At the door to the house stood a young girl. She was watching Goldberry pick the fruit off of the tree.

Pilith and Tom were still sitting on top of the rock. Tom's words were still running around his head.

"You see, we all have to die at some point. Some quicker then others. Yourself and Mya will also pass beyond the curtain"

There was a glint in his eyes that was strange. After many years of knowing each other, this was the first time that Pilith had seen this twinkle.

"Tom, are you alright?" Pilith asked.

There was distraction in Tom's gaze. Something was wrong.

"A shadow is lengthening" he said.

The wind around them seemed to stop and the light from the sun dulled.

"A shadow?" Pilith asked, not sure what was meant by this.

The glint disappeared as quickly as it came. There was now a seriousness about him.

"Evil will devour this world. It is only a matter of time before he is ready"

Something in Pilith's mind that made him feel very uneasy.

"Sauron?" he asked.

Tom gave small nod.

But the days of darkness had been over thrown by unlikely beings. Hobbits. The days were now calmer and peaceful. But not for a small puppy who was miles away from home.

Origo and Ivy were now in an abandoned fox den, out of the coldness. There was a plate set out before the pup. Ivy, being a magical fairy, had summoned a large plate of warm turkey for him.

Turkey seemed to be the only thing that Origo would now eat. Even before his accident, Origo loved turkey. But his passion for it had dampened.

The puppy was lit by the greenish glow of the fairy. Ivy was smiling, seeing the puppy eat. Piece after piece was gobbled down until the plate was finally empty. Origo continued to lick his lips. His eyes suddenly met the plate. Ivy giggled as Origo started to lick the plate.

"I guess your still hungry" Ivy said as she made the plate vanish.

Origo gave a small whine as he looked at the fairy. A cold wind seemed to whistle though the empty den. Origo yawned and rested his head on his little paws.

"Ah, I think it's time that we got moving again" she said.

But Origo had other plans. The puppy was not up to walking again.

"Not going" he whined, looking at the fairy.

Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that they would now be delayed even further.

"Puppy, please can we just go for a few more hours" she said.

There was a look in Origo's eyes that told Ivy that he had his mind fully made up. Ivy took a deep breath, not knowing how long the pup had planned on staying.

Mid day was fast approaching. The sky above seemed to show shapes in the clouds. There were darker, greyer parts mixed in with silvery-white. And they were moving at quite some speed. But there would be no clear patches showing through the normal blueness of the sky.

Origo yawned as he looked at his Ivy. The fairy took a deep breath. Her green glow was shining off of Origo's eyes. She gave a quick look at the puppy, then tore her eyes away just as quickly.

A small whine came from Origo as he tilted his head. Ivy looked at him again.

"No, I'm not puppy. I just to get moving" she said.

But she knew that all her attempts would not go well with the pup.

"But why cant we just stay here?" Origo asked, lifting his head up.

Ivy knew that Origo knew the answer. She had told him a few times now.


	62. Day Twenty Nine, Part Two

"Because we have a long way to go and we need to do it as quickly as possible" she answered.

Origo looked around. He wanted to stay where he was, he was warm and comfortable. He did not really like this cold weather any more. But then, he trusted the flying thing that followed him around.

"And when will we stop again?"

Ivy took a deep breath and looked around towards the entrance. A bit of the thick snow was falling into the den. But it was melting a minute or two later.

"Well, I guess we can stay here for a few hours. The weather seems to be brightening up"

The weather was indeed getting better. The snow storm seemed to have past, leaving quite a sight in its wake. The patches of blue seemed to become larger and larger. The sun seemed to become brighter as the clouds moved from its view on the earth.

Birds started to flutter around, now that the storm was over. Hobbiton was now getting very busy again. laughter of children could be heard echoing around the town.

But there was one hobbit who was not enjoying this time of year. Fredegar Bolger was laying on his bed. Lunch had been served and eaten. Fredegar was looking up at the ceiling. A smile came from him, which had been difficult over the past few days.

The smell of his lovely meal was floating all though out the house. A crackling fire sent heat around the room and thick, black smoke up the chimney, into the clearer air.

Sounds were echoing down from the kitchen. Rosamunda was in the kitchen, plates were being put in warm water. She hummed to herself as she scrubbed the dishes, bowls, knives and forks were all under the surface of the water.

Rosamunda had a wet cloth in one hand. With her free hand, she fished out the things that had been placed in the sink.

A knife was picked up out of the water. A few drips fell back and impacted on the large volume of water below. A hand towel had been placed on the work top near by.

A quick clean of the silver knife followed its dispatcher from the water. The hand towel was then picked up and the knife was quickly dried.

It took a few more minutes before all of the pieces of cutlery had been washed and dried.

The water was then drained and the sink cleared. Rosamunda continued to hum as she opened up a draw. She had a large handful of knives and forks. There was a sharp, metallic bang as they were placed back into the draw.

Rosamunda smiled as she closed the draw and opened up a cupboard. Inside were bowls and plates. The hobbit walked back to the sink and picked up a few bowls.

They were placed into the cupboard like the rest. Rosamunda suddenly stopped for a few seconds, her eyes glazed over as though in a spell. Her high spirits were crushing as a memory from long ago came to her.

After a few seconds, Rosamunda carried on with the job. It still took a few minutes to put everything away. The empty packets had been placed in a wicker bin. This would be emptied into a bigger bin outside for compost.

Gardening was very important to hobbits. But this year, the winter had been very harsh on even the most worked on gardens.

Snow had covered fragile, wintering plants. The soil was hard, yet there was still small bit of water trickling down to the depths.

Seeds waited for the warmer, lighter months to start growing. But for now, they lay dormant under seven inches of fresh snow.

"Come on Elanor!" shouted a girl, running in the snow.

Elanor looked back, her breath could be seen in the cold air. Snowballs flew at them, missing them by a few feet. But Elanor did not run. Her hands were numb with the coldness as they were dug deep into the snow. She picked up a good sized piece of snow. Good, that is, for a hobbit child.

A ball was quickly made due to the incoming fire from the other children. Elanor smiled as she saw her targets coming towards her.

The hobbit then threw the snowball. It spun in the air as it climbed higher. But gravity was now the decisions maker. An invisible hand seemed to pluck it from the sky at the correct moment. The snowball was now dipping towards earth.

Elanor's throw was very good indeed. It flew right over the head of one of the boys. The young, curly haired hobbit ducked.

"Good throw" said Elanor's friend.

Elanor gave a smile and continued to run away. The two of them, along with three other hobbit girls, reached the gap in the hedge. Elanor followed her friends though and looked around.

There were more hobbits on the path then was usual. The clear weather was a draw for them.

"Which way now?" asked a shorter girl.

Elanor had to make up her mind quickly. Her safest bet was to go towards her house. But then, there was more snow down near the river.

A snow ball hurtled towards them, landing just a foot away. The boys knew that the girls were still just around the corner.

"This way" Elanor said quickly, going the other direction from where her house was.

The four other girls quickly followed suit as the boys came though the gap in the hedge. They reached the road and looked around.

"There they are!" said one of the boys, point down the snowy hill.

A few seconds later, the boy ran off after the girls. But what neither of the parties knew was that Elanor's father, Samwise, was coming up the hill.

"Whoa!" he said, nearly falling on a smooth bit of ice.

The party of girls weaved and ducked as they ran towards the bank of the lake. On the banks was a fragile sheet of ice. The water below looked treacherous as the wind created small waves. Wildlife seemed to be none excitant on the surface of the pond.

There were no creatures there that were found in summer. The flies seemed to have all died out, the new generation waiting patiently under the wintery ground.

But the new generation of bugs were not the only things that were in the ground. a small puppy was sleeping in an abandoned fox den. The snow had long since stopped. Ivy was standing at the mouth of the den, looking out.

She could see much more clearly now. The day seemed a nice one. The clouds were fluffy.

Things were much different if Origo had not lost his memory. For one, they would have been in a nice warm house. In fact, they would have been in Pimpernel's house.

Origo and Abira were in the room that Pimpernel was staying in. Abira was standing on top of the bed. Her little eyes looking down at another puppy.

It was Origo.

"But I cant get up" he whimpered, really wanting to.

Abira barked at him.

"But I got up!" she said.

Pimpernel was now sitting in the living room. She had gone back to reading. But Abira's bark had broken her gaze from the written word.

"I wonder if I should check on them" she thought.

The book was then slowly placed down, the page where she was had been saved. The hobbit stood up and walked towards the door. The door had been left ajar so that the two pups could come and go as they please.

Pimpernel walked onto the corridor. She smiled as she walked down towards her room. The door, like the lounge door, had been left open.

But Nelly was not planning to go into the room just yet. She wanted to see what the two of them were up to. She smiled as she saw her puppy standing on the bed. Origo was still standing on the floor, looking up.

"You have to get up" Abira said, looking down at her friend.

Origo was scampering to where Abira had gotten up. He looked up at the large box. He knew that he couldn't make it.

Pimpernel heard his whimpering. It sounded as though Origo really wanted to get up as well. So, pushing the door, Pimpernel entered the room. she smiled as she saw her Abira perk up.

Origo, on the other hand, was not so perky. He wanted to get to his Abira. But nothing was working.

"Come on" Pimpernel said, gently picking Origo up.

His fur was nice and warm to the touch and was very smooth. The pup was then placed, standing up, next to Abira. Pimpernel smiled as the two of them wrestled.

Tom Bombadil and Pilith were walking back though the forest, towards a house. The day was now getting older as the sun sank slowly towards the Western horizon. Yet, there was still a freshness about the day.

Birds continued to sing as the two were quiet. Pilith's head was full of words that were on constant loop.

"The thing you have to remember is that grudges can last for ever. Love is something you have to fight for. Yes, there may be small or even big bumps in the path to conquer. But when you do, everything will be easier"

It was now up to Pilith to talk his own words to Mya. Mya was now sitting back down on her seat. She took a deep breath.

"Fear not, my friend. The answer to all problems is about to be solved" Goldberry said.

Mya did not have time to ask what that meant when Tom crossed the threshold. Pilith walked in a second or two later. Their eyes met, but neither of them said anything.

Goldberry eyed Mya. There was now a slight bit of pressure. Mya felt forced into talking to Pilith.

"Pilith, could we talk please?" Mya asked.

A smile came over Goldberry as she turned around, walked out into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. Pilith watched the door close.

"About what?" he asked.

Mya took a deep breath and stood up.

"About where we are" Mya told him.

The two stood facing each other. Pilith was confused.

"What are you talking about?" Pilith asked.

Mya looked away.

"It seems that you don't like me any more. I feel a strange tension between us. Ever since you left this just a few hours ago"

Pilith glanced away. He knew that he should have stayed back at the house. But he had been selfish. There were no words that could say that would make things better.

"I know I should have stayed here. But the day is nice. I know that it was a mistake. But Tom was there as well"

Mya's expression did not change.

"Tom was with you?" she asked, wondering what Tom had said.

"What did he want?"

Pilith took a deep breath.

"Well, he said that nothing lasts forever. In fact, I don't think he knows what will happen. The world could change in an instant. He told he not to hold regrets"

Mya was not very quick off the mark.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

Both of them had brown eyes. They met.

"What I'm saying is"

There was a short pause.

"Is that I'm sorry"

The words seemed to come out harder then normal. Pilith broke his gaze and looked down. A small smile came over Mya's lips.

"Pilith, you do not have to say sorry"

Pilith slowly looked up. He knew that Mya would not hate him. She never hated anyone or anything. Her soul was pure.

Goldberry opened the door to the kitchen. She walked in, carrying a fresh bowl of fruit. She smiled as she placed it on the table.

"I see you two have talked"

Mya nodded.

"It was all a misunderstanding" she answered.

Goldberry smiled and walked out of the room. Mya looked around and walked towards a large book case. Pilith slowly followed her.

There were many, many books all standing up in the shelves. Most of them had covers that had been torn. Some of them looked well read, their dust covers had a few tares in them.

Mya slid out one of the older looking books. She smiled as Pilith stood next to her.

"These must be very old" Pilith said, looking at the spines of the books.

Origo was slowly waking up from his deep, warm slumber. The chamber was darker then normal. A yawn came over the small puppy as he looked around. There was nothing to tell him which way was the way out was. A cold wind blew at him.

"Ivy?" he whimpered, scared that he may never get out of this place.

His eyes, no matter how long he was look, would not give up the way out.

"Ivy?" whined louder.

Suddenly, from a point before him, a light came. Another few seconds the light grew brighter. Ivy came fluttering in. The light that she gave off lit up the way out.

A smile came the fairy as she landed on the floor. She saw her green glow glinting off of the pups small eyes.

"I'm glad to see you up" she said, walking the little distance towards him.

Origo blinked and yawned one more time.

"Do we have to go?" he whimpered, looking at the point at which Ivy appeared.

The fairy started to run her very small hand over Origo's fluffy ear.

"Of course puppy, we have a long way to go and the snow has cleared up now"

Origo whimpered sadly, liking it in this fox den. But he knew that they, for what ever reason, had to move. A second yawn came over the puppy. Hunger was not a problem at the moment. But the puppy was starting to feel cold again.

"Do we have to get going now?" asked Origo.

Ivy nodded her head.

"We still have to go a very long way" she explained.

Origo stood up, there were just a few centimetres between the top of his back and the ceiling of the chamber. Ivy's light helped Origo to find the way out. His small paws were covered in wet, sticky mud.

The outside world was seen for the first time in many hours. The light from the sun seemed to be weaker due to the sun. The clouds seemed to be clearing even now. the night would seem to be clearer then it had been for the past few days.

But the coldness would begin to take a hold on the land as the sun would be too weak to keep it at bay. But that did not stop Ivy. She fluttered out into the harshening wind.

A few black dot flew over head. They were not but passing crows. Their calls echoed out around the forest. There seemed to lots flying above them. Origo looked upwards as he got into the soft, outside snow.

Bird after bird flew over head. Every so often, nearly all of them would call out in unison. After a minute or two, the flock of birds had past. The trees around were just leafless skeletons. There was no green about the land, but just white for mile upon mile.

"Shall we get going?" Ivy asked.

Origo nodded and started walked the wrong way.

"This way puppy!" Ivy called out after him.

Turning his head, for a moment, he was going to argue with her. But, to Ivy's amazement, the puppy turned and walked back towards her. She smiled, knowing that they could finally get on their way.

Origo wagged his tail as he got to the fairy. Ivy smiled at him and fluttered away. The puppy followed her along the road. The cold wind was not bothering the pup as he walked down the path.

The tracks from the cart were still visible in the snow. The sun was now very far down in the sky. The shadows of the trees around them grew longer and longer.

Dinners were being prepared in many houses in Hobbiton. Chimneys blew black smoke into the lowering light. The Gamgee household seemed to be busier then normal. The smell of cooking turkey ran though out the house. The children were playing nicely in the lounge.

"Merry!" said Rose, taking her toy quickly back.

Merry giggled as he rushed over to the old looking seat that was back against the wall. He giggled as he looked back to his sister.

But Elanor, the oldest of them, was not in the lounge like the rest of them. In fact, she was in her very own room. Elanor, unlike her younger siblings, did not have to share a room with anyone else. And that's the way she liked it.

She had more freedom in her room then the others did. She liked the quietness of her room, for only her parents were allowed to come in.

A wooden horse stood on a small table near her bed. A window had been letting in the light from outside. But now, the sun was going down after another day.

"It's nearly dinner though" she said, picking up the horse.

The young girl picked up the horse and took a deep breath.

"I know, but that can wait"

The girl took a deep breath and looked away. She did not want to argue.

"We can after dinner"

In the kitchen, Rosie was very busy. A smile came over her face as she took out the large, brown chicken that had been cooking in the oven for the past few hours.

The hobs that were on top on the oven now had pans bubbling on them. Vegetables were being boiled or cooked as the chicken was cut into.

Rosie smiled as she cut up the very hot, but incredibly juicy, chicken. There were plates set out for each member of the family. One for Rosie, one for Sam, one for Elanor, one for Frodo, one for Rose and the last one was for Merry. Pippin was still not old enough to feed himself yet. He would be fed after dinner was served and eaten.

The vegetables were then brought off of the heat. Rosie picked up the wooden handle and walked over to the sink. The lid to the pan was then opened just a crack, letting the water drain away, but leaving the vegetables in the pan.

A few minutes later, Rosie was ready to serve up dinner.

"Dinner is ready!" she shouted down the hall way.

Elanor looked over towards the door. A smile came over her as she placed the horse back onto the table. Elanor took a deep breath as she got up. The tiles were cold as she walked across to the door.

Elanor pulled it back, a wave of smell washed over her. The young girl quickly made her way down towards the kitchen. The noise grew as she got closer. But the noise did not come from the kitchen. It was echoing down the hall way from the lounge.

The rest of her siblings were coming as well. Elanor quickly got into her seat as they entered the room. She knew that there was always a fight for the first helping of food. She had learnt that if she got to the table quickly enough, then she would have a better chance of getting the food first.

Plates were being laid out in their places, each had a portion of chicken on it. Elanor smiled as she continued to wait for the vegetables. Rosie placed the last plate down and turned around.

The bowls of cooked and boiled vegetables were next. Roast potatoes, crispy parsnips, peas and beans, rashers of bacon, stuffing and gravy were set out, to name but a few.

The sound of metal on china started as spoons were dug deep into the bowls. Elanor struggled to pick up the bowl that was nearest to her, which had the roast potatoes.

It took a few more minutes to fill up the plates. Gravy was then poured all over Elanor's food. She smiled as she placed the boat of gravy back down on the table mat. Her knife was picked up in her left hand and fork in her right. The young girl started to cut into the perfectly cooked chicken. She placed it in her mouth and started to chew. The taste of chicken started to encompass her mouth. She smiled as she finished and started to cut off another piece. Samwise took a deep breath as he ate as well.

"This is good" he said to his wife.

Rosie smiled, knowing that she had satisfied her family for another day. Samwise placed his knife and picked up his large mug. The mug was full of ale, unlike the children's mugs, which were full of water.

Sam took a deep gulp and placed the mug back down. There was silence around the table as the family ate. This was normal, for hobbits liked to focus solely on eating at dinner. Any conversations that they had started would take place before or after dinner.

The clock continued to tick onwards as they ate dinner. The bowls that were once full of food were now emptying as the minutes past.

Elanor picked up the bowl that had once had the roast potatoes in. But they were all but gone. She took a deep breath, knowing that it took a good few hours to make more.

After thirty more minutes, all of the food was gone and the family was fed. But pudding was to come next. Rosie smiled as she got up. Samwise did the same, but he and the children helped with clearing away the bowls.

Elanor smiled as she gave her plate, along with her knife and fork, to her father.

"Thank you" he said, gathering a large pile now.

Rosie had gone into the cellar to get out the pudding that she prepared earlier that day. She smiled as she picked up not one, but two plates. On top of the plates were two gorgeous looking cakes. Each of them were covered in rich, home made chocolate.

She then walked out again, into the busy kitchen. Sam smiled as he eyed the cakes. The two cakes were placed onto the worktop. There were a few plates sitting on the worktop as well.

A draw was opened. A large metal knife was then taken out. It had a wooden handle on it. The blade was very sharp. Rosie then closed the draw and stood where the cakes were.

The first cake was cut into six large pieces. One piece for each of them. Rosie placed the first piece on the first plate. She turned around and placed the first plate in front of Sam.

"Thank you, dear" he said.

Rosie's smile only seemed to grow bigger as she turned around again. The other five pieces were placed on their own plates. Elanor received hers.

"Thank you" she said, picking up her spoon.

Rosie finally sat down. She too picked up her spoon. Once again, the family fell into an unusual silence. Only the odd metal spoon hitting the china plate echoed around the room.

After a few minutes, everyone had finished their piece. Sam was looking very well fed as he looked around the table.

Rosie finished her piece of cake and smiled. She watched as Merry struggled to get the last small bit of cake onto his spoon. After what seemed a minute, he finally managed to get it onto his spoon, with a little help from one of his fingers.

He lifted the spoon to his mouth and ate. Elanor was looking around. Her hunger was tamed, for now. Rosie yawned as she sat there. Tiredness was now getting to her again. The clock continued to tick. The hour hand was now point at the bottom and minute hand pointing one hundred and eighty degrees the other way.

Six chimes echoed around the kitchen. Rosie got up, the plates were gathered and talking started again.

"Can we go now?" asked Elanor.

Rosie nodded.

"Yes, go on" she said.

Elanor quickly got off of her seat and went out of the room. she was followed by her siblings. But they did not follow her down the corridor. Merry and Rose turned right as they went out of the kitchen. But Elanor went left, towards her room.

The door to her room came into view. A large smile came over her as she opened it. The horse was the first thing that she saw.

"Right" she said, closing the door behind her.

Now was the time for an adventure. She grabbed the horse and got onto the bed.

"What shall we do today?" she asked.

The night outside was setting in quicker and quicker. The sky was turning a darker shade of blue. A few stars were now poking out into the darkening sky.

Many, many miles away were three travellers. They had been on the road for a few weeks now. The three of them were all on the same road. Two elves were accompanied by a dwarf.

Gimli took a deep breath as he walked slowly behind the elves. The redness of his beard had been replaced by large, white snow flakes.

Gimli's breath could be seen, rising into the cold, night air. The area around was now very dark and there were no lights to speak of. The dwarf continued to trench though the snow, hoping that Rivendell would come soon.

Soon, the three travellers would see a welcome sight as they continued to Rivendell. A tunnel loomed out of the darkness.

"It is the tunnel" Legolas said, stopping.

Beyond that, the town of Rivendell.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked the dwarf, walking past.

The two elves were now following the dwarf though the tunnel. The tunnel was long and looked like it had been carved from blunt objects.

Small streams of water trickled down the walls from small cracks in the rock. The wind coming down the tunnel left a bitter stinging on Gimli's face.

After a few more minutes, the tunnel opened up. The three of them were now in a sheltered valley. There seemed to be less snow here. The darkness hid the full extent of the valley that they were in.

But, though the darkness, a small point of light could be seen. Legolas placed one hand of Gimli.

"You are too close to the edge" he said.

Gimli looked back.

"I know where I am going, elf" he said.

Gimli did not show it, but he was glad that Legolas had stopped him from falling over the edge.

It still took many more minutes to get to the safety of the first bridge. Below, a raging river. To the side, a wild waterfall. The bridge was only the first in a line of four. Each one ran over a raging river.

At the bottom of the deep valley, was a river. Many smaller streams seemed to feed it. The water, if it had been day, would have been crystal blue.

Gimli could make out the faint outlines of buildings. The stars could be seen above, as well as the moon that was rising slowly over the large mountains.

Gimli's mind was now on food and drink. The dwarf could not feel his feet any more. Legolas smiled as he saw a figure coming towards him though the darkness. Elladan could see this figure also. But Gimli could not.

"Good evening" said a voice from the darkness.

For a moment, Gimli was shocked. The coldness seemed to have slowed his reactions down. But he came to quickly to notice that it was just Elrohir.

Both Elladan and Elrohir were brothers. They had the same physic and posture. The two of them even looked similar.

"Good evening, brother" said Elladan, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I trust all went well?" Elrohir asked.

Elladan gave one nod.

"And I see you have brought along one of the dwarf folk" he said, looking at Gimli.

Gimli moved away, feeling very unwelcomed by him.

"The food is waiting"

So, the party of four moved off. The buildings kept coming into a clear view for the dwarf. He had Elladan and Legolas behind him and Elrohir in front of him.

The coldness, strangely, was not bothering the dwarf any more. It had been replaced by hunger. He smiled as they reached a windowless house. Elves had no need for windows of any sort.

Even in the coldest weather, elves would walk around as happily as it had been summer. But the dwarf needed heat to work. His joints were stiff. But there was one solution to becoming less cold. It was an Elven drink.

Miruvor was its name. It gave the drinker renewed strength. This would be a good thing for the dwarf. He could hardly move now. The coldness seemed to get to him even more.

The party of four entered the room. Being inside or outside made now difference to the dwarf. The cold air continued to blow as Gimli entered.

There was a small table of food. Gimli smiled as he walked over to it. There were green leaves wrapped around lambas bread. Gimli then looked at the jug.

"I hope that's ale" he thought.

Legolas stood next to the dwarf.

"Lambas" Legolas said, unwrapping one of the leaves and picking one up.

Gimli would have preferred the taste of ale and meat. But they seemed to be in short supply here. So, taking a bit of the lambas, Gimli started to eat. He chewed and swallowed the dry lambas. For a moment, nothing happened. But, slowly, his hunger slowly started to drift away from him.

Another bite was taken. Like before, Gimli's hunger was tamed even more. But it would take the whole piece of Lambas to settle his hunger.

The large jar of Miruvor was picked up by Legolas. He picked up one of the mugs. The water was then poured into it, nearly all the way to the top.

"Here" said Legolas, holding it out for the dwarf.

Gimli's eyes darted between the elf and the mug that he was holding out. slowly, the dwarf took it. He looked in and gave a small grunt.

"I see there is no ale" he murmured.

Legolas then poured out three more and handed two to the twins. Legolas took the last one and took a gulp. Gimli did the same. But the effects of the water were much different to ale.

Miruvor gave renewed strength to the drinker. Tiredness seemed to fall from the drinker. Warmth replaced the coldness that Gimli was feeling. Slowly, but surely, the coldness that had sunk into his bones was slowly ebbing away.

It was being replaced by the warmth that the Elven water had. But that was not the only side effect of Miruvor. Gimli's eyes started clear. The candles that had been lit seemed to grow brighter.

"There is a bed in a room, just a small walk away" Elladan told Gimli.

The dwarf nodded and drained his large mug. He took a few more pieces of Lambas and refilled the mug.

"I will see you in the morning" he said, nodding at the elves.

The dwarf then walked away, out into the cold, outside world. The dwarf walked down to the next building. There were no doors or windows to speak of.

Gimli walked into the room and over to the bed. The mug of Miruvor was placed on the bedside table. the dwarf then took his large, wet gloves and placed them on the floor.

The dwarf then sat down on the bed, his feet now dangling a few inches from the floor. Gimli lifted a heavy, snow laden foot up and across his other leg. A big boot had been keeping his foot dry. But the walking had made water seep though and made the boot twice as heavy as it had been.

Trouble arose when he tried to get the boot off. For some reason, it would not budge from his foot. His face changed expression as he tried even harder to get it off.

After a few seconds, he stopped. The dwarf looked away and exhaled loudly. After a few more seconds, he tried again.

This time, it worked. The shoe slipped off. A smile came over him as he dropped his shoe on the tilted floor. But his smile went as quickly as it came. The other boot was still wrapped around his other foot.

Tiredness was slowly seeping back into his eyes. A yawn came over the dwarf.

"Well, it wont come off by itself" he told himself.

The dwarf placed both hands on the second boot. He put all of his energy into pulling it off of his weary foot. Surprisingly, the boot slipped off easier then expected. A smile came over Gimli as he placed the boot on the floor. Gimli stood up off of the bed and drew the duvet back. The next second, he got in and pulled the duvet over him.

For a few minutes, the warmth seemed not to touch him. But, slowly, his body heated up the duvet. Yet the coldness failed to make him sleep. The dwarf would shuffle around, first laying on his right side, then his left.

The hours seemed to pass. For a few of them, Gimli wished that he was in a warmer environment. His eyes slowly shut and he fell into an uncomfortable sleep.


	63. Day Thirty, Part One

The next morning was clear and crisp. Clouds seemed to be few and scattered as the sun rose in the east. A lake sat surrounded by hill on one side and flat, farmable land on the other. A small river split the two sides. Yet, a small bridge connected in.

The land was covered in a think carpet of white snow. But lift went on as normal. Two small puppies were cuddling up together under a large, warm blanket.

Origo and Abira was both snoozing. But they were not alone. Pimpernel was also sleeping. She had had the best nights sleep in a while.

"Come pup" Pimpernel had said, putting on her coat.

Origo whimpered, knowing that he would have to leave his Abira. But he did not want to. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she did the up the last button.

Pearl was standing in the hall way, smiling at the small puppy.

"It looks like he doesn't want to go" she said.

Origo looked over at her. the next second, the pup ran and stood behind her legs. Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked towards the door. The time was late and she wanted to go to bed. But she had to return him to his Diamond.

"Maybe I could tell Diamond that he wants to stay here tonight" Nelly said.

Origo instantly perked up. His small tail started to wag. Pearl smiled as she looked down at the puppy.

"I think he agrees"

Abira was near by. She looked between the three of them.

"But I still have to tell Diamond, she might be worried"

Pearl nodded.

"I'll look after them" she told her sister.

Pimpernel nodded and turned around. The large door opened, letting in a blast of clod air. A second later, the door slammed shut, keeping the coldness at bay.

Outside, the night was very deep and cold. Stars glinted above as the small figure of Pimpernel walked to the gate. The night seemed brighter then normal. The snow seemed to make the darkness unusually brighter.

The snow crunched under foot as Pimpernel made the short walk to Diamond's house.

Diamond yawned as she drew her duvet over her. A yawn came as she lay on her side. The hobbit was just getting comfortable when three bangs came from the from door.

Her attention was now on who ever knocked.

"At this time of night as well!" she said, a bit angry.

The duvet was then taken off and Diamond stood up. Three more bangs echoed down from the door. Pimpernel shivered as she looked around.

Just then, a small click came from the door. Diamond peered around the edge.

"Pimpernel?" she asked, a hint of tiredness was evident in her voice.

The door swung opened wider.

"Hello" Pimpernel said.

"Do come in" Diamond said, moving out of the way.

Pimpernel quickly came in and the door was closed.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this time" Pimpernel told Diamond, looking a little bit worried.

"No, it's fine" Diamond told her, a small smile came over her.

"Well, the thing is, Origo seems to want to stay around tonight" Pimpernel told her.

"So, is that alright?" she asked.

Diamond nodded, knowing that the only reason Origo wanted to stay was because of Abira.

"Of course" she answered.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Well" said Pimpernel, breaking the silence.

"I best let you get back to sleep" she said.

Diamond nodded and opened the door for her friend.

"Sleep will and stay safe" Diamond told her as Pimpernel crossed the threshold.

Pimpernel gave a smile.

"Good night"

The door was quickly shut, stopping the cold from coming in. Diamond took a deep breath as she walked back down to her bed room. Luckily, Faramir had continued to sleep though the small talk that his mother had just had. The candles gave Diamond a small bit of light to see her way to the bed.

For the second time that night, Diamond got into her bed. This time, the tiredness did not come back. All the comfort that she felt had been lost.

Pimpernel arrived back at her sisters house and closed the door. The sound of small paws coming towards her. she smiled as Abira came into view.

Pimpernel placed her coat on her own peg and scooped up the small puppy.

"It looks like you have a friend staying the night" she said, kissing the top of Abira's warm head.

Pimpernel walked to her room and placed the puppy on the bed. A few seconds later, Origo came into the room. he seemed more active then normal. Abira looked off of the bed. She gave a small bark.

"Your Diamond said your could stay!" Abira told him.

Origo's small tongue came out and his tail wagged. Pimpernel left the room. She headed to the bath room and closed the door.

After a few minutes, a bowl of water was run. The water was nice and warm. The flannel was then taken and dunked in the water. Pimpernel smiled as she took her hands out and grabbed the soap.

The soap too was then placed in the water for a few seconds and taken out. the soap was then twisted around in her hands creating a lather. The soap was then placed back.

In the other room, Origo and Abira were now waiting for Pimpernel. Abira had jumped off of the bed and was now standing near Origo. Origo was sniffing the hard tiled floor.

Abira yawned as she stood there.

"I want to play" whined Origo.

Abira tiled her head.

"But its bed time" she whined, looking back up at the bed.

Origo tilted his head. He really wanted to play. But he knew that Abira would not play. A noise came from down the corridor. Abira knew that her Pimpernel was coming back.

And she was right.

Pimpernel came into the room. She smiled as she changed into her night gown.

"Right" she said, scooping up to two very cuddly puppies.

"Lets go to bed" she said.

The two puppies were placed on the pillow. Pimpernel drew back the duvet and got in. the two puppies moved out the way. The duvet was not drawn over Pimpernel just yet.

"Come on" she said, tapping a small space.

Both Origo and Abira made there way to it. Pimpernel smiled, knowing that they did as they were told. Origo yawned and settled down, play was now out of his mind. It had been replaced by sleep.

Abira too snuggled down near by. The large, warm duvet was pulled over, resting on the sleepy pups. Pimpernel smiled as one of her hands stroked one of the pups.

A sudden yawn came over the girl as she lay there. her eyes slowly started to shut. Before she knew it, sleep had caught her and dragged her off to a land of dreams.

Hours past as the night wore on. The clock ticked ever onwards. Two o'clock slowly changed into three. Everyone was now asleep. Three turned slowly into four.

Stars slowly moved across the night sky. Hours continued to tick by as everyone slept. But, after a few more hours, the sun slowly crept up on the eastern horizon.

Five o'clock came and the first signs of life came. Bird song echoed around ancient forests. But the day was still young. Foxes were still roaming the land, looking for small scraps of food to eat.

Their main source of food was a small pub called The Green Dragon. However, if there was a shortage in the supply, rabbits would be on the menu.

But the sun was a queue for them retire to their dens. The snow was the only evidence that they had been out. Tracks seemed to cross the snow.

As the foxes went to their dens, hobbits seemed to be getting up. Diamond was awoken earlier then normal. a crying baby met her ears. Diamond, unwilling, opened her eyes.

She took a deep breath as she rolled over. Her eyes seemed to stick together, unwilling to open any wider. But the crying of her only son seemed to grow louder.

The duvet, which had now gathered up the nights warmth was lost as she got up. A tired smile came over her as she stood up.

"Good morning" she said, gently picking up her son.

Faramir's face was screwed up. The small blanket that he had been wrapped in was now loose around him. Diamond looked down at his face.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said, holding him.

The window then caught Diamond's eye. The sun was barely up. The blackness of night was still giving way to the sun. Only a few stars were seen now. the blanket of light seemed to cover them up again.

Diamond opened the door and walked out into the corridor. The different between the bedroom she had just left and corridor she had just entered made the hobbit shiver. But the coldness did not last long. Diamond took a deep breath as opened the kitchen door with her spare hand.

But things could not be any more different in reality. For one, Origo was not staying with Abira and Pimpernel.

In fact, he had left Hobbiton altogether.

The poor puppy had lost his memory in an accident. An accident caused by a small, green fairy called Ivy. The puppy was sleeping, for the sixth time, outside. But, luckily for him, the fairy was magical. And that, in this weather, was a very good thing.

Origo's sleep was cut short today.

"Puppy?" a voice said.

Origo gave a small whine, enjoying his sleep. The coldness of the outside world had been repelled by a bubble of warmth that Ivy had placed around him.

"Puppy, wake up"

Something touched his fluffy paw, stealing his sleep away from him. his eyes slowly opened to a green glow. Ivy heard small whimpering coming from him. A smile came over her as the puppy woke.

"Too sleepy" Origo whined and rolled over.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked to the side.

"Puppy, we have to go going" Ivy told him.

Origo yawned, but did not answer. Ivy took a deep breath and thought of what to do next. But there was nothing more that she could do. Everything relied on the puppy.

"I guess I'll just have to go alone" she said.

Origo opened his eyes just a little bit at this. The temptation to move grew in him. but he fought it off.

"Good bye puppy"

The green light suddenly went out, leaving Origo in a dark abyss. His eyes were fully open now, yet he could not see a thing.

Worry started to rise as he could not see the fairy any more.

"Ivy?" he asked, trying to make out any sign of her.

Worry turned into fear. There was no escape. Ivy was in fact just inches away from him. But, when Origo started to bark, the game was over.

"Puppy, puppy calm down" a voice said.

The green light lit up the way out. Ivy was left in the dirty den all by herself. A second later, she fluttered up though the entrance, suddenly realising that Origo had run off.

The ground around the den was covered in hardening snow. Ivy could see a small figure running away down the path.

"Puppy!" she shouted, but knew that her voice would not carry.

Her small wings propelled her though the strong wind. But she was still not fast enough to catch up with the pup. The figure of Origo got slowly smaller as the distance between him and the fairy widened.

But Ivy was not going to give up. Yes, she may have lost sight of the pup. But the snow kept his prints fresh. All Ivy had to do was follow his trail.

At some points, it was harder then she expected. For there were many other tracks. Tracks that belonged to passing foxes, deer and occasional rabbit criss-crossed the road.

A few times, Ivy lost sight of Origo's tracks. The fairy stopped in midair. Her eyes scanned the area below. but what she saw was not the small prints in the snow. It was something different.

A small black figure was running though the trees. A smile came over her as she fluttered into the forest.

"Origo, stop" she shouted.

But this failed to work. For Origo ran away again. Ivy took a deep breath, resisting the urge to use her magic. Her small wings continued to flap though the strong gusts of wind.

"Please stop" she said.

Origo seemed not to care which direction he was going. All he cared about was getting away from the dark. Ivy seemed not to exist now.

But what Origo did not understand was that there were beings, hobbits and wizards, that cared for him. Yet Origo did not know that. In fact, he did not know anything about the world around him.

The magic bubble of warmth that Ivy put around him was slowly ebbing away from him. The coldness was growing around the pup. His little pinkish tongue was sticking out as he ran and ran.

There were a few obstacles in his path. Small dips in the ground and a few rotting logs to jumped over. The trees started to thicken as he got deeper into the forest. Ivy's tracking skills were pushed to the limit as the snow on the ground seemed not to be as thick here.

Drips from the leafless canopy of the forest fell to the ground. A few drops landed on the cold puppy. But this did not bother him.

A few times, the pup looked around. There was no sign of Ivy any more. This made him slow down just a little bit. But Origo still needed to put as much distance between her and himself.

His little chest was rising and falling quicker then normal as he came to a stop. The wind was blowing in his ears. But there was a strange silence around him. On distance trees, birds sang their songs.

Suddenly, a bird swooped by the puppy, scaring him and making him run. Origo hid behind the nearest tree. His eyes were fixed on the big crow that had swooped down and was now perched on a large branch.

Origo looked at the crow and quickly moved on. He did not like the sight of him.

Meanwhile, Ivy was fluttering though the forest as well. She could just make out Origo's small paw prints. But it was getting even harder without snow.

"Origo?" she shouted out, hoping that he could hear her.

But he could not.

Deep down, Origo had started to regret running away. The pup was now getting hungry and had no idea where he was. The small puppy looked back the way he had came. All he could see were trees and trees. Drips continued to fall around him.

"Ivy?" he barked.

It echoed around for a second or two, then there was silence. He had no idea where Ivy was or if she could hear him.

"Maybe if I try this way" he thought, heading back the way he came.

Everything looked bigger and more scary with the fairy. Ivy, unlike Origo, was very worried. She had lost the only friend she had.

Fear was getting stronger with every passing minute. The fear slowly, but surely, turning into desperation. She knew that she was responsible for the pup.

"Origo!" she shouted out, looking around.

Her heart rate was rising along with the fear. Ivy felt so worried that she had to land on the ground. she bend double trying get as much air into her lungs as she could take.

"What am I going to do?" she asked herself.

It was then that something met her ears. It was very far off in the forest. So far off in fact, that she could not see what or who was making it.

The small fairy fell silent. Only the wind and her heart beat could be heard. Ivy waited and waited for the noise again, breathing very little.

And then it came.

It echoed around her and went. For a moment, she did not know what it was. But something clicked in her head. It was then she knew who and what it was.

Her wings started to move, quicker then ever. The fairy lifted off of the ground into the cold air. She headed in the direction that she thought the noise came from.

"Ivy?" Origo called out, standing still and looking around.

But there was no hope that he would ever see the fairy again. The puppy was now very lost and alone. He had nowhere to go.

So, the pup started in the direction he felt was the best. He lowered his head as the hunger grew. The coldness of the wind was getting even deeper. His fur seemed not to help much in the bitter coldness of winter.

Ivy was still fluttering though the trees. She was eager to get to where she heard the barks. It was then, that she saw something though the trees. In fact, the glimpse was quick, that Ivy had to take a second look.

She stopped suddenly, focusing on the small creature walking away.

Wind was whistling around the abandoned building that lay in the valley. Rivendell had been empty for many years. But yet, it was not fully empty. Four beings were staying there. Three Elves and one dwarf.

Gimli, the only dwarf for miles around, entered a large hall. In the middle was a long wooden table. Seats had been lined up on either side. There were two large chairs sitting at opposite lengths of the table.

Three elves were sitting at the table. In front of them were plates and bowls full of food.

"It is good that you are up" said Elladan, giving a small grin.

The dwarf took a deep huff and took his seat. Unlike the elves, Gimli did not have enough height to properly see over the table like the elves did. This bothered Gimli, but he did not show it.

In fact, he coped well with it as he reached out and picked up the large mug of Elven water. Legolas, who was sitting opposite the dwarf gave a small smile.

"Do you need help, my friend?" he asked.

Gimli looked a bit angry at his Elven friend.

"No" he said, trying to not admit it.

"No, no, no. I can do it myself"

But the elf picked up on his lie straight away. Yet, for the sake of Gimli, he did not help. The jug, full of water, was poured into Gimli's empty mug. A few seconds later, it was full to the brim with cool, refreshing water.

The jar was then placed down again. hunger was now getting to the feisty dwarf. Different bowls held different food. One held the richest tasting berries. Strawberries with cream to pour over. Different fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Meats were also available. From chicken, to fish.

"So" said Gimli, picking up a bit of the warm chicken and placing it on his plate.

"What are your plans for today then?" he asked.

Only Legolas made an eye movement, yet none of the elves said a thing. Gimli shook his head just a big and continued to pile food onto his plate.

"Not very talkative" he mumbled.

A split second later, Both Elladan and Elrohir stood up. Gimli took a deep breath and watched them walk out of the room. But that was only for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to his food.

Several days had past since Pilith and Mya arrived at the house of Tom Bombadil. Life seemed very calm and quiet in the forest. Mya's accident seemed many, many weeks back.

But life still had its worries. Worries for Pilith at least. Words that tom had said were still echoing in his mind.

"Evil will devour this world. It is only a matter of time before he is ready"

It seemed, to Pilith, that the world would end. But Tom seemed to have an unnatural calmness about him. Pilith could not understand this. Evil was spreading, yet Tom went on as though nothing would happen.

Breakfast had come and gone, but Pilith seemed not to eat as much as before. His eyes seemed to dart to tom every few seconds.

Goldberry stood up and cleared away the plates. It was then that Pilith noticed that Tom was looking right back at him. There was a glint in his eye that made Pilith feel a little uneasy.

Mya was oblivious to Tom and Pilith's eye contact.

"So" she said, taking a swig of the cool water.

"What are we going to do today?" she asked.

Pilith took a deep breath and looked over at her.

"Well, there is an outcrop of rocks that I went to last week, we could go there" he suggested.

Mya smiled and nodded.

"That'll be good" she said.

So, after they had let their breakfast settle, the two of them were ready to go on a small walk to the rocks. Pilith had visited it a few times since then, but each time Mya had stayed at the house.

"Right" Pilith said, entering the room.

He had a small pack on. he had put two flasks of cool water in and a loaf of bread.

"Lets get going"

Mya smiled as she placed a small bit of paper in the book and closed it. The book was then placed on a table and the girl got up. Pilith smiled as she walked towards him and out the door. He followed her.

The day was bright, but cool. Clouds were floating slowly across the sea of blueness above. Birds and beasts were going about their daily business.

Pilith and Mya started the walk to the out crop of rocks. It would take a good half an hour to reach.

"So" Mya said, looking at her friend.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

There was no answer from Pilith. He did not want to talk much for he had more important things to worry about. Mya found this strange.

"Pilith, what's the matter?" she asked.

The boy suddenly stopped and looked at Mya.

"The world will change, Mya. A wave of darkness threatens the whole of Middle-earth" Pilith said.

Confusion spread over Mya's face.

"Darkness?" she asked, not trusting her ears.

Pilith looked around, scared that something would attack them. He looked back and nodded.

"Do you remember, in the second age, the Last Alliance?" he asked.

Mya knew exactly what he was talking about. But the reason why was still a mystery.

"Of course I do" she said, falling into confusion even more.

Pilith took a deep breath.

"We have to get to the rocks" he said, pushing her towards the rock.

It took a few more minutes before they reached the large mound of rocks. Mya looked towards them.

"What are we doing here?" Mya asked.

Pilith stopped and looked up at the top.

"Follow me" he said before he started to climb.

Mya watched him. for a moment, she did not want to. But then, she needed to find out what was going on. so, Mya started to climb as well.

After a few minutes, she reached the top.

"Here" said Pilith, holding out his hand.

Mya took his hand and was helped up on the top on the rocks. Sweat was running down her face in small beads. Her heart rate quickened as she tried to take in oxygen.

"Do you like it?" Pilith asked, looking at the girl then back out at the view.

Mya smiled, all she could see was a sea of green for miles. The trees waved in the wind, creating a sound like calm waves on a shore of sand.

Pilith sat down on the warm rock, heated by the sun. The pack that had been put around his back was then taken off. Mya slowly sat down beside him, her eyes still looking around at the view.

"Pilith, can we continue our conversation?" she asked.

Pilith took a deep breath and looked at her. A flask was held in his hand. Thirst had caught him after the small climb.

"I will" he said, unscrewing the cap.

He placed the neck to his lips and drank. The cool water seemed to refresh him instantly. He took the neck away from his lips and took a deep breath in. His eyes scanned around the area.

"Sauron has awoken in Mordor" Pilith said with no hesitation.

Mya's heart sank. She knew what wrath that came from the dark lands. For she had witnessed many things that Sauron had done. But it seemed that the days of peace were once again coming to an end.

"But, I thought that the ring had been destroyed!" she said.

Worry was going though her.

"We have to warn people!"

Pilith shook his head.

"We do not. The ring lays safe for now" Pilith told her.

Mya took a deep breath.

"The ring is never safe" she said, almost to herself.

Pilith, from Tom, had been told where it supposedly lay. He could not bare to think its location.

"That is true" he said.

He turned to Mya and looked her straight in the eyes.

"We can not help them" he said, looking deep into Mya's eyes.

"No matter how much you want to. No matter how much it hurts, we must keep ourselves secret"

A small tear ran down from Mya's eye. All that she could think about was Hobbiton and all its inhabitants.

"But what if the Dark Lord finds us?" she asked, knowing that he would see right though their disguise.

Pilith had no answer to this.

"Only time will tell" he said.

Origo and Ivy had now joined up again. Ivy was fluttering near by. Origo had not said a word to her since then joined up again.

"Would you like some turkey?" she asked.

Origo's small eyes darted to her, almost answering her. but he caught himself just in time. The puppy and fairy continued to walk, Ivy was guiding the way back to the road.

The many pillars of trees seemed to stretch on for as far as the eye could see. The clouds above were thickening, but showed no signs of throwing down any more snow. But there was a noticeable coldness to the air. Even Origo's breath could be seen rising in the coldness.

Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that Origo was a very stubborn puppy and would go as far as to become hungry to do it. Ivy knew that she had to get food into the pup as soon as possible.

So, as Origo was walking, a plate appeared a few feet before him. Origo suddenly stopped. He eyes focused on the pile of steaming turkey lay on the white plate.

The small pup looked over at the fairy. He knew that she was teasing him. a few seconds later, Origo waked on again, the plate had vanished.

Ivy smiled as she made a second plate of turkey appear. This time, Origo got a small of it. Even though he had lost his memory, he knew that what ever turkey was, he liked it.

The puppy stopped again. The temptation that welled up inside him was too much. Ivy smiled as she saw the small puppy bound to the plate and start eating right away.

"So you are hungry" she said.

Origo was too busy to notice her now. Small chops came from the pup as he stood and ate. Ivy stood next to him, she was a little bit shorter then Origo at his standing height.

After a few minutes, the plate of warm turkey had gone. But Origo was still hungry. He turned his head and looked at the fairy. Ivy seemed to know exactly what he wanted, even without him telling her.

"No puppy, you've had enough for now" she said.

A low rumble came from the pup, he was growling at her.

"And that wont help either" she said, a little cross at being growled at.

Origo's growling seemed to grow louder. Ivy sensed a pounce coming her way. So, before Origo had a chance, she fluttered out of the way.

Origo's small brown eyes followed her as she fluttered upwards.

"You have to learn puppy" she said as she looked down at him.

"Fairies are not for pouncing"

Origo tilted his head, trying to trick the fairy into thinking that he was not going to pounce at her. Ivy took a deep breath and made the empty plate vanish again.

"Ori, we have to get moving again" she told him.

"We have to find the path again"

Origo knew that he had to go with the fairy. But not yet.

"Why did you leave me?" he asked Ivy.

Ivy turned around and took a deep breath. She knew what she had done was wrong. Origo was not in the best state to be on his own. Ivy needed all of Origo's trust on this journey.

"I was only playing" she said, knowing that she shouldn't have done that.

Ivy knew that Origo had been scared by the darkness, but she did not know why.

"But I don't like the dark!" he barked.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked away. She did not know what to say. She knew that Origo was more fragile the she was.

"I'm sorry puppy, it wont happen again"

But there was something about those words that Origo had to believe and, at this moment, he did not. Ivy saw a small glint in Origo's eye that told her that Origo did not trust her as much as he once did.

"Puppy, it wont!" she said, trying to make the pup see.

But it was not working. Ivy took a deep breath and looked around. they needed to find the road again.

"Come on then, lets get moving" she said, fluttering away.

Reluctantly, the puppy followed her in the direction that she was heading.

Meanwhile, Elladan was walking down a steep set of stairs towards the very bottom of the valley. A long pole, made of maple was carried on one hand. A small bit of Elven string had been tied to the end. And, on the end of thin string, a metal hook.

A box was held in his free hand. This was full of wriggling maggots. These were used as bait for catching the fish. It took a few minutes to make it to the bottom. The cliff seemed to level out.

The river raged down the valley, violently hitting the cliffs. But this did not bother Elladan. For there was a small, dry cove where he was. The river seemed not to touch it as it rushed past.

Yet, there were big and small peddles, rounded off by ferocious current of the water. Elladan placed the little box, full of bait, was placed down. The string was then pulled in and the elf's focus was now on the hook.

The water that was rushing past was clear and very cold. To any other being in Middle-earth, the water would kill them in five or so minutes.

But to elves, the water was not cold. For elves could not feel heat or cold. In fact, they were happy in nearly all environments.

Elladan opened the small, metal box. Inside, a mass of maggots met his eyes. The elf concentrated as he hooked the maggot onto the end of the string.

Everything was now ready to catch fish. The elf walked further towards the raging river. Elladan stopped and drew back his rod. The next second, he cast out. The fine string flew and landed in the cold water. The maggot that had been attached to the hook sank the raging water.

Below the surface, the current was very strong. The string was draw down river, but stopped as it ran out of length. Elladan watched and felt for that tell-tale sign that a fish had taken his bate.

His eyes were suited to seeing if any fish had come close. And he did not have to wait long for a curious and hungry fish to come.

The fish slowly swam up to it, the string that the maggot was on was unseen in the bubbling torrent. On the bank of the river, Elladan was stood patiently.

It did not take long for a second fish to arrive. The first fish now had competition. But there was one obstacle in his way. The current. He had been stationary for a minute or two. The other fish had the advantage of speed and was quicker off of the mark.


	64. Day Thirty, Part Two

Elladan suddenly jolted into life. His wooden rod seemed to quiver as the fish swam away. But it could not get any further. Elladan slowly walked back, taking the fish with him.

He knew that he had to be patient once again. The fish was struggling to get away. But something was stopping it. The first fish had vanished from view. It was searching elsewhere for some food.

After a few minutes, the fish was now getting tired. The hook was imbedded in its mouth and there was no escape from the fate that lay before it.

The level of water lowered as it was dragged to shore. But still, the fish seemed to use all of its energy to get away. But its fate had now been sealed. Two massive hands grabbed it and took it out of the water.

Elladan took the fish out of the water and placed it on the wet rocks. The rod had been placed down. Elladan then reached into his pocked and brought out a long piece of wood.

He suddenly hit the jumpy fish, making it stop instantly. A second blow confirmed that the fish had been killed. Elladan then stood up. One fish was not enough for four people.

So, the elf baited his rod for a second time and casted out. Elladan, once again, stood there as still as the cliffs of rocks surrounding him.

In the better world, Origo was slowly falling asleep in front of a nice, warm fire. The outside world was very cold. The heath was crackling and sending a black pillar of smoke into the gentle wind.

But Origo was not the only sleepy puppy laying on the floor. Abira had cuddled up next to him. She was already asleep.

The two of them had been playing by themselves for most of the day. Pimpernel smiled as she sat, mug of hot tea in one hand and her book in the other. Her eyes were scanning the words on the page.

Images were flashing before her. Rivers, forests, caves and oceans were crossing her eyes. Yet that was not the only thing that the words brought. Emotions erupted inside on Pimpernel. They were either good or bad.

Her eyes seemed to be stuck on to the page. She was deep in reading.

The door to the lounge opened and in came Pearl. She too was carrying a mug full of hot tea. Pimpernel's eye contact with the book was broken as she watched her sister enter the room.

Pearl quietly closed the door behind her so that she did not wake the sleeping pups. She smiled as she took her seat. Pimpernel took a deep breath and went back to reading.

Only the sound of the crackling fire broke the silence. Pearl looked around. Unlike her sister, she did not feel like reading. For she had read nearly every book in the cases in the lounge. But she had not only read nearly all the books in the lounge, but the whole house. Pimpernel took a small break to drink her tea.

Pearl gave a small smile as she saw the two puppies snoozing gently before the fire.

"Pimpernel" Pearl said to get her sister's attention.

Nelly raised her eyes and looked over at her sister. Pearl gave a small nod as she smiled. Pimpernel looked over at the direction of the puppies. A similar smile came over her.

But in reality, Pimpernel was not looking at the two puppies. In fact, she was not reading. Her eyes were focused on the burning fire.

The door slowly opened. But Pimpernel did not break her gaze. Pervinca walked in. she was the youngest of the three Took girls.

"Good afternoon" she said, leaving the door open.

But there was no answer from Pimpernel. Pearl took a deep breath as she sat down. She was struggling to find conversation.

"How are you?" she asked.

Pervinca seemed very uneasy around Pimpernel. And Pimpernel sensed this.

"What do you want Vinnie?" she asked.

Vinnie did not know how to say it. So she didn't.

"I'm just asking how you are" she told her sister.

But still, Pimpernel thought that there was more to this conversation then just that.

"Did she send you?" Pimpernel asked, her temper was slowly rising.

Vinnie tried to act like she did not know what her older sister was on about. But it was not working.

"Who?" she asked, putting on a confused voice.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and stood up. This was one conversation that she did not want to be a part of. Vinnie needed to say what she was originally going to say.

"She wants to speak to you" Vinnie said, making Pimpernel stop in her tracks.

Nelly's hand rested on the cold handle of the door. She took a deep breath.

"Who?" she asked, knowing full well who it was.

"Mum" Vinnie answered.

"She needs to talk"

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked back at her sister. The fire was glinting in her eyes.

"There is nothing I want to say to her" she answered.

And, without a chance for her sister to reply, the door was opened and she walked out. Pervinca was left standing where she was. She did not like the fact that there was a rift in her family. And she did not like the fact that

Pippin had hid himself away from the rest of the family.

Pippin had in fact been busy with a project. He was writing his very own book. But it was not just any book. He was going to give it to his Diamond. But he wasn't sure if Diamond would want him back.

The day slowly past around him as he wrote and smoke. Silver strands of smoke were floating towards the ceiling. A fire was crackling in the heath. A cool mug of ale was sitting on the table mat.

Merry was in the other room, writing his book as well. But it was not on the same subject as Pippin. In fact, Merry was struggling with the writing of his book. He too was smoking his pipe. A goblet, half filled with ale, was sitting near the ink pot at the top.

Merry looked at the words he had written. His mind seemed to have come across a stop in the writing processes. Like Peregrin in the other room, silver smoke rose from his mouth.

"Maybe a small break" Merry thought, his tummy now rumbling.

Lunch had come and past. Hunger in every household had been tamed. Dinner was next meal, yet that not did not mean food was out of bounds until then.

Merry yawned as he sat back. His eyes looked towards the see-though glass. Blue sky was all that he saw. A slowly setting sun struggled to keep the day alight. Yet there was still a few more hours of sunlight left.

Merry knew exactly what he was going to do. Food was first on the list. So, getting up from his seat, he opened the door. The fire that had been burning in the heath near by had made him very comfortable.

But the fire made the corridor feel colder then it really was. Only a few little candles were left to light up the way towards the kitchen.

Pippin heard Merry coming towards the kitchen. His three sneezes gave him away instantly. Pippin stopped writing and quickly closed pages. The words that had been written were hidden from view as Merry opened the door.

He gave a smile to Pip as he walked in. Merry did not say a word to his friend as he walked towards the cellar. The door opened.

The cellar was colder then even the corridor that Merry had just walked though. packets and packets of food were stacked on many shelves. Each were wrapped in the same sort of paper packet.

Merry smiled as he picked out two packets and walked out.

"Here you go" he said, throwing one of the packets at Pip.

Pippin caught it as a confused expression came over him.

"What's this?" he asked.

Merry smiled as he took a seat facing him.

"Just a snack"

Pippin tore the packet and smiled. He knew that Merry liked chocolate. Merry smiled as he took his first bite. Pippin followed closely in suit. A piece, much bigger then he had originally wanted. But this did not slow his progress.

"So" Merry said, swallowing the his mouthful.

"Are you going to tell me what your writing about?" he asked.

Pippin still did not want to tell his best friend what he was writing about.

"I would rather not" he answered, drawing the book closer to him.

Merry knew that he could not force Pippin to show him. But that did not stop the guessing.

"Is it something to do with me?" he asked, thinking that it might be.

Pippin's eyes darted away just for a split second.

"Maybe" he answered.

He really did not like the direction that this conversation was going. So, to make sure he did not have to answer the second question right away, he broke off a large piece and started to chew.

"Maybe?" Merry asked, knowing that he had small lead into what Pippin was writing about.

"Why maybe?" he asked.

The questions were getting ever more personal.

How would Pippin explain to Merry that he was not writing about him?

And still keep the real reason a secret?

It was then Pippin started to yawn.

"I think" he said, in the middle of it.

"I think I will go and sleep for a while" he said, picking up the top of the ink bottle and screwing it back on.

Merry took a deep breath as watched his friend stand up and walk away. Only the ink bottle and quill were left. The half eaten bar of chocolate and the book were kept with him.

Merry looked at the bar and continued to eat. The footsteps of Pippin slowly faded away. The click of a door echoed down the hall way.

Pippin took a deep breath, knowing that Merry would soon find out what he was writing about. Pippin placed the closed book on his bed and took a deep breath. He knew that he had to keep his writing a secret.

Pippin slowly opened the first few pages. They were full of words. A small smile came over him as he read though them. Memories from the first few years of his life were played out on paper.

Bilbo's party was one of those early memories. It was the first time that he met Diamond. Pippin gave a small smile, feeling that strange feeling he got when ever he thought or saw her.

There were a page, unwritten on, before the second memory was started.

Winter had come over the lands. Quickly and harshly. Like all of the children of the Shire, I was very excited for the first bit of snow.

But it had been months since I saw you. A few times, I caught myself thinking about you. It seems that your eyes had drawn me in and I was stuck with them.

"Come on Pip!" Merry said, running away from me.

It took a second or two to realise that I was now standing in the freezing snow. Flakes were sticking to my cloths and hair. But that was not the only thing I had to worry about.

A large snowball hurtled towards me. I only saw it at the last second. But the last second was too late.

Pippin could still feel the stinging as the cold ball of snow hit him on the side of his face. laughter rang out in his ears as Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee came out from nowhere.

In their hands, another snow ball. Frodo threw his. But Pippin's reactions were faster then they had been before. But Sam was still a very good shot. His ball of snow hurtled though the air and hit Pippin on the chest.

Laughter erupted from them. Even Merry was laughing. Snow had stuck to Pippin's cloths even more. Pippin did not like the fact that they were not getting Merry as much as he was.

Samwise quickly bend down and grabbed another handful of snow. He made sure that it did not fall apart in midair. But Pippin was having other ideas. Hunger was now getting to him.

"I think I'm…" but his sentence was cut short.

Another snow ball had been thrown in his direction. This time, Pippin saw it and had more time to react. His placed his hand up and waited.

The next second, the snow ball hit the tips on his fingers. Gravity took a hold of the ball and it landed in the snow behind.

"I'm going home now" he said, before anything else could be thrown.

Frodo looked a little bit disappointed. But he could not force his friend to stay out, especially if they were hungry.

"Why?" a young Samwise asked.

Pippin looked at him strangely.

"Because I'm hungry" he answered as though there was no hiding from it.

Samwise gave a small smile.

"Hmm, now that you mention it" he said, rubbing his hand on his stomach.

"I am feeling a bit on the hungry side"

Frodo smiled.

"I think that we should all go and get lunch" he said.

Everyone agreed.

"What time shall we come out again?" Merry asked, walking off of the large field.

Frodo, who seemed to be the leader of the small gang, thought for a moment.

"Well, I was thinking of staying in for a while, to warm up" he answered.

This did not go well with Merry's plan. He hoped that they were coming out again.

"I agree" Samwise said, nodding once.

"We could get sick"

Being sick was a hobbits worst nightmare. Not only did they had to stay inside, even on the most beautiful day, but food would become tasteless.

For a hobbit loved his or her food. it even showed when they were not eating anything. For they had a large, round stomach and a chubby face.

"Well, we'll see you later or tomorrow" Pippin said.

Pippin and Sam lived within Hobbiton. But Frodo and Merry lived further away. They both lived in Buckland. So, the four departed into different directions.

Frodo and Merry walked down towards the small pub. Snow crunched under foot as they walked down. Both would get a cart back to Buckland.

Pippin suddenly snapped out of his day dream. It had been many years since then. Everything seemed to have changed, apart from the coldness of the winters.

Pips eyes then fell back down to the words. He knew that the part he was coming up to was the meeting between him and Diamond.

As I walked home, Sam had already got back, a familiar looking girl came into view. I could do nothing but smile.

"Good evening" I said, hoping that you would remember me.

And you did.

"Good afternoon" she answered.

Pippin gave a small smile. He loved Diamond's smile.

It was then that my words lost me. I could not think of anything else to say. but, luckily, your words had not escaped you.

"How are you?"

It was the perfect start to conversation.

"I am well, how about you?"

The uneasiness seemed to fall away the more I talked to you. But sadly, our conversation was cut short

"Diamond"

It was your mother.

"We have to get moving now"

This was not what I wanted. For some reason, I felt like I could talk to you for an age. And I still do.

Pippin took a deep breath. That was the last time Pippin saw Diamond for many years. Diamond lived many a mile away, in Long Cleeve. Where as Pippin continued living, with his three older sister, in Hobbiton.

Meanwhile, Merry had been planning to sneak into Pippin's room. Pippin had informed Merry that he was going to sleep.

"Now is my chance" Merry told himself, slowly walking down the hall way.

In fact, Pippin was not asleep. Yet his eyes were closed. A small click told Pippin that someone was entering the room. Pip opened one of his eyes.

"Ah, so your trying to sneak in when I'm sleeping?" Pippin thought.

He made sure that he did not give away the fact that he was still awake. Merry seemed to be looking right back at him.

"Pippin?" Merry whispered.

Pippin closed his eye and listened. Merry gave a small smile, knowing that his friend was indeed asleep. His attention now on the small book that was resting just inches from him.

Merry's heart rate rose slightly as his hand inched towards the book. Pippin could not take it any more. The next second, Pip launched towards the book.

Merry moved back quickly.

"Your not allowed to read it!" Pippin shouted, his voice echoing around the room.

Merry looked confused for a split second, then anger showed though.

"Don't you shout at me!"

Pippin moved the book away.

"I am if your trying to steal my things!"

The situation they were now in was one that was very rare for them. No matter what they had been though, arguments never seemed to erupt. But today was different.

Merry could not understand why Pippin was so secretive about the book. Pippin could not understand why Merry wanted to read what he had written so badly.

"Steal your things?" Merry asked, his anger still rising.

"Your trying to steal this!" Pip answered, waving the closed book at him.

Merry seemed only to laugh.

"If your writing about me, then I have a right to know!"

The argument seemed to be going around in circles now. Of course, Merry had a right to know what was written. But then, Pippin had a right to hide it from him.

"No you don't" Pip answered.

Merry's breathing was now heavy. In his mind, there was only one more option that he had.

"Get out" he said, changing the mood of the room.

Pippin's expression went from anger, to confusion.

"What?" he asked, not trusting his ears.

"Get out of my house"

There was an awkward silence in the room now, broken only by the crackling fire in the heath. The two hobbits were staring into each others eyes.

"Now!" Merry shouted.

Pippin took a deep breath, knowing that Merry was serious.

"If that's how you want it" Pippin said.

His cloths had been hung in the cupboards or folded in the draws. So, he stood up, taking the book with him. Merry watched him walk towards the cupboard. The door was swung open violently. Merry watched as Pippin opened the bag that had once contained all of his clothes.

His cloths had been hung on coat hangers. But they were now being thrust into the bag without consideration. No words were exchanged between the two of them as Merry watched.

Pippin closed the two cupboard doors with a bang. The draws were then opened. The bag was getting very full now. But that did not bother Pippin. He was too angry for words.

Deep inside, Merry had started to regret what he had said. But it was too late now. Pippin was too busy and angry to listen to anything that he had to say.

After a few more minutes, Pippin had packed all his cloths. His pipe was laying on the bedside table, along with his pouch of dry tobacco.

Without another word, Pippin put the pack on his bag and walked out.

"Where will you go?" asked Merry after him.

For a split second, Pippin wanted to answer. But he did not. He continued walking down the corridor. Merry stood there, regretting what he had just done.

The door opened and cold blast of air met Pippin's face. He gave a deep breath and slammed the door behind him, making sure that it was loud enough for Merry to hear.

The light of day slowly slipped away. The shadows that lay across a silver land were elongated. Clouds seemed to hover overhead like white islands.

Birds were still singing their songs to the world as Pippin walked down to the gate. The door behind did not open as he walked towards the gate. The road lay on the other side of the stone wall. It, unlike Merry's path leading to the door, had many foot prints in.

The gate was opened and then shut just as quickly. It was then that Pippin stopped. A sudden thought came over him.

He had nowhere to stay.

Pippin stood aimlessly in the snow, the wind blew in his face. His cheeks were getting more and more pinkish by the second. He knew exactly where he could go. So, with a deep breath, Pippin wondered off into the night.

The door to the Green Dragon opened, letting in the cold air from the outside rushed in. Two figures emerged from the heat. Both had coats on. The warmth from the building they had just left was trickling away from them.

Pervinca and Pearl walked back towards their house. Pimpernel had chosen to stay at home. She was not in a very good mood.

Pearl and Pervinca had gone out. Not only for a drink, but for a very important talk about their sister.

"She's been acting differently" Pearl said, taking I sip on her ale.

The coat that she had been wearing on the way down was now hanging over the back of the chair that she was sitting on.

"Especially when her pup vanished" Pearl explained as she gave a small sigh.

It was true, Abira's whereabouts still unknown. Pimpernel had long since given up all hope of seeing her again.

"But why have Origo and Abira gone?" asked Vinnie.

"I thought they liked it here"

Pearl took a deep breath and looked towards the window. It was covered in condensation. It showed no sign of the coldness outside.

"So did I" Pearl said.

Another swing of ale followed from both girls. The inn was not as busy as it could be. The coldness had driven most of the hobbits to stay indoors.

"No point going out now, the coldness will only grow!" the elders said.

Neither Pearl or Pervinca knew of the goings on in Merry's house. The girls talk seemed to change subject a few times. From coldness, to the warmth of summer. All the while, the level of ale slowly dropped.

A yawn came over Pervinca as she sat back. The inn emptied slowly as the darkness took hold.

"Shall we get going now?" Pearl asked, her eyes seemed to be heavier then normal.

Vinnie took a deep breath. Their mugs were drained and they stood up. Pearl was the first to put her coat on. the coldness was now playing on her mind. Yes, it was only a short walk, but they would lose all of the heat that they had.

Vinnie buttoned up the last button and looked over at her sister. Without a word, they both headed for the closed door. A few farewells and goodnights were said as they made their way to the door.

The door was opened and the first sign of coldness hit them. The candles started to flicker as Pearl waited for her sister. Vinnie smiled as she walked out into the cold world. Her sister followed quickly after, trying not to lose any more heat from the Green Dragon.

The two girls smiled and started to walk back home. As they were, a figure came out of the darkness. He was carrying a pack with the straps hanging over each shoulder.

"Pippin?" Pearl asked, stopping.

The figure stopped as well.

"What are you doing here?" asked the figure.

This confirmed that it was indeed Pippin.

"We've just come back from the Green Dragon" explained his sister.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Pippin walked a little bit further forward, the light from a near by house shone on his face.

"Merry has thrown me out of his house"

Pearl took a deep breath. Yet another problem that she might have to deal with.

"I was planning on going to our parents for the night" Pippin told her.

The coldness was now making Pearl's cheeks tingle. She nodded, taking a deep breath.

"That'll be a good idea" she agreed.

The coldness was getting to the depths of her body now. The shivering was now getting stronger as Pearl stood there. all she wanted to do now to get home and have a nice something to eat.

"Well, I best be getting off then. I hope their not asleep yet"

And with that, Pippin trundled off though the snow again. Pearl had been standing around for too long. She knew this because when she went to walk, her knees felt very stiff.

But this did not last for long. Pervinca was the first one to the gate this time. She smiled as she opened the gate. Pearl smiled as she walked in and the gate.

The large front door was then opened and both girls quickly walked in. Pearl yawned as she closed the door behind her sister.

"I guess I should make some toast, I'm starving!" Pearl said, unbuttoning her coat.

Pervinca smiled as she placed her on the hook. Soon after, the two girls went into the kitchen. The fire was now struggling to maintain itself. But that was soon sorted out as Pearl placed fresh wood into the flames.

She smiled as she felt the warmth grow. Pervinca was standing at a cabinet that held bottles of liquids. She looked at each one. A smile came over her as she picked on out. Two small glasses were picked out as well. The glass doors were shut and Pervinca turned around.

"Here we go" she said, smiling as she put them on the table.

In a room down the corridor, Pimpernel was sleeping. When the two girls had left the house, Pimpernel had retired to bed. She had not talked to them all day. in fact, she had not said a word all day.

Pimpernel's eyes were closed. The duvet had been drawn over her, trapping her body warmth in. She had not the faintest idea that her sisters were back. There were no images flashing before her eyes.

In the kitchen, the amber whiskey was being poured into the glasses. Pearl came out of the cellar, holding a loaf of bread that had been half used.

She placed it on the work top and got out the large cutting knife that she always used. The bread was then taken out. The loaf was held in Pearl's left hand while the knife was held in her right.

She then started to cut off a few slices.

"Your drink is here, Pearl" Vinnie told her.

Pearl turned and looked at the table. A smile came over her.

"Thank you" she answered.

After a few more minutes, there was a small pile of sliced bread, waiting to be toasted. The oven was opened by Pearl, with help from a small towel covering her hand. There was trey, resting on one of the levels. Pearl slide this out and placed it on the wooden work top.

The bread was then placed on. only four of the twelve slices were placed on the hot trey. Pearl smiled as she slid the trey back in and closed the door.

She then stood up and looked towards the clock. It was getting later and later. Pearl walked over to the table and picked up her small glass of whiskey. She took a very small sip and let the liquid seep down.

A few seconds later, a warm feeling started to radiate from her chest. She could feel the last bit of coldness trickle away from her muscles and get replaced by warmth. She smiled as she took a seat and sat down.

There was very little conversation between the girls now. They both drank the small bit of liquid that they had. Tiredness seemed to grab Pervinca even more as she waited. The smell of toasting bread hit her a few minutes later. Her sister got up ever so often to check on the bread. The top of the bread was now browning nicely. The trey was taken out and the bread on top was turned on its opposite side.

Pearl closed the oven door again and smiled.

"Not long now" she said, sitting back down.

Pearl looked into her small glass. Only a small bit was left, not even enough for a mouthful.

"I think more is in order" she thought.

So, without a word, she stood up. Vinnie yawned and looked at her.

"Are you getting some more?" she asked.

Pearl nodded.

"Would you like some?" she asked, opening the doors.

The bottle that was picked out was made of clear glass. The amber liquid was sloshing around inside. The glass stopper that had been placed in the neck was taken out. Pearl filled her up and then Pervinca's.

A knock came at the door. It echoed down the corridor. Pippin stood outside of his mother and father's house. The coldness was digging into his skin and the wind made it worse.

It seemed like an age that Pippin was standing out in the cold for. But, as Pippin was about to knock again, he heard sounds coming towards the door. A click echoed around him and the door started to open.

A smile came over him, it was Paladin.

"Pippin, my boy" he said, looking at him.

"Is that you?" he asked.

His son nodded.

"Of course" he answered.

There was silence for a few seconds before Paladin talked again.

"Well, what are you doing letting all this cold air in?" he asked.

Pippin smiled and made his way in.

"Wipe you feet" Paladin said as Pippin walked in.

The large round door was closed as Pippin moved out of the way. The door was then shut. Pippin was shivering more then he realised. The coldness had now been blocked out and was slowly being replaced with the warmth.

Pippin always found that his parents house smelt different. Pippin placed his bag down and took his coat off. Paladin walked slowly back down to the corridor, towards the lounge. Pippin took a deep breath and stood where he was. he looked down at his bag and picked it up. Placing it on one shoulder, he walked down to the kitchen.

His mother, Eglantine, was standing at the sink in the kitchen. Her hands were sloshing water over china plates. The remains of food were washing off, making the plates or bowls nice and clean again.

"Hello" said a voice behind her.

Eglantine looked around. A smile came over her face as she looked at her youngest and only son.

"Pippin!" she happily said.

Her hands were soaked in water. But Eglantine did not seem to notice as she threw her hands around her son.

"It is good to see you my dear!" she said.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Something has happened" Pippin told his mother.

Eglantine drew back and looked into her son's eyes. For a moment, Eglantine could not figure out what Pippin meant.

"Its Diamond, isn't it?" she asked.

Pippin could not lie to his mother. So, he slowly nodded his head. Eglantine took a deep breath and let go of her son.

"And I'm getting your bag is full of your clothes?" she asked.

Pippin looked down at his bag.

"Well, most of them" he told her.

Eglantine shook her head.

"I don't believe you Pippin" Eglantine said, disappointed.

Pippin looked down.

"She, out of all hobbits here, needs your help the most. Didn't you understand that she has a child to look after?" she asked.

Pippin knew that he should have acted better. But it was not him that left.

"But she kicked me out, I didn't leave" Pippin explained.

"And I expect that you want to stay here?" she asked, knowing that she could not turn away her son.

Pippin gave a slow nod.

"I was staying at Merry's for a bit, but…"

Pippin trailed off into a mumble.

"Merry kicked you out as well?" Eglantine asked.

She could not believe that her son was misbehaving so much.

"Pippin, I thought you had changed after you came back from your little adventure with Frodo, Sam and Merry. But it looks like I was wrong" she said.

In another household, not too far away, Pippin's older sister, Pearl, was getting ready for bed. Pervinca had gone back to her own house.

Pearl yawned as she rubbed her face dry with a towel. The scent of summer now clung to her face and hands. Pearl smiled as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Pearl looked very tired as she stood there.

"Bed time I think" she said.

So, as quietly as she could, the door was opened. The silence was very strange as she walked back to her room. The door to the room that led into Pimpernel's room was closed. Pearl fought off the urge to check on her sister. For a few minutes, Pearl stood outside her door, wondering if she should just take a quick look. But, after a very long decision, Pearl thought better of it and carried on down to her room.

The temperature of the room was very comfortable for Pearl. The fire in the heath was crackling gently. The flames danced around the heath, flicking the light that it gave off.

Pearl changed into her night gown and placed her flowery dress on the back on the chair she had. Pearl blew out the candles, yet left the fire burning.

The duvet was then drawn back and the girl got into bed. A yawn came over her as her head hit the soft pillow. The tiredness could really take a hold now as Pearl lay on one side.

The window showed the darkness outside. Yet there were no stars twinkling in the sky. For cloud cover had blocked them out. Unknown to the hobbits, a few flakes of snow started to fall silently and unexpected.

A fresh carpet of snow would waiting for them in the morning.


	65. Day Thirty One, Part One

Gondor arose to a bright morning. The white city, named Minas Tirith, was made whiter by the snow that had fallen on it. But the snow was now melting quickly.

The roves of buildings had icicles hanging down from them. The city was slowly coming alive again as people woke up. Stalls started to open up as more and more people wondered the streets.

There was a strange mist hanging over the city. It seemed that the further up the city someone travelled, the thicker the mist became.

On top on the grand city where the king and queen of Gondor. The great hall was silent as King Elessar sat at the table. He had both of his elbows were resting on the table he sat at.

Just then, foot steps started to echo around the hall. His eyes met the person that was coming towards him. The man walked up to him and stopped.

He then whispered in the King's ear. Elessar gave a small smile and got up. The man followed in the King's wake as they walked towards a door. There were many other rooms on the top level of the city. But the top level was out of bounds to the public below.

The King walked over the threshold of the door. A short corridor and up a spiral stair case. The corridor opened up into a larger passage. Down the hall way, a maid was standing outside of the door.

She looked down and saw the King coming towards her. She curtsied and opened the door. Inside, there was a bed and, lying on the bed was Arwen.

A smile came over her as she made herself comfortable as Aragorn made his way towards her. A seat had been set out for Aragorn as he came closer.

"How are you?" he asked, taking his wife's hand.

Arwen gave a smile.

"I've felt better" she answered.

Her complexion seemed unchanged, tiredness did not affect elves. The sound of a crying baby came from behind the King as he sat there. A smile came over him as he slowly looked around.

A midwife was cradling their first and only son. Aragorn stood from his seat and walked over to him. The midwife carefully past over the crying baby.

The baby had been wrapped in a white blanket. King Elessar looked down at his son. The baby had very fine hair, the same colour as his father's and pointy ears, like his mother. His eyes were light blue with a hint of soft grey.

"He looks like you" Arwen said, breaking Aragorn's eye contact with his son.

A smile came over him.

"Yet he looks more like his mother then his father" he answered, spotting the ears.

Arwen drew back the duvet that had been lain over her and she slowly got up. She smiled as she walked slowly towards Aragorn. The baby was then carefully handed over to his mother.

"I will see you in a while, there are important things I need to do"

Arwen smiled, understanding that the role of being a King was a very busy one. Aragorn nodded and walked out, leaving mother and son in the room.

The king walked back down to the corridor again. A minute or two later, Aragorn came back into the large room where he had been before.

A servant was walking by him.

"Get me some parchment" Aragorn ordered.

The servant nodded and, without a word, he walked away. Aragorn had to write a letter to a very important friend. A friend that he missed more then anything.

Peregrin Took.

They had met, many years ago now, in the Elven town of Rivendell. But that was only the start of their friendship. They would soon face many perils, either on their own or together.

The servant came back and placed a piece of parchment on the table. The King was also given his quill and an ink pot. Normally, others would write what he told them. But this time was different. He wanted to write his own words.

The ink bottle was then unscrewed and the top came off. Aragorn picked up the quill.

"Would you like me to write, my Lord?" asked the servant.

The king looked at him.

"No, thank you" he replied.

"I would rather write this one myself"

The servant smiled, bowed and retreated away from the table, leaving the king by himself. Aragorn's eyes were now trained on the sheet in front of him. The quill was moving around between his fingers as he sat there, thinking how he could start it.

Dear Friend of the King,

It is with great pleasure that Arwen, Queen Of The Reunited Kingdom, has given birth to a son. Arwen, as always, is very beautiful and precious to me.

The rebuilding of Osgiliath is slow, but steady. Yet it will take some time to restore it to its full glory.

I hope you are all well in Hobbiton, I would like a letter back as soon as you can.

King Elessar, Aragorn.

The King gave a small smile as he read back what he had wrote. It was to his approval. So, he placed the quill down and screwed the top of the ink pot back on.

As he did so, the servant came back over.

"Take this to the Shire" he explained, handing the let over.

"I would also like a reply"

At that, the servant walked away. The king watched him until out of sight. The king smiled as he sat there. He did so for the next few minutes before standing up and walking towards the large front doors. They opened slowly as he walked towards it.

A cold breeze hit him as he walked into the snowy yard. A smile came over the man as he walked down the steps. There were workers sweeping the steps. There were large piles snow at either side of the long steps. The ground levelled out as Aragorn walked towards the out most point of the highest level. A cold wind blew as he reached the end of the level. There, he stood alone, looking down at his lands.

In the distance, a small silver band weaved its way to the sea. This was the river Auduin. Aragorn looked down at the large area of land that lay between Minas Tirith and Osgiliath.

Small dots could be seen moving too and from both dwellings. These were people. Supplies were being brought to Osgiliath in an effort to rebuild it.

Aragorn stood, one foot on the small raised area that ran around the outside of the level. Every so often, the smaller raised stones would turn into large walls for a few meters.

Aragorn was deep in thought as he stood there. His mind solely positioned on the Shire. It had been a few years since he saw the hobbits that had become his friends.

"One day" he said to himself, a small smile came over him.

"One day I will see you again"

At the same time, far away in the Shire, hobbits of every ages were rising. The night had been warm inside of their homes. The candles and heaths had been kept alit to give them as much warmth as possible.

Pimpernel arose to a strange smell. One that was not normally associated with breakfast. The dull sounds of someone working in the kitchen echoed down the corridor.

Pimpernel's eyes pulled away from the door and over to the clock. The hobbit took a deep breath and drew the warm duvet from her. Pimpernel's large feet felt a sudden bite of coldness.

The hobbit then sat up, tiredness clinging to her. Her rubbed her eyes and stood up. The girl walked over to the door and opened it. The smell rose even more as she walked into the corridor.

Pearl was standing at the oven. A pan was in held in one hand while a spatula was held in the other. Pimpernel walked in and smiled as her sister turned.

"I thought that we could have a nice, large breakfast" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel could see sausages and bacon cooking in the pan. Two plates had been set out. They had many eggs, beans and, favourite of all, mushrooms all on the plate.

"Why are you doing this?" asked a tired sounding Pimpernel.

Pearl seemed not to be so tired.

"Am I not allowed to make a nice breakfast for my sister?" she asked.

Pimpernel gave a small smile as she took her seat. Pearl seemed hard at work getting the food ready. She smiled as she plated up the bacon. Soon after, the sausages were placed on the plates as well.

But the preparation was not done yet. Pearl opened up the oven and slid out the very hot trey. On top of the trey were brown pieces of bread.

They too were placed on the plate. The plate was looking very full now. A large pile of mushrooms, crispy rashers of bacon lay on the plate too. Eggs had been cracked and fried in the pan. Sausages had been cooked 'til brown.

Pearl smiled as she placed Pimpernel's plate in front of her.

The portion was very big. In fact, a fully grown man would have struggled to finish the portion on the plate if he was eating it.

"Thank you" Pimpernel said, picking up a knife and fork.

But Pearl did not sit down. Instead, she walked towards cupboards and retrieved two large mugs. The doors were closed and the large cellar door was opened. Pimpernel was watching her sister until out of sight.

A large barrel was laying on its side. A small tap had been placed in one end. Pearl smiled as the tap was turned on. She placed one of goblets under the tap and a stream of liquid poured down. It gathered in the goblet. The level of ale started to slowly rise until there was enough in the goblet to satisfy her.

The second goblet was then placed under the unbroken stream of ale. It too started to fill with ale. After another few minutes, Pearl came out again.

Pimpernel had full started on her breakfast as a goblet was placed at her place. Pearl smiled as she took her seat and picked up her knife and fork.

The two girls were now eating breakfast. Pimpernel stopped for a moment to take a drink, but quickly started to eat again. Hunger was very strong as she continued to eat. But it started to subside as she ate.

The many eggs that had been fried were now bleeding their rich yellow yoke. Pimpernel took large mouthfuls and started to chew. The bacon was particularly nice. It had a smoke taste to it as well as a crunchy bite as well.

Pippin awoke with a start. Knocking from the door had pulled him from his relaxed sleep.

"Pippin?" asked nagging voice.

It was his mother. She was standing on the other side of the door.

"Pippin?" she asked, louder then before.

Sleep had sure been taken away from him as he groaned. The hobbit turned over, forgetting that he had actually moved to his mother's house.

From the other side of the door, foot steps could be hear trailing away. Pippin yawned again and closed his eyes. Yet not all doors to the world of sleep were closed. The hobbits slowly started to drift back into sleep.

Eglantine was in the kitchen. She and Paladin had already eaten breakfast and were now waiting on Pippin. But Eglantine had other plans. She was planning to get more provisions.

And they needed it. They knew that Pippin could eat more then anyone else. This caused a few problems. Especially when he was younger.

"I'm still hungry!" he said, just finishing his large dinner.

There was still a few things in the bowls that had been lain out. Four other hobbits sat around the table. Eglantine and Paladin at either end of the table. Pippin's sisters sat on either side of the table as well. Pervinca and Pearl sat facing Pippin and Pimpernel.

"Just wait, dear" she said mother who was still eating.

Pippin took a deep breath and sat back in his chair. This was the worst moment of dinner, having to wait for the others to finish.

"Why can't they just let me eat?" he asked himself.

Pimpernel was the second one to finish. She smiled feeling that her hunger had been tamed. But she could do with a little bit more. She was eyeing the roast potatoes. But she was not the only one. Pippin was as well.

Pimpernel picked up her goblet. Pippin seemed to be the only one with water in his. The rest had ale or beer from the cellar.

After what seemed like ages, they had all finished. And Pippin's eagerness for more food had not away. His mother noticed the same look that he had when he wanted more.

"Go on then" she said, without him having to ask again.

Pippin smiled and grabbed for the nearest bowl. It contained roast potatoes. The spoon was larger then normal spoons. Pippin placed the large bowl on his lap and started to scoop the potatoes onto his plate.

Pimpernel watched her little brother, making sure that he did not take all of them. Five turned to six and six to seven.

"Pippin!" Pimpernel said, seeing the ever decreasing number in the bowl.

Eglantine looked at her only son.

"That's enough for now pip, leave some for the others"

Pippin took a deep breath and handed over the bowl to Pimpernel. She smiled as she too started to scoop more potatoes onto her plate.

"Be careful with" Eglantine said, watching Pippin pick up the hot gravy train.

Pippin held the handle tight as he lifted it off of the table mat. But Eglantine's fears were not played out as Pippin started to pour the thick, brown liquid onto his roast potatoes.

But everything had changed since then. All of eglantine's children had grown and flown the nest, as hobbits would say when their son or daughter had left home.

Pippin yawned as he got up. The coldness of the air around tingled against his legs. This was the part of waking up that Pip did not like. But hunger was getting to him.

The door to his room was opened as he walked out. Candles were flickering on their mounts as Pippin walked past. The door to the kitchen had been left ajar. Pip entered the room as the clock started to strike. It did so ten times.

"Ah, so he is awake" his mother said, looking around.

Pippin gave a small smile and took his seat at the table. It was the same place that he had when he was younger.

"I am going over to Diamond's house in a few minutes" Eglantine told her son as she placed a plate in front of him.

A confused expression came over his face.

"Why?" he asked.

Eglantine could not believe what her son was saying.

"Why?" she asked, turning to face him.

A few pieces of cold toast were now resting on his plate.

"I'm going over there because she had a new born baby and your not there to help!"

Pippin took a deep breath as he picked up the butter and placed it nearer.

"Well its not my fault" he said.

Eglantine could do nothing but shake her head.

"Your fault or not, she needs help" she told her son.

Pippin scrapped the top on the block of butter, gathering some of the creamy butter. The knife was then drawn over the toast. A minute or two later, the toast was ready to eat. Pippin picked the buttery piece of toast up and took a large bite. He smiled, finally getting something to eat.

Eglantine walked out of the room. Her mind was now set on visiting Diamond. She walked down to the bathroom and opened the door.

"Your very silly, lad" said Paladin.

Pippin took a deep breath, now getting it from both parents.

"I told you that it wasn't my fault"

Paladin huffed and looked over at his son.

"Now, where have I heard that before?" he thought.

But there was something in his voice that made Pippin feel like he could remember clearly when he had heard it.

"Honestly, it wasn't!" said Pip, but knowing that no one trusted him as much as they should.

In the bathroom, a warm bowl of water had been run. Eglantine smiled as she rubbed soap on her hands. She then placed the soap back down and rubbed her face.

The day was getting brighter, but no more warmer. Birds were singing and fluttering around. There was a fresh layer of snow had fallen over night. The air seemed clearer then normal.

Two small creatures were making their way towards a very old friend. But they had a very long way to go. Origo yawned as he walked though the fresh snow.

His small paws were clogged with snow, making it harder to move. But he could not feel its coldness. The bubble of warmth that Ivy had put around him was helping more then she knew.

A few times, curiosity got the better of Origo as he looked around. His memory lose was becoming more of a burden as time went on.

"This way" Ivy said for the umpteenth time.

Origo's breath could be seen rising in small clouds as he walked along. The distance between them and Hobbiton slowly increased as they walked.

Ivy looked around, there was forest on either side of her for as far as she could see. But there was something nagging her. She knew that she was not the most powerful fairy and a fox would make a very difficult competitor.

But for now, she did not have to worry. It was the humans that she had to worry about and a cart full of them was heading their way.

Ivy stopped where she fluttered and looked down the road. Something was coming their way. And fast. Origo carried on, not knowing what was coming.

"Puppy, we have to move" said Ivy, her eyes fixed on the object speeding towards her.

Ori stopped and looked back at her. But time was running out. The man on the horse drew ever closer. Ivy fluttered towards the puppy.

"Come on!" Ivy said, fluttering near the pup.

But it was too late. The horse rushed past, one of its powerful hooves knocked Origo into the air. Gravity took a hold of him and he fell to the ground.

"Whoa, whoa!" said the man on the horse.

The horse slowly came to a holt, the man on its back looked at the small black object. A few seconds later, the man dismounted and stood there. Origo's small chest was rising and falling.

But Ivy seemed more worried about Origo then the man did. She fluttered over to him, speechless. For a moment, she could see what happened back in the kitchen.

Without saying a word, the man picked the puppy up. He placed one hand over the pup and took a deep breath. He was a very busy man, he had places to go and people to see. This accident would only create a set back to his plans.

"Well, I cant leave his here" he said to himself.

An idea then came into his head. There was an town, not too far from where they were. It was called the Three Farthing Stone. There, he could leave the pup in the safe hands of the barmaid and carry on his way.

So, the man gently placed the puppy in the large bag he was carrying. Ivy only had a few seconds to follow the puppy into the beg. Her small wings propelled her though the air and into the small gap. She struggled for a few seconds as the man closed the bag.

The horse beneath started to move. The small fairy in the bag was bouncing around, trying to get comfortable. The puppy was laying at the bottom of the bag.

He was in a far off world, unknown to anyone. Time seemed not to exist for him. Happening around him were unknown to the pup as the horse galloped away.

Trees rushed past at the horse maintained a speed that neither Origo or Ivy could get to. The wind whistled around the man as he rode back down the road he had come to.

His cheeks had now taken of a rosy colour to them. His long hair seemed to blew in the wind as he made his way towards the town.

In an alternate reality, things were much better. For Abira and Origo had spent the night playing. But now, he was back with his Diamond. Diamond seemed happier in the alternate universe.

Ivy fluttered around Origo, waiting for him to finish his lunch. Yet again, Origo had turkey to eat. Diamond had given in to him eating anything else. And she had tried many times to get him to eat other things. But she could not get him to.

Diamond yawned as she held her son in her arms. The house was much cleaner without Pippin there. Diamond had a lot more time on her hands. But the time she did have was dedicated to her son.

Faramir was now crying as he was fed. A small silver spoon, full of orange mush, was place into his mouth. Only a small bit in the bowl was left.

"Good boy" Diamond said, scooping more out.

"Just a little bit left" she told her son.

But his cries continued. Diamond took a deep breath, waiting for him to calm down a bit. But it was no use. The bowl that lay on the table only had a small bit left in it.

"It wouldn't hurt to leave it, I suppose" thought Diamond, placing the spoon back.

But the crying baby did not stop. Diamond smiled as she stood up.

"Alright, darling" she said, wrapping her son up in the blanket.

The air around was not too cold, but there was a cold breeze running though the house every so often. Diamond smiled as she walked out of the kitchen and down the corridor.

Origo had finished his turkey and was now looking around. Ivy was standing on the cold floor beside the pup.

"What do you want to do today?" Ivy asked.

But Origo was not concentrating on the fairy beside him. He was looking out of the door that Diamond had gone out of. The next second, he scurried away.

Ivy took a deep breath and fluttered off after. She just caught sight of him running into Diamond's room. Ori stood as he saw Diamond putting Faramir to bed.

A smile came over her as she saw the puppy standing there.

"Is my little puppy jealous?" she asked, breaking away from the cot.

Faramir was still crying. A confused expression came over the pup.

"Come here, boy" she said, patting her thigh.

Origo barked and bounded towards her. He was suddenly scooped up. Diamond kissed him on top of the furry head. Ivy smiled as she fluttered near by.

"We're going to see Auntie Pimpernel and Auntie Pearl later for dinner" Diamond told him.

Origo blinked twice and licked his Diamond. Diamond smiled as looked up. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw something fluttering just a few feet away. But there was nothing there.

"Right" she said, placing the pup down.

"I have to do some cleaning pup, then I can come and play" she said.

Origo's small tail wagged as he watched his Diamond walk away. The sound of her feet on the hard tiled floor echoed away as she made her way down the corridor.

A small door, situated near the large front door, was opened. It had all of Diamond's cleaning equipment. A bucket and mop were taken out. The door was closed afterwards.

But reality was much different. For Diamond did not have either Origo nor Pippin with her. It was as she was about to lay down again, to get some extra sleep, that a knock came from the large front door.

This was strange. For Diamond had no knowledge of inviting someone around. So, without wanting to be rude, Diamond walked out of the room and down the corridor.

The large front door then clicked open and, standing on the other side was Eglantine. She smiled.

"Good morning dear" she said, smiling broadly.

"Eglantine?" Diamond asked, rubbing her forehead.

The broad smile Eglantine wore slowly fell.

"Oh dear, were you asleep?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I… no, no I wasn't" Diamond asked.

She yawned, but gave a smile.

"I was hoping to see the little one" she said.

Faramir was not awake, but asleep. Diamond, not wanting to disappoint her mother in law, smiled.

"Sure, he's just asleep at the moment. He should be waking up soon"

So, she let Eglantine in and closed the door. Pippin's mother took off her coat and hung it on one of the free pegs. Diamond noticed wet foot prints where Eglantine had been standing.

"Great, more work" Diamond thought.

"Oh, the house smells nice" Eglantine told her.

A smile came over Diamond, but she did not say anything. She walked down to the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea?" Diamond asked.

Eglantine had followed her.

"Oh, tea would lovely" she answered, taking a seat.

Diamond smiled as she picked up the cold kettle and walked over to the sink.

"So, Pippin turned up at our place last night"

Diamond stopped for a moment. She did not like to talk about it, but she knew she had to.

"Did he?" she asked, almost forgetting how to talk.

"He said he was kicked out of Merry's house"

It was then that Diamond started to make assumptions.

"Drunken fight most likely" she said, turning the tap off and walking back to the hook.

She placed the heavy kettle on the metal hook. The fire below was not very strong. So, Diamond placed more wood in it. The fire slowly started to grow and tickle the bottom of the kettle.

"No, not at all. In fact, I don't think Pippin had anything to drink that day" Eglantine corrected her.

Two large cups were then taken out of the cupboard and placed on the work surface.

"Then again, Pippin can handle his ale or beer. It take a lot to get him drunk"

Diamond took out a box and placed it on the work top. The box was made of wood. It wasn't too big yet not too small.

The lid was then opened to revile tea leaves. Hundreds were packed into the box. She picked out a few leaves and placed them in the large cups.

"I really don't know what to do" Diamond said, crossing her arms and lent on the work top.

Eglantine took a deep breath.

"I mean, Pippin was really up for being a father. He even helped me when I was in…"

But there was no way to describe what had happened to her those weeks ago. She could not remember a thing. But what she did remember was Origo.

"Ori, I'm alright, I just don't feel well" she said.

And then, it all went blank. There was no light in this dark world. The world around her rushed by. And, when she woke, she was in an old Elven town that she had only heard in tails.

Eglantine hung on every word.

"I did not know that that had happened" Eglantine said.

There was a strange silence. Respect was now growing for Pippin. Eglantine had not noticed that her son and Diamond had vanished.

"He took me all the way to Rivendell. He went though the coldest of nights, just to save me and his unborn child. He did this because of me and me alone"

Diamond took a deep breath. The water was now bubbling gently. But the bubbling increased. Slowly at first, then it increased.

The kettle was then taken off of the heat and the water was poured into the two mugs. The metal kettle was then put back on the hook.

"He does surprise me" Eglantine said, as Diamond opened a draw and got out a small silver spoon.

"Why?" asked Diamond.

The spoon was placed on the table. It waited to be used. A large jar of full of white grains was then placed on the table as well. The jar was full of sugar. Something had hobbits seemed to love. For all hobbits, no matter what age, loved sugar.

Cakes, chocolate and tea all contained large, very large, amounts of sugar. The lid was then taken off. The tea laves that had been taken out, leaving the water with a dark brown colour. Diamond smiled as she turned around with a cup in each hand.

Eglantine smiled as one was placed on the table mat in front of her.

"Thank you, dear" she said.

Diamond smiled as she drew her chair out and sat on it. Eglantine took the small silver spoon and dug it into the sugar. The spoon was now loaded with white sugar. The hobbit smiled as she poured spoonful after spoonful into her tea.

Diamond waited patiently for the sugar. After what seemed like ten spoonfuls, Eglantine finished putting sugar. The jar was then slid over to Diamond, the spoon was left inside.

A minute later, Diamond started to stir the tea. Eglantine did the same. There was a lack of conversation around the table. The only sound that broke the silence was the gentle bubbling of the kettle and the odd pop and crackle of the fire.

Through the pain of glass, a bird could be heard singing to the world. A small, red breasted robin fluttered around. The small bird eyed hobbits going about their daily routine.

Laugher came from the fields away down by the river. A young hobbit and her friends were building yet another snow hobbit.

"This one had to be the biggest yet!" said Elanor, help pushing an already large snow ball.

But it was still not big enough. The children were not only watched by the robin, but by Samwise Gamgee as well. His cheeks took on a rosy colour as talked to an elder.

"Why yes, I do say so myself" said Sam, looking out at the land that lay before him.

For miles and miles, all that could be seen was a carpet of snow.

"It'll be a hot summer, you mark my words!" said the elder.

Sam slowly nodded.

"I hope it will, this coldness is getting to me"

The elder laughed and sniffed.

"Well, my dear lad, I best get to the Dragon, I have a mug of ale waiting for me"

Sam nodded and the elder walked off. Sam shivered a bit where he stood. The snow under his feet started to melt. He moved onto a fresh piece of snow.

Elanor struggled to push the snow ball. Even with help from her friends, they could not push it. Elanor took a deep breath, her hands were started to tingle. She wiped her wet hands on her coat, making then drier. An idea then to her. She looked over at her father, standing by himself now.

She smiled and scuttled over to her. Sam smiled as his oldest daughter stopped in front of him.

"Err, daddy?" she asked, taking a look back at the large ball of snow.

"Would you help us make our snow hobbit bigger?"

Samwise did not want to disappoint his daughter. He quickly had to make an excuse.

"Your doing a grand job by yourself, do you need it much bigger?" he asked, hoping that it would deter her enough.

But it did not.

"No!" Elanor said, looking at her father.

She was now determined to get her father to help. But Sam was determined not to.

"We need it much bigger, so big that it can be seen from the other side of the lake!"

Samwise took a deep breath. He really did not want to do it. Yet he did not want to upset his daughter.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked.

Elanor smiled and took her father's hand. Sam now had no way out of helping now.

Ivy felt the horse slow down. Its speed decreased as the man drew nearer to the destination. Origo had still not awoken.

There was a sudden movement as the man dismounted. The bag seemed to have a green glow about it, a glow that only two creatures could see.

The reigns of the horse were tied. The man smiled as he entered the inn.

"Ah, back again are we?" Ivy heard someone say.

"I have an injured animal that needs to be attended too"

Ivy knew that they were talking about Origo. The bag suddenly opened and light poured in. a large hand came down and picked up the limp pup.

"I accidently knocked into him. He was on the road. I have no idea where he came from"

Ivy watched as Origo was handed over. The man that was sitting down looked at the pup.

"Well, he seems alright"


	66. Day Thirty One, Part Two

Ivy fluttered closer, listening to every word that he said.

"Leave him here and we'll take care of him"

Ivy started to smile. She now knew that Origo would be safe. The man nodded, turned and walked out of the inn. Ivy fluttered where she was.

"I think we should get this one a towel"

So, the man stood up and picked Origo up. There was a young maid behind the bar. Her brown hair was tied back. Ivy continued to flutter and landed on the bar.

"Of course" the young maid said.

The Puppy was gently handed over and the man went back to his friend. The maid looked down at the pup. She gave small smile and walked towards the door that led into the back.

Ivy fluttered after her. The door opened and slowly swung shut. Ivy fluttered right though the door like it was not there.

The small fairy took a second or two to look around. A creaking stair signalled the way the girl had gone. So, fluttering straight up though the ceiling.

The room that she was now in was strange. Unlike Diamond's house, this one seemed to be less decorated then hers. There was a dirty looking mirror with an old dusty table. A few candles were flickering and a cold wind whistled though the large gaps of the poorly made doors and window frames.

The young girl put the limp puppy on the bed and turned around. Ivy watched the girl walk out of the room again. Ivy fluttered onto the bed and stood there. The room was much colder then it should be. The walls seemed not to have been taken cared for many, many years. A thin layer of dirty had built up, making the room darker then normal.

Just then, a dull noise came from downstairs. Laughter from the people below. Lunch was fast approaching and people needed feeding.

A voice came from downstairs. It sounded very annoyed and it seemed that it was aimed at the girl.

"I'll be down in a minute or two!" the girl shouted back as she opened the door again.

The voice from down echoed up again, then went silent. The girl took a deep breath, looking very tired and upset. But the sight of the puppy made that small smile reappear.

The bed suddenly moved as the girl sat down.

Ivy noticed that the towel she had gotten was not a very good one. Small holes, most likely the work of mice or rats, dotted it.

The pup was gently wrapped up. The girl looked down at the small creature, now warm and safe. But her gaze was broken as the stair creaked. A woman then came into view.

"Why are you just sitting around?" she said, her voice raised.

The girl placed Origo on the bed and stood up. Ivy looked strangely at the woman. Her wrinkles were deep and her face could curdle fresh milk, as the saying goes.

"I am…"

But the girl was quietened before she had the chance to explain.

"I do not want to hear what you have to say!"

The woman was very angry at the girl. She marched in and stood facing the maid. The next second, an open palm hit the girls cheek. The noise made Ivy jump.

"Now, you get down there and you help with lunch!"

The girl held her cheek, her pale blue eyes were watering.

"Yes ma'am" she said, her voice held the pain.

The woman turned and stormed out again. The girl could do nothing but stand there. But she was used to it. Taking a deep breath and looking back at the puppy, she walked out.

Ivy could hear the girl walk down the stairs. She now had a problem on her hands. She wished to stay here, for Origo's safety. But it seemed that his well being would be in threat by that woman.

Lunch was defiantly underway in the Shire. Chimneys were smoking and the smell of warm, cooked food spread around every household.

Even the very tired Diamond had something cooking. But her lunch was not as good as it could have been more different then anyone else in Hobbiton.

Eglantine had left, just half an hour before. She needed to get lunch ready herself. The noise of sizzling started to erupt from the hot pan on the hobs.

A slice of bread was soaking in egg. Diamond, who had her apron on, wiped her hands. She smiled as the bread started to cook.

Four more pieces of bread lay in a pile near a plate. The plate had a yellow liquid on it. A few egg shells lay on the work top. Diamond smiled as she smelt the cooking egg.

A spatula was held in her right hand and the handle of the pan. The spatula was slid under the bread and it was flipped over. The side that had been facing the surface of the hot pan was now slowly browning.

The sizzling increased for a few seconds, then went back to normal. Diamond smiled as she waited for the second side to brown.

For a moment, Diamond thought that she had forgotten something important. But the mystery was quickly solved as she looked down. Normally, she would have a small puppy wagging his tail as he stood at her feet.

But Origo was not here. In fact, he was not in Hobbiton. He had been travailing for a few days now. But his progress had halted. Not due to him, but to a second accident.

Ivy took a deep breath as she waited for him to wake. It had been hours since the accident and it would be a few more hours.

The clock on the wall chimed twelve times. Ivy could hear the wind whistling though the small gaps. Muffled talking and laughter could be heard coming from the main bar downstairs.

A glass shatter made Ivy look at the door. The clock on the wall continued to tick and tock. The hour hand moved slowly towards the number six and then started to climb up towards the number twelve again.

The sun outside was arching and falling towards the western horizon. The coldness seemed to grow as well as the lengths of shadows.

But in a far off memory, the world was very different. Warmth surrounded a figure, wondering though the forest. But the figure was not of man, elf, dwarf or hobbit. It was in fact of a small puppy.

In modern times, this puppy was call Origo. But his name had not been given too him yet. Pilith was his real name and was unknown to anyone but a small group.

The puppy's eyes were darting around, trying to find something. But there was nothing there. Every so often, the puppy would stop and look. He was being watched by an unseen animal.

"Mya?" Pilith barked, looking around.

His bark echoed around, but there was no reply. So, placing his nose very close to the ground, the puppy began to sniff. He scurried along, sniffing quickly.

As he sniffed, a scent caught him. He turned around and sniffed the same spot again. He suddenly lifted his head and looked around. But there was still no sign of the other puppy.

So, going back to sniffing the ground. Pilith found that there was a line, running away from him. This was the break though that he needed. He started to trot along, keeping nose to the ground.

Behind a tree, the creature he was after saw him coming.

"Oh no" she thought, looking around for another place to hide.

But it was too late. A bark came from behind the tree. It was now too late. Mya froze, hoping that, if she stayed as still as she could, Pilith would not find her.

But Pilith had a different plan. He snuck around the side, very close to the tree. The pup could see the slowly wagging tail of his victim.

Mya's head slowly moved from one side to the other. But she was not ready for what came next. Pilith pounced at her, making her tumble under the weight of the puppy on top.

"Found you!" Pilith barked.

Mya playfully growled and wrestled with him. A few times, Mya overpowered Pilith. But the majority of the time, Pilith was more powerful.

"Now it's your turn!" Pilith barked and ran off.

Mya yawned and looked around. It was now her time to find him and she knew that he was a good hider. She watched the puppy get smaller and smaller until he could not be seen anymore. Just as the she was about to run off after him, she saw a figure walking though the forest. It was moving quicker then normal.

Mya's eyes fell on the yellow booted figure. She knew exactly who it was. So, quickly changing into her human form, she walked out from behind the tree. For a moment, she thought that Tom did not see her.

But indeed he did. A smile came over his face as he watched the young girl walk towards him.

"One did have a small inkling that you would be in the forest"

Pilith could see two figures now, standing where he had just ran from. For a moment, he could not make them out. But after a few more seconds of looking, he knew that it must be Tom and Mya.

So, Pilith changed into his human and started to walk back to where they were. Mya smiled as she saw Pilith walking towards her.

"I see that you two have been playing a game" Tom said, a strange twinkle in his eye.

Pilith had come to learn that they could not get away from Tom. Even when they thought he was at home, Tom seemed to be by them all along.

"Yes, we just wanted to get rid of some energy" Mya said.

Pilith smiled as he reached them.

"I was doing the same, a walk is a very good way to get rid of energy. I myself sometimes need many hours of walking to clear my head of all worries"

But there seemed to be a small bit of worry in his eyes. Tom's real reason for walking had not been told yet. He struggled for a way to tell them.

Pilith looked into the old face of his friend. Something was different back it. It seemed that something was bothering him and it not going away, no matter how much walking he did.

Tom eyed Pilith. For a moment, there was a connection. A subliminal message seemed to pass between the two of them.

"No" Pilith said, without a word said from the other two.

Mya looked between the two of them, obviously not getting the message that Pilith did.

"Pilith, what's the matter?" Mya asked.

Tom took a deep breath.

"I need you to do something for me" he said.

Mya was confused. This was something serious going on.

"What is going on?" she asked.

Pilith seemed to have a short fuse.

"No" he said, short and to the point.

"We are not going to leave"

Tom took a deep breath, knowing that he would need all of his words to get them to do his will.

"It's the only way to help, you need to go to Gondor" he said.

Mya suddenly realised what he was planning to do.

"Gondor?" she asked, her eyes now fixed on him.

"But you said Sauron is rising, we can not seen by anyone. You know this!"

Tom knew that the two of them would play it hard. But he also knew that they wanted to help.

"Indeed I do. But war will spread to every corner of middle-earth. This is your time to help" he said.

The pictures suddenly started to fade as they talked. Origo was now waking up. A small whine came from him as he lay there. Ivy was fluttering around the building that they were in.

The building seemed to be split into two. A bar downstairs, along with a large cellar full of bottles and barrels. Then, up a flight of stairs, living quarters. The rooms upstairs were falling into disrepair.

The beds seemed to be very old and broken. Their sheets seemed to be older then memory. The wood that made up the frames of the door were brittle and broken.

A cold wind blow, whistling though the gaps. Ivy flew though the walls, taking in everything that she saw. She was just about to flutter into yet another room when she heard it.

Barking.

"Origo" she said, a smile came over her.

So, her small wings fluttered faster then ever. The wall that separated the two rooms came ever closer. The small fairy seemed to pass right though, into the room that Origo was in.

"Puppy!" she said, flying down to the bed.

Origo was struggling to get out of the blanket that he had been wrapped in. But Ivy was not the only one to hear the barks of the pup. Downstairs, the young barmaid looked towards the door. She knew that the puppy was now awake.

So, leaving the area behind the bar, she opened the door and walked up the creaky stairs. She smiled as the door opened. A large smile came over the girl as she quietly shut the door.

"I see that your up" she said.

Origo was panicking. He did not know where he was or why he was there. All he knew was that he had to get out of there.

The girl slowly came forward, this made Origo even more scared. Large hands swooped down at him. All he could do was to lash out at the threat.

"Puppy!" the girl said, stepping back.

The puppy seemed to be very, very frightened. All that he wanted to was get out of here. But, unknown to the girl, Ivy was trying to settle Origo down as well.

"Puppy, puppy calm down" Ivy said, fluttering towards him.

"She's not going to hurt you"

Origo's eyes darted from the fairy, to the girl. The puppy seemed to slowly calm down as Ivy talked to him.

"She just wants to help" Ivy told him.

Ori could see nor hear any lie in what she said.

"But, who is she?" Origo whimpered, not liking the cold, dark room.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked towards the girl. Her blue eyes were looking right back at Origo.

"Are you going to behave now?" she asked.

Ori blinked and slowly nodded his head. Ivy smiled as she stroked his ear. The young girl slowly held out one hand. Origo looked up at her, he caught her scent a bit, but he needed to make sure.

The girl felt the wet nose of the puppy touch her.

"See, I'm not going to hurt you" she said.

Just then, yelling came from down stairs. The girl's heart beat rose. She knew that she had taken too much time away from the bar.

The stairs seemed to creak even more as the person made their way up. A second or two later, the door swung open.

"What are you doing up here?" asked the woman.

Anger crossed her face as she stood there. Origo backed away, growling a bit.

"I do not pay you to stay up stairs!" she said.

The girl backed away as well, but the bed stopped her from getting any further back.

"There are people down there, waiting to be served and there is no one there to serve them"

"I'm sorry, it wont happen again" the girl said nervously.

But the woman did not believe her.

"Wont happen again?" she asked, giving a small laugh.

"I do not pay you for fooling around"

The girl gave a small glance away. She had never been paid for the job she was doing. The owners seemed to think that there was no need.

"If this happens again, I will have no other choice but to get rid of you. Now, get down there and work"

The girl nodded and looked back at the small dog, now standing near the opposite end of the bed. The woman turned and slammed the door.

The girl took a deep breath and tilted her head back. Ivy was feeling sorry for the young girl now. She was being treated like a slave.

"This always happens" the girl said, turning around to the puppy.

Origo blinked and came a bit closer.

"She always treats me like this"

There was sadness in her voice as she sat on the bed. She smiled as the puppy now came up to her. The woman was now downstairs again, behind the bar.

"I always have to do more then I can handle and I don't even get paid for it"

But there were things that she held close to her heart. Memories that she had yet to tell anyone. The girl took a deep breath and stood up.

"I best be getting back to work now, just wait here and I'll be back with some food" she said.

Origo's head was then stroked as the girl stood up. She smiled and turned, walking out of the room and shutting the door with a small click.

Origo looked at the door, then over to Ivy. She took a deep breath.

"What happened?" the puppy asked.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"I don't know" she said, looking around.

"All I saw was you flying though the air and landing. The man on the horse brought you here and went away again" she answered.

Origo looked around.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking over at the window.

The sunlight started to fade as the sun slowly sank. The coldness deepened as the warmth from the sun failed to warmth that land below it.

Hunger was now getting to the little puppy. Ivy knew that he hadn't eaten in a few hours and the look that he gave made it all clearer.

A large plate of turkey appeared before him. Even before his memory loss, Origo had liked it. But not as much as before.

The puppy wagged his tail and started chomping on the large plate before him. Ivy smiled as she watched. The smell of turkey started to waft around the small room.

"Maybe I should get a fire going" Ivy said, looking at the fireless heath.

She smiled as she fluttered over to it. There was no wood in the heath. It looked as though it had not been used in a few years.

Ivy smiled and looked at the spot in the heath. Without warning, a pile of wood appeared. It was like it had come out of midair and landed without a sound.

Origo thought nothing of this for he knew who was responsible. Ivy smiled as she pointed at the wood. Just then, exactly where she had been pointing, sprung a fire which quickly enveloped the logs.

The heat seemed to come as a large wave which travelled around the room. Ivy turned and fluttered back to the bed.

By the time that she had got back, half of the turkey had been eaten. Origo blinked as Ivy came and sat back down near the puppy. All she could do was watch him eat and eat and eat.

After only a few minutes, all of the meat was gone. Ivy started to giggle as Origo licked the plate clean.

"Alright pup, its clean enough" she said, making is vanish.

A small whimper came from the pup. He was still hungry.

"But, you've just had some"

Origo looked too cute to argue with. Ivy tried hard to resist his little face.

"Oh alright!" she said, making a second plate of turkey appear.

Origo wagged his tail and started to eat again. Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that they could have done this at Hobbiton. But for now, they were miles away and with no option of turning back.

Downstairs, the girl was taking orders and pouring out drinks. As she did so, an accident happened. A glass that she had been drying slipped and fell to the cold tiled floor below.

It shattered into a thousand tiny fragments.

"Clear that up immediately!" said the woman, her voice was stern.

The girl took a deep breath and squatted down and started picking up the small shards of glass. After a few minutes, she had picked up nearly every piece.

Dinner was starting to come upon the Shire as the sun set. Darkness was getting deeper. The shadows of the trees stretched as the sun lowered.

A hobbit walked though the melting carpet of snow. Children were still playing, even though the coldness was deepening.

Samwise huffed as he walked though the small gap into the big field. He stopped, a funny sight met him. He could easily made out his daughter down the other side of the field.

She and her friends were still making the snow hobbit. Sam smiled as he walked down to it. Elanor was patting snow into the already massive ball. Another one had been made and lifted on top of the first one.

But none of them, not even Elanor, could reach it.

"Elanor, dear" said her father, standing there.

Elanor looked over and smiled.

"Hello" she said, walking over.

"It's good, isn't it?" she asked.

Samwise smiled and nodded.

"One of the biggest yet" he answered.

Elanor gave the exact same smile that her mother did.

"Dinner will be ready soon" Samwise told her.

"So start saying your goodbyes and come back home" he told her.

Elanor smiled and turned. Samwise looked around. The sky then caught his attention. Twinkling stars came out of their hiding places.

Sam noticed that some of the brighter stars fighting to shine though. But most were blocked by the thin clouds that had the last hint of the blueness of the day past.

Rosie hummed as she prepared dinner. The smell of cooking chicken radiated around the house. Laughter echoed down from the lounge as plates were placed on the work top.

A few minutes later, the front door opened. Rosie felt a cold tickle on the backs of her legs. Samwise was back home.

Both Sam and his daughter took their coats off. It was then that Elanor felt how cold she had been as she started to warm up. The smell of chicken was incredibly inviting.

Rosie smiled as her oldest daughter crossed the threshold into the kitchen.

"How long until it's ready?" Elanor asked.

A small towel had been picked up.

"About twenty minutes" Rosie answered.

Elanor smiled and stood there, looking at what her mother was doing. But her attention span was not very long. So, she left the room and went to her own.

Hunger was now getting to her as she closed the door. The fire in heath was still burning as she went to her bed. The candles reflected in the window. The darkness was defiantly deepening.

"You want to play?" asked the girl suddenly, looking over at a stagnant figure.

A horse stood there, its front right hoof raised off of the ground and its main seemed to be carved to make it look like it was blowing in the wind.

"Well what do you want to do?" she asked.

It was then she had an idea. A smile came over her as she thought of it.

"But we're not allowed, we'll get into trouble" she said.

But the opportunity was too tempting. So, gathering her horse, she went for it. But she could not predict how much trouble she would get into.

The door slowly opened, making sure her mother and father were busy. She smiled, hearing her mother in the kitchen. But the whereabouts of her father were still unknown.

The girl's heart rate rose as she made her way past the kitchen. The door to her parents room came into view. It was then a voice came into her head.

"Elanor, just stop for a moment" it said.

"Think about what your doing. If your father finds out it's gone, then you'll be in deep trouble"

But Elanor knew that her parents couldn't stay mad at her for long. So, looking around one last time, she opened the door. The feeling she got was very strange. A cot lay on the far side of the bed and, sleeping inside was her youngest sibling.

"Now, where would he keep it?" she asked herself.

She walked over to the large cupboard and opened it up. But there was no sign of the big red book. She slowly and quietly closed it. A draw was then opened. But there was still no sign.

An echo them met her ears. Her heart rate seemed to rise instantly. But all it turn out to be was a random creak in the wood just outside of the room.

"Maybe…" she thought, looking over at the bed.

"Maybe it's under there"

So, slowly closing the draw, she walked over to the bed. She looked around one more time and knelt down. Under the bed were many, many boxes.

She gabbed one and slid it out. It was very heavy. The lid was then taken off. But it was not the red book. In fact, Elanor did not know what was written on the pieces of paper that she had found.

But she could not wait to read it. So, putting the lid back, she got out another box. But yet again, the book was not there.

Down the corridor, Rosie was now cutting up the dinner. A large knife sliced though the tender meat of the chicken. She smiled at the meat was slowly transferred onto all the plates.

Vegetables were bubbling in the many different pots. But they were all ready to be served. Piles of honey roasted chicken were now laying on the plate.

The pans were taken off of the heat and drained of water. But they were not served onto the plates. Instead, they were placed into bowls.

"Dinner is ready!" Rosie shouted down the hall way.

Elanor's heart stopped. She knew that she needed to get out of the room as soon as possible. A large red book lay on the bed. Elanor did not know what to do with it.

To leave it there, or to bring it with her into her room. Either way she had to get rid of the evidence. So, she put the box lid on and slid the box under the bed.

She grabbed the big red book and scurried out. She now needed to get past the kitchen.

"Elanor!" her mother shouted.

Worry started to grow in her heart. She knew that if she got caught, she could get grounded for the rest of her life. The kitchen door came into view. There seemed to be a lot of movement.

But the door had been closed enough for Elanor to slip past. So, she did. Her breathing seemed to calm as she made her way to her room.

The bowls of vegetables were being placed on the table along with water for the children and ale for Sam and Rosie.

"Where is Elanor?" Rosie thought, eyeing her empty chair.

Elanor was in fact quickly hiding the big red book that belonged to her father. Under the bed was the best place to put it.

"Elanor, your dinner is going cold!" her mother called.

Elanor then walked out and shut the door to her room. She walked along to the kitchen and walked in. Nervousness was getting to her. But she tried not to show it. She smiled as she walked to her place.

"Your lucky that there are things left" Samwise said, piling the roast potatoes onto his plate.

Rosie was standing up and placing vegetables on the children's plates. Frodo was sitting facing her sister. He was waiting as patiently as he could for the potatoes. Elanor picked up the spoon and started to scoop one after another onto her plate.

Frodo took a deep breath and sat back in his seat. He was now very tired of waiting and wanted to start eating. Samwise lent over and grabbed the gravy boat. He smiled as he lifted it. The next second, the rich, brown liquid was poured all over his food.

Frodo smiled as he started to place roasted potatoes on his plate. Elanor looked around, her eyes kept wondering to the door. A voice seemed to keep talking to her.

"You have to put it back. Trouble will only come of it!" it said.

But Elanor knew that she couldn't put it back. She could not go into her parents room again. It would surely seal her punishment.

Dinner past slower then normal. Samwise smiled as he cleared his plate and picked up his mug of ale. There was only a small bit left. He smiled as he downed it in one.

Just then, a noise came from down the hall way. The baby was awake. Sam smiled.

"I'll get him" Sam said, getting up from the chair.

It was now that Elanor became even more nervous. She looked back down at her food and felt sick. She had suddenly lost her appetite.

Samwise walked into the room. As he did, he noticed something strange about the bed.

"That's funny" he said, looking at the crinkled duvet.

A corner of a box poked under the bed. Before Sam went to his son, Sam went to the bed and slid out the box. It was exactly the same one that he kept the red book in.

"Oh my" he said, lifting off of the lid.

The red book had gone. The baby was then picked up and Sam walked out. He had a small inkling of who might have taken it. But he was not one hundred percent sure.

"It's gone" Sam said, walking in.

Rosie was now clearing away the plates and bowls. Elanor was sitting there, she knew the her father had found out about the book.

"What has?" Rosie asked, standing there with a plate in each hand.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"The book Frodo gave me when he left" he answered.

Elanor could pick out the sadness and worry in his voice. She knew that she was close to being found out.

"Are you sure you looking in the right place?" she asked.

Samwise looked at her children. He knew that if he reviled the location, then he could not hide the book there again.

"I'm certain. I haven't lent it out to anyone and the children don't know where it is" he said.

Rosie took a deep breath and looked over at her sons and daughters. Only one seemed to be deliberately not listening. Elanor.

This made Rosie very suspicious.

"Elanor?"

Rosie's voice was now very stern. She needed to get the truth.

"Do you know anything about the missing book?" she asked.

Elanor's eyes darted around, she could not bare to look at her mother.

"N.. no" she answered.

But Rosie could see though the lie.

"Elanor, are you lying to me?" she asked.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"Elanor, where is it?" Samwise answered.

Elanor took a deep breath.

"I don't know where it is" she answered, but she knew that she could not keep it up for long.

Rosie shook her head. But she could not prove that her daughter had taken it.

"Alright, you can go now" Rosie said, taking Elanor's plate.

Elanor left, more hastier then normal. Rosie took a deep breath as she placed the plate by the sink. The door to Elanor's room slowly shut.

"I have to get rid of it" Elanor thought, taking the book from under her bed.

But she knew that her mother would sooner later find out. Elanor knelt down and slid out the book.

"But if I tell them, they cant get too made at me" she thought.

But this would ruin her plan of reading it. A noise echoed down the hall way. But it was just her siblings making their way to the lounge.

Elanor placed the book on the bed. Her heart was in her mouth as she opened the cover. The title page then met her.

A few lines had been crossed out. Elanor's eyes then fell on the first title.

There and Back Again…

A Hobbit's Tail

By Bilbo Baggins

This was the first part of the book. Elanor had never read it before. She had always been told about the adventures of Bilbo and Frodo from her father. But she was getting more information about it.

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

Elanor smiled, the words were perfect and a very good way to start off a book. But there was more.

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs.

Samwise yawned sat in the lounge. The clocked ever closer to the time where the children would be put to bed. He downed his tea and smiled as he watched his children expelled the last of their energy.

"Right, we best get to bed" he said, standing up.

Merry and Rose giggled as they chased each other around. Sam walked out of the room, leaving Rosie on her own. The kitchen door had been left open.

Sam placed the mug by the pile of plates and walked out again. He headed right for Elanor's room. He smiled as he opened the door. Elanor jumped as she sat on her bed. The book was closed instantly, but there was no time to hide it.

Sam stood at the door.

"Elanor?" he asked, spotting the book.

Elanor froze, her and her father's eyes were locked on each others.

"Where did you get that?"


	67. Day Thirty Two, Part One

The night had been very hard for one small puppy. The room he had been staying in was very cold and uncomfortable. The wind that had whistled though the gaps was near enough constant all night.

But at least he was not outside. For the night had been very harsh on the land. White dew made the patches of exposed grass crunch underfoot.

It was harder to find food through the winter. Squirrels ran on the ground and dug at the hard soil. But the buried nuts were hard to get to. The soil was harder the it usually was. But that did not deter them.

Birds of every kind started to sing as the sun rose in the East. The shadows of the trees started slowly growing longer as the sun crept ever upwards.

Origo yawned as he felt a cold tickle on his fur. His sleep seemed to slip away as the world around him slipped into its place. Ivy, his small green fairy friend, was sitting on the unmade bed near him. A smile came over her as she heard his small fairy stood up and walked the short distance to the pup.

"Good morning" she said.

Origo yawned and rolled onto one side. He gave a small whine and closed his eyes. But his eyes did not stay closed for long. Ivy smiled as she looked around.

"I think we should get moving today" she said, looking out of the window.

The puppy yawned and gave a small whine.

"Why?" asked Ivy, looking a bit confused.

"Because we have to get to Radagast" she answered.

The puppy gave another whine and was now concentrating on her.

"You'll see" she answered.

Downstairs, the girl was very busy. She was walking to and from the main bar. The bar was busy this morning. Men were laughing as they sat at their table. Nearly all of which were full.

The girl placed plates of cooked food before them. Knives and forks had been placed in front of them as well.

"There you are" she said, placing the plates before each of the men.

The door seemed to open and close as people either left or arrived. But the small inn was not the only building that had people wanting food.

Hobbiton was waking up as well. But there was one hobbit who had been up for most of the night. Elanor had had a very bad argument with, not only her father, but her mother.

Her father had walked in on her reading the Red Book.

"As I have said before, you are not allowed to be in my room. Not only have you broken one rule, but you've broken two!" Samwise said.

Elanor was now crying. She was incredibly sorry, but her parents did not seem to see it.

"I'm sorry" she whimpered, standing there.

The Red Book was now safely in Sam's possession again.

"You can be sorry all you want, it will not change the fact that you broke our rules" Rosie told her daughter.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Elanor sniffed as tears ran down her face.

"Am I.. I in trouble?" she asked, between sobs.

Rosie did not like having to punish her children. But this was very serious indeed.

"We have no other choice" she answered.

Samwise seemed to be angry with his daughter where as Rosie seemed to be disappointed. Rosie's answer seemed to make Elanor cry harder.

Sam took a deep breath.

"You will go to bed now and stay there until morning" he said.

Elanor opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it.

"But, what if I'm hungry?" she asked, hoping she would get more time out of her room.

"You'll have to wait for breakfast in the morning" Samwise told her.

This seemed to have no effect on the young girl. Tears continued to stream from her face.

"Get to bed, we'll talk in the morning" Rosie told her daughter.

Elanor looked down. Her mother and father walked out of the room leaving the young girl by herself. Elanor watched the door closed, feeling very, very unloved at the moment.

She took a deep breath and climbed on the bed. Her favourite figure horse stood proudly in the middle of all the other figures. It was the biggest one of them all and had been brought by Samwise.

Elanor loved it dearly, even though she knew she would never get to ride a horse herself.

"How are you?" the horse asked.

Elanor looked around, but did not answer. She took a deep breath and turned so that she faced away from the creature.

"You got into quite a mess" said the horse.

Elanor hated what it said. She suddenly thought on.

"It's your fault" she said, slowly rolling over to look at the horse.

"What?" it asked.

Elanor slowly sat up on the bed. Everything that had happened was the fault of the horse.

"You're the one that told me to get it. Everything is your fault!"

The horse was shocked.

"My fault?" it asked.

Elanor grabbed the horse and quickly took off the beads that were hanging around its wooden neck. Elanor placed them on the bed and placed the horse back on the table.

"I don't want to speak with you" she said, laying down again and turning over.

Sam and Rosie were now ready for bed. Sam was still feeling very angry at her daughter.

"Why did she do it?" Rosie asked, her back resting on the headboard.

Her youngest child was crying in her arms. Sam took a deep breath. He was thinking about many things. Including the time he had had with Frodo and the other members of the fellowship.

Sam started to fall slowly to sleep. The hours seemed to slowly pass around him as morning came. Rosie was the first up, having a crying baby to tend to.

She smiled as she took his out of his cot. The rest of the household was unusually quiet. Everyone else, including Elanor, was asleep.

The kitchen was warm as a fire had been burning all though out the night. Rosie took a deep breath, spotting the pile of washing that had yet to be done.

The clock ticked around, coming up to eight o'clock. The sun seemed to slowly light up the clear sky. More wood was thrown in before Rosie went to get her youngest son's food.

It seemed to be a few hours until everyone was up and moving. Samwise was the last one to do so. But there was one small girl that was not up to seeing her family today.

Elanor lay in her bed, listening to the commotion outside of her room. The smell of breakfast seeped though the door.

Bacon.

Elanor's stomach rumbled as she lay there. She looked at the door, figuring out if she stay or go.

But the Gamgee household was not the only busy household. Nearly everyone in Hobbiton was up and ready for their first, of many, meals of the day. Rosie smiled as sat down. A bowl had been place on the table before her. As always, a bowl of orange coloured mush was in it. For all hobbit newborns were fed on it.

Frodo, who had just about recovered from his little adventure just two weeks before, had woken up as well. But now, all the worries were forgotten and life went on as it before it ever happened.

The small boy, the second eldest of Sam and Rosie's children, was the first to walk into the kitchen. He smiled, looking more like his father in more ways then one.

"Hello dear" Rosie said, smiling as her son took his place.

Frodo smiled back.

"Hello" he said, looking around.

There was no food on the table yet. The table looked empty and out of place in the kitchen. But that was soon to change. Rosie continued to feed her youngest

A noise then came from down the hall way. Samwise was up and was now dealing with the children. Due to the growing family and the lack of space to fit them, both Rose and Merry shared a room.

"Alright you two, time to get up" he said.

The candles were flickering as the brother and sister woke. Merry yawned, his hair more wild then usual. Sam smiled as he lit the candles and stocked up the fire.

Merry drew back the duvet and felt the coldness of the air around him. The boy stretched and stood on the cold tiles that made up the floor.

Like any normal hobbit, Merry was hungry after a good night of sleep. So, walking out of the room, he made his way to the one place he went before anywhere else.

The kitchen.

As he walked in, he noticed that he was not the only one up. Frodo yawned again as he waited for his food. Rosie had now finished feeding young Pippin.

Samwise and Rose came in one after the other.

"Sam, would you hold Pip while I make breakfast?" Rosie asked.

Samwise smiled and nodded, taking his youngest son from his mother.

Rosie smiled as she walked towards the cellar and opened it. Only Elanor had not entered the kitchen and she had no plans to.

The cellar had a noticeable coldness to it as Rosie walked in. Shelves of food were all around her. Some had more packets on then others.

All of Rosie's previsions that she needed were in there. But they would soon run out in a few days. The markets seemed to have closed up and moved into warmer spaces. Rosie knew exactly where each hobbit lived that provided the right food.

It was normal in the depth of winter to move the markets inside. But normally, people would by in bulk and wait until the weather warmed. Food was eaten the most in winter. Stews and meats were the most eaten. A quick warming up after the bitterness of being outside.

But hobbits tried to avoid the coldness as much as possible, normally walking quicker to their destinations. Large, warm coats were warn to keep in the heat of their homes. But the longer they stayed out, the more the heat would be lost to the coldness.

Origo was far from the warmth of his Diamond's house. In fact, he did not know where he was or why he was there. Yet he had a small bit of help in the form of Ivy, a glowing fairy that had just appeared one day.

But Ivy's origin was still unknown to the pup. He had never thought of where she had come from. But the question did not pop into his head just yet.

Hunger was now getting to him as he sat on the bed. There was nothing much to do in this bland room. The heath that, over night the fire had been put out.

"What is this fire doing lit?" asked the mean woman.

The girl had been sitting on the bed, Origo slowly falling asleep. But the voice of the woman had awoken him again.

"I don't know" the girl said.

Even though it sounded like a lie, it was truth. The girl had no idea how the fire started. She did not have the faintest idea how the wood had been placed there or how the fire had started.

"What do you mean you don't know?" asked the woman, her voice was stern and sharp.

The girl knew that what ever she said, the woman would not believe her.

"I mean, it was lit when I got in here" the girl said.

Her voice sounded blunt and argumentative. This did not help matters one bit.

"Do you think I am stupid?" asked the woman.

Inside the girl's head, the answer was yes. But in reality, the girl knew not to make things worse.

"No" she answered, her hand subconsciously stroking the pup.

The woman stood there, her face old and wrinkled. Ever since the girl had been forced to work here, she had been hated and mistreated.

"Put that fire out" the woman said, a strange and disturbing calmness came over her.

"I do not want to see that fire lit ever again"

At that, the woman turned, walked out and slammed the door behind her. A bit of wood dust came down from the frame. The girl continued to sit there, seeing how long she could wait until she went to put it out. A creak from the other side of the door was a catalyst for her to move.

The puppy was the gently placed on the bed and the girl stood up. She took a deep breath. The warmth was sinking into her dirty skin. It had been the first warmth she had felt since summer.

The door opened as the girl walked out. A cold blast of air hit the small puppy, making him lose what warmth he had. He whined as he curled up. Ivy fluttered over to the small pup.

"Are you still cold?" she asked, stroking the small puppy's ear.

Origo gave a small nod and rested his head on his fluffy paws. Ivy smiled.

"Do you want me to make you warm again?" she asked.

Origo gave another small nod. It took a few seconds for the warmth to circulate around the small pup. But, when it did, he was in a much happier mood. All of his muscles seemed to loosen and energy rose in him.

His small tail started to wag.

Ivy knew that Origo seemed to like it here. But every hour spent in the room was an hour lost. Ivy knew the importance of getting to Radagast. But it was easier said then done.

The girl came back with a large jar of water. She took a deep breath, feeling the wonderful warmth for a few more seconds before the water was tipped on the burning fire.

Ivy watched as the a large plume of smoke rose up the chimney. Sizzling indicated the fire was now out. The light and heat seemed to instantly stop as the wood went from dry and hot, to wet and cold.

The girl took a deep breath and looked over at the pup.

"I'm sorry, pup, I had to do it" she said.

Origo looked over, the girl knew that he could not understand her. The girl was thinking about running away from this place.

But she had nowhere to stay. Bree was the only other place that she could stay. But that was many miles away.

"I could take one of the horses" she thought, walking down the stairs again.

The bar was less busy now. But she knew that lunch was about to start and that she was needed. Her plans had to wait 'til cover of darkness.

Ivy seemed to have the same idea.

"But I don't want to leave" whined the puppy.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked at the pup. She knew that they had to get moving. But it was just a case of sneaking out without being seen.

"But we have too" Ivy told him.

"We have to get going as soon as possible"

Origo seemed to give the small fairy a blank look. Ivy took a deep breath and looked at the clock. It was not even midday yet. Ivy knew how hard the girl worked and it would be a few hours until she would find out that he was gone.

Ivy smiled as she thought of a way to get Origo to go with her.

"Listen puppy, I'll give you a very big plate of food if you come with me" she said, smiling.

Origo tilted his little head.

"I don't like what you give me" he whined.

Ivy was now the one to be confused.

"You don't like turkey?" she asked.

Ori shook his head.

"It's too hot" he whined, blinking twice.

Ivy gave a small smile. She knew that it was something that she could fix.

"Would you come with me if I making it warm instead of hot?" she asked.

Origo thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Tom Bombadil walked into the room. A large smile came across his face as he saw Pilith sitting at the table with Mya. The two of them had been talking.

"Have my good friends come to an agreement?" he asked, taking his seat.

Pilith and Mya had a difference on opinion. Tom's presence made it harder to talk.

"But we could help them!" Mya said.

Pilith was shaking his head.

"Of course we could, but we're talking about the most powerful enemy that has ever existed!" whispered Pilith.

But whispering was useless when Tom was around. He could hear every word of it as though it was said normally.

"But they need all of the help we can get" Mya told him.

Pilith took a quick glance at the old being sitting at the other end of the table. Tom looked right back, seemingly waiting for an answer.

"What we have to worry about, if we do go, is getting caught by Sauron's orcs"

Tom had yet to revile another secret, one that would change everything again.

"Sauron is not the only one to worry about" Tom told them.

Both Mya and Pilith were now looking at the old man.

"Not the only one?" asked Mya.

She stood up from her seat.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Tom gave a small smile.

"Lunch will be…"

But the Tom was interrupted.

"Do not try and get out of it, Tom. You know more then we do. You want us to do your work, then tell us what it means!"

Tom simply sat where he was, smiling at the girl standing there.

"I know what I know. You, in due course, will also find out what I know. But to be honest, what I know may not be what has to be known" Tom said.

This took a couple of seconds for the words to sink in.

"Are you trying to say that we'll find out what it is?" asked Pilith.

Tom gave one nod.

"Exactly" he answered.

Mya could not believe what was going on. It was akin to them walking into Mordor itself.

"But why won't you tell us?" Mya asked.

Tom found her a very hard person to convince.

"Because you are not ready. I am sure he knows of the ring of power, but there is now a fork in his path"

Pilith looked at Mya.

"I don't know what else we can do" he said, taking a deep breath.

"I guess we have to go and help if Sauron is rising again"

This was what Mya wanted. She smiled, knowing that she was ready for what ever the evil would throw at her.

"You must leave right away" Tom said.

Just as he told them this, Goldberry came out carrying two heavy looking bags. Pilith took a deep breath. He obviously did not want to leave. But if they had to go and help, then they had to do so.

"What should we do when we get to Gondor?" asked Pilith, taking the pack.

Inside, a few loaves of bread, blankets and flasks of water made up the weight. Mya's bag was packed exactly the same.

Tom gave a small smile.

"You will stay low and wait for Gandalf. He is an old friend of mine and will tell you everything you need to know"

It was then that Pilith was ready to go. He knew that there was a very important job for them to do. So, he placed the pack on his back. Mya did the same.

"You will have to wait for Gandalf at Minus Tirith"

Mya smiled. She had never been to the white city before. But now was her chance. The pack was very heavy due to all their provisions for the journey ahead.

There was a few moments of silence as the two of them stood there. It would seem that they would have to wait to change back into puppies. But changing could come as an advantage in Minas Tirith.

Mya gave a quick thought to Pimpernel. Mya knew that she was safe. If there was a way

"Well, I guess this is goodbye" Pilith said.

He held out his hand and waited for Tom to take it.

"For now" Tom answered.

Mya smiled, seeing Goldberry come out of the kitchen.

"We shall see each other again, my friends. Sooner or later" she said.

She gave Mya a large hug.

"Be careful" she said.

Mya smiled and nodded.

"We will"

After another few minutes, the door was opened and the two of them walked out. Tom and Goldberry came out after them and saw them off.

Mya and Pilith started to make their way off towards the Great East Road. The day around them was bright and sunny. Birds were singing and raising their young. Nests had been built all over the place. From the ground, they were just black lumps in the trees.

But inside, a mother bird sat on three or four little eggs. The father had gone out to collect some food for them both.

But there were many different types of bird in the old forest. Pigeons, robins, crows, blackbirds, pheasants and wood peckers all flew around.

But birds were not the only creatures that lived in the woods. Squirrels, rabbits and hares, and the occasional deer were all wondering the wild too.

Aragorn was standing in a warm, lit room. A small bundle was held in his arms. And, within that bundle, a baby born just twenty four hours before.

"We have to think of a name" he said, looking at his Elven wife.

Arwen smiled, she looked as perfect as ever. A trait that only elves had.

"I've already thought of one" she said.

A maid walked though the open door. She was carrying a trey. On that trey, a bowl of fruit that had been placed along with an uncut loaf of bread.

Arwen smiled as the trey was placed on her. Her legs were covered with a thin sheet. The maid bowed and walked out of the room again without a word spoken.

Arwen took a deep breath as she picked off a grape. She smiled as she ate it.

"I was thinking of Eldarion" she told him.

Aragorn thought for a moment.

"Is that good enough?" she asked.

A smile came over his face.

"It is perfect" he answered.

The small baby, who would now be known as Eldarion, started to cry. Aragorn took a deep breath, the line of Kings was set in stone for the rest of time.

A lone horseman rode up the six levels of the city. The day had truly began. Breakfast had come and gone. The lone horseman entered the last level. There were a few guards on either side of the entrance, guarding the King and Queen from any unwanted intruders. But they did nothing to stop him from entering.

Faramir stopped and dismounted. A bag was hanging off one shoulder. A servant of the King came out and took the reigns from him.

Faramir walked though the snow covered court yard and up the few stairs to the main hall. A messenger had been sent before hand, warning the King of his presents.

The King handed his son to one of the young maids and walked out. A minute later, Aragorn met him.

"It is good to see you" he said.

Faramir nodded.

"And you"

The two of them walked over to the table that had been set out. It had an extra seat had been set around it. Faramir stood as Aragorn was the first to sit. Faramir remained standing for a few more seconds. He pulled out a few rolls of paper.

One of them had a very detailed map of the city of Osgiliath. The second had a long list on it.

"I have gathered information on what buildings need repairing" Faramir told the King, handing the parchment to him.

Aragorn took the piece of parchment and looked at it.

"It will take a lot to rebuild Osgiliath" the King told him.

Faramir, who had now taken his seat nodded once. Aragorn took a deep breath, his mind working quickly. A plan came into his head, one that might speed up the regeneration of the small city.

"I will make sure you get the supplies needed to rebuild the city in the quickest way possible"

Faramir nodded, but a question sprung in his mind.

"We are running out of wood and stone, how long will it take to replenish?" he asked.

Aragorn knew that he had a well organised group of workers.

"A few days, the wood will have to be cut down in the nearest forest" Aragorn told Faramir.

The nearest supply of wood was Nardol. It had been used for many years before. But now it was time to put more people to work.

"Get as many men as you can" Aragorn started.

"Split them in half and have one half cutting the wood and the other, stone"

Faramir nodded. He knew that the rebuild of Osgiliath was under way. It would soon turn back into its glory that it had lost during the war.

"I will do your will, my lord" he said, standing up and bowing.

Aragorn stood up too. Faramir rolled up the parchment and put them into his bag. Faramir bowed once more and departed to his horse.

In the Shire, lunch was now ready. Most of the hobbits had eaten a few meals since they had risen from their sleep. But there was one young girl that was still very hungry.

But her sadness stopped her from going to the kitchen. But her mood seemed not to improve much as the door creaked open.

Elanor took a deep breath and turned over. Rosie followed soon after and closed the door. Samwise stood there for a moment.

"Elanor?" he asked.

But the young girl kept as still as a rock. Rosie took a deep breath and looked at her husband.

"Elanor, we need to talk" Samwise said, there was a hint of authority in his voice.

But still, Elanor did not move. Sam now had no other choice but to tell his daughter what decision they had come to.

"You are ground for a week starting today"

Elanor seemed to sprung into life, turning over quickly. There was anger and surprise in her eyes.

"A week?" she asked, not trusting her ears.

But Sam's words were final. Not even Rosie could change what he said.

"A week" answered Sam.

Elanor's eyes started to fill up again.

"But you can't!" she argued, hoping that they would show her a small bit of sympathy.

But it did not work. Her mother said nothing to her after this. She took a deep breath.

"Come and get something to eat" she said, as Sam walked out of the room.

Elanor did not move.

"You can't let him do this!" she said, trying to win over her mother.

Rosie took a deep breath and closed the door. Elanor watched as she mother came and sat by her.

"Your father is very upset about what you have done" she started, placing an arm around her daughter.

"That book is the most precious thing that he owns, apart from us of course"

Rosie took a deep breath and looked at her daughter. Elanor was a miniature version of her mother. Their eyes were exactly the same colour, their hair seemed to wave in the same way.

"Will he ever love me again?" Elanor asked, her eyes glinting like two small marbles.

Rosie found this very silly indeed.

"Elanor, he loves you no matter what you do" she answered.

Elanor rested her head on her mother's shoulder, a tear ran down from her eye.

In the kitchen, Sam had poured himself a large mug of ale. The rest of the children seemed to have free reign of the house. Apart from one room.

Sam grabbed the mug that stood before him. He raised it to his lips and took a mouthful of ale. A few seconds later, the mug was placed down without a noise.

His mind was racing. The noise of his children seemed not to bother him. The sound of a door closing echoed down the corridor. Rosie was coming to the kitchen. She took a deep breath as she entered.

"How are you?" she asked, spotting a blank looking Sam.

But he did not answer. Rosie took a deep breath and opened the cellar door. A minute or two later, Rosie came out with two rectangular packets.

Sam did not look at her or question why she had it. Rosie took a deep breath and walked out of the room. There was nothing more she could say.

The door was left ajar as Rosie went back down the corridor. There were toys all along the corridor. Elanor was now sitting with her back against the back bored, looking very sorry for herself.

Rosie smiled as she closed the door.

"I don't normally let you have this" she said, holding out the two bars of milk chocolate.

Elanor gave a small sniff as she took the two bars from her mother.

"Thank you" she said.

Rosie smiled.

"I'll will bring your lunch in to you" Rosie told her daughter.

Elanor nodded and started to revile a smooth bar of her favourite food. Rosie closed the door and walked back down the hall way. She gave a small smile as she closed the door to the kitchen.

A plate of food had been left for Elanor. The table had now been cleared of all bowls and plates. Sam took a deep, loud breath as he sat there.

"I think we we're a bit harsh on Elanor" Rosie said, picking up the plate.

But Sam did not answer.

"I do not think a week inside is good for anyone, especially her"

Sam gave a quick glance at Rosie. But nothing more then half a second.

"It will be good for her, she needs to learn that she can not always get what she wants" Sam said.

Rosie shook her head. She did not know what came over Sam. The last few hours were very difficult for the both of them.

"I agree, but she is young. Her heart lays outside of this house. It is not right" she said.

Sam was the one that shook his head now.

"Not right?" he asked.

The mug was then picked up, a little more quickly then before. A large mouthful of ale was taken.

"What is not right is that she took the book from my possession!" Sam told her.

The oven door closed, trapping the plate in a box of fire.

"Yes, yes that is not right" Rosie agreed.

But what Sam said next, was something that Rosie never thought that he would ever say.

"That book is more precious then anything I own. Yes, of course that all my family are precious to me"

Sam's voice was now very calm, his eyes seemed to be fixed on one spot.

"Do you know where I was at the end of all things?" Sam asked Rosie.

They were now getting into a subject that Rosie had never thought Sam would ever enter. Rosie started to shake her head, she knew that Sam had seen many distressing things when he had been away. For she had read a small chapter of the book.

"I do not know" she answered, her thirst for more information grew.

"Would you like to know?" Sam asked, he slowly looked around at his wife.

Rosie nodded, forgetting about the food that was now steadily heating in the oven.

"It was on a mountain of fire. The same one that stands in the heart of Mordor"

Rosie seemed to drink up every single word Sam told her. The room became smaller.

"The place where the Ring of Power was made all those years ago. The heat from the lava was intense. Frodo was standing right at the edge of the small pathway. He was facing away from me at first. But he slowly turned around. He then said 'I'm here Sam'"

These words still echoed in Sam's head to this day.

"The rumbling from the mountain was intense. I could hardly hear myself think"

There seemed to be strange silence around the room now. Rosie slowly walked over to the table and took a seat.

"What happened next?" she asked, her eyes seemed to be in an unbroken gaze.

"There was a change in Frodo. One that I never thought would ever come over him. 'Destroy it!' I shouted at him. His arm was extended over the edge. But something was holding him back. Something that had changed him. 'Go on, now!' I told him. 'Throw it in the fire!" But still, nothing seemed to happen. Time was running out. 'What are you waiting for?' I asked him."

Another few seconds of silence came as Sam drunk from his mug. Half of the ale had now gone.

"But still, Frodo just stood there. The Ring dangling off its silver chain. 'Just let it go' I told him. But the Ring had too much power of him. Instead, the Ring was not dropped. Frodo slowly turned to face me and…"

Samwise's eyes seemed to focus on a distance spot. Rosie knew that telling the story was hard. The smell of the dinner was hitting her nose. But it would be another few minutes until it was at the right temperature.

Elanor had now finished the first of her two large chocolate bars. Her sprits were lifting just a small bit. But she was still feeling a little down. The young girl sniffed as she looked at the unwrapped bar. She could feel herself welling up again. A single tear came down from her eye.


	68. Day Thirty Two, Part Two

A sound came from down the hall way. Elanor knew exactly who it was. The door to her room opened a second later. It was just enough time to wipe away the tear from her eye.

Rosie smiled as she opened the door. She was holding Elanor's lunch. It was a large meal with chicken, roast potatoes and many other things.

"There" her mother said, handing the plate to her daughter.

Elanor sat up and took the plate. Rosie held a knife and a fork in her other hand. Gravy had been poured all over her food. A big pile of Rosie's stuffing lay on the side of the plate.

"Thank you" Elanor said.

She placed the plate on her bed and took the started to cut up a piece of roasted chicken. She gave a small smile came over her as her hunger was yet again tamed. The second chocolate bar that Rosie had given her was resting on the table.

The wooden horse that had once stood on the table was now laying on the tiled floor. Interest in it had been taken away from the young girl. For in her mind, it was the horse's fault that she had fallen into trouble.

Elanor poked scooped up a large bit of stuffing and chicken, then put it in her mouth. She loved her mother's cooking ever since she could remember.

Rosie put on the best Yule feasts in the whole of the Shire. But now, she seemed to have less and less time every day.

In the kitchen, Rosie was running a large bowl of water. Vapour started to rise off the surface. Bowls and plates had been stacked up, waiting for the dirt to be washed off.

Samwise had now gone off, into the lounge, to look after the other children. His mug of ale had now been changed for a mug of tea. He sipped a little bit of it, it being very hot. Merry and Rose were running riot around the house. The two of them seemed to be the closest of siblings. Elanor and her brother, Frodo, seemed always to be against each other.

In a building, many miles away from Hobbiton, a small puppy was snoozing on a bed. Warmth surrounded him. But it was not warmth of a fire. It was a magical warmth, one that only he could feel.

A small green fairy was sitting on the window sill. She had her arms wrapped around her knees, her wings were folded back.

The sun had gone past its highest point in the sky. Night was closing in on them once again. But this night was different. Many plans were going to be set in motion. Some contradicted others.

Ivy was planning to wake Origo up. They needed to get moving again. But there was a second chapter to this story. The girl that was looking after Origo was planning the exact same thing. Both wanted to get out of this place. Origo would be forced to go with who ever set their plan off first. But for now, neither plan would be fulfilled. Clouds continued to gather, the night would not be as harsh as the one before.

Ivy sat there, her back resting against the wall. Her fragile wings had folded so they did not tare or break. Thoughts were running though her mind. Ivy had seen and felt a lot in her lifetime. Things that she could not even bare to repeat to Origo.

Ivy had no close friends any more. A terrible fire had all but wiped them from Middle-earth. The aftermath still lingered in her memory.

There were charred remains of the lush forest that had been growing, just hours before, could be seen stretching for mile upon mile. Ivy was standing on the floor of the forest. Small whips of silver smoke snaked into the air.

The small fairy stood there, taking all of the destruction in. It was then that she noticed something moving in the chard earth just a few meters away.

So, fluttering her wings, she took off. A few seconds later, landed kneeling down.

"Leila, are you alright?"

The fairy on the ground was in a very bad way. Her fragile wings had been destroyed and her face was black. Water was needed for Leila. But the river that ran just a few hundred meters away had turned black. Chunks of dead trees were floating down.

There was no other life around. Deer, squirrels and rabbits had all run off or were trapped where they were and killed. Their remains were unrecognisable in the black ash around.

"I.. Ivy?" asked Leila, her eyes struggling to focus.

"Leila, what happened to the others?" Ivy asked, a hint of concern on her voice.

But Leila gave a look that summed it all up. There was no chance that the others were alive. Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that she could do no more for them.

"We have to get out of here" she said, helping the limp fairy.

But Leila pushed her friend away.

"Leave me here" she said, falling to all fours.

Ivy could not believe what she was hearing.

"I am not leaving you here, your coming with me" she told her.

Leila shook her head.

"There is no reason for me to go, I have lost everything. There is no point in being in this world anymore"

Ivy knew that Leila was hurt beyond help. But that did not stop her trying.

"But we can find a new home. One in a forest or an old house. Please come with me" she said.

But there was no answer from her friend. It looked like nothing would change her mind.

"Ivy, you have a second chance. Petal, Luna, Rosa. They did not get a second chance" she told her friend.

Bird song has ceased in the burnt forest. All of the bird seemed to have escaped. Ivy took a deep breath and looked around.

Of course, she had another chance at life. But she still could not leave a friend in the state she was.

"Why wont you let me fix you?" Ivy asked.

Leila shook her head.

"I have been through too much to be fixed, Ivy. It would be better if I joined the rest"

There was something in words that had just been said. Ivy knew that her powers, although she had many, could not change what had happened.

"Leila, I am sorry for what has happened. I should have warned them earlier"

There was nothing else she could say. For a few seconds, there was silence. Ivy then started to flutter her wings. She turned and fluttered away, gaining height as she went.

And that was the last time she saw Leila. Ivy left without looking back. She had regretted it to this day. She had regretted leaving one of her own.

Origo was now waking up. He yawned and rolled over. His head was now resting on his paws. Ivy smiled, watching as Origo tried to fall back to sleep. But his sleep had now been taken away from him.

But he was still tired. His eyes were now open. The light from the sun was turning the clouds above from white to grey. The night seemed to capture the day quicker then in summer.

Origo spotted the small green fairy fluttering towards him. He slowly raised his head and looked at her.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whine and rested his on his fluffy paws again. Hunger was slowly growing again. But for now, it was not bothering him.

But Origo was not the only small creature to wake. Faramir Took was awake as well.

"Alright dear, I've got you" his mother said.

The baby was crying, hunger was present in him. Diamond, having a strong motherly instinct, knew this.

"Lets go and get you some food" she said, holding her precious baby in her arms.

Dinner time was almost upon the Shire. The day was slowly darkening as the sun fell towards the western horizon. The coldness seemed to drop as the shadows once again lengthened.

Chimneys blew black smoke out into the darkening sky. Diamond struggled as she tried to get Faramir's dinner ready. Diamond needed all the help that she could get at the moment. But the help had gone.

Pippin was now staying at his mother and father's house. The candles flickered as he sat in his old room. The room had not changed since he was a small child. The same picture hung on the wall.

To this day, Pippin did not know who it was. For he had never asked. A small part of his did not want to ask. He liked the mystery of the hobbit.

Pippin took a deep breath. His bag had not been touched since he got back to his parents house.

"Might as well" he told himself, grabbing his bag.

His bag was heavy. Some his passions had been packed. But there was one important thing that he needed. A small book. To any other hobbit, it was unimportant, just another book.

But to Pippin, it was one of the most important things in his life. He opened the pages. Word after word had been written on its pages. Page after page were full of them.

Pippin looked at the last blank page after the writing had stopped. He smiled as a new memory came into his head. But he could not write it down. The book was closed and place back in his bag.

He did not want have anyone else find out about it. So, getting up from the bed, he walked to the door. Eglantine was in the kitchen, preparing some food for dinner. The smell of chicken met Pippin as he walked towards the study.

Luckily, Paladin was not sitting at his desk. He had gone to the pub just down the road. It was unknown when he would return. But it was not anytime soon.

Pippin slowly opened the door. The smell of stale tobacco smoke hit him. His father was a keen smoker. The room was cold, the heath seemed not to be used as much as others.

A few candles lit the objects before Pippin. A few quills were standing in a small glass jar. A line of five full ink pots stood along the level surface at the top.

Pippin grabbed a quill and an inkpot and walked out again, closing the door with a click. Pippin looked around, but there was no sign of his mother.

His feet slapped on the cold tiled floor that ran through out the whole house. The door to Pippin's room had been left ajar. The hobbit pushed it open, walked though, and then closed it behind him. There was silence in the room, other then the ticking clock, crackling fire and the odd rumble of his stomach.

Pippin sat on the bed, the book was taken out. The pages were flicked though until a blank page came into view.

Pippin lay on his chest and placed the book on his pillow. The inkpot was placed on the small bedside table. The small glass stopper had been taken out and placed beside it.

Pippin took a deep breath and dabbed the pointed end of the quill into the small sea of ink. He hit the tip on the edge of the rim to get rid of the excesses ink and then started to write.

Diamond was sitting at the table in her own kitchen. The house was still too quiet for her. An empty bowl lay in front of her. A baby was slowly falling asleep in her arms.

She gave a small smile, knowing that her lullaby had worked. She slowly got up, trying hard not to wake her son, and slowly walked out.

His crib was standing next to her side of the bed. A minute later, Diamond walked in. Luckily, Faramir was still asleep. This had many advantages. Diamond was very hungry and it would be a good time to get some food.

As always, she needed to do some cleaning. There was a lot of dirty about. But to others, especially Pippin, it would have looked spotless already.

But Diamond saw piles of dirty everywhere she looked. Faramir was then gently placed down in his crib. She stood there for a few seconds, admiring her son.

Her mind then turned back to her house. She left the room, leaving the door open wider then normal, just in case.

Cleaning was now on her mind. It felt like she had not cleaned for many days. So, Diamond made her way down to the small closet that was homed to all her cleaning things.

Mops, buckets, old cloths, all were stored in the small cupboard. The door to the closet was the smallest one in the house. Diamond smiled as she brought out an old, wooden bucket. Frayed rope had been fed opposite sides of the bucket.

A mop was then taken out of the cupboard and the door was closed.

"How could I have left it this long?" she asked herself, looking at her hand.

There was a fine layer of dirt had now collected on her hand. A deep breath was taken by Diamond as she walked down to the kitchen. The mop was placed against a chair. Diamond walked over to the sink and twisted the tap on. Water, clear and cool, started to hit the metal sink below. Diamond smiled as she placed the bucket underneath the stream of water.

The level of water in the bucket slowly started to rise. Diamond took a deep breath, feeling a bit hungry now. But cleaning seemed more important.

A few minutes later, the water was at the right level. Diamond turned the tap off. A few drips landed in the settling water. Diamond lifted the heavy bucket out and placed it on the floor. A few small drips landed on the dark red tiles that made up the floor.

But what Diamond did not know was that she was being thought of. Pippin was laying on his bed, a small smile came over him as he wrote.

The day had started off very well. The flowers were in full bloom and the calves had been born. Everyone was excited for the nicer, warmer weather to come.

It had been a few years since we had seen each other. But never a day went by when I did not think of you. But something would happen that would put my life and the lives of everyone in Middle-Earth in danger.

Pippin and Merry, without knowing it, would be grabbed into a very dangerous adventure.

"Be quiet" Merry said, squatting down.

In the distance, a house could be seen.

"How are we going to do it?" Pippin asked.

A crow called as it flew off, making both hobbits heart rates rise. Merry and Pippin had both done this many, many times before. But it was still very risky getting into Maggot's farm.

Farmer Maggots farm seemed to be well protected. Three massive dogs, all trained on keeping the farm protected, wondered freely on his land.

But for now, everything was calm and peaceful on Maggot's land. But not for much longer.

"But why do I have to do it?" asked Pippin.

Merry took a deep breath.

"Pip, we went though this before" Merry told him, taking a quick look back at the farm.

Two of the three big dogs were now snoozing in the warm sun. A figure then came out of one of the buildings. The building that he had come out of was the stable. But horses were not kept there. Instead, large cows, used for ploughing. But ploughing was not going to happen that day.

Instead, milking and grazing would happen. There were a few cows in the Farmer Maggot's possession. But there was a small matter of Merry and Pippin to deal with.

"Now is our chance" Merry said.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"I'll meet you in the store room" Pippin said.

Merry smiled as Pippin turned and ran back though the large corn field that surrounded them. A few seconds later, the sound of Pippin running though the corn subsided and faded away.

All Merry could do now was wait. Wait for the first signs that Pippin do what he does best. Birds continued to sing as Merry waited.

The first sign of something happening was a large dog barking. One dog barking turning quickly turned into three dogs barking.

Merry looked though the gap. He saw the figure of Farmer Maggot rushing and shouting at a small figure. Merry quickly made his way towards the buildings. Merry seemed to know exactly where he needed to go.

He jumped the small fence that separated the field from Farmer Maggots buildings. Merry continued to look around as he made his way towards the store room.

The door, which was always unlocked, came into view. The echoes of the barking dogs came nearer. But then went away as Pippin continued to run.

A few times, Pippin was nearly caught. But hobbits were good at hiding. Pippin's breathing was fast, his ears and eyes were sharper then normal.

A growl came from behind Pippin. Fear rose in Pippin now. The dog was big and more powerful then he was. Pippin slowly backed away as a second and a third dog came from the same direction. Farmer Maggot came around the corner a few seconds later.

"Ah ha!" he said, a trail in his hand.

Merry smiled as he opened the door. Many, many sacks of potatoes, carrots, lettuce were facing him. So, as quickly as he could, he gathered all that he could carry.

Something then made Merry's heart jump.

"Merry, hurry up" said Pippin.

Merry smiled, their plan had yet again worked. But yet again, the barking grew louder.

"Come on" Pippin said, holding many carrots.

Some had even been put in his pockets. Merry was the first to leave the store room, followed closely by Pip. The dogs started to bark again.

"You get back here!" Farmer Maggot shouted as Merry and Pippin hopped the fence again.

The dogs barked and raced after them. Farmer Maggot had changed his weapon to a scythe. The dogs jumped the fence just behind him.

"Get out of my field!" he shouted.

But now, Merry and Pippin were not alone. They had bumped into two old friends. This event would change both lives forever.

Pippin smiled as he stopped writing. He knew that he shouldn't have left Hobbiton. He knew now that people cared about him. He had missed Hobbiton every day that he had been away from it. But evil was spreading. Sauron had re-emerged from his hiding place and was now situated in Mordor. And that was where Pippin would see the end of an era and a start of a new, evil ridden world.

Hunger was now getting to him. Time had worn on, an hour seemed to have passed in a blink of an eye. So, closing the book and placing it on the bedside table and got up.

He opened the large, round door that led into the long, winding corridor. Pictures hung on the wall. Some, Pippin thought, looked a little bit like him or one of his sisters. But that's as far as his curiosity went.

Dinner was being plated as he walked in. Eglantine smiled as she placed three bowls in three places.

"I was just about to call you" she said, smiling.

Pippin looked down. The stew that had been placed in the bowl was gently steaming. Beef had been cut and cooked. Different vegetables had been cut as well. Onion, sage, parsnips, carrots and a few cloves of garlic had been placed and stirred until cooked.

Eglantine placed a spoon near by before Pippin. He smiled.

"Thank you" Pippin said, picking up his spoon.

But Eglantine was not finished with putting the food out. Slices of bread lay in a wicker bread basket. The pile seemed much more then was needed. But that was to human eyes. To hobbit eyes, it was still not enough.

The fire in the heath crackled as the family started to eat. Pippin picked out a piece of soft bread and dipped it into his stew. The bread seemed to soak up some of the juices.

Paladin seemed to have the same idea. There was no conversation around the table. Eglantine smiled as she started to spread some of the butter onto her piece of bread.

But, unlike the other two, she did not dip hers into her meal. Instead, she took a bite and placed it down on a small plate that she had placed out. Her spoon was then picked up, she was the last to start eating.

Dinner was being served everywhere. Origo yawned as he waited for some food. The girl that he was staying with had not come in for a few hours. Laughter could be heard coming from downstairs. Origo wondered what was going on down there.

A small green fairy was fluttering around the room. Ivy was deep in thought. Flying was the best way to concentrate. The night was now fully upon the lands of Middle-Earth. From Gondor to the smallest of towns in the furthest reaches of Middle-Earth.

But two small creatures would not be sleeping tonight. Origo did not know it, but he was going to be missed by one of two beings.

Ivy was planning to get Origo to wake in the middle of the night. But it would be difficult. She needed to wake Origo without disturbing the girl.

The girl was planning to wake up. She seemed more nervous and distracted the ever. This was not a good thing on a busy night like this. The clock chimed ten times. She still had a few hours of work left.

Upstairs, Origo was now getting hungry again. It had been a few hours since Ivy had fed him. A small whine came from the pup as he lay there, resting his head on his fluffy paws.

"Oh, sorry pup" Ivy said, fluttering down to the bed.

As she did so, a plate suddenly appeared before the small pup. On it, a large pile of juicy turkey. Origo seemed not to want anything else. Even though he had lost his memory, he still liked it.

Ivy smiled, fluttering up again. She knew how much risk that she was putting Origo in. But if they could just get to Bree, they would have a chance to get to Rivendell. But it would still take many days, even weeks before they did. And, in this cold, it would take all Ivy's strength to get Origo to comply with her. She smiled as she watched him eat. A cold wind whistled though the gaps in the windows. The room was very cold, the fire was not allowed to be lit.

Ivy fluttered down to the bed, her plan was now fully formed in her head. She took a deep breath, she too was looking at the clock. The ticking sound seemed to be slower then normal. This made Ivy more worried.

What if it did not work?

"It has to work, it just has to!" she thought.

The sounds from downstairs seemed to rise suddenly as a glass smashed. Yelling and shouting seemed to erupt. Loud bangs and the sound of glass shattering came every so often. Ivy fluttered into the air, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I'll be back in a minute" she told the pup, knowing that Origo was safe for now.

Ivy fluttered towards the floor. She pasted right though it like it did not exist. The sounds grew louder and louder. It was then she broke though the ceiling.

What she saw below was chaos. Tables had been tipped over and blood stained the floor. A fight had erupted between two parties of men. But the arguments were not over yet.

Ivy could hear yells echoing from the outside. The young girl stood in the middle of the trashed room. Her plans seemed to be in tatters. She was planning to leave this place. But it looked like that plan had to wait. She knew that she would be forced to stay up most of the night to clean it up.

"What are you doing, just standing there?" asked a shrill voice from behind her.

The girl looked around. Tiredness was getting to her already, but the night had only just started for her.

"Clear up this mess at once" the woman ordered.

"Yes, ma'am" the girl said.

Shards of glass crunched under her feet as she walked back around to the bar. She walked though the doorway, which led into the back. There was a small cupboard near by which stored all of the cleaning equipment.

She opened the door and got out a broom. The door closed with a small click and she walked back. The woman was standing at the door, letting in the cold air.

The girl took a deep breath. Glass seemed to be scattered everywhere she looked. Tables and chairs were either broken or upturned.

The girl started to sweep the dirty, faded floor of glass. The glass crunched together as the pile grew bigger. But it would still take hours to sort everything else by herself.

The door leading to the outside was now closed and locked. Candles were burning as the woman walked past. She shook her head and walked though to the back.

The girl took a deep breath, knowing that the woman would not help her. It had been that way since she could remember. She was a young girl at the time she started to work here. Six years old.

Her mother had left her on the door step one night and gone. It was the last time she saw her. The young girl had waited hours and hours for her to come back.

But she never did.

The hours ticked by as midnight approached. Origo yawned as he lay on one side. His little eyes were getting heavy. Ivy was now sitting near by, waiting for the girl to come upstairs.

"Where is she?" Ivy asked herself.

She knew that getting Origo out into the coldness without being seen would be the hardest part of their journey.

"Maybe we should get moving soon" Ivy thought.

But she needed to find a way out. So, she fluttered up.

"I'll be back in a few minutes" she told the pup.

But Origo did not answer back, he was too tired and comfortable to move. His small eyes closed, sending him into a world of dreams.

Ivy fluttered down to the first level of the pub. There were wooden barrels stacked high. They were full of amber liquid. A kitchen was next. It had a long wooden work top. This was where meals were prepared. Unlike the homes that hobbits lived in, this building had four ovens.

Ivy fluttered out of the room. It was then that she saw it. A way out. A smile came over the small fairy as she fluttered over to the door. A whistling sound came from gaps between the wooden frame and door.

The fairy flew through the door to the cold, dark world outside. She smiled, knowing that this would be an easier way out.

Origo was now in very deep sleep. His hunger had been tamed. But he was soon to be woken. Ivy fluttered over to him.

"Ori, puppy wake up" she said, tugging gently at one of his ears.

Origo gave a very small whine, but did not wake. Ivy looked around at the door. The midnight hour was closer then ever.

"Origo, we have to get moving now"

One of the puppy's small eyes opened.

"Get going?" he whined.

Ivy took a deep breath and nodded.

"Why?" asked the pup, yawning.

"Because we have to get going" she told him.

Origo yawned and rolled over. Ivy knew that this would be the first hard task that she had to deal with.

"Puppy, come on, lets get going"

The young girl down stairs had no idea that she was going to be left behind. A bucket had been placed near by her feet. A glassy sound erupted from it every time that the girl placed the shards in.

"Oh!" she said, feeling a sharp pain across her finger.

A small drop of blood started to seep down her finger. The pain was now deep and throbbing. But it was not an uncomfortable pain. Instead, it did not bother her.

Origo jumped off the bed, after much convincing from his small fairy.

"Come on" Ivy said, fluttering towards the door.

The door to the room had been shut, locking the small puppy inside. But to Ivy, it was the easiest thing in the world. The fairy fluttered up to the handle.

Origo watched as the door magically opened. Ivy smiled as a cold rush of air came into the room.

"Come on" she said, fluttering out.

But Origo was not so sure. He looked back at the bed. It seemed a better option. Ivy was now fluttering out in the hall way.

"Ori, hurry up" she said.

She could hear people talking. Origo slowly came out, taking in his surroundings. Ivy fluttered towards the stairs. The puppy slowly followed her.

Origo had never seen stairs before. They were big and scary. Origo backed away, his eyes darting around.

"Come on, there's no other way down" Ivy told him.

But the puppy had other ideas.

"Why cant I wait for her?" he whined, his eyes darting from Ivy to the long stair case.

"But we have to go now" Ivy said, standing in front of him.

Origo shook his head.

"No, not going" he whined.

Down stairs, the girl placed the broken glass into a bowl and left it behind the bar. But her job was not done yet. There were stains of blood and ale all over the place. The girl took a deep breath and walked though to the back.

A small creak came from upstairs. But this was normal for the building. The bucket was then filled with water, making it heavy indeed.

The barmaid placed the heavy bucket down on the floor.

"This will take hours" she thought.

Meanwhile, Origo was half way down the stairs. But he was still not sure that this was a good idea.

"Very good, puppy" Ivy said, fluttering a few inches from him.

The puppy carefully hopped down the next one. A few times, he stopped and looked back up. But he had to go on. Ivy was very nervous. She knew that the girl was just inside the other room. But that did not stop her from leading Origo away.

It seemed like an hour past since Origo had started on the stairs. But now, he was on the last step. Ivy had to keep him quiet.

"Come on" Ivy whispered, trying not to make Origo go the other way.

Origo looked around, he knew where the girl was. But, for some reason, the fairy did not want him seeing her. So, he followed Ivy to a second closed door.

Like the first, this one creaked. Ivy looked around and fluttered up. She looked around just one more time. Everything was clear and there were no people around.

The handle was then touched lightly. But the light touch was akin to a heavy hand pressing down on it. The door opened, letting a large wave of cold air into the warm building.

"Quickly" Ivy said.

Origo hesitated for few seconds, not wanting to go out. But he had to. He slowly stepped out into the cold, snowy world that he had been protected against for a night.

But now, he had to start walking again. As he stood there, a shrill voice came from behind him.

"What is this door doing open?" asked the woman.

Origo whined and ran off, hiding beside the wall. Luckily, the woman did not see him. Ivy took a deep breath, she struggled to keep herself upright as the wind blew at her.

"Come on, before anything else happens"

So, Origo and Ivy moved off. Ori took one more look back, not understanding that he would never see the girl again.

The road that took them towards Bree was right outside the building. Horses were tied to a wooden bar. Their heads were down, trying to cope with the bitter wind.

The flickering lights of the pub slowly started to fade away. The dark abyss lay before them. Even Ivy could not see more then twenty meters away from her.


	69. Day Thirty Three, Part One

Origo awoke in a very warm climate. Unlike the one he was in on his present day path. A small whimper came from him. But there was no answer.

"Diamond?" he whimpered.

Diamond was busy in the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she held Faramir in one arm and prepared his breakfast with her free one.

"Alright, dear" Diamond said, in an unusually happy mood.

For some reason, she had had the best nights sleep in a long time. Her eyes seemed to be clearer and sharper then ever before. But she knew that both Faramir and Origo would take a lot of work to look after.

Origo yawned as he stood on the bed. He could hear noises coming from the kitchen. His small tail wagged, eager to get to his Diamond.

The small pup made his way quickly to the end of the bed. There, a small dressing box full of all Diamond's cloths for the summer, were stored.

Ori hopped onto the box and looked down. It was not such a high jump, but he still did not like it. The next second, the puppy landed on the floor, a small whimper came out of him. But he soon recovered.

The small puppy scurried out of the room and along the corridor. His small tongue still hanging out. Diamond looked around as she heard the tell tale sign of Origo entering the room.

She looked around to see a very fluffy puppy scamper in.

"Good morning!" she said, smiling at the little energetic pup.

A small part of her wanted to be that energetic. But then again, she liked peacefulness. But Origo was not the only creature to enter the kitchen.

A small fairy came into the room as well. But, unlike Origo, she was invisible to all beings.

"Good morning!" Ivy said, fluttering down and hugging Origo's furry face.

Origo moved back a bit, his eyes crossed as he looked at the small fairy on his face. As Ivy fluttered off, Origo gave a small sneeze.

"Bless you" Diamond said, looking down at her puppy.

Ivy giggled as she looked up.

"What do you want to do today?" the fairy asked, her wings folded behind her back.

Origo gave a small whine and looked towards the door.

"Alright, I'll get your turkey in a minute" Diamond said.

Origo wagged his tail at these words. Ivy smiled, knowing that food was much more important then playing. Diamond continued to prepare her son's meal. Origo just had to wait.

But waiting was not what Origo wanted to do. A small tug was felt from the bottom of Diamond's dress. She looked down and saw her gorgeous puppy tugging at her.

"Puppy, I know your hungry, but Faramir is hungry as well" she said.

"This would have been so much easier with Pippin" she thought.

It felt like Pippin did not even care or know that she was struggling. He had bothered to even check up on her wife or his son. But, as she was thinking about Pippin, a knock came at the large front door.

This was not what Diamond wanted. But, as always, she had to see who it was. So, leaving Faramir's breakfast, Diamond walked out. Origo, who had been waiting very patiently for a puppy, whined and followed his Diamond.

"I'm going to answer the door, pup. I'll do your breakfast soon" Diamond answered.

She turned around to walk down the hall way when another small whine came from Origo. Diamond knew that she had taken too long about answering the door.

The large front door was finally opened, letting in a huge wave of cold air. Standing at the door was Pearl. She smiled, her cheeks a light rosy colour.

"Good morning!" she said, holding a basket.

"My dear Pearl, what brings you here?" Diamond asked.

Origo could hear voices coming from the door. But then, something other then voices. A few barks. His ears perked up, knowing who it was.

Pearl smiled as Abira stood at her feet. It was a few seconds before a familiar sight met her eyes. Abira's small tail started to wag. Origo bounded towards her. A small whine came as Origo tackled his favourite puppy. Diamond and Pearl smiled.

"I thought you could use some help" Pearl told her.

This was a big relief for Diamond. She thought the day would never come when she had help.

"Oh Pearl, I don't know what to say" Diamond said, closing the door with a click.

The candles that had been dancing in the cold wind had now become fiery statues again. Pearl smiled as she took off her coat.

"Is there anything that I can do?" Pearl asked.

Diamond knew that Pearl would not take "No" for an answer.

"Well, Origo needs his turkey" Diamond said.

The wrestling puppy stopped still at these words. His eyes now focused on his Diamond. Diamond knew that Origo could understand a part of what she was saying. But she liked the fact that he could not share for secrets, of which she had many.

"Then we best get this puppy some of his food, shouldn't we?" asked Pearl.

Origo ran over to her and tugged on her dress. Abira watched as he ran by her, barking as he did. So, Both Diamond and Pearl followed the puppy into the kitchen.

Faramir had started to cry, telling his mother that he was getting hungry.

"Alright dear" Diamond told him.

Origo was waiting at the cellar as Abira and Pearl walked in. Pearl gave a small smile, knowing that Origo knew exactly where his turkey was.

"Right" Pearl said, picking the puppy up.

Origo whined happy and rested his head on her shoulder as the door opened. Abira looked around as she entered the room. The sound of Faramir intensified for a moment as Diamond turned and placed his bowl on the table.

Pearl smiled as the puppy squirmed in her arms.

"Alright, show me where it is" she said to the pup.

Origo sniffed the air and whined, obviously wanting to go a particular way. Pearl smiled as she walked in. Origo suddenly stopped and looked around. He could smell the scent of the turkey, but he did not know which way it was. But luckily, Pearl did.

"Try over here" Pearl said, pointing.

Origo took a quick look up at her. He then started sniffing the air again. Something then caught his small, wet nose. Pearl felt the soft puppy start to squirm again. She smiled, knowing that he could smell it better now.

"Where is it?" she asked, her eyes quickly darting from the right packet, to the small pup.

Abira waited patiently for Origo to return. And he did. A minute or two later, he was carried out by Pearl and placed on the floor. Abira wagged her tail and tugged gently at Origo.

But Origo did not notice her. Abi gave a small whine, nudging Origo. Ori gave a small whimper; he wanted his turkey before he played.

Diamond smiled as a ripping sound came from where Pearl was standing. A bowl had been placed out and the turkey placed into it.

"There we go" Pearl said.

"Mind your fingers" Diamond told her.

Pearl would soon find out what that meant. Origo pounced at the bowl the second it was placed down. Pearl gasped, seeing exactly what Diamond meant.

Abira gave a small whine; she was hungry as well and felt a bit left out. Pearl took a deep breath. She knew what Abira wanted as well.

"Alright, let's get you some food as well"

Diamond smiled, she loved have Origo and Abira around. But Pearl's visit was not just to feed the puppies, but to talk about Pippin.

A pan was taken out of the cupboard. The hob was very hot indeed, ready to be used to cook a few slices of bacon. Abira followed Pearl to the edge of the cellar. Abira did not like going into the cold, dark cellar. She preferred the warmth and light of the kitchen.

A few seconds later, Pearl came back with a packet of bacon. Origo had nearly eaten half of the contents of the bowl before him. Abira had yet to start.

Diamond was sitting down on her chair. A yawn came over her as she looked at her son's face. A silver spoon was used to scoop some of his food up.

"Open up" Diamond said, looking at her son.

Pearl smiled as she placed the pan on the hob and poured a bit of light yellow liquid into it. The pan grew hotter and hotter as the minutes past. Origo's bowl seemed to emptied by the second. His hunger seemed to be tamed. But that was not the case.

Origo finished every last scrap of turkey. A sizzling sound them met Abira's ears. The pan was very hot now, hot enough to make the meat sizzle.

A spatula was then taken out of the draw. Abira sat down and wagged her tail. A small whine came from her as she looked at her Origo.

Ori, who had been licking his plate clean for a whole minute, looked up. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he whined.

"I'm sure that you could ask for more" Abira told him.

Origo knew that his Diamond would not let him have any more. But then again, it was worth a try. Pearl continued to stand at the hot oven and flip the bacon.

Diamond smiled as she saw her little puppy scoot around and stop dead before her. The two of them looked at each other for a moment.

"You've had enough for now" Diamond told him, knowing exactly what he wanted.

A small whimper came from him as he hung his head. Ori turned and walked back to his Abira.

"She didn't let me" he whined, wanting his turkey even more now.

But it was no use. Once Diamond had settled on something, there was no way of changing her mind. Not even when Origo tried his hardest.

"You'll just have to come and play" Abira say, standing up.

Playing was the next best thing. But today, Origo did not want to play inside. He wanted to go outside and play in the snow.

"I want to go outside" Origo told his puppy friend, looking out into the corridor.

But for Abira, food was the first port of call.

"Well, we can do that after food" she whined, wagging her tail.

A scent then met Abira's small, wet nose. Her small tail started to wag. The smell was very tempting to her. But the same could not have been said for Origo.

He gave a small whined and backed away. He did not like bacon at all.

"How can you like that?" he asked Abira, rubbing his furry paw on his nose and whining.

The sound of the sizzling bacon died down for a moment at it was placed in a bowl. But soon started up again as more rashers were placed into the pan.

The cooked pieces were placed in a bowl. But they were too hot to give to little Abira. Instead, the pup would have to wait a few minutes for them to cool down.

Pearl smiled as she turned around.

"He's very quiet now" she said, looking at her nephew.

Diamond smiled. She knew that she was very lucky to have a quiet baby. But sometimes, Faramir was not so quiet. A small tug then came from the bottom of Pearl's dress.

Abira looked up, wondering what was taking so long to feed her. Pearl smiled, looking down.

"It'll be ready very soon" she told the four legged creature standing just a dozen inches high.

Abira's ears flopped over her head just like Origo's. There were brown patches above each of her eyes, akin to Origo's.

In fact, they were so similarly alike, that Diamond found it strange to see them both together. But she knew that Origo had to be the bigger one.

Pearl flipped over the bacon. The side that had been facing down, against the heat of the pan, had now turned a lovely brown colour.

Abira had not taken her eyes off of the hot pan. Pearl smiled as she placed the spatula down. Her eyes looked down at Abira and her large puppy eyes.

"Oh, come here" Pearl said, scooping up the puppy.

Abira whined as she continued to look at the pan. With her spare hand, Pearl picked up the spatula again. The bacon, now cooked, was ready for Abira to eat.

Pearl placed the spatula down for the last time and picked up the bowl. Both puppy and bowl were placed on the floor. Abira darted to her bowl and started to munch on the crispy bacon.

Origo was now the one who had to wait. But his patients did not last as long as Abira's. Abira was given a little nudge. She whined and looked over at her friend.

"I want to go outside now" Origo barked.

Abira continued to chew.

"But I'm eating" she said, there were still a few rashers of bacon left.

Origo gave small whine and looked down. Abira picked up another piece of bacon. It was very big for her, but she did not mind. She loved bacon.

"Well, we can go in a bit" Abira said.

But this did not help things. Ivy had been sitting on the worktop, just watching the puppies. A smile came over her as she fluttered down towards them.

Pearl was now sitting down. All of the cooking for the puppies had been done for the day. But Diamond was still feeding her son.

"So, what are your plans for today?" asked Pearl.

Diamond took a deep breath. She was still not sure what to do.

"Well, I thought that I could have a nice, relaxing day" she said, looking and feeling quite tired.

Pearl smiled.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" she asked.

Something suddenly popped into Diamond's head, something that did not belong in her conscious.

Pippin.

Of all things, Pippin was the first thing that Diamond thought about.

"Well, there is one thing that you can do" Diamond answered.

There was a certain look that, to Pearl, told her almost everything she needed to know.

"Pippin?" she asked.

Diamond nodded and looked down.

"Why?" asked Pearl.

Diamond had no answer for her question. She had not really thought about seeing Pippin again up until this point. But there was a void that she had to fill. And Pippin was the only one who could perfectly fill it.

"Because I still love him" Diamond answered.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. But a third creature that knew what was happening in Diamond's world.

Ivy was standing on the edge of the table. She had been around for the goings on between Diamond and Pippin. But the small fairy knew that she could nothing to help Diamond.

But Ivy was invisible to Diamond, non-existent. There was nothing Ivy could do other then to watch and wait for what ever happened.

"I will do my best, but I am not sure what he'll say"

There was now another awkward silence between them, broken only by the small baby in Diamond's arms. Faramir's mother looked down at her whining son. Another spoon full on Faramir's food was then scooped up.

Origo, on the other hand, was still waiting for Abira to finish. She only had one more piece of bacon left to eat and then she could play.

But Origo was not the only one waiting to play. Elanor Gamgee was rushing to put her coat on. She was excited to go out in the snow again. Buttons, six of them in total, were all done up. Her hair had been combed by her mother, Rosie, but was still frizzy. Hobbits had, unlike humans, elves and dwarves, had naturally frizzy and untidy looking hair.

"You be good now" Rosie told her oldest child.

Elanor gave a large smile.

"I will" she said.

They kissed and Elanor opened the large, yellow door. Rosie smiled as she closed it behind her daughter. The small click behind Elanor told her that the door was now closed.

The young girl quickly made her way down to the small road that ran outside her house. But she was stopped in her tracks. A cart, pulled by a shivering pony, trotted past. Elanor moved back and waited. The sound of the wheels started to fall quiet as the cart moved away from her.

The large wheels made tracks in the snow. Foot prints were also visible imprinted into the, now hard, carpet of snow.

The gate was shut as Elanor walked away. The snow seemed to slowly melt, more greenness was showing though. Blades of grass were blowing in the bitter wind.

Elanor now had to walk to her friend's house to ask them to come out. But there was something that would sidetrack her. Two small animals were playing in the snow. They wrestled and bounded around in the coldness. But the coldness was not as harsh on them as it was for the hobbits.

These creatures had natural coats on. Their fur kept them nice and warm in the depth of winter. They had a patch of brown above each of their eyes. Their small, fuzzy paws were also the same colour.

Their eyes were akin to small, polished conkers. Their tails were long and they had soft, floppy ears. Elanor smiled as she stood there, watching the two puppies play. She had a strong passion for animals, quite unlike her parents.

Samwise's real passion was for family mostly, followed closely by plants and trees, then ale and food. Family was the most important thing to Sam. If his family was happy, then he was.

Elanor smiled as she made her way slowly towards them. Origo was the first one to spot her. He stopped what he was doing.

"Hello" Elanor said, looking at the puppy.

Abira, who had not noticed Elanor, whined. Her eyes then fell on the young hobbit standing there. Origo looked around at his small puppy friend.

"Do you think she is friendly?" asked Origo.

Abira tilted her, wondering the same thing. Elanor gave a smile as she squatted down. She extended a hand for the small puppy to sniff.

"Should I see if she is friendly?" Origo asked.

Abira gave a small nodded, her eyes darting from the girl, to Ori. So, looking back, Origo slowly walked forward, still very weary of the girl. Elanor smiled as she waited for the cold touch of Origo's nose.

The coldness was getting to Elanor's hand as she held it out. It was then that the puppy finally caught the girl's scent. It was different. But then, nothing bad had happened to him. This was a sure sign that the girl before them was friendly and was not planning to hurt either of them.

"What are you up to?" Elanor asked, daring to make any sudden movements.

The puppy gave a small whine. For a moment, Elanor thought that the puppy was interested in playing with her. But Origo wasn't. Elanor took a deep breath as she stood up again. She took a deep breath, letting out a slivery cloud of water vapour as she exhaled.

Abira yawned as she looked around.

"Let's go down here" she barked, looking down a small hole.

Origo looked down it as well. The girl was still watching them.

"Do you think she'll follow us?" Origo asked, taking a quick glance at the girl.

Abira shook her head and whined. Elanor watched at the first of the two puppies made their way into the small hole in the bush. The next second, they vanished out of sight.

Elanor took a deep breath, now having to start all over again with finding someone to play with. Her friends seemed to be busier then normal today.

A large door came into view as she walked around one of the many bends in the road. A lake was centred right in the middle of small town. The water, at this time of the year, was very cold indeed. But that did not mean it was lifeless.

Small fish were swimming though the murky waters. To any terrestrial animal, the water would be very cold for them. The surface of the small body of water rippled in the cold wind.

Origo reached the other side of bushes. A large snowy field lay before him as Abira came from the bushes behind him. She too stood there and looked around as well.

An idea then popped into her head.

"Bet you can't catch me!" she barked and ran away quickly.

Origo stood there for a few seconds, her words were sinking in. Origo barked as well and then ran off after her. Abira's ears flopped as she looked back. She could see Origo bounding after her. He was slowly gaining on her. Abira, of course, knew this. She was just seconds from being pounced on by the larger puppy.

But, at the last second, she turned. Origo's small tongue was hanging out. His ears were flopping around just like Abira's.

Elanor, meanwhile, continued to walk to her friend's home. The gardens were covered in a thinning layer of snow. Foot prints seemed to lead to and from each door that she past.

The gates were all shut. That is, most of them were shut. Elanor could hear a gate banging and clicking in the bitter wind. She knew exactly whose gate this was.

For that gate was always banging against its small metal lock. Elanor took a deep breath as she walked towards the large door. Elanor smiled as she knocked three times.

The coldness of the snow was making her feet tingle. Noises came from the other side of the large door. Elanor smiled as it opened. Standing on the other side of the threshold was an older hobbit. This was the father of her friend.

"Hello there, Elanor" he said.

"Hello" replied Elanor, smiling.

Just then, a young girl came from behind her father. She was shorter and younger then her friend standing at the door.

"Oh, I was just about to come and find you" the girl said.

Elanor smiled.

"You best be back for lunch and all" the father said as he walked to the coats that were hanging from the pegs.

He picked out the smallest one there. The girl smiled as she took it from her father.

Her father helped her button it up.

"Take care" he said as the girl walked out into the coldness.

"I will" she said.

Elanor and her friend walked down towards the road. Elanor heard the door close behind them as she opened the gate open for her friend.

"So, what will we do?" asked Elanor's friend.

Unlike Elanor, her friend was shorter. Her eyes were as blue as a cloudless sky and were as round and as clear as polished marbles.

"Well, we could go and see how our snow hobbits are doing" she suggested.

Elanor smiled and nodded.

"I want to see how much it's melted" she told her.

So, the two girls headed towards a field, the one that they always went to. The snow crunched under foot as they walked down to the field. The stile that they used was very icy indeed. Elanor nearly slipped as she made her way over.

"Be careful" she said to her friend as she turned around.

Her friend was very weary of the ice. The two girls smiled as they both made it over the stile safely. They then started to walk over to the snow hobbits. There were many of them. But the biggest of all was the one that Elanor and her friends made.

A small chunk of it had fallen off during the night. Strange prints were imbedded in the snow around it. Elanor's friend was first to notice this.

"Elanor" she said, squatting down to take a closer look.

Elanor had picked up the large chunk of snow that had fallen off. Even though she tried to be very gentle with it, it still crumbled in her hands.

She took a deep breath, her plans had now changed. She would have to wait until more snow fall to repair the damages.

"Elanor?" her friend asked, still squatting down.

Elanor looked over at her.

"Come and look at this" she said.

Elanor took a deep breath and walked towards her.

"What is it?" she asked.

Her friend stood up, her gaze still on the strange prints on the ground.

"What are these?" Elanor was asked.

Elanor found these tracks strange as well.

"Should we see where they go?" asked Elanor.

Elanor's friend smiled, thinking that it was a very good idea and one that they needed to put into action. So, the girls started to follow the tracks. The snow continued to crunch under foot as the girls followed the tracks.

They led back towards the road. As they made their way towards it, the mystery of prints got harder.

"I can't see them any more" said Elanor, looking around.

Then, another idea came into Elanor's head.

"Maybe it came from the road" she said, looking back towards the snow hobbits.

The blue eyed girl took a deep breath. Deep down, the girl was getting hungry. But she knew that Elanor would not let her go home with her feeling guilty.

"So, we're going the wrong way?" she asked.

Elanor thought for a moment and started to head back the way they came. The younger girl started to follow, slower at first due to the coldness. But the hill that that field was situated on made the girls walking much easier.

"Yes!" Elanor said, spotting a track leading away in the other direction.

Elanor smiled as she jogged along side the prints in the snow. Her younger friend yawned as she walked slowly down. Elanor was too busy to notice her. So busy in fact that she did not see what was coming next.

The wall at the bottom of the hill was quickly approaching. But the ice on the hill was the first thing to stop her. Her feet gave way. As they did, gravity took a hold and dragged her to the ground with a thump.

"Elanor!" said her friend, rushing towards her.

Elanor took a deep breath as she lay there. It was a moment or two before she realised what had happened. Elanor slowly sat up, her dress was now wet with melting snow.

"Elanor, are you alright?" her friend asked, standing there.

Elanor stood up, looking back at the place where she slipped.

"Yes" she said, looking around.

Her curiosity seemed to have been lost in the fall. She did not much care for the creature who made those prints. But there were a few animals that were making prints of their own. Origo and Abira were still playing together. The fur that surrounded their whole body kept them as warm as they had been indoors. Origo was still chasing his Abira. Clouds of breath came from both of the puppies as they ran around.

Abira was now getting tired. Running did not seem to be a good idea anymore. But Origo was not on the same wavelength as his fellow pup. He wanted to continue to play this game. He was very close to the tired puppy in front of him.

The next second, Abira was laying flat on the cold and snowy ground with Origo wrestling her. She struggled to get up, but Origo was not having any of it. He tugged at Abira's fluffy ear.

Abira barked angrily at Origo, warning him to get off. Origo, without thinking about it, got off of her right away. Abira rolled and stood up on her paws. Her whole body was wet. Her once fluffy fur was now sticking to her and letting in the coldness even more.

"Why did you do that?" she whined, trying to shake off all of the melted snow from her fur.

Origo was now very confused. He did not know what Abira was saying. For a moment, Origo thought that he missed what Abira had asked him.

"What?" he whined, a confused look coming over him.

"Why did you jump on me?" Abira asked, a small growl coming from her.

Origo's confusion deepened. He knew he had heard what she said correctly.

"Because that's what I thought I had to do!" Origo told her.

Abira shook her head.

"I did not want you to jump on me though!" she argued.

Origo looked away from Abira, just for a split second.

"But, you did not say that I couldn't"

Just then, a small green spot zoomed from over the line of hedges. Ivy fluttered higher into the air to get a better view on the surroundings. Clouds scattered the sky as they swam slowly across a sea of blue.

Ivy suddenly stopped in the cold air, the wind was pushing her along. Her hair blew as she tried to find the pups. After a minute or two, the fairy spotted two black dots in the large field below. A smile came over her and she descended in a rapid spiral.

The ground came quickly towards her. But Ivy was the one in control. She slowly down very quickly as she reached the ground.

But, as she got closer, she noticed something wrong. An awkwardness between the two small pups radiated from them. They were not their playful selves.

"Origo?" she asked, noticing that Abira was further away from him then normal.

Abira took one look at the fairy and turned. Ivy found this very strange indeed. She watched the puppy trot off, leaving Origo where he stood.

Ori continued to stay where he was, looking at the puppy that was walking away from him. A sudden urge to follow Abira came over him. But he fought the urge.

"Origo, what's happened?" Ivy asked, looking between the two pups.

Origo gave a small whimper and looked down. Ivy's question was still not answered. Origo, turning the opposite way, started to walk.

Abira stopped at the edge of the field and looked around. She could see Origo walking the opposite way, fairy in tow. Abira knew that she had been harsh on him.

"In fact, I did tell him to chase me" she told herself.

But Origo was now heading back to Diamond's home. Abira needed to act quickly, otherwise she could not tell Origo she was sorry.

Origo had now reached the side of the field that he was heading for. Abira was now running as quickly as she could over to him. She lost sight of him. But this did not put her off. Instead, she kept on running, knowing that she would eventually catch up with him.

But it took longer then normal to get there. The coldness was rushing against her face. Her ears continued to flop as she reached the small hole in the hedgerow. She snaked her way through the leafless twigs that made up the hedge.

The road came into view. There was a difference in the look of the inside of the hedge to the surface of the road. The inside of the hedge was sheltered, only having wet leaves and little snow covering it.

The small puppy looked around, she knew exactly where Origo was heading. So, she started to trot along, down the road.

Meanwhile, Origo was at the gate that led into Diamond's small front garden. The gate did not have to be opened for Ori. He could easily slip though the gap.

Ivy fluttered over head as Origo made it back to the door. But the door was shut. This was in fact no problem for the small pup. Ivy smile as she fluttered over towards the door.

Abira was now meters away from the gate that led into Diamond's garden. Her small paws were wet, but they continued to keep just enough warmth in.

Just as Origo was about to walk into him home, a bark came from behind him. Stopping, he turned and looked back. He could see Abira standing on the other side of the gate.

He gave her a stare. The pup did not blink as he looked at her.

"Origo, I'm sorry"

Inside, the coldness had reached Diamond and Pearl. Candles were flickering as the wave of coldness hit them. Diamond could feel the temperature drop a little. But she was not the only one. Pearl had felt it too.

"Hasn't it gone cold all of a sudden?" Diamond asked, knowing that she was not just feeling cold for no reason at all.

Pearl, now that it had been mentioned, started to feel the coldness as well.

"It's probably just the gaps in the doors" she said, thinking that would be the best explanation.

To Diamond, she knew that it couldn't be the gaps in the door. For a moment, she thought that it was Pippin. But he would have made more noise.

Abira whimpered as Origo turned and walked into the house. She hung her fluffy head in sadness. Ivy could do nothing to change Origo's mind. Even though she had magical powers, free will was not on the list that she could tamper with.

Ivy felt guilty that she could not convince Origo otherwise, but it was up to him. So, slowly leaving Abira at the gate, Ivy fluttered in and slowly closed the door.

The large door closed with a gentle click. The candles seemed to instantly stop their dancing and stood like guards watching their perimeters.

In the real world, things were much different. The sun rose at the exact same time it did in the perfect world. Birds had started to sing to the world as hobbits arose from their beds.

Diamond arose to a near empty house. But she was not alone. She smiled as she stood at a small wooden cot. Inside, a sleeping baby lay. His eyes were closed. The baby was covered in a very warm blanket. The fire was still gently crackling in the heath.

Hunger was getting to the young woman as she walked out of the room. The large door was left open so that Faramir's cries for attention were heard.

But there was a void in Diamond. A void that she had felt for the past few days. Two things were missing from her life. One was her husband, Pippin. The other, a small puppy by the name of Origo.

Origo was many miles away from home. But he did not think so. In fact, all of his knowledge of Hobbiton had vanished. It had been wiped from his memory in a costly mistake.

But then, Origo was not as alone as people, especially Diamond, thought. A small green fairy fluttered besides him. She was invisible to any being that walked on Middle-earth. She was also the last of her kind.

A great fire had wiped out the forest where she had been living in. Ivy had made her home in a tall pine tree. She had taken up residence in an abandoned woodpecker's nest inside.

But it was not very pleasant in winter. Coldness and wind blew in through the small hole. Ivy cuddled up into a corner. Her friends were all in their own homes.


	70. Day Thirty Three, Part Two

Ivy had a small blanket that she wrapped around her. But it did not help much. The coldness was much stronger then the warmth that she was creating.

Sleep slowly caught the fairy. The wind and coldness slowly died down over the next few hours. But the darkness did not. The hours slowly seeped by Ivy as she woke numerous times.

The sun slowly rose over the wild forest. The wind had died down to a gentle breeze. The sun had now risen. But the temperature barely did the same.

Ivy yawned as she opened her eyes. Tiredness was still hanging on her eyes, trying to pull them shut again. But something happened that made the tiredness drain away for a moment.

Another fairy fluttered onto the branch, just out of the small hole.

"Ivy?" a voice asked.

Ivy's eyes had closed, just for a moment. But they were now open again. She smiled tiredly as her friend ducked and entered the small nest.

"Good morning, Petal" Ivy said, sitting up and yawning.

Petal smiled. She had a different colour from Ivy. In fact, each individual fairy had a different colour. No two fairies shared a colour.

"How are you?" Petal asked, there was now a reddish glow in the small nest as well as a green glow coming from Ivy.

Ivy took a deep breath as she took off the blanket that she had had over her legs. She slowly stood up, but her joints seemed to stiffened during the night.

Petal stood there, waiting for Ivy to stand up. She took a deep breath and looked around. A large bird fluttered by, its call echoed around the forest. But, after a few seconds, the calls stopped as it landed on a branch near by.

Ivy took a deep breath and she moved her joints. Slowly, but surely, her joints started to ease up and the pain started to seep away.

"You look rough" Petal told her, seeing the tiredness over Ivy's face.

Ivy gave a small smile.

"I'm fine" she answered.

But deep down, she wished she was in summer. Summer was a glorious time for fairies. Coldness was rare in the height of summer. Summer was Ivy's favourite time of year. She could sleep where ever she wanted and did not have to worry about being cold.

But winter was difficult for all of the creatures of the forest. A few times, Ivy had been woken up from her deep sleep to an invading bird.

Like Origo, the birds and beasts of the forest could see the small fluttering fairy. All it took was a small shock and the invader was scared away, never to return to her home.

"What are you plans for today?" Petal asked.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Well, firstly I have to eat" she answered.

Petal smiled.

"Good idea, I think there are a few berries left on the bushes below" she said.

Ivy smiled. She loved berries. In fact, all of the fairies did. It was their main food source through out the winter season. The tree that did produce their food had all but stopped. The apple trees were now standing skeletons in the dimness of winter. They seemed to wait until there was enough warmth and light to start producing buds again.

Ivy and Petal walked out onto the large branch just below. Ivy took a deep breath in as she looked around. The clouds were thin in the sky. Life in the forest was still waking up.

"Come on" Petal said, opening her wings and fluttered into the crisp air.

Ivy yawned one more time before opening her wings. But, before flying, she needed to warm them up. So, standing on the edge of the slippery branch, Ivy fluttered her wings. She smiled as she started to take off.

Flying was very easy for fairies. Ivy seemed to zoom all over the place. Petal smiled as she landed on the wet, muddy undergrowth. Sounds came from all around her. Small droplets of water were falling to the ground and impacting on the moist soil below.

A few times, Petal was almost hit with a drip. But the breeze changed it course so that it missed her. Petal could see a small green speak above her. It zoomed quickly around trees.

Ivy was now getting warmer, but her tiredness was not so easy to get rid of. Ivy zoomed very close to the bark that made up the outside of the tree. A few times, she had only milliseconds to react. But she never lost control of where she was going.

A minute later, she landed gently next to Petal. But Petal was not alone any more. Another fairy was with her now. She had a silvery glow to her.

"Good morning!" she said.

She seemed more awake and alert then the others.

"Morning, Luna" Petal said as she struggled to pick off a ripe berry.

Ivy smiled, grabbing a berry and breaking it off. She took a deep breath, much preferring apples or pears then berries. Luna seemed to be very bouncy this morning. Her wings had hardly stopped fluttering as she stood there. Ivy broke a small bit of the berry off and started to eat.

"I love snowberries" Petal said, taking a bite of the large berry.

Ivy smiled. She chewed the flesh of the berry. The flesh was not deep, but the seed was big indeed. But this did not bother the fairies due to their size. It was a perfect breakfast for them.

Luna looked around. A smile came over her face as she saw something perched on the branches above. Without a second to think about it, Luna took off. A cheeky grin crossed her face.

"Oh not again" Petal said, hearing and seeing Luna flutter off.

Songs echoed around them. But there was a sudden burst of alarm calls. Petal and Ivy looked around and saw a bird being chased by a silver wisp.

"She's going to get into trouble one day" Petal said.

The bird fluttered as quickly as it could. But it was not as quick as Luna. She giggled as she pulled on the bird's tail feathers. Ivy gave a small smile. Of course, it was wrong to do what Luna was doing. But that did not make it humorous.

The small bird saw, out of the corner of its eye, a hole. This meant safety. But what the bird did not know was that it was heading for more trouble.

"Oh no" Petal said, continuing to watch the fluttering bird.

"What?" asked Ivy.

Petal suddenly fluttered away. Ivy was left on her own, wondering what the problem was. It suddenly became apparent that the bird had fluttered into a hole in one of the trees.

Inside, one of Ivy's friends, who had been peacefully sleeping, was woken to a sudden movement.

"Help!" she shouted, fearing for her life.

Even though the bird could not hurt her, the fairy was still in shock. Petal had reached the branch. Luna was there also. She was giggling at all the commotion she had caused.

"Rosa?" asked Petal.

The bird was shaking in fear. This, it thought as it hopped around, was the only safe place it could be. But it was the wrong place to be. Rosa had been sleeping in the hole when the bird, unexpected and unwelcome, flew in.

"Petal, get it out!" Rosa shouted as she stood with her back against the wall.

Ivy's dream was then disrupted by a cold sensation. A small whimper brought her out of the land of dreams, into the land of coldness.

A large puppy was laying near by. The small chamber was dark, but her green glow lit it just enough to see Origo standing over her.

"Is it time to get up?" she asked, the warmth of the puppy had been very pleasant indeed.

Origo gave a small nod, his eyes had a glint of green in them. Ivy yawned as she sat up. Origo was very hungry now. He gave a small whimper and looked at the fairy.

Ivy took a deep breath and slowly stood up. She was much smaller then Origo and could stand without ducking.

"Alright" she said, tiredness was still etched into her consciousness.

Suddenly and without any warning, a large plate of turkey appeared in front of Origo. Ivy smiled as the puppy took only a few seconds to start gobbling it up.

"Well" thought Ivy, giving a small smile.

"If there's one thing that hasn't changed, its his appetite"

After a few more minutes, the plate was cleared of all turkey. Origo's small tail wagged as he stood there. The plate vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Right, lets go" Ivy said.

Origo had a strange energy, one that Ivy only saw before his accident. There was a playfulness about him that made him ever so cute.

The outside world was cold, but there was less snow on the ground. The sky above was clear and showed no signs of any more snow falling from it.

Birds were singing and going along with their daily lives, quite content in ignoring the small puppy that was now heading towards Bree. But it would be many days before the pup reached it. It would have taken even longer if Origo had not complied with Ivy the night before.

The girl, unlike Origo, was still at the building. Cleaning, cooking and washing had been added onto her list of things to do. But there was something bothering her, making these jobs take more time then was needed.

The small puppy that had been in her room the night before had now gone.

But where was he?

There were so many possible motives for his disappearance. The main reason for his vanishment was, the girl thought, that it was her fault. She knew she could have taken better care of him. But she was so busy that Origo had been forgotten.

"I have to go and find him as soon as I can" she thought as she cleaned a large mug.

The business of breakfast was slowly seeping away as more people left. This was a time to plan. There was a few short hours, between breakfast and the start of lunch, where the pub was not so busy.

The girl placed the last mug, now clean and ready to be used again, back on its hook and walked away. She opened the door to the back. A yawn came over her as she went to the cellar. She had many barrels to change and many bottles to replenish.

The girl yawned as she walked down some stairs. The cellar was much colder then the building she had just left. There were no candles here. She had to take her own.

The door creaked open and reviled a large cellar. It seemed to be just as big as the building above it. There were many barrels and bottles lines around.

The presence of the girl scared some small critters away. They hid, not wanting to be discovered. But the girl did not mind them being there. She was too busy with what she had been sent to do.

The barrels were made of wood and were very heavy. The girl was used to the weight of them. But it took most of her energy to even move one towards the small hatch that led to the outside world.

The young girl knew that it would take many hours to restock the bar.

"Best get on with it" she told herself.

So, she started to move the first barrel. It was full to the brim with ale. The barrel was slowly lowered on its side making it easier to move.

She started to push the barrel. It took most of her strength to do so. But it still took her a while to get to where the small hatch was. She looked up, making sure the barrel was right underneath the trap door.

She took a deep breath, knowing that she would spend most of her time walking up and down the stairs. But she had to do it. She had no other choice at the moment.

Meanwhile, time wore on. Birds continued to sing, eat or fly. Carts rolled along the road outside. Some, but not all of them, stopped. Their owners disembarked and came in.

"Where is that girl?" asked the stern looking woman.

The girl was now outside, opening up the wet hatches so she could start to lift the barrel up. It was then, as she was about to head back to the cellar, that the woman came out.

"There you are!" she snapped.

The girl took a deep breath, knowing that, what ever it was, it was not good news.

"Have you done the barrels yet?" asked the woman.

The girl took a deep breath.

"I'm doing it, ma'am" she answered.

The woman grumbled something and, without another word, walked away. The girl did not like the fact that she was being bossed about. But she could do nothing about it.

After a few seconds, she got back to work again. She untied the wet rope and lowered it to the hole that now led into the cold cellar.

So, she walked back over to the door and opened it. There was a noticeable difference in temperature between the inside world and outside world was very noticeable.

The girl descended down to the bottom of the tiled stairs. The barrel was still standing there, the rope was swinging gently. She took it and tied it around the barrel. She made sure that the rope would not fail when she lifted it.

After a minute, she was sure that it was tight and stable enough for it to be lifted. So, ascending the tiled stairs, she walked out into the coldness.

The wind was picking up. The chill was deepening on her face, making it tingle slightly. Her body started to shiver, trying to produce as much warmth as possible. But it was yet to work.

The girl took hold of the rope and started to pull. The barrel seemed much heavier then normal. The coldness stiffened her fingers, making it harder for her to get a proper grip.

But, after a few minutes of struggling, the barrel was swinging at the top. Near the girl's feet, a small metal peg had been hammered into the ground. So, the girl fed the rope though the hook and tightened it so that it supported its own weight.

But, for a moment, she did not trust it. She took her hands slowly away from the rope. There was a small creek, the tension held the barrel in place.

The girl gave a small smile as she walked back to the barrel. The girl took a hold of it and placed it on the soft ground. She unwrapped the rope and moved the barrel to one side.

"I wonder how many more I have to do" she wondered.

Hours past as Origo and Ivy made their way down the Great East Road. The road stretched on for many miles. And, all along it were settlements. The Grey Havens were situated in the West. They were the last port of call for the elves that were leaving Middle-earth.

But that had been many years ago. All but four elves had left the lands. Arwen was situated in Gondor. Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir resided in Rivendell.

A dwarf resided in Rivendell as well. But not for long. Legolas was planning to move out of Rivendell. He and Gimli had been planning it for many months now.

"But it's cold!" Gimli said as he listened to the elf.

The thought of going far from the source of Miruvor was unthinkable for Gimli. Miruvor was the only thing, apart from a good fire, was the only thing keeping the dwarf warm in the Elven town.

"Coldness never hurt anyone" Legolas told him, sitting at the opposite side of the table.

Gimli gave a small grunt.

"That's easy for you to say" he grumbled.

Lunch time was fast approaching the last inhabitants of Rivendell. Elladan was busy preparing the same food that they had always had. But their food was running out. Gimli had had the most food out of any of them.

Elladan took a deep breath, he knew that in the next few days they would have to go and get some more. But the nearest settlement was a good few hours away by cart.

Elladan took a deep breath as he stood over a burning hot stove. In one hand, he had a wooden spatula. Held in the other was the handle of the hot pan.

A few fillets of fish were sizzling in golden oil. There were four plates, each waiting to be ladened with food. Two of the large fillets had already been done. But there were still two more to be cooked. Elladan placed one piece of cooked fish onto a plate, then the other. The other two were then placed in the scolding hot pan.

Minutes past and hunger grew in the small dwarf. His grumbles matched the ones coming from his stomach. But, as he was about to complain again, Elladan walked into the room. He was carrying not just one plate, but all four.

Gimli took a deep breath, smelling the fish before the plate had even been put on the table. But, accompanying the fish were vegetables.

Gimli found this a very unfulfilling meal, having none of the dwarven delocalises. The elves ignored his anger at the lack of meat on his plate.

Deep down, Gimli knew that he was a guest in Rivendell. He knew that the Elves would be treated the same as he was if they were in Moria.

Origo and Ivy had been travailing for the past few hours. They were getting ever closer to Bree and a place to stay. But they were many days journey from it.

The day continued to grow darker as the sun sank towards the western horizon. The shadows were getting longer and longer. The coldness was now tickling Origo's fur. Ivy knew that Origo would, sooner or later, stop for food. But for now, everything was going well. The miles slowly past around them.

Ivy was getting very tired of the puppy's curiosity with almost everything he saw.

"Puppy, this way" she said, seeing Origo wonder off course for the umpteenth time.

Origo barked, his special energy was still seeping out of him. Ivy smiled as she noticed the night was quickly coming upon them.

The girl, back at the drinking house, was looking at the clock. The drinking house was busier now. Dinners were being prepared and eaten in the room. Ale, laughter and sliver strands of smoke filled the room.

The girl jumped as a shrill voice met her.

"You have been cleaning that mug for the past five minutes" it said.

The girl snapped out of her day dream and looked around.

"Sorry, ma'am" the girl said, finally drying the mug and placing it back.

The girl took a deep breath, watching the chaos before her. The wooden floor was getting dirtier by the minute. She knew that she would have to tidy up afterwards.

The girl knew that she would have to make her escape in the very early hours of the morning. The girl looked around. She had now finished the washing up. But it was not really done. She still had a mass of plates, bowls, knives, forks and spoons to wash up yet.

The kitchen had a strange, stale smell to it. Many joints of the best beef had been prepared and sent out. A smile came over the girl as she eyed a plate of scraps. She looked around, knowing that she could get into trouble by doing it.

But she did not care. Hunger was strong in the girl. In fact, it was always present in the girl. She was very small for her age. Much smaller then the other girls that she knew. But they were not slaves to a horrible women.

They taunted her and hurt her. But she was used to it. She did not care for the old woman any more.

"Maybe it's time I stood up for myself" she told herself, picking up a piece of cold beef.

She smiled, her eyes darting towards the door. She had deliberately left it ajar so that she had a few seconds to react. But for now, she was safe.

A rare smile came over her. Her hands were dirty, but she cared little about washing them. A small piece of the meat was then bitten off. The girl could not remember the last time she had had any meat.

She savoured the taste, knowing that this opportunity came once in a blue moon. She smiled as she finished one piece and picked up a second.

But she could not help jumping at every bang that echoed from the building. She was very scared of the woman. But a small part of her knew that she was being weak. She knew that the more she was bossed about, the more she would fall deeper into that hole.

But that was about to change.

Something strange clicked in her head. Something that would change the course of the future. She would no longer stand for the wrath of the woman in charge.

Ivy and the other fairies were enjoying the sunny day. But the coldness had not lifted. There was a strange crispness to the air.

Ivy fluttered around, looking for something. But she could not see it. In fact, she was looking for a lot of things. Her friends had all fluttered off around the near by trees and were now hiding.

Ivy fluttered in mid-air for a split second, her wings beating faster then anyone could see. It was then that she saw something flash and vanish quicker then lightning.

She scowled evilly and fluttered towards it. The tree she was heading for was larger then normal. But this did not faze her one bit.

The flash that she saw was a reddish glow behind the tree.

"Found you!" Ivy said, seeing Rosa sitting on a small twig.

Rosa was so frightened that she fell off of the twig. Ivy gasped, but was relived to see that Rosa had started to flutter.

"Ivy!" she whined, fluttering back up.

Ivy smiled, knowing that Rosa was always a sore looser.

"Come on, lets go and find the others"

So, the two fluttered off. It would now be easier to find who ever was next. Although that's what was meant to happen. But their plan was not as easy as they had first thought. Five minutes past since Rosa was found. But still, there was no sign of the others.

Five minutes slowly sailed past, ten minutes followed quicker then they thought. Luna and Petal were still hiding. They had flown off together and were giggling.

They were on the forest floor, hiding under a few leaves. Petal whispered something to Luna. They both giggled. But none of the fairies knew that a rival gang of fairies were heading their way.

Unlike Ivy and the others, these ones were hostile. They did not have bright colours like the others did. They had dark colours. There were no yellows and greens, but browns and blacks.

Weapons were held in their hands. And they had plans to use them. They had small spears made of twigs and chips of flint. Small bits of grass had been tired around to keep the sharp pieces of flint secure.

Ivy, who had been fluttering around, saw something moving in the forest. Rosa was still looking around.

"They have to be around here" Rosa said, her eyes darting around.

But she was hushed. Leila, who had not been present at the start of the day, fluttered towards them. Rosa smiled, seeing Leila for the first time in a few days.

But Ivy knew that something was up.

"Leila?" asked Ivy, knowing that something was up.

"Their coming" Leila said.

Ivy's fears were confirmed. Action needed to be taken otherwise their lives would be in danger.

"We have to get out of here, we have to hide"

There was a movement in the leaves below. The other two fairies came out of their hiding place. They too fluttered up. There were now five fairies fluttering in the air.

Ivy could see a black figure fluttering though forest. It was a sight that Ivy knew that she would one day have to face.

So, taking a deep breath, she started to flutter towards it.

"Ivy, no!" said Petal.

But it was too late. Ivy was now speeding towards the other fairy. A smile came over the second fairy as he watched Ivy approach him.

"Well, well, well" he said, stopping in mid-air and holding a small spear.

"If its isn't little Weedy" he said, giving a laugh.

"It's Ivy, actually" she corrected him.

The fairy gave a small chuckle.

"Indeed" he said.

Ivy knew that there were many other fairies around, watching what was going on. Ivy needed to keep the situation calm. She knew how volatile these fairies were.

"I want you to leave" Ivy said.

Her heart rate rose a small bit. She knew that if something happened, she would surely suffer an injury or even death. But she would not let it come to that.

"Leave?" he asked, giving a small grin.

"Why would me and my friends leave?" he asked.

Ivy scowled, knowing that she could push it a bit more.

"This is our part of the forest, you have your part and we agreed to it"

Petal, Luna, Leila and Rosa were watching what was happening. They kept as quiet as they could. But none of them saw a larger fairy come from behind them.

"Yes, we did agree" he said, slowly fluttering around Ivy.

Ivy knew that he was planning something. But when and what he was planning, Ivy had no idea about.

"But times are changing. We need your area of forest to expand our territory" he told her.

Ivy knew that this was a lie. She knew that they had more land then the other clans of fairies around. She knew that they would, sooner or later, get what they wanted.

But this time, they would have to fight for it.

"No" Ivy said as plain as day.

"I will not let you take what land we have"

There was now a card to play here. Ivy knew that this was a way out of what they would do.

"We will not bother you if you allow us to stay here in peace. War and violence is not what us fairies do" Ivy said.

The male fairy stopped again in midair. He looked straight at Ivy. He knew that she was nervous. An idea popped into his head. One that would be suitable for both of them.

"I will make you a proposition" he said, thinking deeper into his plan.

"A proposition?" Ivy asked, not liking the direction this conversation was taking.

"I will leave you alone if you will do something for me" he said.

There was a moment of silence between them.

"Winter is a hard time for us all, it would be so much work to gather food for storage. My clan will leave your clan alone if you gather food for us before the last leaf falls"

Ivy took a moment to think about what had just been said. Many scenarios were going through her head. But, if it meant that they would be left to live in peace, then Ivy had no other option.

"I tell you what, you and your little friends can discuss it for twenty four hours. That should be enough time. My clan will come back and you will give us you answer"

Ivy was now very worried. Twenty four hours was not enough time to weigh up the options. But she could not argue.

"Alright" she said, looking down.

She knew that she now had a lot of thinking to do.

"Good" said the fairy in front.

A whistle came from him. The seemingly tranquil forest

started to move. Many black figures headed the same direction as the leader. Ivy knew that their power was not to be matched. There was no chance of fighting back.

Petal and the others watched as the evil fairies went away. They all looked very worried.

"What happened?" Luna asked, her bounciness had gone, she was unnaturally still.

In the real world, the day had now turned to the blackest night. Candle light was the only thing to light the way. A girl was laying in her bed, listening to her surroundings.

She could here talking in the other room. This was the only thing that was stopping her from leaving. The hours seemed to pass slower then normal. But, as they did, the talking died down.

She gave a small smile, knowing that the hardest part of her day had now come. The duvet was then taken off. She was already dressed, knowing that she would have to make her escape as quickly and as silently as possible.

The floor boards creaked just a bit, but she knew that they were not loud enough to wake them. The cold wind blew through the small gaps in the door.

The girl walked over to her wardrobe. She knew that she had the same bag that she had always had. Her number of possession had not grown in the years that she had been living there.

A single candle was flickering on a small mount near the door. This would be the light to show the way out. But first, she would have to pack.

The bag was placed on the bed, her breathing was slow. She was trying to keep as quiet as possible. All that she could hear was her heart beating and the odd creaks of the floor.

The wardrobe door slowly creaked open, the girl's hearing seemed to be sharper then normal. She quickly took out the few pieces clothes she had and stuffed them into the bag. The young girl then closed the bag as quietly as she could.

Taking the candle, she slowly opened the door. There was a distinct difference between temperatures in the hall and her room. But she did not mind now. She knew that she would not have sleep on the hard bed for much longer.

The stair way was the next obstacle to over come. Like the floorboards in her room, these creaked. And they were much worse. Nearly all of the stairs creaked. And, in the quietness of night, they seemed to creak louder then ever.

"Maybe I should wait 'til morning" she thought, looking back at the dark abyss of her room.

But her mind was made up. Any thoughts that came into her head were all putting her off. She had been planning her escape for many years.

So, she started to descend the stairs. As predicted, they started to creak as she stepped on them. It took a little longer then normal, she was being careful on every step.

A large smile came over her as she reached the last step. The girl took a deep breath as she placed her foot onto the cold floor. Sound seemed to be non-existent, save from a few small crackles of the embers of the dying fire in the lobby.

The kitchen was the next place that the girl had to visit. Strength was the main priority for her. The coldness would hunt down and eradicate any warmth and strength that even the hardiest of folk had.

Ale would warm her up. Although she did not drink much of it. And, even when she did, it was the leftovers from the people at the bar.

The door to the main bar area opened. The warmth was very inviting, but she knew that the coldness was waiting for her. A small bottle of the most fiery whiskey was then picked up. The bottle glinted in the orange light of the candle.

The young girl knew that the small bottle would not last long enough. So, she took two more bottles and placed them gently in her bag.

She smiled, knowing that all she had to do now was to get bread and a horse. Walking in the coldness would take much longer and much more energy.

The girl quietly closed the door. She turned and made her way back to the dark kitchen, flickering candle in hand. The kitchen had been cleaned and the cutlery had been place back in their original place.

Bread was her main priority now. She needed a few loaves, but there seemed not to be enough space in her bag. She smiled as she saw a few loaves of bread sitting on some shelves. They had been wrapped in brown paper. The girl then placed two loaves into her bag.

"This is it" she thought standing in the quiet room.

The girl was now only minutes away when she heard something that made her stop dead. Someone was moving up stairs. Her heart beat quickened as she waited for the tell tale sign that they were descending the stairs.

But that never happened.

The girl took a deep breath, closed her bag and walked out. There was now only one obstacle to over come. The back door. She smiled, holding the door handle.

She took a few second to place the candle on the small table. The door slowly opened, the coldness brushed her face. A strange, but somewhat pleasant sensation started to run on her cheeks. And it was made all the better by the fact that she was now free.

She closed the door, knowing that she would never have to work there again. She then made her way towards the side of the building. There, a few horses had been tied up.

The girl slowly approached a sleeping horse. She raised her hands and touched the horse. It jumped, waking and giving a neigh.

"Shush, shush. It's only me" she said.

The horse looked at the girl, a feeling of dislike came from him.

"Come on, I need you" she said, untying the reigns.

She led the horse to the road. The girl jumped onto the larger beast. She was a very good rider and knew exactly what to do. She placed her feet in stirrups and grabbed the reigns.

With a small flick of her heels, the horse started to move. Slow at first, the slow trot quickly turned into a gallop. Then to a run. The wind chill was now numbing her face as the building she had left was now sinking into the inky blackness.

The girl was now free and it was the best feeling she had ever had. There was no one to tell her what to do and no one to hurt her any more.


	71. Day Thirty Four, Part One

Ivy slowly fluttered back to her friends. There was a strange look on her face. One that summed up many questions her friends had.

Ivy did not know how to break it to them. Everything seemed to be different. The wind was harsher, sounds seemed to be louder.

"We have to get out of here" Ivy said, looking at her four friends.

She knew that she had to get as far away as possible. But there was no where they could go. They were stuck here, surrounded by the clan Ivy had just talked with.

"But where will we go?" Petal asked, fluttering her wings.

Ivy felt sick. She did not want to be here any more.

"I don't… don't know" she said.

Time was slipping past them. Plans were made and crushed. Hope seemed to slip away with every passing hour.

"The best plan is to do it" Luna said, sitting on a branch.

The sun was now going down. But birds were still flying around. Ivy was sitting in her nest, all alone. The fairy could feel everything crumbling away from her.

"Luna, we have to fight against them. If we let them rule our lives, then we'll never be free" Petal told her.

A small rift had started to open in the group. One side was for staying and gather food. The other wanted to escape before it was too late.

"But where will we go if we do go?" asked Luna.

Petal took a deep breath.

"Well, we could go to a different forest. A small wood if you want to. We could start fresh and be free" she told them.

This idea was very inviting. But it had a flaw. The fairies lived in a very dangerous place now. Other clans of fairies had already been eradicated. The forest used to be a peaceful place. But wild fires had destroyed certain parts. This was due to the most dangerous and evil clan.

The Decessus.

The Decessus were fuelled on the fact that they were now very powerful. And they knew it. Nothing could stop them.

Ivy, Petal, Luna, Rosa and Leila all belonged to the Vivens clan. Unlike the Decessus, these were peaceful fairies. They used natural materials to make their homes. They loved wildlife. Their friendly nature made it easier to watch animal's behaviour and learn from what they did.

The Vivens were also different in the fact that they had their own colours. Trees were their friends. They lived, played and fed off of them. They, like Ivy, used abandoned nests of woodpeckers.

The Decessus, on the other hand, lived under the ground in the soft soil of the forest. This was an advantage. For they were not as nature loving at the other clans. They were power hungry and loved to see pain inflicted on other creatures.

Many other clans had been wiped out or scared away. They were now living in different parts of Middle-earth, struggling to gather the food and make shelters.

In the present day, Ivy was all by herself. The memories of what had happened all those years ago were slowly coming back to the surface.

The sun had come up, shining on the land below. Birds were singing their morning songs for the world to hear. A whistling sound came echoing down to Ivy's ears.

She took a deep breath, waiting for the small puppy near by to wake up. He had been asleep almost all night. His small eyes were closed and his fur was keeping him warm. But it did not keep him warm enough in the bitter coldness of the night.

Ivy constantly had to create a bubble of warmth around him. But it would soon wear off. Hunger was now growing in the small pup. Ivy heard a small whine from him as he lay there, fluffy head on equally fluffy paws. But his eyes did not open.

Origo wanted and needed all of the sleep he could get. But Ivy was not thinking on his terms.

"Puppy?" she asked, standing up and walking over to him.

Ori gave yet another whine, his eyes opened just a crack. A green glow met his eyes, making them hurt.

"Ori, its time to get up now" Ivy said, producing a lovely plate of turkey just for him.

The smell hit Origo's small wet nose. It was then that sleep would defiantly have to wait. He had not noticed how hungry he was until the smell of turkey reached him.

For some strange reason, unknown to the pup, he knew that he had always liked turkey. So, raising his fluffy head, he yawned. Ivy smiled, loving how his small ears flopped as he opened his mouth.

A few seconds pasted before Ori started on his turkey.

"Good boy" Ivy said.

She had an urge to go outside. But the fact Origo could not see in the darkness had totally slipped her mind. She started to flutter upwards. The soil started to encase her. It was then she heard the muffled barks of the puppy below.

Ivy stopped and slipped back into the chamber. She was met by a very scared looking puppy. His eyes were now wide and he was very scared.

"Oops" she said, taking a deep breath.

She now knew why Origo was looking scared. He did not like the darkness of the chamber.

"I guess I'll just have to stay here until he finishes" Ivy thought.

Origo had not been the only sleeping creature. A young girl was sitting in the coldness. She was curled up in a small ball, a thin sheet had been wrapped over her. But it wasn't helping much.

A sudden jolt made her wake. For a moment, she thought she was back in her room. But the sound of birds and the coldness on her face told her different.

She took a deep breath, knowing that she was on her own. Her bag was laying on the wet ground next to her. She knew that food was the most important thing at this moment in time.

So, opening the bag, she pulled out a brown loaf. She smiled, knowing that her hunger would soon be tamed. But she knew that she would have to save it for the journey to Bree.

Bree was the only place that she could get to. She had no money, she knew of no one that lived by her. The girl was now on her own.

But would she regret leaving?

For the moment, the answer was "No"

The coldness seemed only to fuel her escape and eagerness to get to Bree. So, ripping off a piece of bread, she started to eat. It was the first time she would have eaten enough to make her feel like she had actually eaten.

The horse that the girl had been travelling on was standing just a few yards away. Its reigns had been securely tied to a tree.

The horse, like the girl, was now filling up on food. Both had been travailing into the small hours of the harsh morning coldness.

As the girl continued to eat, she found the coldness around her started to lessen. Yet her eyes were still blurry. She had a cure for this. The sound of two glass bottles meeting met her ears.

"Of course" she thought, picking out one of the bottles.

She knew that warmth was no longer a problem. One of her rare smiles came over her as she took off the top. The girl then raised the bottle. She examined the contents.

Without another second lost, the shivering girl started to drink. The amber liquid did its job right away. A blast of warmth radiated from her chest. She instantly started to cough.

"That was most unexpected" she thought, looking at the bottle.

The whiskey was much more effective then she thought. The warmth started to travel throughout her veins. She could feel it rushing around her body. Every muscle seemed to loosen and relax. But the girl had energy now and she did not want to waste it.

So, she placed the loaf of bread and bottle back in her bag and closed it.

"Right" she said, standing up.

She put the bag on and walked over to the horse. The horse neighed merrily as she stroked its head. The saddle was still strapped to its back. The girl smiled as she untied the rope that had been tied to the tree.

The girl stroked the horse on the long face.

"Lets get going, ah?" she asked.

The horse neighed, which was a good sign for the girl. So, the girl walked to the saddle and hoisted herself up. The cold wind blew in her face as the horse started to trot.

The dull thuds of the horse echoed around. The speed slowly started to increase. Trees started to rush past the girl. She was now squinting, her eyes hurt less this way. Small bits of mud were flying up from the hooves of the horse she was riding on.

She could feel small points of mud hitting her face. But the girl cared little for how she looked. All she wanted to do was get out of the cold and wet cloths.

But the girl was not the only being on the move. Elladan and Elrohir were packing two horses, one for each of them. Their food supplies were running out. They had to go to the nearest town to get some more. The twins would travel the opposite way from their friends, Legolas and Gimli.

Gimli was still not talking to Legolas. But there was no denying the fact that they had to get moving. A small part of Gimli wanted to stay here, in the safety of Rivendell.

But then, he wanted to see Helms Deep again. The sight of the glittering caves. They were firmly imprinted in the mind and soul of the dwarf. Never had he seen such a glorious sight.

But, as hard as it was, he knew that Moria would never be matched. The massive pillars of the once great empire of Dwarves were now all but blocked and abandoned by the beings that had once lived there.

Now, only blood thirsty goblins and vile cave trolls roamed the black abyss.

Gimli took a deep breath as he sat on his bed. Memories were flooding back to him now. His home and all the people around had all but been vanquished.

Save for one small group living deep beneath the Lonely Mountain. But that was all to change. Gimli would make them see that the caves behind Helms Deep were perfect for them. But it would be a long and hard journey.

Legolas smiled as he stood there, knowing the dwarf was not as observant as he was and had not seen him yet. So, without making a sound, the elf started to walk towards him.

It was only at the very last second, as Legolas' feet came into view, that Gimli knew he had been watched. He quickly looked up. Their eyes met. A small smile came over the elf, giving Gimli a strong sign that he knew what he was thinking about.

"I think its time" Gimli started, standing up.

The two of them did not break eye contact.

"I think its time to leave this place. I am not getting any younger and there is still many more sights I want to see" he told the elf.

The two of them were now in agreement. It was now time for them to leave Rivendell and see the world. But they were not to leave yet.

In fact, it would be in the small hours of the next morning that they would finally set foot on the long road to Helms Deep.

Just then, a figure came to the opening. Gimli looked at the figure. For a moment, he thought it was Elladan who had come to see them. But he was wrong.

"Me and my brother will be leaving in a moments time" Elrohir told them.

Gimli smiled.

"I guess I should thank you for your hospitality" Gimli told him.

Elrohir gave a small smile.

"You are our guest, Master Gimli, there is no need to thank us"

Gimli took a deep breath. He knew that this may never see the twins again. But a new chapter of his life had to start. And quickly.

"You will not see us when you get back. Me and Gimli are both going to Helms Deep" Legolas said.

Gimli gave a small huff, wanting to know what was just said. But he quickly gave up.

"Take care of the dwarf" Elrohir said, his eyes darting quickly to the dwarf.

"It's winter and the sun does not warm them up like it does in summer"

Without another word, Elrohir turned and walked away. It was the last time that Gimli saw either one of the Elven twins.

Meanwhile, Origo and Ivy were making their way towards Rivendell. Even though they were in front of the girl, the horse was much quicker then them. Ivy had to go at the pace Origo was walking at.

A sudden thought came over Ivy. She had not seen Abira in a few days. In fact, she could not remember what had happened to her. She was so busy with Origo that Abira slipped her mind completely.

"I wonder if she is alright" she thought as she corrected her path due to the wind.

Origo, on the other hand, had forgotten his Abira, and Diamond for that matter, completely. But, Ivy knew little of where Abira really was.

The small pup was in a much better position then Origo was. Abira, unlike her fellow pup, had four walls and a roof around her. A raging fire protected her from the coldness outside.

An old gentlemen sat on a large, well worn seat. The man had a warm look about him. His house was in the middle of a large forest, away from the hub of the Great East Road.

The man looked over the top of his glasses. He gave a small smile, seeing the chest of the small pup rising and falling.

But Abira was soon to wake. Hunger was growing in her. The night had been a calm one for her. She had no worries at the moment.

But, unknown to the old man sitting on his seat, Abira had a plan to leave and find Origo. She had never given up on him and never will. But it would be very hard to catch up with him.

Abira knew nothing of where Origo was. All she knew was that he was heading towards Rivendell. But Rivendell was many hundreds of miles from where she was and, without food, she would never make it.

A small whimper came from the sleeping pup. The whimpering grew louder and louder the more sleep was taken away from her. The man in the chair took a deep breath and prised his eyes away from his book.

A smile came over him. So, placing the book on the small table standing to one side, he slowly got up. The man was not as youthful as he had once been.

His life had been a very pleasant one so far. But the peaks were seemingly meet with deep rocky valleys. His wife and soul mate had passed away, not too many years ago. He had lost contact with his only son. Friends had all moved or lived further then a days travel away. The nearest inn or drinking house was too far away.

Winter was the hardest time for him. Not only because he was on his own, but because he lived off of the land. But the land was now frozen and the temperature of the air made it very hard to stay in the coldness for any length of time.

The old man had a large cellar underneath his house. There, all of the food was stored. The man had planned for this winter for a few months.

There were a lot of different packages on many shelves. There was enough food to feed a family. But it was still not enough for him. He knew that he would run out before the warmer weather came.

"I see that you are finally up" said the man, slowly walked over to the small pup.

His joints were stiff, making it harder for him to move around. Abira watched out of small eyes as he slowly walked to her. The next second, she was picked up.

She gave a small whimper as the warmth of the fire was taken away from her.

"Are you hungry?" the man asked.

It was then that warmth would have to wait. The words of the man sparked off Abira's hunger even more. She whined, looking over at the door that lead into the kitchen. The man knew exactly what the pup wanted.

So, carrying Abira, he walked towards the kitchen. Abira knew that the man was very forgetful in his old age. Even though she had been in his house for a matter of days.

"Lets see what we have, shall we?" half talking to the pup and half talking to himself.

Abira gave a small whine. So, the man walked over to the large cellar. But first, the man had to navigate the cold stairs leading down to the room.

The door slowly creaked open. A black abyss faced him. But that was soon over come by a single candle. The wick was burning a red flame. It flicked in the slightest of cold breezes.

Abira rested her head on the man. A small yawn came from the her as she felt the air get slowly colder the more they descended.

The light coming off from the candle tickled the outline of the shelves. Packets lined the shelves. The man placed the candle on a small mount on the wall.

"Right, lets see what we have here" he said, placing the puppy down.

Abira did not like the coldness of the tiled floor and started to whimper. But, due to the old man being hard of hearing, he failed to notice this.

Abira yawned and looked around.

"Maybe if I help him" she thought, sniffing the air a bit.

There was defiantly bacon in the cellar. It was just a matter of finding it. So, the small pup took a look around. The smell of bacon was getting stronger the further back she went.

But, as she went further back, the smell got weaker once again. Little Abira stopped and looked back. She knew that she had gone too far. So, doubling back on herself, she found the scent again. The pup stopped, figuring out where the smell was coming from. For there were two high pillars of shelves on either side of her.

The candle struggled to create enough light to lit up all of the packages. Abira could just about see the man still at the shelf, searching for the packet. But Abira knew it wasn't where he was. It was where she was instead.

A small bark came from the small pup. The man slowly looked around the side of the shelves.

"I know, I know" he said, giving a small smile.

His face looked like it had been caved of soft timber. The low level of light seemed to pronounce his wrinkles even more then usual.

Abira continued to look as the old man went back to looking in the wrong place. So, she barked again. This time, she got his attention.

"What's up with you?" he asked, slowly walking towards her.

Abira wagged her tail and looked up. She knew that the uncooked bacon was somewhere on the shelf. But she did not know which one.

The man smiled, looking down at the pup. It took him a while to understand what the pup was trying to tell him.

"Have you found something?" he asked, looking at the shelves.

Another few barks came from Abira, her eyes darted from the man, to the higher shelves. The man slowly bent down and picked the puppy up.

Abira could smell the bacon stronger then ever. She struggled as the man held her further back then she wanted to be. The man took a deep breath, his mind working slow.

"What is up with you dear?" he asked, his voice was slow and sounded tired.

The small puppy started to whimper. The whimper turned into a bark.

"Have you found something that you want?" he asked.

The small pup nodded and looked back towards the shelves. The man slowly reached out and picked up one of the packets. He slowly held it up for his puppy to sniff.

Abira took a quick sniff. But, judging but her reaction, it was not the right one.

"How about this one?" asked the man as he placed the packet back and picked out another one.

This one and the third were wrong. But, after three wrong packets, Abira smelt what she had been waiting for. The man smiled, knowing that the pup had found what she wanted.

"Come on, dear" he said, placing her back down on the floor.

The man started to walked back towards the stairs. It was then the small puppy stopped. She sat and looked up at the mountain of stairs before her.

The man smiled as he picked up the flickering candle. Abira could see the light getting fainter as the man ascended the stairs.

As he got to the middle, he looked back. The small puppy was barking at him.

"Come on" he said, not understanding that the small pup did not know what the stairs were.

Abira was used to the flatness and simplicity of the homes of hobbits. But now, she had many walls to over come. And she did not like it.

The man did not realise that Abira did not know what stairs were or how to use them. The level of light sank, leaving the puppy in semi-darkness.

The door was left ajar, leaving a small bit of light for the puppy to see by. This was the only point of reference that she had. All she had to do was climb the stairs. But that was easier said then done.

The small pup struggled to get up the first one. She was, to her, very high indeed. But she was only on the first step. She had fourteen more to go.

Each step seemed to take her to, what she thought, a much dangerous place. But, as she climbed higher and higher, a familiar smell hit her small wet nose.

The sound and smell of bacon was the key for her fears to subside. She wasn't as scared as she was a few seconds ago. The stairs did not seem as big as before.

After what seemed like hours to the small pup, she reached the last step. By this time, the bacon had been flipped and was now cooking the second side.

Many miles away, Pimpernel was waking to another day without her Abira. The young girl lay in her bed, thinking of the time she had spent with her puppy. Any hope of seeing her again was being crushed into nothingness by each passing day.

"Well" she thought, starting to accept the fact that Abira would not been seen again.

"I guess where ever she is, she's happy"

This seemed to hurt even more as a small tear slithered down her perfect cheek. The heath just across the room was still alight. Deep red embers continued to let off a wave of heat.

But Pimpernel did not leave her warm bed. She knew that the room around her was freezing. But then again, hunger was growing inside of her. She had not eaten since the night before.

"I best get up" she told herself.

She wiped away the tear from her deep blue eye and uncovered herself. It was then that she felt how much warmth had been built up while she had been sleeping.

The hairs on her feet started to tingle. But hunger drove her onwards. Her nightgown flowed behind her as she tiredly walked to the door.

The clocked started to chime. Pimpernel counted the noises in her head like she always did.

"One, two, three, four…"

She did this until it stopped. Ten times the chimes chimed. It was defiantly past breakfast, but that did not stop her from having it.

So, opening the large door, she walked out into the corridor. The corridor snaked though the hillside. There were many doors leading into many rooms. The bedroom that Pimpernel had left was not the only bedroom in hillside.

A kitchen, a study full of books, plus a library, a cellar, bathrooms, dinning rooms, panties and wardrobes devoted to cloths were all on the same level.

In fact, the only stairs hobbits had to climb were those in the front gardens. But those small stairs were very dangerous in the icy weather.

But hobbits were simple folk. They had a reason to stay in when all types weather.

"If it ain't the weather to be going out, you best stay at home" the elders said.

But this was not only about winter, the heights of summer. If it was too hot to go outside, then the hobbits would stay inside and keep cool. The windows would opened as far as they could go to let cool breeze in.

But the cool air was not the only thing that was allowed to come in. Small butterflies, bees and wasps, flies and the occasional confused bird all came in.

But the weather had now changed. The summer sun was now weak and could not bathe the land the its strength. Coldness was now the main reason to stay in doors. Food was a main priority for anyone that had just come in from the cold.

Dinners became larger and lasted longer. Hobbits loved nothing more then coming in from the coldness and have a large dinner to eat. For food was one of the passions of hobbits. The next was drinking, which usually combined with all meals, even breakfast sometimes.

There were whole rooms devoted to the drinking of ales, sprits and beer. For hobbits liked nothing better to relax and drink a good pint. But, if food was not eaten with ale or beer, then it was smoking.

Smoking was an art, according to hobbits. Silver strains of smoke snaked their way up into the air. But, now that winter had arrived, the Green Dragon was the best place to do it.

Pimpernel arrived at the kitchen and to a familiar smell. She took a deep breath as she walked into the room. There, she saw her sister sitting at the table.

"Good morning" Pearl said, giving a warm smile.

But Pimpernel did not return it. It did not take long for Pearl to notice something wrong with her sister. Pimpernel, or Nelly as she was known to her friends and family, took her seat and picked up the knife and fork that had been placed on either side of her plate.

"Pimpernel?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel did not look up. She knew that Pearl would easily pick up on the small things.

"Nelly?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel did not like the idea of talking to anyone at the moment. She wanted time to herself.

"I don't want to talk about it at the moment" Pimpernel said, cutting into a warm sausage.

Pearl's blue eyes were exactly the same as Pimpernel's. They had inherited their blue eyes from their mother. All four of the Took children had exactly the same eye colour.

"Why?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel inhaled louder then normal, the questions were grinding on her very soul. Pearl knew that is she wanted answers from her sister, she would have to wait.

Conversation ceased as Pimpernel ate her breakfast. Pearl had gotten up especially early to cook breakfast. Large quantities of food had prepared for it.

"Vinnie should be coming around later" Pearl told her sister, hoping that this would raise her sister's sprits.

But it failed to do so. For Vinnie was not the person that Pimpernel wanted to see. If anything, she wanted to see her Hamson again.

Hamson had moved away from Hobbiton and away from Pimpernel. But, every since day he was away from her, she was in his thoughts.

Rope making was now on his mind. The loudness of the machines kept him alert and busy. But something happened that made Hamson a bit worried. The machinery, which was run by water wheel outside, suddenly stopped.

Hamson had never experienced this before. The room that he worked in was longer then normal. It had been, just a few seconds before, bustling with activity. But it was now calm and quiet.

Hamson took a deep breath, knowing that he was behind time already. This incident would make him further and further behind schedule.

Just then, his uncle came in from the door down at the other end of the large room. Hamson took a deep breath, not knowing that this type of incident happened nearly all of the time.

"Ah, Hamson my lad, something wrong?" his uncle asked.

Hamson looked back at the machine.

"Well, the machine" he started, trying to make it look like it was not his fault.

"It just stopped" he said.

For a moment, he thought that his uncle would become angry at him. But instead, his uncle just chuckled.

"Yes" he started, looking at the long strands of rope that were hanging from one end of the room to the other.

"It does do that some times. It is normally the fault of the water wheel outside" he said.

Hamson was relived. But the thought of the water wheel came into his mind and that meant going outside. His uncle walked back towards the door that he had first come from and opened it.

"Lunch will be ready in an hour. If you'll just sort out the water wheel, you can come in afterwards"

Hamson nodded and took a deep breath. He knew now that he would have to go outside even if the wheel was working.

So, leaving the lifeless machine, Hamson walked over to the closed door. The building he was in was just down the road from his uncle's house. His coat had been left on the pegs near the door.

He took a deep breath as he picked off his coat and put it on. He did each one of the brass buttons up and opened the door. The cold air rushed in, making his ears tingle a bit. But the coldness was not as bad as it had been a few days before.

The door was closed on the large wooden building, keeping the warmth in and the coldness out. Hamson then started to trundle along the muddy path.

Nearly all of the snow had melted into cold puddles of muddy water. A few times, Hamson nearly slipped. Spots of cold, wet mud were sticking to the hairs on his unusually large feet.

The water wheel he was heading for had been situated at the opposite end of the building. A small river, usually calm in the summer, was near enough bursting its banks with the amount of water it held.

But water was not the only thing that flowed towards the vast and distance sea. Everything from leaves, logs and trees to the lifeless bodies of birds and insects could not escape the torrents of water, no matter how much they tried.

Hamson took a deep breath as he crossed over the bridge. His sights were now set on the water wheel. He knew exactly what the problem was. The water wheel had stopped moving due to a large log that had been floating on the water.

The hobbit had a lot of work to do before he could get back into the warmth. But first, he would have to find a way of getting the log out. He knew he could not physically get into the water. On one hand, he could not swim and the water would be too cold for him anyway.

The only way to get near the log was to go to the back of long building and edge his way over to it. So, Hamson made his way back towards the door. The sound that normal met his ears did not happen.

The machines were still and lifeless. All he could hear was the whistling of the cold wind through the gaps in the door frame.


	72. Day Thirty Four, Part Two

Hamson headed for the opposite end of the large room. There, a door led to the back. And there, Hamson would be able to get to the waterwheel.

Hamson's stomach began to rumble, it was the first sign that he needed something to eat. But, the prospect of having a nice warm lunch afterwards and dry cloths were enough to make Hamson do his job.

The second door was then opened. There was more snow on the ground here and less foot prints. For this part of the land was not walked on much.

The snow had melted to a point where it was just a crisp, wafer thin sheet. Even though hobbits were light on their big feet and hardly made a sound, Hamson could not stop the crunching coming from the sheet of ice below him.

The raging river came into view again. The gap between the building and the muddy water seemed to be less then it looked when he was on the bridge.

"Oh no" he said, surveying the thin area that he had to walk on.

The log was now only a few feet away from where he was standing. But still, he could not reach it. He needed to be careful. For the small area of grass between the building and torrent of water was very slippery.

Hamson knew that if he put one step wrong, he would surely slip and fall in. He had to find another way around this problem.

It took him only a couple of seconds before he realised that rope was the answer. And there was plenty of it in the building near by.

So, without another thought about what he could do, he walked away. The rope in the building was perfect for the job Hamson had to do.

Hamson was not only good at making rope, but he had become increasingly good at making knots. So, opening the door, he walked in. There were piles of rope that he could use.

"I'm sure he wont mind" Hamson told himself, thinking of his uncle.

Hamson shook off this thought and picked up a decent length of rope.

"This will do" he said to himself, giving a small smile and walking towards the door again.

In a perfect world, things were much more different for Pimpernel. Sadness and loneliness were not present in her heart. In fact, happiness over powered almost everything.

But that did not mean her life was perfect. In fact, pain was still present in her heart and she could feel it. The fact that the love of her life was not here any more made things ten time for difficult.

But things were made easier by the fact a small puppy was now by her side. Pimpernel smiled as her sister placed the bowl on the cool, tiled floor.

Abira's small tail wagged as she started to eat. Pearl smiled, taking a few seconds to look at the furry pup eating. The stove had a it very own chimney to feed the smoke out of. The smoke continued upwards until it came out into the cold air.

Pimpernel bit into a piece of toast. Creamy butter had been spread all over the surface of the burnt bread. She gave a small smile as her eyes met with her sisters.

Pearl took a deep breath and sat down. She took another piece of toast from the long rack in the middle of the wooden table.

"Could you pass the butter please?" Pearl asked her sister.

Pimpernel gave a small smile and passed the small butter dish over to her sister. Pimpernel took a large bite of toast and started to chew.

"Vinnie is coming around later" Pearl told her sister, spreading butter onto her toast.

Pimpernel nodded as she took yet another bite.

"Does this mean you'll be cooking dinner?" she asked.

Pimpernel loved Pearl's cooking as much as her own mothers. Pearl nodded.

"Sure, I'll have to start soon though. I know the amount of food that us girls can get through" Pearl told her.

Nelly gave a small giggle and continued to eat her piece of toast. As she did so, Abira was finishing up as well. Every rasher of crispy bacon had been eaten by the small pup.

Pearl was always surprised at how fast Abira could finish her food. But it was not as much of a surprise anymore. In fact, she had gotten used to the small pup eating so vigorously and so quickly that it had become normal.

In reality, Hamson was closing in on his goal. His hands seemed not to work as well due to the coldness. But the knot he had tied was now secure.

He smiled, knowing that this was the best way to dislodge the log that was stopping the wheel. So, carefully edging along the small ledge that separated him from the river, Hamson got closer to the log then before. But it was still out of reach.

This was where he had to use the rope. The sound of the water licking the side of the bank was the only sound he could hear. But that was quickly drowned out but the quickening of his heart beat.

The rope dangled inched from the surface of the water. Hamson focused on the log, half emerged in the icy cold water. With one swooped, he swung the rope. He hoped it would be an easy task for him. But it was not.

The rope did not hit his target. Instead, it rested on top. This made Hamson quite annoyed. He knew that he should have got it on the first go.

But this did not deter him. The rope was wheeled in. He would have to start again. So, his concentration deepened. His eyes fixed on the log. A few seconds later, the rope was then thrown again.

This time, he got what he wanted. The rope encircled the wood. Hamson pulled tight, the rope pulled tight. Hamson gave a small smile.

So, with a large tug, the log came free. Hamson slowly pulled the log towards him. But the current of water made this very hard.

But, after a minute, the log was safely brought to land. The water wheel slowly started to move again. A few seconds after, the sound of rushing water started to meet his hears.

Noise erupted from the machines inside of the large building near by. Hamson untied the wet and mud rope and picked up the slippery log.

Near by, there was another pile of wet logs. Hamson walked over to it and flung the new log in with the rest. His mind had now changed and was now set on lunch.

The door to the large building was opened. The rope placed to one side. He could not sell that piece now. But it did not matter. There were many miles of rope hanging from hooks that had been nailed into the low rafters.

Lunch was Hamson's next port of call. But first, he had to wash his hands and make sure that everything had been turned off.

So, walking towards the door that led to the road, Hamson went for lunch. He had to endure one more wave of coldness before he got back to the house. The mud was making the coldness even more cold as he walked along the boggy path.

The house he was heading for was just a minute or two down the road. Trees grew on one side and fields sat on the other. And, on those field, white sheep were standing, looking very cosy in their warm coats. Hamson took a deep breath and continued on with his journey.

Within the walls of the house, Hamson's uncle was sitting in front of a burning fire. A book was held in his hand and his eyes scanning over the many written words.

Just then, the large, round front door opened. A cold wave tickled his bare feet. There was a click a few seconds later and the warmth started to over power the coldness again. The fire crackled, letting out black smoke and a wonderful wave of warmth.

Hamson's auntie walked out and shook her head.

"You'll have to wash those in the bathroom" she said, seeing how dirty her nephews feet and legs were.

Hamson gave a small smile.

"I think so too" he said, hanging up his coat.

So, before any food was eaten, he would have to clean himself up. Like the homes back at Hobbiton, the dwelling had a large round door. But there were no hills in this part of the Shire.

So, hobbits had to build their homes over land. These were just the same as the ones back in Hobbiton. There were no stairs in this house.

Apart from not being built into the side of a hill, it had everything a hobbit needed. A study, a kitchen, bedrooms, panties and large wardrobes, cellars and dinning rooms and a few bathrooms were all on the same level.

But, unlike the homes that lay in Hobbiton, this one was over ground. This meant that a lot more light could make its way in. But the lack of hill meant nothing to the hobbits living there.

A few times, Hamson's mind was tricked. The house felt like he was still back in Hobbiton. But, a quickly glance out of the window showed him flat fields. This spoilt his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.

Hamson walked down the winding corridor to the bathroom. The door creaked open as Hamson reached the bathroom.

Candles were flickering in the corridor he had just left. Painted pictures had been hung on the curving walls. Small semi-circled shaped tables were standing with their backs to the wall.

In summer, they had large vases full of flowers. But now, winter had come and they would not bloom time the warmer months.

Now, small candles were flicking as they stood there, giving out a small bit of light and warmth. The bathroom door was closed and locked so that no one could disturb him.

Inside the bath room was a brass bath. Mounted to the wall was a brass sink. A single tap with two nozzles attached to it. Hamson twisted one of the nozzles. Hot water started to pour out. The sound of trickling water met his ears.

A flannel was then picked up and held under the small torrent of warming water. After a minute or two, Hamson was ready to start washing. Soap was now picked up and rubbed between his hands.

It took a few minutes to wash each leg. The flannel's colour started to change to a darker brown. Mud had imbedded itself into the fabric of the flannel.

Hamson smiled as he looked down at his cleaner legs. The torrent of water coming out of the tap now ceased. Yet two small drips escaped and fell to the brass surface.

The flannel was now wet and dirty.

"Oh, this wont do" Hamson thought, looking at the light brown stains on the flannel.

"It'll have to be washed" he said.

So, Hamson started to dry his legs. The coldness of the outside world had now turned to the warmth of the inside.

Hamson smiled as he walked out into the winding corridor. He made his way back to his room. The room that he was staying in was one of the spare, smaller rooms that his uncle had. But it was good enough for him.

Hamson opened the door to his warm room and walked inside. He smiled, knowing that lunch was almost upon him.

The hobbit closed the door and then walked over to his wardrobe. It took a minute or two to change. But, when he did, he felt much better and ready for lunch.

The kitchen had a very welcoming smell to it. The table was set, a few table mats were lain out. Hamson's cousin was helping with the cooking. The oven opened, letting out nearly all of the heat it had stored inside.

Anson smiled as he took out a large roasted chicken. His mother was standing on the second stove, making sure the vegetables were cooking properly.

Hamson and his auntie's eyes met.

"Do you need any help?" Hamson asked.

His auntie gave a warm smile.

"No dear, it's nearly done now" she said.

Hamson gave a small nod. It was then that he noticed that the mugs of ale they normally had at meals were not yet on the table. So, walking over to cupboard, he got out four mugs.

Without a word of explanation, Hamson walked over to the cellar and opened the door. He suddenly felt the difference in temperature between the warm kitchen and the cool cellar. The cellar was stocked full of delicious food, wrapped in separate paper packages.

But food was not the only thing stored in the cellar. A thin layer of dust had collected on the cold bottles. Hamson placed the four large mugs on the shelves. The wine bottles were now grabbing his attention.

So, he picked one up. The label was old, older then Hamson himself. A date gave away the true age of the bottle he was holding.

"The year two thousand, nine hundred and twenty eight" he said, giving a small smile.

The hobbit placed the bottle back with the rest. His attention was now back on the empty mugs standing on the shelves.

So, picking one up, Hamson squatted down and placed it on the floor. The hobbit had placed it so that it sat right under a tap. Hamson slowly turned the tap on, unsure that he had positioned it correctly.

But, when the beer started to hit the bottom of the mug, he knew that he had placed it correctly. Hamson did this three more times so that all four mugs were now full of golden beer. He smiled as he carefully picked up two mugs in each hand.

Meanwhile, Origo and Ivy were ever nearing their goal. But yet, they had a few days of walking until they finally reached Bree. And, even then, they would not be even half way to reaching Radagast.

The hours seemed to pass as Ivy led Origo down the snow path. The bright sun created shadows of the leafless trees. They were stretching as the sun slowly sank towards the western horizon.

The coldness was getting to the small pup now. The bubble of warmth that Ivy had magically wrapped around him was now wearing off yet again.

A small whimper came from the pup as twilight descended on the already freezing lands. Ivy took a deep breath, having a small inkling of what the fluffy pup wanted.

"Alright" she said, fluttering to a stop.

Origo yawned as he looked around. The warmth that the fairy gave his trickled though every muscle in his small body. His small tail started to wag. Ivy smiled, stroking the fluffy face of her pup.

"Come on, lets keep going" Ivy told him.

Origo gave a small nod and started to trot again. This was the kind of good behaviour that Ivy loved. She did not have to say things twice to get him to do then things she wanted.

Ivy fluttered after the pup. But flying was made harder for her to keep up. Origo seemed to be in his own world as the hours past.

The bridge over the Brandywine was coming up next. But the two of them would not reach it until tomorrow. But they were not the only ones heading towards the bridge. A young girl with greasy hairs and a muddy blouse was now approaching the Brandywine river.

The sound of wind and the hooves of horse she was on was all that she could hear. It was then that, out of the thin mist that hugged the cold land.

A black ribbon of freezing water run though the land. Bridges were the only way to cross them safely. Although there were some roads that crossed the river without the aid of bridges.

They had been built so that water ran over the road that passed through it. A few meters to one side were stones placed in a shallow part of the river. They were stepping stones so that walkers would not get their feet wet.

The horse slowed from a gallop to a trot as the bridge came into view. The young girl could see the river. As she got closer, she could hear the trickling sound.

A moment later, the horse came to a complete stop. She jumped off of the beast and stood there. Her eyes were heavy as she looked around. But she could not sleep yet.

"It's a bridge" she said, wondering if she had in fact gone the right way.

She had only seen Bree once, but that was on a map that she had looked at before she left home.

"This must be the Brandywine" she told herself.

This meant she was half way to her goal of reaching Bree. The girl walked slowly onto the bridge. Her curiosity got the better of her. She walked over to the edge and took a look down.

Below, icy water continued to trickle to an unknown lake or large body of water. Leaves were trapped under immovable stones and rocks.

Some of the stones were jotting out of the torrent creating small bubbles, which were washed away. But they were fragile. Only a few made it to calmer water. But even they did not last long.

The young girl took a deep breath, knowing that any delay in her journey would make her later to reach Bree.

"Right" she said, looking at the big horse standing curiously over her shoulder.

"A small bite to eat, then we much be on our way"

The horse wildly nodded its head in agreement. So, the girl led the horse off of the bridge. On both sides of the road was a thick forest. Mist seemed to congregate more in here then in open areas. The trees were akin to a wind block as the girl made her way though the trees.

The coldness seemed to be more intense here. But it was nothing the girl could not handle. Drips of freezing water fell to earth and impacted on the decaying leaves from a summer past.

The girl smiled, looking back. The road that she had left was barely visible from where she stood.

"This will do" she said, getting the rope and tided it around the nearest tree.

The ground was soaking wet, there was little grass for the horse to eat. But he would have to make do with what he could find.

The girl, on the other hand, had as much as she could eat in her bag. The coldness was now getting to the girl as she sat down on the wet ground. But she had a small bottle of amber liquid to cure her coldness.

She opened it up and gave it a big sniff. Its smell made the back of her nose tingle. But, it was upon drinking it that she felt its full effects. The amber liquid started to seep down. At the same time, a strange warmth started to circulate around her body.

She smiled, taking a deep breath. The coldness was sharp on the back of her throat. Food was now on her mind. The girl looked into the bag and saw half a loaf of bread sitting there. She picked out the loaf and started to eat it.

Crumbs started to fall to the ground as the girl ripped off a sizable piece of bread. The darkness grew quicker as the sun fell behind the western horizon.

Bird song was now few and far between. The darkness seemed to hide their movements. But, every so often, their songs could be heard echoing through the empty woods.

The girl was many miles away from where she had been staying the night before. Her whereabouts were not known to the woman she had worked for.

"Are you up yet?" the woman asked, knocking on the door.

The knocks echoed through into an empty room. The woman then lost her patients and entered the room. It was then she was met by the sight of an open wardrobe and an empty bed.

It did not take long for her to put two and two together. Anger started to fester in her veins as she stomped out of the room. The woman's heavy feet impacted on the wooden steps.

The door opened so violently that it impacted on the shelves behind it. The woman took a deep breath, knowing that she would have to go after the girl, even if it meant going a hundred miles to find her.

The woman approached one her workers. The man's beard was tatty and his eyes were deep set. Like the woman that approached him, he too did not like the girl much.

"The girl has gone missing" the woman said, leading the man outside to the back.

"I want you to find her and bring her back here"

The man took a small nod. The woman did not approve of having two of her workers away from where they were meant to be. But she needed the girl back. And she would do anything to make that happen.

The man walked up the creaking wooden stairs to the room he was staying in. The night was cold and he would have to wrap up as much as he could to keep that coldness out.

But the coldness was not the only thing he had to contend with. The darkness had now fully grasped the land. There were no clouds to speak of. Stars were shining through as the curtain of sunlight faded with every passing second.

The songs of birds had now full ceased. All activity from the day would have to wait until the sun came up.

Origo continued to walk along the road. But tiredness was now grabbing him and slowing down is pace. Ivy noticed this.

"Alright pup, lets go and find some shelter for the night and carry on tomorrow" Ivy told him.

Origo gave a large yawn, his ears flopping back. His small brown eyes were slowly started to shut as the tiredness started to win. Ivy knew that she did not have long to find some shelter before Origo would sleep where he fell.

"Lets go this way" she said, looking at the large trees on one side of the road.

She had no knowledge of these woodlands. In fact, she had little to no idea what lay before her. Origo only had a small green fairy to follow in the darkness now. There were pillars of black trees all around him. The sound of his small paws falling on brown leaves was the only sound he could hear.

Origo continued to follow the green fairy ever onwards and ever further from the road. There was still no sign of shelter for the pup. Ivy seemed to have better eye sight in the darkness. But that only gave Origo and Ivy a few feet of green glow.

The clock slowly ticked over. But the small pup was still not tucked up and sleeping. But Origo did not have to wait much longer as, a burnt out tree came into view. Ivy smiled, looking around at the small pup that was following her.

"I think we have found a place to stay, pup" she said, fluttering to him.

The puppy could not see anything apart from the small circle of light coming from Ivy.

"Come on, follow me" Ivy said, fluttering slowly away.

The small fairy fluttered towards her destination. Ivy looked back to see Origo slowly climbing over a log. A small whimper came from him as he jumped down the opposite side.

"Come on, not long to go" Ivy said, fluttering her fragile wings.

They had just enough power to keep her airborne. Origo whimpered some more. Ivy knew that he was on the verge of snoozing where he stood. The meters were slowly counting down as the small pup continued towards the tree.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered by the entrance of the tree she had chosen. Origo yawned and stopped just a few feet from it. Ivy tilted her head to one side, wondering why the pup had stopped.

"Come on, its not that bad" she said, looking inside.

The floor of the tree was black, just like the other burnt out tree that Origo had to stay in. Origo wished that he was back at the house he had left the day before.

Pervinca smiled as her sister placed a plate before her.

"Thank you" she said, picking up a spoon.

Pimpernel was sitting at the table as well. She had a plate before her. Sitting on the plate was a large slice of chocolate cake.

Pearl placed a third plate in front of her place and sat down. The bowls from dinner had been cleared away. Now, only a pot of the thickest cream stood.

Pimpernel smiled as she picked it up. She smiled as she poured the cream all over her large piece of cake. Pearl and Vinnie watched and waited for Pimpernel to stop pouring.

Nelly looked up. Pearl was waiting patently for her turn. A smile came over Pearl's face as she was handed the cream.

"Thank you" she said.

Pimpernel picked up her spoon and broke a piece off. Cream seeped through the small bubbles in the cake. Pervinca was passed the cream after Pearl had finished with it.

"How is it?" Vinnie asked her sister, seeing a familiar glint in Pimpernel's eyes.

Pimpernel gave a large smile.

"Its very good" she answered.

"You should do it more often"

Pearl now picked up her spoon as well. She too cut a large chunk off. It was scooped onto her spoon. She placed the piece in her mouth. It took a few seconds before she could start to taste the rich, dark chocolate.

After a few more seconds, all the girls were silenced. This happened a lot when they were eating. In fact, eating was more important then talking at times.

The pieces of cake were very big indeed. For their small stature, hobbits could eat a lot. Their meals were larger then man, dwarf or elf. Men would struggle to finish even half of the meals hobbits had.

Hobbits were renowned for their ability to eat. They would have large feasts every day if they could get it. Even when they were not eating, they were filling up the sides, as it were.

Pimpernel was the first to finish. Her spoon scrapped along the face of the plate. She smiled as she scooped up the last bits. The spoon was then placed down on the plate.

Pimpernel was now feeling very full. But there was a place for a little bit more. Her mug of beer had yet to be finished. Pearl finished soon after, leaving Pervinca to finish hers.

"Well, that's was most delicious" Pearl said, taking a deep breath and taking a deep swig of her mug.

Pimpernel nodded in agreement. Vinnie smiled, eating the last small bit of her cake.

"You will have to cook it again sometime" Pimpernel said.

Pervinca nodded.

"I will defiantly be back around here" she said.

Time wore on as the clock ticked ever onwards. Dinner had finished and now it was time for relaxation. The kettle was filled with cool water and placed on the hook that had been hammered into the top of the brick arch.

Pearl smiled as she took a deep breath. The clock on the wall showed her that nine o'clock had come and gone. Ten o'clock slipped into being. Pervinca opened the door and walked in. Pimpernel and Pearl were already sitting down.

"Tea should be a few more minutes" Pervinca told her sisters.

Pimpernel nodded and turned her head back to look at the fire. The fire was burning nicely as Pimpernel continued to watch. The flickering flames seemed to hypnotise the girl.

Pervinca smiled, looking around. She noticed that not all of the candles were lit. So, picking up a small box full of thin, brittle twigs, she started to light the candles. She smiled, extinguishing the flame.

The kettle was now bubbling happily as it hung over the tickling flames.

"I'll be back in a minute" she told her sisters, walking towards the door.

There were no words exchanged. Pearl smiled as she went out of the warm, light room into a darker corridor. There were no sounds to be heard save from the small whistling sound coming from the cracks in the door.

A cupboard door was then opened to revile a mass of mugs and cups. Pearl took three out and closed it.

Next, she walked to the cellar. She brought out a small box and a large box. In the smaller of the two, white grains of sugar sat. In the larger, tea leaves.

The tea leaves had been dried and were now ready to use. Pearl placed two leaves in each large cup. The kettle continued to bubble until the time was right.

And that time was soon. Pearl grabbed a small towel that had been hanging on the back on the wooden chair. She knew that the kettle would be very hot indeed. So, grabbing the handle, she carefully lifted it off of the hook. The very hot water inside was poured into each one of the cups. Pearl could feel the heat radiating off of the water. She was careful not to have her skin touch the metal kettle.

The kettle was then placed back on the hook. Pearl smiled, looking into the mugs. The tea leaves were now floating around, giving off a light brown colour.

A draw was then opened and a small silver spoon was taken out. Pearl opened the lid of the smaller box. The spoon was dunked into the mountain of sugar in the wooden box.

But only two of the three mugs had sugar put into it. Pimpernel's mug was left to soak up the leaves of tea it had in it.

Pearl took the leaves out, leaving a light brown ting to the cooling water. The leaves were placed on the work top to be cleared away later. Spoonfuls of sugar were placed into Pearl's and Pervinca's mugs. Pimpernel's was left to cool further.

A sound of metal on porcelain started to echo around the kitchen as the sugar was stirred in. The sound ceased for a moment, then started up again. Pearl smiled, placing the spoon on the work top. She gave a small yawn, then picked up the three mugs.

Carefully, Pearl made her way back to the lounge. Pimpernel's eyes were heavy as a small movement caught her eye.

Pearl had entered the room. Pimpernel mustered the strength to lift herself up and hold the mug.

"Thank you" she said, taking the sugarless tea.

The second mug was pasted over to Pervinca, she too was very tired. Pearl walked and sat on an armchair nearer the fire. She slowly sat down, making sure she did not spill a drop of her tea.

The girls sat in silence, their conversation having dried up over dinner. Pimpernel's mind was now on a very different subject. She missed her dear puppy. For some reason, Abira kept crawling back to the front of her mind.

No matter how hard she tried to forget about the pup, something was not letting her. Pearl was looking at her sister. There was a deep bond between the three of them. Words did not need to be spoken to understand each other.

It was then that Pimpernel broke her gaze. It swivelled around to her sister. Their eyes met for what seemed like a minute. No words were exchanged, but Pimpernel's look said a million words that she could never say.

Pearl took a deep breath, then took a small sip of her lukewarm tea. Pimpernel looked back to the fire, her blue eyes glinted in the flickering flames.

Time continued to tick on, tea was drank, but conversation had surely dried out. The clock chimed in the quiet room.

"Well, I think I better get home" Vinnie told them, placing her mug on the table.

Pearl smiled, taking a deep breath and standing up. The three girls, who had been tired and relaxed a few seconds before, were now all standing.

"Thank you for the dessert" Pimpernel said, hugging her sister.

Pervinca smiled.

"Any time" she answered.

Pearl smiled, hugging Pervinca. The three girls left the room, leaving the mugs sitting on the table. Pervinca was followed by her sisters down the warm hallway down towards the large front door.

"Would you like to take some of your cake home?" Pearl asked, watching her sister button up her coat.

"Oh" Pervinca said, shaking her head.

"You have it"

Pearl smiled as she went and opened the door.

"Be safe now" she said, opening the door on the coldness.

Pimpernel felt the rush of coldness hit her cheeks. Pearl gave her sister one last hug.

"Be safe" Pimpernel told her.

Pervinca looked back and smiled. Pearl watched her sister's figure sink into the inky blackness of night. After a few more seconds of watching her sister's outline get to the gate, Pearl closed the door.

The door shut with a click, stopping the heat escaping. The candles stopped flickering as Pearl looked around.

"Right, I think it's time for bed" she said.

Pimpernel nodded, feeling her tiredness slowly return.


	73. Day Thirty Five, Part One

The wind blew as a small fairy stood inside a small nest. A green glow surrounded her. But there was no light in the small nest. Instead, it was coming from small fairy.

Just then, a second fairy came into view. This one was also glowing, but with a different colour.

"Ivy?" asked the fairy.

Ivy took a deep breath and turned away. Guilt and fear was heavy in her heart. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Ivy, are you alright?"

The second fairy had a silver glow to her. Her name was Luna. Both Luna and Ivy were part of small tribe of fairies. They were one of the last in the ancient forest in which they lived.

"I do not want to talk" Ivy told her friend.

But not all that Ivy had said was the truth. Deep down, she wanted to yell her lungs out. But she had to be calm. She did not want cause panic among her friends. Panic was the last thing she needed.

"Why?" Luna asked, her bubbly self was hidden.

She had a hint of seriousness about her. Ivy looked away and walked over to the corner. Scenarios were flashing before her eyes. Both good and bad.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked around at her friend. Luna noticed something about Ivy's look that summed up and answered many questions.

"We need to do what they say" Ivy said, finally coming to terms with what needs to be done.

Luna took a deep breath, knowing that it took a lot to scare Ivy.

"But why don't we just stand up to them?" Luna asked, playing the war card on Ivy.

Ivy shook her head.

"Standing up to them is the main reason we're in this mess" Ivy answered.

The options had now whittled down to two. To stay and be slaves to the Decessus or to leave this forest and never return. But Ivy knew they had ways of tracking them down. The Decessus were a group of fairies much bigger and much more powerful then Ivy's group.

"There must be some other clans we could side with, what about the clan down by the river?" Luna asked.

Ivy shook her head.

"The Alveus have gone, they were one of the first to go" Ivy answered.

"The Cariosus?" Luna asked.

Ivy shook her head again.

"They are few in number now, yet they did stand up for themselves. We can ask no more of them"

Their options had now been vanquished. There seemed to be no way out of the hole that they had dug themselves into.

Snow was now falling as Ivy sat with her back against a brittle tree. Her green glow continued to radiate out, lighting up a small surrounding area.

Laying on the ground in front of her was, by comparison, a large puppy, snoozing away. Origo's small chest was rising and falling as he snoozed. Ivy smiled, knowing that he would surely be hungry when he awoke.

Turkey was the one and only thing that the puppy ate. Ivy knew that he would not change his mind, no matter what tasty treat was placed in front of him.

Origo was having a very strange dream. Figures were dancing across his vision. Everything that he was seeing was strange. There was a single figure standing over him. It was facing away from him.

This was in fact his very own Diamond. But, due to memory loss, he did not remember her. The figure of Diamond smiled as she busily cut up Origo's turkey.

"Origo?" she asked, continuing to face forward.

This name was familiar. Confusion flooded over the small pup.

"Doesn't that green thing call me that?" he asked himself.

But he was not a hundred percent sure. Just then, a smaller figure came into Origo's peripheral vision. Another puppy. This did not make Origo at all happy.

The pup looked very similar to Origo. In fact, it was himself.

"Oh, there you are" said the tall figure, looking around.

Origo caught a glimpse of the figures face. This too was familiar. He knew he had seen those blue eyes before.

But where?

Just then, the figure turned around. It had something in its hand. This something was set down. The creature beside Origo seemed to find this very interesting. A small pinkish tongue could be seen as he walked to the bowl.

Origo watched as the pup took a quick sniff and started eating.

"Can I have some?" Origo barked up at the tall figure.

But his bark did not make the figure turn around. Anger started it fester in the small pup. But the figure was focusing on the other puppy.

"You seem to be one hungry puppy" the figure said.

Origo looked at the figure, then back to the pup. The food in the bowl was rapidly vanishing. Before long, the bowl was empty. The tail of the rival puppy wagged. It gave a small whine and looked at the bowl.

"Would you like some more?" she asked.

The pup nodded his head, making his fluffy ears flop.

"You'll get fat you know" Diamond said.

Origo whimpered, he was hungry as well and he needed his food.

"I suppose one more slice wont hurt" she said.

She picked up the two knives and started to cut another piece off. She placed the two knives down and took the slice. She turned around and walked over to him bowl.

"There you go" she said, placing it in the bowl.

Just then, the picture started to vanish into a dark abyss. In the real world, Origo was waking up. But the dream he had just had was now imprinted in his memory.

Ivy smiled as she heard the sleepy puppy started to whine. A yawn came from her friend, who's fluffy head was resting on equally fluffy paws.

Origo tried ever so hard to fall back to sleep, but it would not catch him. His small eyes opened, seeing a green glow. Ori knew exactly who this was.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Ivy asked, finally having someone to talk to.

Ivy missed talking to her pup, even though sometimes, she did not make much sense to him. A small whine confirmed that Origo was now fully awake.

Ivy smiled and produced a very large plate of turkey for the pup. For a moment, Origo did not move. But, the scent of the turkey tickled his wet nose. This made him spring into life.

The puppy's small tail started to wag, completely forgetting about his dream. Ivy giggled as Origo ate the food on the plate.

"Eat it all up now, we have a long way to walk today"

Origo did not need much encouragement to eat all of it. Ivy watched as the large pieces were gobbled up. Origo continued to eat, the amount of turkey lessened by the minute.

Ivy knew that today would be easier. For Origo had woken up happy. This helped a lot. Ivy knew that Origo could be very reluctant at times.

But today seemed different. Origo felt refreshed and playful. The coldness around him did not effect him. Ivy's warmth bubble was still wrapped around every inch of the small pup. This was one of the reason why Origo had slept nearly all of the night.

A minute or two later, Origo had finished the turkey in the bowl. But that did not stop him from licking the measly morsels left clinging to the plate.

Ivy giggled, suddenly making the plate vanish. Origo's small tongue continued to poke out as his eyes looked from the burnt floor of the tree, to the small fairy.

A small whine came from the small pup as he sat there. Ivy took a deep breath.

"You can have some more when we next rest. But for now, we need to get moving"

Origo's eyes glinted in the green light. Ivy did not succumb to the look Origo was giving her.

"Now, now" she said, fluttering towards the entrance.

"It'll only be a few hours" she said.

Origo lowered his head. This was the part he hated. Walking was not Origo's strong point. But Origo had to do it. So, reluctantly following Ivy, Origo made his way out of his shelter.

The day was crisp. On the ground sat a thin carpet of mist that crawled across the land. The rotting, brown leaves were brittle as Origo stood there, taking in his surroundings.

Something seemed to happen that triggered one of Origo's most recent memories.

"Ivy?" Origo whined, stopping.

The green fairy stopped and turned around. She took a deep breath.

"What now?" she asked, thinking it was going to be about food again.

But it was not.

"When I was sleeping, I had these strange things in front of me" Origo explained.

This confused Ivy.

"What strange things?" she asked, fluttering a bit closer.

Origo tried to remember what had happened. His eyes darted around, trying to figure out what he had seen.

"Well" he started, finding a clear point that he could start from.

"I remember a tall figure and a small figure" he told her.

The picture was still not clear enough for Ivy to understand.

"What did the tall figure look like?" Ivy asked.

Origo tried to remember further back into his memory. But his mind was now foggy, he was slowly forgetting his dream. It seemed that the harder he tried to remember, the more he forgot.

"I cant remember" he whined, looking down.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Well, when you can, you can tell me then" Ivy said.

This did not please her much. Origo had stopped for the first time and they were now behind schedule. Ivy fluttered off, the pup followed a few seconds later.

Birds had started to sing from the break of dawn. The light slowly began to rise, eradicating the inky blackness of night and turning it into a lighter shade of blue.

The clouds were thin and moved slowly across the sky. But, on the very far horizon was a monstrous cloud threatening to bring more snow.

But that would be many hours. For now, the day was fine. Ivy and Origo continued to get closer to Bree. But they were not the only ones heading to Bree. A young girl had been riding for most of the night, stopping for only every so often for a bite to eat.

The coldness was now taking a bigger effect on her the longer she stayed out. Her nose had a rosy colour to it now. She sniffed every five second. Her hands were numb, her grip on the reigns weakened. But the fact that she was nearing Bree was enough to keep her going.

Bree was a busy town. The town of Bree was in habited by a few hundred houses, more then there were at the time of war a few summers ago. A large wall encircled the small village, keeping it at bay. The road ran parallel with the wall. The hill peaked over the top showing off thatched roves.

Sprouting out of the roves were red bricked chimneys. Smoke was pouring out of nearly all of them. All the black pillars of smoke were sailing with the wind. A gate had been planted in the middle of the wall. The gate was the only way in and out of Bree.

The girl was still an hour's gallop away. Her stomach rumbled worse then ever. But she could not stop now. The coldness seemed to deeper as she rode on. The thin mist parted as she rode through it.

But the wall of Bree was still many miles from where she was. A warm inn was situated in the middle of Bree. It was the main attraction for many passers by. It offered a room for night for those who were passing through.

The Prancing Pony had seen its fair share of strange goings on. There was a time where the whole of Bree was in danger.

Nine deadly figures had entered Bree with a bang. Old Harry, the gate keeper at the time, was crushed as the large door fell on him. He did not remember much about what happened afterwards.

But what happened earlier in the night was a thing of many conversations.

"Some say he had the soul of Melkor in him. You could see it in his eyes" they suggested.

But there were few regulars left in Bree. But there were a few faces that had stayed on through the troubled times. One of them was the owner of the Prancing Pony, Barliman Butterbur.

Barliman had given out many pints of beer in his time. But he had also told the story of what had happened on that night many a time too.

The young girl would soon learn of this tail as she rode ever onwards. The ground rumbled as the horse flew past. It was then that she saw the first signs of any settlements. A thin cloud of black smoke continued to rise into the clear air. Minutes later, the first real signs that a settlement had grown nearby.

A wall, surrounded by the greenest ivy, started to run along the road as well. The momentum of the horse started to slow as the road slowly swooped around.

A gate game into view as the girl reached her destination. The horse slowed to a stop a few meters from the gate. Dismounting, the girl looked at the gate. The gate was made of wood.

"I wonder if I should knock" she thought, looking around.

Birds continued to sing as the girl slowly walked to the door.

"Well, here goes nothing"

The girl raised her fist and knocked three times. After the three bangs, silence met her ears. But it was not true silence. The wind blew in her ears and birds sang.

Just then, a new sound came from the other side of the gate. A small window opened and a face appeared.

"Yes?" it asked.

The old man was none other then Harry, the gate keeper. The girl was taken a back for a moment. But that soon passed.

"Please, I have been riding all night" the girl said.

Old Harry opened the gate and surveyed the girl deeper.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

The girl took a deep breath. Her hands were so cold that pain started to throb in every finger.

"Just up the road" she said, nodding to the direction she came from.

Old Harry continued to look at the young girl before him for a few more seconds. His mind then made itself up.

"You best be coming in then" he said, opening the door so that both horse and girl could enter.

The girl gave a relived smile and walked in. The horse followed on, its metal shoes clapping against the solid ground. The buildings all looked the same. Muddy paths led away to different areas of the small town. Foot prints could be seen in the cold, hard ground. They created deep valleys and high peaks. Only a down pour of rain could dislodge their figure.

The girl stopped in the middle of the path, taking in her new surroundings. Only a few people were out in the coldness. To the girl, they all seemed to look rough and rugged.

She could feel their eyes scanning her. But this was a normal feeling for the girl. She had had it most of her life. The horse beside her rubbed its head on her shoulder, gaining her attention.

"We need to find you a stable" she said, rubbing her hand on the horses face.

The girl had no idea where the stables were. But her scenes led her up the muddy road. On either side, houses with crystallised roves glinting in the early morning light.

Small, round windows showed a small glimpse into the world of the people living inside. Flickering candles could be seen dancing in the windows. Some windows had drapes handing over them. The road that the girl walked on swooped around a shallow corner.

It was then that she saw, for the first time, a creaking sign. The sign was hanging on two rusted chains, swinging in the gentle wind. The girl gave a smile and saw a few more horses tied to a wooden bar just outside.

"I guess that's where we're heading" the girl said.

So, walking with more pace, she arrived at the building. She struggled as she tied the horse to the wooden bar. She began to get angry with herself. But, just as she was about to give up, her hands suddenly had the strength to do the job.

She smiled, saying not a word to the horse. All she wanted to do now was to get in the warmth. Warmth had not been felt on her pale skin for a few days now. Coldness had been digging into her face ever since she had left the safety of the pub she had been working at.

The door to the Prancing Pony had a faint green tinge to it. It had once been coloured green, but the many summers and winters of rain and snow had slowly washed it away.

The girl opened the door and felt a sudden wash of warmth over her. Her senses were suddenly over whelmed as she walked over the threshold.

Her eyes saw many other people, more then she saw on her journey here. Her nose picked up the scent of cooked meals. Bacon, eggs, freshly made bread, sausages were all fighting to catch the girl's hunger. But food was not the only smell that tickled her senses, tobacco smoke was also present in the air as a fine mist.

A fire crackled merrily in the heath, bathing the people in warmth. The girl gave a large smile, feeling the heat touch every part of her.

There was a lot of talking in the room. Laughter erupted from a small group on one of the tables. A clanging sound met the girl's ears as someone came through the door. An old looking man came through, carrying plates full of the freshest food that the girl had ever seen.

This man was a familiar sight for the men sitting at the table. But for the girl, he was just another nameless being. He gave a tired smile, placing the four plates he had before each of the men.

"Would you be liking anything else?" he asked.

The men shook their heads.

"Well, I'll be around if you need me. Always happy to help" he said.

A second later, he walked away. The girl watched his movements, tracking him all the way to the bar. The man yawned, looking very tired indeed.

But, something must have caught his eyes as he looked straight over at her. The girl did not know what to do. The man gave a warm smile to her. One that the girl found very strange. She was not used people being nice to her.

"Well, hello there" he said, looking over the bar.

The girl took a step back, making sure she could get away if anything bad happened.

"My name is Barliman" he said, the hair on the side of face moved as he smiled.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked.

The girl backed against the wall. She was still making up her mind about who this man was and if he was going to hate her.

The girl's eyes darted around.

"I have no money" she said, knowing that she would have to pay.

Barliman took on a confused look.

"No money?" he asked, finding this very strange.

"Where are you from?" he asked, having a suspicion that the girl was not from Bree.

The girl took a deep breath.

"I'm from down the road, just a day's ride away" she told him.

Barliman nodded.

"Where are your parents?" he asked.

The girl looked away for a moment, she did not like talking about it.

"I don't have any" she said.

Barliman now felt guilty. He looked around, seeing if there were any free tables.

"Follow me" he said, coming out from behind the bar.

The girl slowly followed Barliman. He led her all the way to the free table at the back.

"I'll get you some food, just take a seat here and I'll be back soon" Barliman told her.

The girl nodded and slowly sat down. Everything was strange to her. She could feel eyes grinding into her very soul. She slowly took her bag off and placed it down by her feet.

The girl continued to look around. The walls were very dirty indeed. They had years of dirty and decay on them. Flickering candles hung from metal chandeliers. The wax had continued to melt, creating brittle droplets of wax that ran down the shortening stick.

The girl noticed that two of the men were whispering in the farthest corner of the inn. She knew, deep down, that they were talking about her.

Barliman came back a few minutes later having plated up some food.

"There you go, I'll bring a pint of bitter in" he said, giving a small wink.

The girl smile as he laid the plate on the table. A silver knife and fork had been placed on the plate. The girl had never seen so much hot food in her life.

No one had ever been this nice to her. She almost could not believe that she had a massive plate before her. So, without another second wasted, she picked up the knife and fork.

The sausages were the first to go. The girl cut them up and ate them, chewing quickly. But her hunger felt like nothing would tame it, not even the biggest meal she could think off.

But Barliman came to her aid with another plate. This one was full of sliced bread and blocks of cheese. Barliman also brought his promised pint of bitter. That too was also placed down.

"If you need anything, just give us a call and I'll sort you out" Barliman told the girl.

The girl smile and nodded.

"I will, thank you" she said.

Barliman nodded and walked away, leaving the girl to eat in peace.

But the young girl was not the only being eating their breakfast. Another young girl, a hobbit to be exact, was sitting at a table. She had missed breakfast time, a very important meal of the day for hobbits. But her mother had kept some spare just for her so she did not miss out.

The young girl went by the name Elanor. Elanor Gamgee to be exact. Her hair was gold and wavy, just like her mothers. In fact, she was her mother in miniature. They shared nearly all the same features.

Elanor had been blessed with beauty. Her hair was flowing down past her shoulders. Her cheeks were rosy red and her eyes brown, like her father.

But she was not the only child of Rosie and Sam. Elanor had, for the moment, four younger siblings. But that would soon change. For both Rosie and Sam were keeping a secret.

Rosie was yet again expecting a child. The relationship between Samwise and his oldest daughter was, at the moment, going through a rocky patch.

Elanor had stolen a very precious book of her fathers, given to him by Frodo Baggins. The Red Book, it was called, had caught her eye and a plan was hatched to read it. But this plan failed.

She had been caught red handed, in the middle of reading it.

And her punishment?

To stay in for one whole week. This did not go down well at all. An argument sprung out and words were said that were not meant. And now, neither of them were on talking terms. Elanor had decided not to eat with the rest of the family.

This did not help the fact that there would be hardly any food left after each sitting. But that's what Elanor had got stuck in her mind.

"Breakfast is ready" Rosie would say, coming into her room and awakening her.

But Elanor did not move. Her mother did not have time for Elanor's silly games. But a small bit of food was kept spare for her. Elanor did not say it, but she was grateful for it. She hated missing out on her mother's food.

Elanor finished her late breakfast and took a deep breath. She picked up her mug of water and down a gulp. The young girl took another deep breath, placing the mug back down.

A few seconds later, the girl arose from her wooden chair and walked out of the room. Her mother and father were both busy with the children.

Samwise was looking after two of the five children. Merry and Rose were playing together in the lounge. The fire crackled as the door opened.

The sound of laughter met Elanor's ears. Then the sight of her two younger siblings chasing each other followed. Samwise glanced at his oldest daughter for a split second, then looked away.

"Can I go out?" Elanor asked.

"How did I know?" Samwise asked himself.

But he did not answer his daughter's question. Instead, he simple ignored her. Elanor found this very upsetting. She loved her father very much, but the fact that he was ignoring her broke her heart.

So, she left before she felt any more upset. Samwise continued to sit.

"And I have told you that you are not allowed out" was his answer to her questions.

But now, he was not talking to her. This made Elanor more upset then when she had been shouted at. So, she made a bee-line to her room and closed the door behind her.

The snow that had once been outside, laying on the ground, had now melted away into a muddy sludge. The sludge was not very good at make snow hobbits or even snow balls. It would simply fall apart with the slightest of pressure applied to it.

Snow hobbits were dotted on the field by the lake. The children of Hobbiton had been busy making many of them. But now, they were standing like white guards on a muddy battle field.

The snow had now all melted. But that did not stop the children from planning what to do for the next time. But for now, they were all at home, getting ready to come out.

A small child smiled as she made her way towards one of her friend's home. She had amazingly blue eyes and brown curly hair. She was smaller then the other hobbits of the same age.

The young girl smiled, opening the gate to Elanor's home. The young girl walked through and closed it behind her. She continued to journey right up to the door, where she could go no further.

Elanor was now laying on her bed, her sprits were the lowest they had ever been. Just then, a sound met her ears. Three knocks echoed down from the large door. She knew exactly who this was. And she knew exactly what her father would say.

But that did not stop Elanor from trying to open the door and talk to her friends. The bedroom door opened quickly. A second was taken to make sure her mother or father were not coming.

She smiled, seeing neither figure. The young girl scurried along. As she did, the knocks echoed down the hall way again. Elanor knew that either one of her parents would soon reach the door.

She looked around one more time, then opened the door. Standing there, her friend, looking very cold.

"Gloria?" asked Elanor, feeling the coldness hit her face.

Gloria smiled.

"Hello, how are you?" she asked.

Elanor looked back, she could hear footsteps coming ever closer.

"I can't talk, I'll get in trouble again" Elanor said, getting more and more distracted and nervous.

Rosie then came around the door way. It was the coldness that sparked her suspicions. The corridor flowed around a shallow corner. It was then that she saw her eldest daughter standing with her head out of the door.

"Elanor Gamgee!" Rosie said, making her daughter jump.

The young girl quickly closed the door, cutting their conversation short. Rosie was not very happy with her daughter and it showed on her face.

"Get you to your room" Rosie said, pointing down the corridor.

Elanor looked back at the door, knowing her friend was still standing on the other side.

"But!" Elanor said, looking back at her mother.

Just then, Samwise came down the corridor. He spotted Elanor and Rosie standing near the door.

"What is the matter?" he asked, looking at his wife.

"Nothing, Elanor was just going to her room" she said, giving a very clear hint.

Elanor lowered her head and walked past her parents. Sam took a deep breath.

"I don't know what has gotten into her lately" he said, hearing the girl's bedroom door close.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"Maybe we're just going through a rough patch" she suggested.

In her room, Elanor was standing on her bed. She could just about see out of her window. She could see figures her hobbits walking around. But her view did not just extend to the figures, but for many miles. Trees grew in random places. Green patches out numbered white patches. Clouds seemed to extend on until they met the horizon many miles away.

The sun created a wintery glow that made the air look fresher. Birds of every sort fluttered about. Elanor could not hear their songs. She would not risk opening the window and lose all of the heat gathered inside.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around and sat on the bed. She had nothing to do. Elanor's favourite wooden horse model was still laying across the room, untouched. Her eyes were drawn to it.

Inside her head, the horse was speaking to her.

"I'm sorry" it said, pleading with the young girl.

But Elanor did not take heed. Instead, she just sat there. Her emotions were very confused. Sadness and anger seemed to fight one an other.

"Elanor?" asked the horse, trying to get her attention.

To anyone else, the horse was silent and still. After all, it was made entirely of wood and nothing more. The young girl took a deep breath and looked angrily over at the horse. But nothing came of her look.

The horse took a breath as well. It would be hard business to convince his friend that he did not make her do it.

"Elanor?" he asked again.

The scowled and sat the opposite way from where the horse was. This made it easier to ignore the horse. Elanor was now busy in her own world. She imagined the things she would have done if she had been allowed out.

"Well, I would have spent all day playing in the snow" she told herself.

A small smile came over her as she slipped into a day dream. The coldness enveloped around her, the greenness of the ground slowly started to turn a silvery white. Snow flakes were falling like feathers caught in a bitter wind.

The young girl smiled as she placed on her coat.

"Now, you be careful" Rosie said, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

Elanor smiled.

"And what time are you back?" her mother asked.

Elanor thought for a moment.

"Lunch?" she answered.

Rosie smiled.

"Good girl, now go and have fun" she said, opening the large door.

"And make sure you don't go over the bridge"

Elanor smiled and looked around as she walked towards the gate.

"I wont!" she shouted back.

Rosie smiled, closing the door on the coldness trying to rush in. Elanor reached the gate, but did not open it right away. Instead, the young girl stood there, looking around. The feather-like flakes fluttered down. There was a thin carpet of snow already on the ground. Elanor smiled, knowing that more snow hobbits would now be built.

Elanor opened the gate and closed it after getting to the other side. The snow flakes continued to rain down, creating a sheet of white that got thicker the more one tried to look further.

Elanor was now heading to her friends house. She smiled as, after a few minutes, she reached her target. The large round door was approached. Little Elanor's hands were already starting to feel numb. But she mustered the strength to bang on the door three times. This let the hobbits know inside know that someone was waiting for them.

The coldness started to get to her even more. Movement seemed the best way to keep warm. The young girl slowly started to shiver as she stood there.

Thirty or forty second passed before the door then opened. Standing on the other side of the door was an older hobbit. It was a woman. Gloria's mother.

"Oh, Elanor" she said, her smile widened.

"Do come in out of this horrible cold" she said.

Elanor smiled and walked over the threshold. The door was quickly shut behind her.

"Gloria!" the woman shouted down the corridor.

"Gloria, Elanor is here to see you!"

A few seconds later, Gloria came scurrying towards them.

"Good morning" she said, smiling broadly.

Gloria's mother smiled and walked away, leaving the two girls to their own devises. Elanor smiled as she took off her coat with stiff, cold fingers.

The last button was, eventually, undone and the coat taken off. Elanor hung it up as she started to feel warm again.

"Come on" Gloria said, walking away from her friend.

Elanor smiled and followed suit. Gloria had her very own room, being an only child. Being an only child was rare within hobbit families.

But, being an only child did have its advantages. Gloria had nearly all of the attention she needed. There was no one else to ruin it. Both her mother and father had lots of time on their hands.

Like the rest of the hobbit abodes in Hobbiton, it had everything a very large family needed. Their food supply had not heeded. They got through as much food as the Gamgee family did.

Gloria opened the door to her room. It was very warm and just as big as Elanor's was. Her bed was standing under the frosted window. The four legs of the bed were hidden by the large duvet that sprawled over it. An old, colour faded rug had been set down on the floor.


	74. Day Thirty Five, Part Two

Toys were dotted around the room. All of them were made of polished wood, carved from trees. Like Elanor, Gloria had an array of different wooden horses. But none were more appealing then her horse at home.

The fire crackled as it danced behind a metal gate. This metal gate was placed there in order to prevent any injury to Gloria or anyone else.

"What do you want to play?" asked Gloria, now sitting on the floor.

She was holding a small wooden horse. Elanor took a deep breath and looked around. An idea then popped into her head.

"What about we play hobbits and goblins?" she asked.

Gloria smiled, having knowledge of this game. The little girl placed her small wooden horse on the bed.

"I'll be the hobbit" Gloria told Elanor.

But this did not please Elanor.

"No, I am the hobbit" she told her.

Gloria did not find this fair at all.

"But, why are you always the hobbit?" she asked.

Elanor thought that this was a silly question to ask.

"Because I'm the special one, daddy says so" Elanor answered.

Gloria knew that she could not win against Elanor. She knew that she was on the loosing team already.

So, Gloria agreed to be the goblin. Elanor smiled and walked over to a large wooden box. The lid had been closed. But, upon lifting it, Elanor saw many toys. Its took her a few seconds before she saw two wooden swords.

She picked them out and handed one to Gloria.

"I'm going to hide and then you come and find me" Elanor told her friend.

Gloria nodded and smiled. She watched Elanor scurry out of the room.

Elanor was suddenly drawn back into reality. The clock started to chime, distracting Elanor's daydream and spitting her back into her own room.

She took a deep breath, knowing that this would not happen for another three days. She had already endured four long and boring days without seeing her friends. Hours were spent wasted in her room.

In Bree, the young girl had been shown to her room after enjoying a very large, filling meal. Tiredness had now caught up with her as she lay motionless on the bed.

Her eyes were closed. Sleep enveloped her. Covers had been drawn over her, her muddy dress still clinging to her skin. But care had long since been forgotten. She was now free to do as she wished.

But a man was baring down on her. He and his steed had ridden through the depth of night and were now very much upon Bree.

Hours past as the girl continued to sleep. Lunch past as the rooms below filled with merry makers coming to have their lunch. Barliman was so busy that he had completely forgotten about the girl upstairs.

Many plates of food were being brought out to the waiting men and women. Nearly every wooden seat had been taken up. The door opened and closed constantly.

The coldness outside was deepening as the cloud that were once on the horizon was now over head. A few feathers of snow fluttered their way down with the wind.

"Getting colder out there now" a man told Barliman.

Barliman nodded as he held two plates. Conversation was hard to come by when Barliman was this busy. He walked too and from the kitchen.

The snow outside continued to grow thicker as the flakes continued to grow in number and size. The ground, which had been more brown then white, was now returning to freezing white.

Clocks chimed, sending out three wooden bangs. This failed to raise the girl from her slumber. In fact, shouting that echoed up from the room just below failed to do so either.

"I will not have fighting in my inn!" Barliman shouted as two drunks threw punches at each other.

Their fires were fuelled by the other people around them.

"Right" Barliman said, placing the two plates of food on the table near by.

"Get out, both of you" he said, walking towards them.

The two men were now arguing with Barliman. But Barliman owned the Prancing Pony. What ever he told them, they had to do.

"Out, both of you!" he said, pushing them.

But the two men had their accomplices with them. The groups seemed to be having a very big argument and Barliman was in the middle.

His plates of food that had been left on the table were forgotten about. In fact, a very large gentleman had started to wolf down the food, taking advantage of all the eyes being focused away from him.

Barliman made sure that the two fighting men were sent on their way.

"And don't come back again, you are not allowed in here" he told them.

The door was closed, keeping the coldness out. The inn seemed to settle down immediately. Talk started to rise again, so did the consumption of food and drink.

Barliman was not in a very good mood now. But there was a small something bothering him.

"Where's my food?" asked a rough looking man, sitting at the table.

Barliman gave a smile.

"Did you not get served? That is very odd" he said.

So, Barliman walked back into the kitchen. There, three more people were cooking or cutting up food. Barliman looked around.

"I have two missing plates, have they been made up yet?" he asked.

One of the dirty looking chefs took on a confused look.

"But we have done all the meals, we don't have any spare food" he told him.

Barliman was getting angry again.

"Well, there must be some mistake. I have customers waiting" he said.

Without another word spoken, he left. Barliman smiled as he walked over to the table.

"I'm terribly sorry for the wait, your food shall be here in just a few minutes" Barliman said, hoping that this would settle their tempers.

And he was right. The two men that were sitting there agreed on this time. But they were still not as happy as they would have been. Barliman was now busy taking orders for drinks again.

Time seemed to pass quicker the more he worked. The level of light outside seemed to slowly sink as the sun dived towards the eastern horizon.

Two small creatures were now walking in a darkening twilight. Ivy's green glow slowly started to strengthen as the level of light faded. Origo had been on his best behaviour all day. This had played out well for both of them.

Origo had only gone off course a few times. Ivy did not even have to say that he was any more.

One look back at the hovering fairy meant that he had gone the wrong way. Ivy had hardly talked all day. Save from when Origo wanted to stop for food.

And this time was coming up. A small whine from the pup walking by Ivy. This told her that he was getting hungry again. The small fairy took a deep breath, but did not stop.

"Come on, we'll have food and rest soon" she said.

Ivy was starting to feel more like Diamond then an invisible fairy. But, if that's what she had to do, that's what she was going to do.

"But why cant we have food and rest now?" Origo asked.

Ivy stopped fluttering and landed on the soft, cold ground.

"Puppy, what did I tell you last time?" she asked, making sure he remembered.

There was a strange glint in the pup's big brown eyes. Ivy had seen this glint before. She knew exactly what this meant.

"Puppy, I am not saying this again. If we rest now, then you wont move again. If we have a rest later, then were can get further"

Origo blinked twice, trying to figure out what was meant by this.

"But I'm hungry" he whined.

Ivy felt like her words had been completely ignored.

"Well" she said, trying a different tactic.

"We will have food in another hour, but first we have to get down the road a bit further" Ivy told him.

For a moment, she thought that her little trick had not worked on the pup. But she was wrong.

"And then, I can eat?" he asked.

Ivy smiled.

"Of course" she said.

Origo took a few more seconds thought. The small puppy then started to walk on. Ivy smiled as she had a near miss with one of the large snow flakes that were falling to the ground.

Origo's paw prints were very visible in the snow. His tracks could be traced for a mile or two back. But this bothered neither of them.

But something did start to bother the small pup. He could feel the coldness again. But it was not as strong as before. The large snow flakes hit Origo's small wet nose.

Ivy smiled as the cute puppy whined every so often. The small pup stopped and whipped his fluffy paw over his nose. Ivy smiled as Origo walked along. His fur blowing in the wind. She could see the snow flakes slowly melting on his fur.

Small specks of light flickered on as the night drew in. Bree was now being covered in fresh powder. Many Bree-folk were preparing their final meal of the day.

Dinner.

A young girl was finally waking up. Her scenes were jumbled for a moment. The window reflected the flickering candle. A crackling fire had been lit, sending a gentle wave of warmth around the room.

The young girl slowly recognised where she had been sleeping. She smiled, knowing that she was still in the Prancing Pony.

It was then that she could hear sounds again. It flooded back into her ears. The laughter from down stairs was muffled, but was not unmistakable. Patters at the window indicated snow was still falling. The candle light seemed to light up only a few flakes as they fluttered down to earth.

The girl took a deep breath, her stomach rumbling. The last meal she had was a few hours ago and she needed more.

"I guess I should get out of bed" she said, the tiredness still showing.

But the fact that food was just downstairs made her motives stronger. The duvet was then pealed off, letting the warmth that had congregated disperse into the room.

The girl could now feel the difference in temperature. The air outside of the warm duvet was much colder. But this coldness did not last long as she opened the door.

The muffled laughter and voices became clearer the more she walked to the stairs. She smiled, looking around the hall way. The walls were very dirty, as though they not seen a good wash in more then a hundred years.

The stairs were no better. They creaked as she stepped on them. A few times, the girl thought she was going to break through the fragile stairs.

But this never happened. The girl made it safely down to the door at the bottom. She opened it and walked into the room before her.

There was a strange silvery mist to the room. The windows were akin to black mirrors, reflecting the light given off by candles.

The girl took a good look around, but she was unnerved by two gentlemen sitting around the table at the far side. One was looking around while the other was facing forward.

"Is that her?" he asked, looking back.

The man he was talking to gave a deep drink of his beer. He took a deep intake of breath and slowly looked around.

"Yes" he replied, placing the beer down.

His friend gave an evil smile as he tracked the movements of the girl. She walked over to the bar and sat on one of the large stools.

Barliman was very busy.

"Ah, your awake" he said, smiling at the girl.

The girl returned the smile.

"It's getting busy" the girl said, looking around.

Barliman smiled and nodded as he served another customer.

"Oh, it's not that busy. Wait another hour and it'll pick up" he said cheerily.

The girl took a deep breath.

"It was never this busy when I was working in the pub down the road there"

This caught Barliman's attention.

"You worked in a drinking house before?" Barliman asked as he held a tap down.

Pouring from the spout was a golden liquid. The level of ale quickly rose. A small bit started to trickle out with the knowledge of old Barliman.

"Oh, yes" the girl said.

Barliman knew that this was an opportunity not to be missed.

"How long were you working there?" he asked.

His hand continued to put pressure on the tap, the mug now very much over flowing. Ale started to form a puddle on the dirty floor.

"A few years, but it wasn't very good" the girl said, looking away.

The more Barliman delved deeper into the girls past, the more ale landed on the floor.

"Wasn't very good?" he asked, suddenly looking down as a drop of ale ran over the back of his hand.

The tap was stopped.

"Why not?" Barliman asked, spotting the puddle of ale on the tiled floor.

The girl did not like talking about her past. She knew that she could not hide it for much longer.

"Well, they just weren't" she started.

"The people I worked for treated me more like a slave then anything. They would give me little food so I was hungry all of the time. I was forced to get up in the early hours of the morning. Sometimes, just an hour after I had fallen asleep"

The girl took a deep breath, the very thought of seeing those people again made her feel angry and upset.

"Well I never!" Barliman said.

"If I ever find out who did it, they'll have to answer to me"

The girl gave a small smile.

"It's all over now, I escaped a day or two ago" she said.

Barliman smiled, placing the mug of ale before one of the other people sitting there. It was then that Barliman got an idea.

"Tell you what, why don't you work for me?" he asked.

Help was desperately needed. Especially in the colder weather. The girl was surprised.

"You want me to work for you?" she asked, not trusting her ears.

Barliman smiled and nodded.

"We do need the help" Barliman told her.

"We did have hobbits, but something happened that drove them away. Good reddens to them after what happened" he said.

The girl thought this was very strange. But she did not delve into it further. Barliman continued to pour pints of ale and beer. The coldness was kept out only by the closed door and the large fire in the heath.

Snow was still falling to earth, the carpet getting ever thicker. Bree seemed to be deserted, save for a few figures walking to where they needed to be.

But they had not suffered the coldness as one small puppy. Origo had continued ever onwards to his target. A target that he was only told to go to by a small, green fairy.

Ivy fluttered near by, trying to see further down the road and not lose sight of her special friend. The snowflakes coming down made a creepy silence. Only the wind could be heard.

Ivy had always found winter a strange time of year. She was used to the weather making sounds. The rushing of rain on a river, the whooshing of wind when she had been at home. All were usual sounds.

But the snow confused her senses. Yet, for some ready, it was normal. The darkness did not seem to be as dark as before. The snow that had now settled on the ground was creating a white blanket.

Origo whined as he walked, his head down. The coldness was getting to him. But the sound of wind echoed in his floppy ears.

A louder whine came from the pup. This one seemed to get Ivy's attention. She smiled and fluttered down.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Another whine came from the pup. Ivy took a deep breath and, without a sound, warmth began to spread around the little puppy's fur.

Origo loved this feeling. Ivy smiled as Origo's playfulness started to return. A barked echoed from the small puppy.

"Oh no" Ivy said, giggling.

Origo bounded after her, creating deep craters in the soft snow. Ivy fluttered away, dodging flakes as she went. Flying through snow was a strange feeling for the fairy. One that she had not enjoyed since she had been with her friends.

Luna, a silver fairy and one of Ivy's closest friends, would rush into Ivy's small nest in the middle of the night.

"Ivy?" Luna whispered, landing softly on the floor of the nest.

Ivy was bundled in the corner of the nest. Her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Ivy?" asked Luna, a tad louder.

The green fairy seemed to suddenly come to life. What happened next took Luna by surprise. Ivy jumped up, a spear like object, its end sharpened for maximum effect.

"Ivy!" Luna shouted, moving back.

It took a few seconds for Ivy to snap out of her trance. Luna was now near the entrance, ready to flutter away if anything bad happened.

"Luna?" Ivy asked, looking at her friend.

The spear was slowly lowered. Luna was frightened to talk to Ivy. She was obviously very tired.

"Luna, what do you want?" Ivy asked.

Luna was lost for words. It took a few seconds for those words to return.

"Well, I was going ask you something" she said, looking from the sharp stick to her friend.

It was then Ivy slowly dropped the spear. It landed flat on the ground. Ivy's heart rate started slowly calm down.

"Luna, its three o'clock in the morning, what do you want?" Ivy asked, yawning.

Luna gave a small smile.

"Well, its night time" she said, looking back.

"And its snowing"

Ivy's tiredness did not help her thinking. All that she could return was slowly shake of the head and a confused look. Luna took a deep breath.

"Do you remember what we did last time it snowed like this?" Luna asked.

Ivy stood there, thinking back to the last time coldness descended on the land. Luna had come in exactly like she had done this very night.

"Ivy, Ivy wake up!" she said, shaking her friend to wake her up.

Ivy snorted and lifted her head up. For a moment, all she could see was darkness. But the silvery light of her friend started to show itself.

"Ivy, come on!" said a voice.

Ivy groaned as she sat up.

"Luna?" she asked.

Luna seemed to be her bubbly self. While Ivy was sitting on the floor, tired and yawning.

"What's going on?" she asked, slowly standing to her feet.

Luna smiled.

"It's snowing" she told her.

Sure enough, when Ivy looked out of the small entrance, white flakes could be seen coming down.

"Do you want to go out in it?" Luna asked.

Ivy knew that this was the only reason that Luna was here. But, even so, it was three o'clock in the morning.

"Why?" Ivy asked, not understanding how her friend could be awake at this hour in the morning.

"Because its fun!" Luna squealed.

She sudden took a hold of Ivy's hand and dragged her towards the opening.

"Luna!" Ivy said as she was thrust out of her warm nest into the freezing wind.

Ivy was pushed onto the branch. But, due to it being wet and cold, she slipped. Her friend gasped as she saw the green spot fall off.

"Ivy!" Luna squeaked and fluttered out after her.

Looking down, she could not see the green glow of her friend anywhere. So, nose-diving as fast as she could, she searched for Ivy.

"Ivy?" she asked, featherlike snowflakes continued to fall around her.

Luna was now getting very scared.

Had she killed one of her friends?

How would she break it to the others?

But Ivy was not in fact dead. She had not even come close to hitting the snowy ground. It took her a few seconds to gain control of her wings.

They immediately started to flutter, slowly her to the point of stopping. Her heart rate had risen dramatically. The flakes of snow were confusing her. Ivy did not know which way was up and which way was down. All she knew was that she needed something to hold onto and regain her senses.

It was then that a tree came into view. It had been covered by a thick curtain of falling snow. Ivy fluttered over to it and grabbed onto a smaller twig growing out of a large, snow ladened branch.

She held on for a moment, breathing heavily. For a moment, she was going to stay exactly where she was to calm down.

But she heard a familiar voice come out of the curtain of snow. This made her angry. So, flying upwards into the inky abyss, she started to search for Luna.

It did not take long for the silvery glow of Luna to revile herself. This did not help Ivy's mood much. She was angry and tired.

"Maybe I should just go back to my nest" she told herself.

She had no energy to argue. In fact, she had hardly enough energy to keep herself from falling to the ground. Her nest was warmer then the outside world.

But, in reality, she was homeless. And so, for now that is, was the small puppy chasing her. Ivy smiled as she looked back to see the pup gaining on her. Flakes of white snow continued to hit Ori's fluffy face. His ears flopped as with each bound.

At the same time, a small baby was laying down in the arms of its mother. A silver spoon was held in the mother's free hand. A bowl of orange mixture stood on the table. Most of it had already been eaten by the small baby, but there were still a few mouthfuls left.

Diamond scrapped the rest out and fed it to her son. She smiled, Faramir had the same hair as his father. Diamond could see a lot of Pippin in her son.

This caused her feelings to plummet. She hated the fact that he was not here, helping her. She had been let down by Pippin many times before. But this one was more serious.

All Diamond could see was Pippin smoking and drinking lots of ale.

"Well, being with Merry wont help him much" Diamond thought.

Faramir's food had all been eaten. The bowl now sat empty on the table. A small yawn came over Faramir. Diamond gave a small smile.

"Are you tired?" she asked.

The small baby's eyes started to feel heavy as he lay there. Warmth and a full stomach seemed to be a catalyst for the sleep. Within a few minutes of finishing his meal, Faramir had fallen asleep.

So, slowly and gently standing up, Diamond walking him to her room. There, standing near to her side of the large bed, was a wooden cot. This was where Faramir slept.

There was a single window showing the dark world outside. A fiery heath had been planted in the wall. There were a few random crackles and pops as the wood continued to burn.

Diamond placed her sleeping son in his cot and tucked him in. She smiled as she looked at him. Diamond felt a warmth in her heart.

"Well, if Pippin isn't going to love me, I will always have you" she said.

She kissed her son on the head and walked to the door. Diamond stopped and looked back for a moment. Her son was a very deep sleeper.

Diamond left the door open, just in case Faramir was to wake. She slowly walked down the corridor to the kitchen. The house was now incredibly quiet. Usually, a small puppy would be seeking her attention. But this had not happened in a while.

Origo had left her, Diamond did not know why or where he had gone. Diamond yawned as she entered the kitchen again.

"I guess I should start washing up" she thought, picking up the empty bowl that stood on the table.

Meanwhile, the snow was covering the top of the hills. Only the chimneys sprouting out of the ground gave away the comfortable lives that Hobbits led.

Peregrin Took was looking out of a misted window. He raised his hand and started to rub a small patch. Pippin, as he was usually known, took a deep breath.

The hobbit was deep in thought. He seemed to be in a very different world. He had dug deep into memory to a time of peace. He was younger and considerably shorter then he was now. His only adventure was to the field to play with his friends.

Life away from the Shire was unthinkable.

"But, we'll be late for dinner!" they said.

For food was more important then riches. Hobbits hated being late for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Especially when it was this cold outside.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked down at the small book he had in his grasp. He looked over at a writing desk. There, an ink pot and feather quill waited for him.

So, getting off of his bed, he walked over. His head almost touching the ceiling. Pippin now had to duck down to get through doors.

This was entirely his fault. For he and his friend, Merry Brandybuck, had drunk a very strange liquid. Yes, it may only have been water. But the water was drunk by a very intimidating species.

Ents.

The water had very powerful magic in it. For mortal folk, such as hobbits and men, the water took a very different effect. For any trees that drank it, it would make them come alive.

It was a very unusual sight for most hobbits. But for Merry and Pippin, they missed the walking and talking trees. Especially one that they had known the longest.

Treebeard.

Pippin took a seat and pulled himself in. There was a candle just a foot or two away from him. It gave him enough light to see where to write.

Pip grabbed the quill and ink pot. The ink pot was stained with a dark black liquid. Ink was very valuable to the inhabitants of Hobbiton and even Middle-earth.

Pippin took the stopper out and placed it on the flat surface at the top. A small, shallow bowl had been carved out of the wood that made the surface of the top shelf.

Pippin placed the small inkpot back, along with the stopper. He took a deep breath and opened the book. On its pages, lines of words written in the same black in.

They were skimmed through quickly until a blank page came into view. This was where Pippin would start to write. But first, he would delve deeper into his memory.

Pippin knew exactly where to start. So, dipping the pointed tip of the quill in the sea of black ink, he began to write.

It had been a long journey from Gondor. The next few days were spent resting and sleeping. It was nice to see the light beating down on the green land.

It was a strange feeling. Being back in the Shire. For I had seen so much evil and hate. But, for some reason, I missed it.

Gondor was so beautiful. Even in the worst of times. The city was built with the whitest of stone. But the city was not flat. Instead, it had been built on several levels.

The top level was built for the King and Queen. And that is where I had a life changing moment. The Army Of Sauron was descending on the City.

Wolves, orcs, trolls and men. All worked for the Dark Lord. Towers made of metal and wood were pushed by the ugliest trolls that I have ever seen.

Minus Tirith mustered all of its strength. All available men and boys were called to arms. Even me, simple Peregrin Took of the Shire, was called to arms.

The war of the ring had started and I was thrust right into the middle. I can still hear the roars of the, what seemed like, millions of orcs and men attacking the city.

Large boulders rained on the city causing death, pain and making buildings collapse. Gandalf was somewhere in the city. It took me a while to find him. He was fighting on the front line. And it was there where I had my first encounter with an orc.

"Peregrin Took!" came a voice.

It was Gandalf himself. He looked very tired and dirty. The metal towers, pushed by orcs, were getting ever closer. Loud thumps echoed around as boulders impacted on buildings and made them collapse.

"Go back to the citadel!"

Pippin could see what happened next.

"They called us out to fight" he said, a hint of tiredness on his voice.

Just then, a large orc came bounding towards Pippin. The orc was blood thirsty. But Gandalf had much quicker reactions. He could see the orc heading for the hobbit.

Gandalf only had seconds to act. And act he did. The orc fell dead just feet from where a dazed hobbit stood.

"This is no place for a hobbit!" Gandalf told him.

But it was soon Pippin's turn to act. The orcs were coming in bloodthirsty, ravenous groups, killing as they went. Gandalf was busy with other orcs. So busy, in fact, that he did not see an orc approaching him from behind.

Just as the wizard was about to turn, Pippin grabbed the handle of his sword.

Without thinking about it, Pippin slid the sword out of its holder and drove it deep into the gut of the disgusting creature before him. The orc stopped dead, facing the wizard. Gandalf had stopped dead as well. The orc and the wizard stared into each others eyes.

A moment later, the orc started to fall backwards from where it stood. Pippin stood there, black blood dripping slowly down the once shiny and clean blade.

Gandalf gave a smile, knowing that this made Pippin's courage was finally blooming.

"Guard of the Citadel indeed" he said, an encouraging glint twinkled in his eye.

"Now, back up the hill, quickly"

Pippin hesitated for a moment, his eyes on his sword.

"Quickly"

This seemed to snap him out of his daze. Pippin stepped back and turned. The roars quietened as Pippin ran away.

The screams of orcs and men were now only a memory. They existed, now, only in his memory. Pippin took a deep breath as he wrote the last few words.

"Done" he said to himself.

He read over the page that he was on and then closed it. For some reason, Pippin was happier then he had been in a while. Writing that particular passage in his life had drawn what felt like a very large weight off of him. For he had not spoken his memories to anyone else. Not even to Diamond or his own mother.

Pippin was now feeling a tad bit tired. The clock on the wall told him the time. An hour 'til a new day began.

"I guess a small bite to eat and then bed" he told himself, getting up.

His room was warm, but dark. The candles, which had been burning since they had been lit, were now millimetres from going out. But this did not concern Pippin much.

Pippin's mother and father were fast asleep. The door to their room was closed. Both were sleeping deeply and peacefully.

Pip smiled as he reached the colder kitchen. The fire in the heath was burning, yet it did not help battle the coldness. Pippin made a bee-line straight for the cellar.

He placed his hand on the handle. The cellar was full to the brim with very delicious food and exquisite ales. Pippin picked up a candle and walked inside. He smiled as he walked past shelves and shelves of food.

The hobbit homed in on one of the last few shelves. The candle light flickered, making the shadows dance around the small room.

A minute later, Pippin walked out, both hands gripping packets of food. In two of the paper bags, slices of cooked chicken. In another, a bar of milky chocolate made by his mother.

Pippin sighed as he walked out of the room. He closed the door behind him with a spare finger. The hobbit walked back down to his room and quietly closed the door.

Pippin still felt like he shouldn't eat in his room. He still expected his mother to burst into the room and give him a good telling off.

But it did not happen. Yet this did not mean that Pippin would still look at the door every so often. The packets, which had been made from thin paper, were ripped off.

Pip smiled, picking up the juicy chicken. He smiled and started to eat. The taste of chicken after a long day was very soothing. Piece after piece was eaten until, only a few minutes after he started, the packet was empty.

Luckily, Pippin had a second packet. This one was harder to get into. His fingers did not create the same grip as before. After a few seconds, a small rip travelled down one side of the packet.

A succulent piece of chicken fell onto the bed. Pippin breathed heavily and picked it up.

"Hmm" he thought, inspecting the piece that had fallen on the bed.

It did not take him long for make his mind up. So, he ate the piece that he held in his hand. Pippin ate very quickly indeed. The ticking clock echoed around him. A pop and crackle met his ears. The minute hand was now pointing towards the number six.

"Maybe the rest can wait 'til morning" Pippin thought.

This seemed to be a good idea. For Pippin's stomach was now calm. Pippin screwed up the two packets and placed them on the small bedside table.

Pippin then got undressed and placed his white dressing gown on. The gown seemed to have a larger effect on Pippin as he blew out the candles. He then made his way to his bed.

The duvet was then lifted and drew back. Pip slipped into bed and pulled the covers over him. His head hit the pillow. A yawn came over him, his eyes continuing to fell heavier and heavier.

The clock showed fifteen minutes to midnight. It did not take long for Pippin to fall asleep as he lay between the warm duvet and the soft mattress. Warmth was very welcome in the winter months when the weather was colder.


	75. Day Thirty Six, Part One

Diamond had had a horrible nights sleep. Faramir had kept her up near enough all night. And now, the light was beginning to grow outside.

Diamond's eyes were hurting and she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. But, she caught herself just in time. Faramir, her son, had started off by sleeping peacefully in his cot. But had awoken a few hours later.

"Alright, sweetie" Diamond said, waking up.

Faramir was very restless and fidgety as he lay there. Diamond noticed that he had squirmed out of his warm blanket. Diamond smiled as she picked her son up.

"What's the matter?" she asked, seeing his little face all screwed up.

Faramir had normally slept past the two o'clock hour. But tonight was different. This was very hard for Diamond to cope with.

"I wish you could tell me what's wrong" she said, sighing.

Diamond then had an idea.

"Maybe he's thirsty" she thought.

This was the best she could come up with at such short notice. The warm bedroom was left as it was.

She yawned as she made her way to the kitchen. With her free hand, the kitchen door was opened.

The room was darker and cooler then the corridor she had just left. There was a dark heath built into the wall. Embers seemed to float in white hot ash.

Diamond knew her kitchen back to front. She was confident that she could find her way around it without much light.

The window showed the night to be lighter then normal. This was due to a thick carpet of snow on the ground. Diamond opened the cellar door. The cellar was the blackest black that Diamond had ever seen. Not even the small amount of light radiating from the heath could over power the darkness.

Diamond stopped where she was.

"Oh, this is hopeless" she said.

Even a few hours in the dark did not make her senses any better. So Diamond headed back into the lighter kitchen. Only a single candle was flickering in the corner. This was to light the rest in the morning. But Diamond would have to light them up earlier then normal.

But Diamond was not alone in her large home. She had left a very warm puppy snoozing in her room. Origo was still snoozing peacefully, a small toy was held in his paws. The pup's small chest was rising and falling slowly. His small, brown eyes were closed, hiding them from view.

The fact that his Diamond was not sleeping next to him did not seem to bother him at the moment. The warmth was very tiring for him. Diamond was confident that her small pup would not wake. Even when he did, she would know about it. For Origo and Diamond were very close. Even though the puppy could not talk to her, Diamond seemed to know what he wanted. That was, most of the time. For now, the puppy remained calm and asleep.

His Diamond was in the kitchen, she was sitting on one of the wooden seats, child in arms. Faramir was still crying, his face still screwed up. Diamond had brought out some cold milk out of the cellar. For milk was the best thing to calm little Faramir.

Normally, it worked a charm. But tonight was different. Faramir had not even the slightest interest in anything that his mother put in front of him. This was very confusing and upsetting for Diamond.

No one was around to help her. But Diamond knew of only one person that could help her.

Dolly.

Dolly had been with all the way to Rivendell and back with her and Pippin. But, now that Diamond could take care of herself and Faramir, Dolly was not needed. In fact, Dolly was now nanny to a completely different family and was having an easier time at taking care of business.

Diamond knew that she could count on Dolly at any time, in the depths of night or the height of day. For Dolly had been a long friend of the Took family. She had taken care of Pearl, Pervinca, Pimpernel and, of course, Pippin when they were young. Pippin took the most energy to look after. For he was the only boy in the family, save from his father.

Dolly was now resting in her home, her eyes closed, an odd snore came from the old woman. The room around her was dark, the flickering candles had been extinguished.

Dolly knew little of what was to come. For she was going to be call upon yet again. But this time was different. She would not be herded into a cramped cart and driven, for what felt like, half way across Middle-earth.

Instead, she would have to listen to two versions of events. Something that she did not want to do. She liked peace and it was not in her nature to argue with anyone.

But she was the door that opened the flood gates. Dolly would witness a once healthy friendship and relationship crumble before her very eyes. She was the only one that could build the bridges back between the two of them. For now, the storm had yet to build.

The snow outside was still falling as the sun slowly crept up from its hiding place deep within the Eastern horizon. Diamond was now laying back down in her bed again. The duvet had been drawn over, building up the warmth again. The sound of her son's cries continued to echo around the room.

A small movement came from under the toasty covers. Diamond gave a small smile and slowly lifted the duvet. Looking into duvet, a small puppy lay. Origo was yawning and making himself comfortable again.

Two big and gentle hands moved the small pup gently up towards her. Origo gave a small whimper, the sound of Faramir's cries were disturbing him from his sleep.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said, tickling his warm, floppy ear.

For some reason, Origo seemed to make Diamond's tiredness return stronger then ever. The cries of her son slowly echoed out of all time. Origo slowly drifted back to his sleepy state as well.

Diamond continued to sleep right until a louder whine caught her. Faramir was now having a big tantrum. He, unlike his mother, had had a wink of sleep all night.

Diamond slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. The large duvet, which had been hugging her for most of the night, was then removed.

The sun turned the dark, inky blue night into a lighter blue. But there was still a clear whiteness spreading for as far as the eye could see.

"Well, I might as well be up" she thought, forgetting about Origo snoozing under the duvet as well.

But she soon remembered as the small pup flopped onto the duvet and gave a small whine. Diamond's heart melted at this sound.

"Oh, I'm sorry pup" she said, picking him and kissing him on the fluffy head.

The small toy turkey fell to the floor. Origo whined as he was slowly placed on the warm pillow. Diamond gave a small smile as Origo curled up into a small ball of fur again.

Diamond bent down and picked up the toy that had fallen on the floor. She placed it just by the very warm pup and smiled. Her attention was driven back to her son.

"Alright, alright" Diamond said, walking to the cot.

Something was wrong with Faramir. The fact that it was now morning made Diamond have a choice. She could stay here and see if Faramir would stop crying. Or, to go and visit Dolly.

"I think a bit of breakfast before we set off, don't you think?" she asked Faramir.

Faramir seemed to have calmed down a bit, but he was still not back to his bubbly self. So, giving a small smile, Diamond made her way to the kitchen for the second time that day.

The candles had not been put out from her last visit. Nor was the mug that had been left out since the last time she was here. Diamond looked into the mug. There was a few mouthfuls left, but the coldness had escaped. The milk was now off and undrinkable. Even Pippin wouldn't touch it if he was here.

Diamond walked over to the sink and poured it away. She took a deep breath and looked down at her son. She was no closer to finding out why Faramir was so upset.

Breakfast was then prepared. The same one had been prepared for Faramir since they got home. Normally, Diamond had a spare pair of hands to held her prepare breakfast.

But, due to only have one pair of hands, Diamond could not prepare such a glorious breakfast. But her breakfast could not been prepared or eaten at the moment. Faramir was more important.

In reality, breakfasts were either being prepared or eaten. A door continually opened and closed, giving a peak into what was going on there for a spilt second.

The Prancing Pony was now getting busier and busier as time wore on. People were congregating in the large, well lit room. A wooden bar had been built, housing drinks, mugs, glassing and a few barrels.

Butterbur Barliman was standing behind it, serving drinks. A few times, his mind got the better of him. Orders of food were coming in thick and fast. Ninety percent arrived on time, but only ten percent were either a few minutes later or did not arrive at all.

A young girl awoke to a warm room. A smile instantly came to her. She knew that today was the end of an era and the start of a new one.

The girl quickly got out of bed. It was then that the coldness hit her. But this did not bother her. Her cloths had been taken and cleaned, a new pair had been place out over night.

This made the girl's mood even better. For she had never received new cloths before. She inspected them with eager eyes.

The dress was not muddy or torn. There were no stains to speak of. In fact, it was perfect. So, without thinking about getting a wash, she tried it on.

A small mirror was hanging on the wall. It was the first time that the girl could look in the mirror and not had someone tell her she was not worth it.

"Maybe I should clean my hair" she thought, looking at the tangled mess.

So, the girl walked out of the room. The hall way was lighter and colder then the room she had just left. The bathroom was just down the corridor. It was one of two that the inn had. They were both used by the people who stayed within its walls. Even if it was for just a night or several nights.

The door had been left ajar meaning that the room was free to use. The old wooden door had a lock on the inside. Not only was this a way of keeping people out, but it was also to have a bit of privacy as well.

Inside, the room had a bath and a sink. Hanging on the wall, over the sink, was a mirror. The wall itself had been painted. There were deep cracks in the wall. The girl's eyes followed the crack from the top of the ceiling. It seemed to wind down the wall like a river as it made its way towards the wooden floor.

Flakes of paint seemed to fall with the slightest of touches. The sink had seen better days. The bowl was stained with unfamiliar stains.

There was no soap to speak of. Nor was there any towels.

"Well, this is not at all good" she said to herself, looking around.

"Maybe Barliman knows where they have wondered off to"

So, turning around, the girl unlocked the door and walked out. For some reason, she was now very aware of what she looked like. She could feel the dirt on her hair.

The young girl descended the wooden stairs and entered the lobby. Breakfast was in full swing. It took a few seconds to notice that Barliman was very busy.

"Maybe I should just leave him be" she said, rethinking her plan.

But it was not the girl that started to talk. Barliman spotted the young girl standing there. She was looking nervous as her eyes scanning the lobby.

"Excuse me, I'll be back in a moment" Barliman said, leaving the gentleman standing at the bar.

The young girl smiled as Barliman walked over to her.

"Ah, I see your ready for work" he said, giving a small nod.

But the girl had to disagree.

"Umm, not quite" the girl said.

"I haven't washed my hair in a while and there are no towels upstairs" she explained.

Barliman seemed to be annoyed at this news.

"No towels?" he asked.

"Well, this is wont do" he said.

So, getting distracted by the towel palaver, Barliman walked out on the lobby. The young girl followed him, wondering where he was going.

The two ascended the stairs. Barliman walked towards the bathroom. But he did not go to the room. Instead, he went to a small closet. Inside, there were wooden shelves stacked with fresh towels and buckets on the floor.

Barliman smiled as he turned. The closet door was closed.

"There you are" he said, handing them to the girl.

The girl gave a smile.

"Thank you" she said.

There was a moment of awkwardness before the girl spoke again.

"So, am I working at the bar today?" she asked.

Barliman's eyebrows raised quickly.

"Oh yes!" he said, remembering what he had promised.

"I have to admit, I completely forgot to be honest" he told her.

Barliman then thought about what the girl could help him with.

"Well, when you've washed yourself up, come down and find me" he said.

The girl nodded. A few seconds later, Barliman turned around, leaving the girl standing in the hall way, holding the towels.

Elanor Gamgee yawned as she walked into the kitchen. The smell of breakfast met her as the sound of her younger siblings grew louder.

Rosie Gamgee, Elanor's mother, was standing at hot oven. A wooden spatula was held in her left hand and the wooden handle of the pan in her right.

The pan was sitting over a flaming hob. The metal of the pan was scolding hot. So heat started to make the slices of thin bacon sizzle and cook.

Rosie turned around and looked at her daughter. Elanor took her place at the table. The table was getting very cramped. There was hardly any space to hold a knife and fork any more.

Elanor smiled as she spotted a rack of toasted bread in the middle of the table. A creamy slab of butter lay near to it. Elanor smiled as she reached over and took it in her grasp.

But her grip was not the best or the strongest. She quickly transferred to the free patch of table near her. The knife slid off of the edge and collided with edge of plate.

This made Elanor's heart jump. The sound was sudden and very loud. The knife lay still, a small bit of butter lay between the metal knife and the wooden table. Rosie looked around for a second, then looked back.

The sizzling bacon had now quietened as the pan was taken off of the heat.

"Oh, mind yourself, dear" she said as a little boy ran right past her.

Rosie smiled as started to place some of the sliced of bacon onto a plate. The table was also home to a freshly made loaf of white bread.

Rosie had, instead of putting the hot rashers of bacon onto her children's plates, put the rashers onto a separate plate. The children watched as their mother turned. Another few slices of bacon were placed in the hot, oily pan. It took a few seconds for bacon to start sizzle. Slowly at first, but the sound grew.

Elanor bit down on the crispy piece of toast. The young girl gave a smile as her hunger started to seep away. But, due to being a hobbit, it would take a lot for all of her hunger to go away.

Elanor continued to eat. She was now on her fifth slice. The bacon was now ready, along with plates of sausages, mushrooms, fried eggs and beans in Rosie's tomato sauce.

Rosie was also planning to make pancakes and muffins as well. It was a rare treat for her children. Normally, Rosie would be too busy to make them. But today, she had a special energy. One that she could put to good use. The hobbit smiled as she turned around. The eggs were the last to be cooked.

"Right" she said, dishing up the eggs onto the last plate.

"Eat up" she told them.

Elanor smiled as she looked at the plates. Rosie smiled as she took her seat. Frodo, who sat near to his father, was loading his plate with lots of rashers.

"That's enough, lad" Samwise told him.

Frodo's actions had been watched. The young boy took a deep breath as the plate was taken away from him. Samwise then started to load his plate up as well. The rest of his children, excluding Elanor, were too not capable of placing the hot rashers on their own plates.

So, after loading his plate, Samwise started to place bacon onto Merry's plate.

"Thank you, daddy" he said as Samwise finished.

Then, onto Rose's plates. But Samwise did not receive a "Thank you" from her. And Rosie noticed this.

"Rose, what do you say to your father?" she asked, sounding stern.

Little Rose looked up at her mother for just a split second. She then knew what her mother had said.

"Thank you, daddy" Rose said, giving a small smile.

"That's better" Rosie said, dishing out the food to the rest of the family.

Before long, everything had been dished out. Not a word was spoken while eating breakfast. For there was no time for it.

"Why waste time talking when you can use that time to eat?" is what a hobbit would say if you asked them.

Only the sound of metal on porcelain could be heard. The ever growing household were housed within a hillside, now covered by fresh, crisp snow.

In fact, it had been snowing for most of the night. And there seemed to be no let up in flurry coming down.

Origo's real world life was nothing compared to the events that would be happening if he had not lost his memory. For one, Origo would still be at home, in the warm. He would still be snoozing in a nice warm bed, cuddling up to his Diamond.

But, instead, he was snoozing on a very cold ground. His fur was covered in snow. But the small pup was not cold. In fact, the small fairy that was sitting on the branches on the tree near by.

She took a deep breath, thinking back to safer, warmer times. It had been a while since she last saw her friends. For some reason, her friends and the happenings in her life seemed to be coming back stronger then ever.

She could see her long and eventful life flashing in front of her. The adventure that she was now on was taking her toll on her.

Constant flying and magic was making her very tired.

"Maybe leaving the girl was a bad idea" she thought, looking down at the pup.

But it was not. Bree was just a few days away now. Ivy knew that they could find a place to stay at Bree.

"I mean, people don't know where he is going or why he is going there" she thought.

"Plus, I'm sure some little girl needs a puppy" she told herself, giving a small smile.

The alternate time line for Origo was much happier. The little pup was now awake. He was standing in the kitchen, looking up at his tired looking Diamond.

"Puppy, I told you I'll get you some in a minute"

Ori seemed to be pushing his Diamond to the limit. He did not understand that his Diamond was very tired and was looking after Faramir.

"I need help" Diamond told herself.

A small whine came from her puppy. Her eyes wondered down to the pup. For a moment, their eyes met. Diamond felt very strange looking at the pup. For some reason, Diamond could see deeper into his little brown eyes.

There was a lot of history hidden behind the dark brown eyes.

"But, he's only a puppy" Diamond told herself.

The strange feeling past as she continued to feed her son.

"Alright dear, we'll get you dressed and we'll go and see Dolly" Diamond told her son.

There were only a few spoonfuls of Faramir's breakfast left. Diamond took a deep breath, knowing her son was not hungry any more. But that did not bring her closer to knowing the true reason for his crying.

Origo gave a small whine, thinking Diamond was finished.

"Alright, lets get you your turkey" she said.

Origo's small tail started to wag as he watched his Diamond walked towards the door. But she did not open the cellar door. Instead, she walked out of the kitchen all together.

Diamond, after a few yards, heard her puppy bark.

"Ori, I'll be back in a minute" she said.

Origo stopped and watched her walk away. He was just about to turn back and wait in the kitchen when something fluttered very close to him. The pup stopped and looked at the point where he had seen the movement.

But there was nothing there.

His small eyes darted around for a moment, but the movement was forgotten. The small pup was now very hungry, he was desperate for his turkey.

Diamond, meanwhile, was now in her room. Her son was still crying, but not as much before.

"Mummy is just going to feed puppy and then she'll be back" she told him.

Origo yawned as he waited near the cellar door. As he did, something caught his eye again. A green glow streaked across the ceiling. But his reactions were too slow. Once again, he looked at the point where it came from.

And again, there was nothing there.

But, in fact, there was. A small green fairy was watching the puppy standing there. She giggled, placing her hand over her moth to stop her from laughing out loud.

Just then, Diamond walked into the kitchen. The cries of Faramir could be heard echoing down from her room. But, unlike other times where Faramir had started to cry, she did not go to him.

Instead, she looked down at the very warm and soft puppy standing at her feet.

"Right" she said, scooping up the puppy and holding him on her shoulder.

"Lets get you fed so that we can go to see Dolly" she said.

Origo gave a small whine and rested his fluffy head on his Diamond. The cellar door clicked as Diamond opened it. The temperature difference was felt right away. Not only Diamond felt it, but the small puppy did as well.

Ori gave a small whine and curled up, trying to stay warm.

"Puppy, it's not that cold" Diamond said.

She could feel the curly hairs on her feet start to move as the coldness got to them. Origo yawned as Diamond stopped. She knew exactly where the packets were.

This time, Diamond was not in the mood for playing. Neither was Origo. So, upon taking packet, Diamond walked out again.

The turkey did not need to be cooked. For Diamond had a constant supply of food. Most of Hobbiton had the same supplier. A cart would come around weekly and stop in front of each home.

The cart was full of food and drink. Many different packets of food were stored in the cart. Sacks of carrots, potatoes had been loaded into the cart too.

Smaller, paper packets of turkey, chicken, beef, sausages, pea pods, chocolate and a various other food had been stocked in the cart.

But food was not all that the cart held. Packets of the finest pipe weed and wooden pipes from distance lands. It had been a few days since the cart had rolled around. Diamond had gone out in the coldness by herself to help unload her food from the cart.

"Thank you" she said as the last wicker basket was placed by the front door.

The old hobbit smiled and gave a nod.

"I'll be back in a few hours to pick up the baskets" he said.

Diamond smiled and nodded. She turned around and closed the door behind her, keeping the warmth locked inside again.

Diamond yawned as she placed her small puppy on the ground. Origo whined, standing where he was placed. Diamond opened the cupboard and looked inside. There were many different bowls, plates and saucers stacked up. But all Diamond wanted was a bowl. And that's exactly what she took out.

Origo was very eager to start eating, having not since last night. The sound of paper ripping met his eats. The smell of turkey suddenly grew stronger.

The puppy's tail started to wag faster, knowing that food was just seconds away from being eaten. Diamond tipped the contents into the bowl. She smiled, knowing that Origo would have a very good meal with the amount in the bowl.

"Ah, ah, ah!" she said, stopping.

Origo whimpered, his eyes darting from the bowl in Diamond's hand, to her face. Diamond found this very cute and irresistible.

"Oh, fine" she said, placing the bowl on the floor.

Origo sprung into life, launching himself at the bowl. Diamond smiled, knowing that she would not get much done in the time that Origo would take to finish.

Diamond took a deep breath as she now had to focus on getting ready to go out. So, Diamond walked back to her room.

"Faramir, why are you still crying?" she asked, lifting her son out of the cot.

It was then that she realised that Faramir's forehead was very hot. Much hotter then hers.

"Your burning up, sweetie" she said, taking her hand off.

Now she knew that she needed Dolly more then ever. Diamond placed her son back in his cot and walked over to her wardrobe. There was no time to wash. She got out a dress from one of the hangers.

The coat hanger was place back after the dress had been taken off. It took her a few minutes to change. And, in the time it took her do to it, Origo had finished his turkey and had now come into the room. Faramir had continued to cry and the clock had chimed ten times.

"I'll be back in a moment, honey" she said, looking over at the baby.

She walked out of the room again, Origo following in her wake. Diamond walked down towards the front door. There, she took off her coat and started to quickly button it up.

"Puppy, stay here" she said, spotting Origo standing there.

The pup was now very confused. He watched his Diamond quickly walk back towards the room. Origo yawned and shook his head.

"Puppy!" said a sudden voice, making Origo jump.

But it was only Ivy. The puppy looked at her strangely.

"Puppy, what's happening?" she asked, hearing the cries of the small baby grow louder.

Just then, Diamond came back, holding Faramir in a large blanket. Ivy and Origo watched as Diamond walked past.

"Come on" she said, opening the door.

Origo followed suit, stepping out into the cold world. Diamond quickly closed the door behind her. The small puppy looked around, snowflakes were falling all around him.

"Origo, hurry up" Diamond snapped.

Origo whined and hurried on after her. The gate opened and Diamond walked through. Not wanting to be told off again, Origo scurried along as well.

Diamond could feel the coldness on her face. Small cold snowflakes impacted on her warm skin and melted. Origo's fur, on the other hand, was keeping him warmer then the coat that Diamond had on. But this did not mean Origo could not feel the coldness of winter. He whined, stopping ever so often to wipe the snow off of his little face.

Ivy struggled to keep flying near Origo. Diamond was walking quicker then normal. She shielded her son from the bitter onslaught.

Minutes in the coldness seemed to pass like hours. Diamond's feet were now getting numb. But Hobbits seemed to be more rugged then humans. But this did not mean they couldn't feel coldness.

Diamond could feel the crisp air in the back of throat. Her nose was running, but her son was more important. Only a few minutes had past since she left her house.

Behind a large, round, green door was Dolly's home. It was built like any other typical hobbit hole. It had a kitchen, dining room, lounge, cellar, pantry, library and study to name but a few.

Dolly was sitting in the lounge, a book in hand and a large mug of lukewarm tea on the table. It was then that she heard it.

Three distinctive knocks.

So, slowly placing a paper book mark within the pages. So that she would not forget her place, Dolly slowly got up. Her joints were stiffer then normal. The fire that raged in the heath helped with loosening them up. But they still caused her pain.

Diamond shivered as she stood there. The door seemed to open after what seemed like hours.

"Diamond?" asked Dolly, feeling the cold on her wrinkled face.

"Hello, Dolly"

Dolly then realised that it was in fact Diamond. So she opened the door further.

"You must be freezing!" she said.

"Do come in and quickly"

Diamond smiled and stepped over the threshold. Origo came scooting in a second later. Dolly smiled, seeing the small, wet puppy shake droplets of water from his fur.

"I see your enjoying the snow" she said, closing the door.

But it was just moments after Dolly realised that this was no laughing matter.

"Diamond, something's wrong" Dolly said.

Diamond's crystal eyes started to fill with tears.

"Oh, Diamond!" Dolly said, walking towards her and taking her free hand.

"There isn't anything to cry about, love. Now, come to the kitchen and we'll talk about it over a nice mug of tea"

Origo yawned as he looked around.

"This smells strange" he thought, sniffing the floor.

Ivy smiled, looking around as well. The house, like Diamond's, was very well decorated. Faded pictures hung on the wall. A semicircle shaped table stood just down the hall way. On it, a flickering candle. Its light made the shadows dance around every time it flickered.

Down the corridor, voices could be heard. Dolly and Diamond were now talking about what was happening.

"Ill?" Dolly asked, looking at the small baby.

Diamond nodded and slowly handed him over. Dolly loved new babies. That was one of the reasons she became a midwife.

Dolly surveyed the baby. The first sign of anything wrong was his screwed up face. It was Dolly noticed that Faramir's little forehead was very hot indeed.

"Hmm" she said, handing him back to his mother.

Diamond looked over at the old woman who was now walking away.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

But she did not receive an answer. Diamond took a deep breath, wondering if Dolly was even going to help her. But her answer came a few minutes later when Dolly returned. She was carrying a wooden box. Inside, small glass bottles with very old looking labels.

The lid was open to revile liquids and small tablets.

"What are those?" Diamond asked looking at the things that Dolly placed on the table.

"These might help little Faramir to get better" she said.

Her eye sight was getting worst in her old age. She had to squint to see what was written on the label. Bottle after bottle was taken out. But still, there was not right bottle.

Dolly took out a different looking bottle. There was a strange colour to it, akin to sand. But much finer. This was the right one.

"Ah ha" she said, giving a smile.

Diamond did not like the look of the white powder in the bottle.

"This is what my mother used on me when I was a baby" Dolly explained.

She smiled placing the bottle on the table. There was no note on this bottle. This made Diamond even more unsure if she should use it.

"This will help little Faramir to get back to his normal self in no time at all"

There was a concerned look on Diamond's face. She looked down at her son.

"Well, all I can do is try" she thought.

"Now, all you have to do is take a small pinch of this when he's having his milk. Best to warm the milk up first" she said.

"And, its safe, isn't it?" Diamond asked, her heart was telling her not to trust Dolly.

"Oh, very safe indeed. In fact, this came from one of the plants out in the garden" Dolly explained.

Diamond could do nothing more. If Dolly said that it was safe, safe it was.

"I guess I could try" Diamond said.

Dolly gave a small smile.

"You shouldn't need too much, the cold will be gone in a week if you give him it three times a day" Dolly explained.

Diamond nodded and took a deep breath. There was something else troubling Diamond's soul. And it must have shown on her face.

"Diamond?" asked Dolly.

Her wrinkly hand held a small bottle. She had been busily tidying them away, leaving the bottle that Diamond needed out.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down.

"It's Pippin" she said.

Dolly gave a small shake of the head.

"What had he done now?" Dolly asked.

Diamond looked over at her.

"He's done nothing, I threw him out" she answered.

This was surprising news for the old woman. This meant something bad has happened.

"Threw him out?" she asked.

"Why?"

Diamond now had to tell the story again. She knew that it would cause her pain to do so.

"It all happened when he forgot his promise. His promise that, this year, he would give me something nice for Yule. Of course, he forgot"


	76. Day Thirty Six, Part Two

There was a moment of silence. A small smile, knowing that she was a fool to believe him.

"I just could not have him around any more. I needed to be calm and peaceful, especially around Faramir. But now, I sort of regret sending him away"

Dolly was now sitting down, listening to every word.

"How could he do this to you?" she asked.

The fact that it was Pippin's idea to travel all the way Rivendell to help Diamond did not mean a thing. Dolly took a deep breath, thinking about what she could do to help.

"Do you think I should go and have a word with him?" Dolly asked.

Diamond gave a small shrug.

"You could try, but he hasn't come to see me. I don't think he even cares any more" Diamond told her.

In fact, Pippin cared very much. He wanted nothing more but to make up with the one he loved. But to him, it was impossible to win her back. But that did not stop him trying.

Pippin had been sitting at a writing desk. The quill he had been using was laying on the flat on the top section of the desk. A book was opened. Pippins eyes following the words that he had just written.

The book had few free pages left. Pip took deep breath, thinking about what he could do to fill them with. But nothing else came into his head.

"Maybe a drink" he said, smiling to himself.

He closed the book and left it on the small writing table. The chair scrapped on the tiled floor as Pippin stood up. Tiredness was getting to him as he looked at the clock.

"Not even lunch" he told himself, yawning as he did.

Paladin and Eglantine were in separate rooms. Paladin was working on letters he had received. There was a lot of business to tend with. Paladin was secretly gathering suppliers.

For Pimpernel's home was still just an empty shell, showing the path it took through the hill side. The snow that was falling on it covered nearly ever inch of the inside.

The cold wind was a strange reminder of what really happened that night. Fire had eaten everything inside, leaving an empty shell standing where her house was.

Pippin yawned as he made his way towards the kitchen. But there was someone already there. Eglantine was making her and Paladin a cup of tea each. The sound of metal on porcelain echoed around Pippin as he watched her actions.

Pippin took a deep breath and walked in. Upon hearing Pippin's entrance, Eglantine turned.

"I'm glad to see you awake" she said.

Pippin smiled, it was true Pippin had not spent as much time with his mother and father then he should have. Maybe because he was distracted by the book he was writing.

Now that Pippin's whereabouts were known, he might as well get what he came for. So, walking up to the cupboard, Pippin got out a large mug. Pip smiled as he closed the cupboard and walked towards the cellar.

Eglantine stopped preparing lunch for a moment. A silver knife with a wooden handle was held in one hand. A large pile of carrots were sitting on one side and an equally large pile of uncut carrots on the other.

Eglantine mumbled something, then went back to work.

Pippin smiled as he saw an old friend. A large barrel of ale. Ale was the only constant in Pippin's life. No matter the situation. Weather it be in the middle of war or the peacefulness of the Shire, ale was always drunk.

Ale was consumed more then any other drink in the whole Shire. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. All were accompanied by ale or beer.

And, in colder times, whiskey was drunk as well. It gave the drink warmth, especially when they had been out in the coldness.

Both Dolly and Diamond were preparing to venture out into the snowy world outside. Dolly smiled as she looked down at little Faramir, laying in her arms.

Diamond was buttoning up her coat. A small bottle was held in her warm hands. Dolly slow and gently past Faramir over to his mother.

"And do you think he'll be there?" Diamond asked, the crying baby how in her arms.

Dolly took a deep breath.

"I do not know" Dolly answered, shaking her head.

"But I'll do my best to find him"

Diamond took a deep breath and placed the little bottle in her pocket. The door opened and let in a wave of coldness. The snow was still coming down as they left. Origo had been busy exploring the house.

"Ori, come on dear" Diamond said, fighting the coldness.

Origo whined as he stepped outside in the coldness. But his coldness seemed short lived as a small fairy fluttered by him.

"Is that better?" Ivy asked.

For it was her that made the puppy warm. Origo nodded and made his way behind Dolly and Diamond. He bound through the gate, making Diamond smile. She wrapped Faramir up in the coldness. His cries were drowned out by the wind blowing in his mother's ears.

Diamond and Dolly parted ways. Diamond had her head down, fighting against the bitter wind blowing at her. Snow flakes were still battering against her. Some were hitting her in the face. They started to melt where they stuck. In her hair, on her coat, on her hands and feet.

The warmth of her house could not have come soon enough as she opened the gate. The small latch was then taken off and the gate swung open.

Origo was not too far behind his Diamond. He too was getting snow flakes stuck on his fur. The puppy's ears were snowy and wet as he ran up to the door.

Diamond opened the door to her house. As soon as it was wide enough, Origo scooted into the warmth. Diamond smiled as she entered her house a couple of seconds later.

The door was then closed, shutting out the unwanted coldness and keeping in the pleasant warmth. Diamond took a deep breath and looked at the floor. Origo had, where his paws had met the tilted floor, splashed small droplets of water on the floor.

But Diamond could not complain as she saw her foot prints shining on the tiles. Ori gave a small whimper, turkey was now needed.

"Alright, honey, I'll get you some food in a minute" she said.

Meanwhile, Dolly had reached Merry's door. She knocked three times and waited. In the real world, she was doing the exact same thing. Diamond had just gotten home. But there was no small puppy with her. Nor a small, invisible fairy with him.

Merry opened the door in both worlds.

"Hello?" he asked, trying not let the coldness in.

"Merry?" Dolly asked.

This voice was familiar to him.

"Dolly?" he asked, opening the door wider.

Dolly stood there, a smile came over her face.

"Are you going to let an old hobbit stand in the cold?" she asked.

This made Merry act.

"Of course not, do come in!" he said, moving out of the way.

Dolly smiled as she made her way indoors. Merry quickly closed the door.

"Would you like some tea?" Merry asked, taking her coat.

Dolly was very cold. She smiled.

"Tea would be lovely thank you" she said.

Merry smiled and nodded. The coat was hung up. The two of them made their way towards the kitchen. The kettle was sitting off of its hook. But the flames were still flickering.

"So" Merry said, taking the kettle.

"Why did you come to visit me?" Merry asked.

Dolly took a deep breath and took a little look out of the door.

"I've come to talk to Pippin" she said.

Merry, who was now at the sink, stopped. The tap was filling the kettle. Merry did not want to talk about Pippin.

"Pippin?" he asked, looking around.

Merry knew that he was close to telling her where Pippin was. But Merry did not say anything else. He carried the kettle over to the rusted hook. He quickly, but carefully, placed the kettle on the hook.

"Merry?" asked Dolly.

Merry took a deep breath.

"Pippin isn't here anymore" Merry answered.

Dolly found this strange.

"Why not?" she asked.

Merry knew that he could not hide the reason any more.

"Because we had an argument" Merry told her, taking a seat.

The water in the kettle slowly started to heat up. But it would be a few more minutes before the water was hot enough to pour into mugs.

"An argument?" Dolly asked, knowing that Merry and Pippin were close friends.

"About what?"

Merry took a deep breath and looked down.

"Well, Pippin was writing something about me in a book. But he didn't tell me what it was" he explained.

This was very strange.

"Very strange, I don't think Pippin has ever written a book before" Dolly told him.

Merry gave a small nod.

"I tried to get the book without him knowing. But, it did not go to plan"

Merry gave an embarrassed smile. But Dolly was not impressed.

"You tried to steal it, didn't you?" she said, shaking her head.

"I wanted to know what he was writing about" Merry said, knowing that it was a good enough reason to take it.

"But, if he wanted to keep it secret, don't you think you should have just let it be?" Dolly asked.

But Merry did not think so.

"But, if I wrote something about you, would you not like to know what it was?" Merry asked her.

This was a very difficult question. Yes, Dolly would like to know what was being written about her. But, on the other hand, she did not.

"Yes, but I would ask permission first" she explained.

"But that's what I did!" Merry told her.

Dolly took a deep breath, looking past Merry to the kettle. A small bit of steam was now pouring out of the top as the water inside gently bubbled.

"I don't know, Merry. Pippin needed a place to stay, but you threw him out. Who knows where he is, he could be in a ditch somewhere for all we know"

But Merry did not seem to care. He shook his head.

"Well, it was his fault. He just should have let me read what he had been writing" he said.

This was the last straw for Dolly.

"I'm sorry Merry, but if your going to act like that, then I have to leave" she said, standing up.

Merry was surprised by this. But he did not do anything as Dolly pushed the seat in. Merry continued to sit there as he watched the old woman walk out.

Merry's mood took a sudden down turn as, a minute later, the large front door closed. Merry took a deep breath. He knew that he should have told Dolly what he wanted to tell Pippin.

But the time had now past as Merry stood up. A cloth was the picked up. It was to protect his hand while he lifted the scorching hot kettle off of the hook.

The flame grew hotter as Merry approached it. Merry turned and walked to the table. Not only was the kettle hot, but the weight of the water made it heavier. A mug was standing on the table mat where he had been sitting.

The hot water was then poured inside. Merry smiled as enough water had been poured in for his liking. The kettle was then place back on the hook, keeping the water hot.

A small box lay to one side of the tea pot. The box was full of rich smelling tea leaves. But these leaves were green. They were brown and shrivelled.

Merry took a hand full and placed them in the mug he had placed out for his tea. It then occurred to him that there was no food on the table.

Dolly had came and left without a bite to eat.

"Well, she should have stayed" Merry told himself as he opened the cellar door.

Dolly was now on the way towards Paladin's house. Distances in Hobbiton were not all as short as they would have liked.

The Green Dragon, which could be seen through the sheets of snow still falling around her. The fresh snow made no sound as she walked over it.

But the snow did leave a clue as to where Dolly had been. Large foot prints led all the way back to Merry's door. But they were slowly being covered by the fresh snow.

Pippin, meanwhile, was now getting hungry. His tiredness did not seem to go away.

"Maybe I should just go back to bed" he thought.

But his mind was changed almost instantly. The door slowly creaked open. Eglantine walked in, followed by a warm wave of smell. Not a bad smell, but a welcoming smell for most hobbits.

Cooking.

"Pippin, lunch is ready" she said.

Pippin smiled, grabbing the empty mug that had once been full of ale and stood up. The kitchen was just down the hallway. Eglantine slowly made her way back towards the kitchen. She was followed by, in hobbit standards, taller son.

Paladin was already in the kitchen, placing bowls of food on table. Pippin smiled as he walked in and took his place. Paladin placed the last of the bowls in the spaces that he could find.

A pot of rich brown gravy was simmering on the hot stove. Eglantine picked up the wooden spoon laying on the work top. A few seconds later, she started to stir. Pippin, having placed his empty mug near the sink, took his seat.

He had been seated for less then a minute before knocks echoed down from the front door. Eglantine looked around, a confused expression came over her face.

"I wonder who that could be" she said.

She was just about to place the wooden spoon down, but she was caught just before she did it.

"I'll get it" Pippin said, getting up.

Eglantine smiled and turned back to her gravy. Pippin walked out of the room and down the corridor. The candles flickered as he walked past. The large front door came into view. Pip walked up to it and opened the door.

Standing on the colder, opposite side was Dolly. A smile came over both of them.

"Dolly, please come in!" he said, opening the door wider.

Dolly walked in, her feet very cold now. The coldness could be felt on Pippin's warm cheeks. But he was not as cold as Dolly.

"Oh, are you in the middle of lunch?" Dolly asked.

Pippin shook his head.

"No, their just dishing up" he said, watching the old woman hand her coat on the hook.

There was a moment of silence, which was then broken by Pippin.

"Would you like some?" he asked.

A smile came over Dolly.

"Thank you very much, Pippin" she said.

Pippin smiled and turned. The two of them walked back down the corridor. Pippin was the first one into the kitchen, closely followed by Dolly.

"Oh, Dolly" said Eglantine sitting down at her place.

In one hand, she had a large silver spoon. In the other, a large bowl of roasted potatoes.

"I wasn't expecting you" she said.

Eglantine then stood up. Pippin took his place again as Eglantine moved the bowls around. She then walked to a draw and took out a table mat. Another plate was taken out of cupboard and placed on the tablemat.

A silver knife and silver fork was then placed on either side of the plate.

"Would you like a drink?" Eglantine asked, pulling out the spare seat.

Dolly smiled as she sat down.

"Just a mug of your best ale" she answered.

Eglantine smiled and walked towards the cellar. Pippin yawned as he sat.

"So, Dolly, what is your reason for coming to see us this fine evening?" Paladin asked, placing a bowl down and picking up another.

Dolly smiled, picking up a bowl as Eglantine came back into the kitchen. She placed the mug of ale before Dolly and wondered back over to the oven. The pot of gravy was now bubbling gently. The spoon was then taken out of the thick mixture.

Eglantine took a quick lick of the spoon. The taste was very pleasant as it caught her tongue. A smile came over her as she picked up the gravy boat.

Eglantine poured the steaming hot gravy into the white porcelain boat. She smiled, placing the pan on a wooden board near by. She turned around, making sure that she did not spill a drop on the floor.

"Well, I was just here to talk to Pippin" Dolly said.

Eglantine placed the boat on table.

"Me?" he asked, placing honey roasted parsnips on his plate.

Dolly nodded, picking up a bowl. This one was full of shire sprouts, grown within the boundaries of the Shire. Nearly everything on the table, be it ale, beer or chicken, had been either grown or brewed in the Shire.

"Yes, it's about Diamond" she said.

Pippin took a deep breath, stopping what he was doing. He knew that this day would have come. Both Eglantine and Paladin were looking at their son.

Pippin caught onto this.

"Could we talk about this in the other room?" he asked, taking a quick glance at his parents.

Dolly took a deep breath.

"Sure" she said.

So, the two of them rose from their seats and left the room. They headed a short way down the corridor.

"So" said Pippin, his mood seemed to have changed.

"Did you see Diamond then?" he asked, turned to face her.

Dolly took a deep breath. She knew that she was now caught in the middle of an argument that she did not want to be a part of.

"Yes" she answered.

Pippin did not seem to be surprised. In fact, he wished that he had not suggested leaving the room.

"And, what did she say?" Pippin asked.

Dolly looked down.

"Well, she explained to me that you two had an argument and that she threw you out" Dolly told him.

Pippin shook his head.

"I know the reason why" he said, leaning on the wall.

"What reason is that?" she asked, seeing if their stories matched up.

Pippin fiddled with the bottom button of his waistcoat.

"Because I let her down" Pippin answered, taking a deep breath.

"I forgot to get her a Yule present and now she hates me" he said, looking away.

He could not bare the gaze of Dolly.

"She doesn't hate you" Dolly said, shaking her head just a little.

But Pippin did not think that was so.

"Then why did she throw me out?" he asked.

Dolly thought that Pippin knew the answer to this.

"She couldn't take your behaviour. She is very tired and very fragile at the moment. You let her down Pippin. You let her down when she most needed you" she answered.

It suddenly hit Pippin. After all that happened, Pippin was a fool to walk out. Even when she said she did not want him there, he knew he should have at least tried to stay.

"Then what shall I do?" he asked.

Dolly took a deep breath. She knew that she could not make the right choice for Pippin.

"I can not help you with that, you'll have make that choice yourself" she told him.

The conversation came to an awkward end.

"Come on, lets finish dinner" she said.

Pippin took a deep breath and followed Dolly back to the kitchen. Neither of them knew that Paladin and Eglantine had eavesdropped on the conversation.

Pippin and Dolly took their seats again and continued to eat. Eglantine, knowing every word that was said, could not help but dart her eyes over to Pippin.

Luckily, Pippin was paying more attention to loading his plate with food then spotting his mother's actions. Pippin's mind was working over time. He needed to make his own decisions and he needed to make it soon.

He needed to make up his mind. But he was fighting a battle between two voices in his head.

One voice was telling him to go and see Diamond.

"You know you want to" it said, appealing to Pippin.

"Yes" he told himself, giving a small smile.

His confidence was slowly rising. Only to be crushed by a second voice. This one did not give Pippin the confidence that he needed.

"But what if she doesn't want you there any more?" the voice asked.

Pippin's confidence started to plummet. It was true, he knew that he could not face the fact that Diamond might not want him around any more.

But he had to try. There was no harm in giving Diamond the book he had been working on.

"Maybe that will show her how much I want her back" he thought, pouring think, warm gravy on his dinner.

Unusually, Pippin was the last to start eating. And, when he did, he was also the slowest. The hobbit had lost what appetite he had. Food did not seem important at this moment in time.

The pile of potatoes were the first to be finished, closely followed by the gravy soaked vegetables. A large, steaming pile of hot chicken was next to be consumed.

Pippin slowly caught up with the others sitting around the table. In fact, he was now starting to eat more and more. His appetite now returning.

But Pippin was having a better lunch then Diamond. She was sitting in her warm lounge, stomach rumbling. But she had more important things to think about.

In her arms, a crying Faramir lay. Diamond was holding his bottle in her free hand. The small bottle of mixture that Dolly had give her had been placed into the warm milk.

"But not too much, just a pinch" Dolly told her.

And that's exactly what Diamond did. She only put a small touch of the white powder into his milk. Faramir seemed to calm down just a little as he drunk his milk.

Diamond smiled as the level of milk seemed to go down the more he continued to drink. And drink he could. The whole bottle was nearly empty by the time he gave a small whine.

"Very good" Diamond said, leaning over gently and placing the bottle on the table.

Faramir gave a little yawn. The warm milk had made his very sleepy. Diamond found this very cute. Faramir's eyes were now slowly starting to close as tiredness gripped him and pulled him into the land of dreams.

Diamond slowly stood up, trying not to wake her son. She walked out of the room into the corridor. Diamond entered her room.

The fire was crackling very pleasantly, keeping the room warmer then normal. The small round window was frosted over, but a small around of white light made its way in.

Diamond walked over to the cot and gently placed her sleeping son on his back. She smiled, waiting a few seconds to see if he would wake.

But he did not.

Diamond turned around and walked out of the room. It was like second nature to leave her door open now. Hunger was now on Diamond's mind. She knew exactly what to make herself.

So, walking to the kitchen, she started to prepare her lunch. It would not be as extravagant as the lunches she would normally prepare for herself. She was just not up to cooking much today.

Diamond yawned as she brought out a fresh loaf of bread and some eggs. She placed them down on the counter just beside the cool, unlit oven.

She smiled as she opened the cupboard and took out two clean plates. A minute later, after they had been placed out, a large cutting knife was taken out.

Slices of bread were cut off of the loaf, creating crumbs. Four large slices were created. This was enough for Diamond.

She could now focus on preparing the eggs. A silver fork was then picked out and used. The shells of the eggs were cracked, spilling its yolk onto the white plate.

Diamond did this seven more times until there were eight circular yolk swimming in a sea of egg white. The fork was then used to beat up the egg so that the yolks spilt.

A small dash of salt and pepper were added to the mixture. The fire was now very much alive and pulsing, ready to heat up anything that came close.

An old looking pan was then taken out of the cupboard. Diamond placed it on the hot hob. She then walked over to the other side of the oven and picked up a vase of amber liquid.

This was oil.

The hobbit heaved the large vase up and started to pour the liquid into the pan. Diamond smiled, seeing that enough had been poured in for her liking.

She then had to wait. Wait for the oil to heat up and expand. It took a few minutes to do so. Diamond could feel the heat radiating off of the pan.

It was then she took her first slice of bread. She dipped the bread into the egg. One side, then the other. The slice of bread soaked up the egg. Diamond smiled as she lifted it over to the pan.

Sizzling erupted from the pan as the egg started to fry. It did not take long for the smell of the egg to hit her. Diamond had to go to the draw again. This time, for a wooden spatula.

Small bubbles were popping at the egg cooked. Diamond used the spatula to flip the bread over. The side that had been laying face down was now browner.

The oil was helping the speed of cooking. And it took a few more minutes to brown. Diamond flipped the slice of bread over.

"That'll do" she said.

She repeated this a few more times. In doing so, the amount of egg on the plate started to go down. The last slice had cooked and placed on the plate. But there was still some left.

"Hmm" Diamond said, thinking to herself.

She lifted the plate up, looking at the egg. The egg was then poured into the pan. It fizzled and sizzled, quickly turning from liquid to a solid. Diamond smiled, she loved how quickly it took.

It took a minute or two to prepare the omelette. Diamond had set the table. A knife and fork had been set out along with a mug of ale.

Diamond took the pan off of the heat and placed it on a wooden board. The plate was picked up. A bit of steam slithered into the air and vanished.

Meanwhile, Pippin and his family had finished their lunch. Pippin had now made his mind up. He was going to see Diamond.

"Well, that was most splendid, Eglantine" Paladin said.

His hunger had been tamed and thirst replenished. Dolly was feeling the exact same way.

"Well, I best be getting home. I have my duties to attend to" she said.

Eglantine smiled and stood up.

"It's been lovely having you dear" she said, giving Dolly a hug.

"Same to you dear" Dolly answered.

For a moment, Pippin's eyes met Dolly's. Her look said more then she had when they talked. Dolly was confident that Pippin would not let her down.

Dolly and Eglantine left the room, leaving Pippin and Paladin in their seats. Like Eglantine, Paladin's eyes could not help but slither over to his son.

"So, err" he started, trying to make conversation.

"What will your plans be for today?" he asked.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked deep into his mug of ale. The level had sunk dramatically since the start of dinner. Pippin took deep breath and downed the rest of his ale.

Paladin took a deep breath.

"I think you should go and see her" Paladin said.

Pippin looked over at his father. It took a few seconds to understand his words.

"You heard what me and Dolly talked about" Pippin said slowly.

Paladin took a deep breath, knowing that he had said the wrong thing.

"Don't blame me for your mistakes" Paladin told him, seeing that Pippin was going to start arguing.

This did not help matters as much as Paladin would have liked. Pippin suddenly stood up. There was an awkward moment where Paladin braised himself for an onslaught of shouting.

But it never came.

Instead, there was silence as Pippin walked out. He knew what he needed to do. Pippin stomped all the way to the room he was staying in. There, he picked up his book.

"Better late then never" he told himself.

So, turning around, he walked out of the room again. Paladin was standing outside the kitchen. He could hear his son preparing for the cold journey over to see Diamond.

Paladin knew that Pippin would not back out now. Pippin took his coat off of the hook and put it on. The closed book lay at his feet as he did the brass buttons up.

"You be careful out there" Eglantine said, standing a few feet away.

Pippin looked at her, but said not a word. He turned to the door and opened it. A cold blast of air entered the house. A few seconds later, the door closed, leaving Eglantine standing there.

Diamond was finishing up her lunch. Surprisingly, it was rather filling for her. But there was some corners that needed to filled.

"I think a nice slice of chocolate cake" she thought.

This made her smile as she finished up the last of her food. She took a deep breath and stood up. Tiredness was getting to her again.

"Maybe a little sleep" she said, placing the plate by the sink so it reminder her to wash it up.

She was just about to enter the cellar when knocks came echoing down from the large door. Diamond stopped for a moment, listening.

"Was that the door?" she asked herself.

The cake would have to wait for now. Pippin was shivering as he waited outside. He did not have to wait any longer as the door opened.

It took Diamond a few seconds to realise who it was.

"Pippin?" she asked.

Peregrin gave a small, but cold, smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

She could feel the coldness fighting the warmth.

"I've come to talk to you" Pippin said, sounding and looking very cold.

Diamond thought about this for a moment.

"Alright" she said, letting him in.

Pippin was grateful of this. So, he walked in.

"What do you need to say?" Diamond asked, closing the door with a click.

Pip took a deep breath.

"This" he said, just getting to the point.

Diamond looked down. Her big blue eyes focused on a book.

"I made it for you" Pippin said.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"You made it?" she asked, her blue eyes darting from Pippin to the book.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"It's the best I can do" he said.

Diamond slowly took the book from him. She started to wonder what had been written inside. Maybe a story for her.

"Or could it be some recipes?" she asked herself.

This option was quickly dismissed. For Pippin hardly ever cooked for Diamond.

"Thank you" she said, holding the book.

Pippin had one more thing he wanted to say. But he was not sure how to. He was not sure what Diamond would say.

"Could I…" he started, but stopped.

Diamond seemed to know Pippin better then he knew she did.

"You want to see Faramir, don't you?" she asked.

Pippin gave a small smile and a nod.

"Only for a few minutes, he's not been very well and he's sleeping" she said.

So, Pippin and Diamond walked down the hall way. Pippin noticed how tidy the floors looked. But Diamond noticed how dirty they were.

The door that lead into Diamond and Pippin's room had been left ajar. Diamond slowly opened it and walked in. Pip followed Diamond inside. The two of them walked over to the cot.

It was then that that Pippin laid eyes on his son for the first time in many days. Pippin was surprised about how much hair Faramir had. It was exactly like his.

"He's beautiful" Pippin said.

Diamond was standing further back. There were a million things to say to Pippin. But the time was not right. Pippin wished that he could hold his son. But the fact that Faramir was sleeping held him back.

"He's got your hair" Diamond said, standing there.

Her blue eyes glinting in the light of the candles. Pippin turned around. There was a strange vibe coming from Diamond. One that was easily picked up on.

There was a strange silence between the two of them.

"I…" Pippin said, trying to muster the words.

But they did not come. Pippin took a deep breath and looked back at his son one last time.

"I have to go" he said.

Diamond did not want this to happen. But it did. She watched Pippin walk out. This made her very upset indeed. She hoped that they could sort things out.

Diamond was desperate to have Pippin back.

"If only he saw that I needed help" Diamond told herself.

The large front door slam. Diamond took a deep breath and looked down at the book. She was now at a fork in the road.

Down one path, she could read the book and think about letting him back. Or, not read the book. The two forks in the road were appealing in their own ways.

Diamond placed the book down on the small table beside the bed.

"I think I should think about it" she told herself.

The hobbit sat on her bed and laid down. Her head hit the pillow. Now was the only time she could think deeply about what to do.

But her mind was a hard thing to make up. A war seemed to be fought in the very depths of her mind. Even though she wasn't doing anything except lay there, tiredness was growing quickly.

Without knowing it, Diamond had fallen into a dreamless sleep.


	77. Day Thirty Seven, Part One

Ivy and Origo had been walking for most of the freezing night. The snow, which was laying on the frozen ground was deep. It was so deep that Origo struggled to walk. His tiny paws were weighed down with the snow clinging to them.

Ori's small pink tongue was hanging out as he bounded through the deep layer of snow. The snow around the fairy and pup was deep and untouched.

The snow was now easing up. But there were more hours to come. The sky, for all directions, was just a carpet of white. The visibility was cut down to only a few hundred meters.

But, there was a break in the solid white wall. The trees broke up the sky line, standing like grey towers out of the white ground.

Snow was thinner on the ground in large, ancient forests. The trees had a band of snow running down one side of the tree indicating the direction the wind came from.

Prints were visible in the thin crust of snow laying on the freezing soil. Drips were falling from the leafless canopy above. Birds were still fluttering around.

Big, black Crows, small Robins and Coal Tits. There were still bushes of green that attracted bird life. For there were small red berries. The bush seemed to be teeming with life. Birds for miles around fluttered to the food. But this bush was not only one growing.

There were many more bushes full of the reddest berries. Yet birds were not the only animals to feed off of them. Small deer wondered freely through the forest along with red coated foxes.

In the depths of night, large nocturnal Owls fluttered without a whisper from their large wings. They swooped down like ghosts. Their target had only a few milliseconds to react. But it was not enough.

Large, sharp talons came down and imprisoned the small mouse. It was then taken away, shrieking in terror. But nothing would save it from the Owl above it.

But this was a natural cycle in the forests all around Middle-earth. Creatures would live to feed others. But now, as the sun rose, the owls flew back to their roosts.

This left the day for the other animals. But some were still up, away from their dens and nests. Foxes were still seen, scavenging for any morsels of food that had not been consumed.

Origo and Ivy continued towards an unknown bridge. But this was not the first time Origo had crossed this bridge. That memory would return soon enough. But for now, it was hidden in the depth of his mind.

A small whimper came from the puppy who had stopped in the coldness. Ivy took a few seconds to notice this. She was concentrating too much on flying.

"Puppy?" she asked, fluttering back.

The wind made it easier for her to fluttering back, pushing in the right direction. The small fairy landed near by the small pup.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper. He was visibly shivering.

"Are you cold?" she asked.

The pup gave her a look, confirming his coldness.

"I'm hungry too" he whined, making unintentional puppy eyes.

Ivy could not resist this cuteness. But then, she needed to get moving. They had to cover as much distance as possible.

Easier said then done.

The snow had slowed Origo's progress. His little legs and paws were no match for the amount of snow that he had to walk trough.

It was much easier for Ivy to move. But even then, she had the strong, bitter wind to contend with. Her small wings gave her just enough power to flutter in the direction that she needed to go.

"Well, lets just go a little bit further and then we can have food" Ivy said.

But Origo's stubbornness came into play. His looked changed to one of disapproval.

"But, I'm hungry now!" he whined.

Ivy did not like the tone Origo was talking to her in.

"Now, puppy. We've been over this. You'll get food when you behave" Ivy told him.

Ivy knew that she was now going to have to argue with him. Once Origo had made his choice, there would be nothing to change his mind.

"But why, I haven't eaten yet!" he whined, getting very annoyed.

Ivy knew that she had fed Origo already. He always needed his turkey when he woke up. But sometimes this was not enough. Sometimes Origo would feel like he needed another plate of turkey. And today was no different.

"Puppy, I gave you a large plate of turkey right before we left!" Ivy told him.

Origo gave this a seconds thought.

"Then why not give me another one?" he asked.

Ivy was getting very annoyed now.

Should she give in?

"It might be easier, then we can get going" she thought.

Ivy took a deep breath, coming to an answer.

"Puppy, if I give you turkey, will you continue walking with me?" she asked.

Origo had to think about this for a moment. After a few seconds, he nodded. Ivy gave him a big smile as a plate of warm, juicy turkey appeared right in front of Origo's little wet nose.

The puppy started to eat a split second later. Ivy giggled, still amazed at the speed this small pup was eating. All through out the land, food was being consumed. None more then in the Shire.

Rosie was standing at the hot oven. The news that she was expecting another baby gave her a warm feeling inside. But her other children did not know.

For now, only Samwise and her knew. And that's the way that they would keep it.

Elanor, the oldest of the Gamgee's, entered the room. Tiredness could be seen trying to pull her back into a world of dreams. But food pulled her more towards the wakening world.

The young girl took her seat along with her younger siblings. Frodo had yet to show himself, even with Samwise asking him to get up every so often.

Rosie had made the same delicious breakfast as yesterday. Bacon, crispy chips, eggs, mushrooms, sausages and toasted bread. All were on their own plates, ready to be dished up.

"Dig in" Rosie said, smiling.

Samwise came in, fully dressed. He said not a word as he walked to his place. The children were also quiet. Rosie was dishing out the mushrooms.

"More!" Merry said, looking at the large pile on his plate.

But Rosie did not.

"More, more, more!" he said, getting angry.

"Now, now" Sam said, looking at his son.

Merry took a huff and sat back. Rosie moved on to her next child. Elanor picked up a plate full of warm sausages. She loved breakfast as much as she did lunch or dinner.

A crispy piece of toast was taken from the metal toast rack. A creamy block of butter had been laid out on the table. But it was too far out of reach.

"Could you pass the butter, please?" Elanor asked.

Rosie smiled, standing up and picking up the butter. She then passed it over to her oldest daughter.

"Thank you" Elanor said, taking it with both hands.

A silver spreading knife had been cut into the soft butter. Elanor grasped the handle. She smiled as a crunchy sound erupted as she started to spread the butter.

The toast slowly melted butter. But it was not hot enough to melt all of it. Elanor finished spreading and picked it up.

She surveyed the toast for a second, then took a large bite. The butter had seeped through to the heart of the thin slice.

Rosie continued to dish out the food. Elanor's plate began to look tempting indeed. The sausages were brown and juicy, perfect for taming hungry stomachs.

Mushrooms were Elanor's favourite by far. Rosie knew how to cook them perfectly. For she had many years of practice. She had learn all she knew from her mother. She had spent many hours watching and cooking meals.

Rosie had cut potatoes into chips. They turned a golden brown colour as they fried. Rosie smiled, flipping each one of them over.

The bacon was the last thing to start cooking. The scent of the bacon seemed to over power every smell before it. But, to Rosie, it only lasted a few minutes.

Her nose got used to it, unlike Samwise who could smell it as he walked in the room. The rashers were now cooling on one of the plates. But the quantity was slowly decreasing as more rashers were being consumed.

Elanor smiled as her mother placed a few hot chips on her plate.

"Thank you" Elanor said.

Rosie was finally ready to eat, having made sure all of her children had been dished out a fare amount of food. As always, there was no talking around meals times. Everyone was enjoying Rosie's cooking.

The wooden clock gently chimed on the wall. Nine times it did so. The chimes rang out around the kitchen. Elanor looked over at the clock to see the hour hand pointing at nine and the minute hand pointing up towards the twelve.

There were no schools in the Shire. Rosie and Sam had pasted down what they knew to their children. Most hobbits had learnt to write because of their parents.

In the summer months, boys and girls of every ages were taken out into the heat of day. Each mother and father had a responsibility to teach their children the ways that their own mothers and fathers had taught them.

The young hobbit lads would be taught either gardening or wood work. Young Frodo Gamgee would start this in the summer.

Rosie Gamgee was, due to the weather being cold, teaching Elanor, Frodo, Merry and Rose how to spell and write.

Today was one of the days that Rosie taught her children. Samwise could do nothing but watch. The time of year was not right for gardening.

Breakfast took another half an hour to eat. And, in that time, all of the children, plus Rosie and Sam, were now full and happy. Their hunger had been tamed. But the beast of hunger would only be tamed for a few hours.

"Remember that you have to learn your writing today" Rosie said, looking at Merry and Rose.

Merry and Rose seemed to have the best relationship out of the Gamgee siblings. Where as Elanor and Frodo did not.

The two of them had a love-hate relationship. At times, there was peace between them. Both Frodo and Elanor nearly always tried to get each other into trouble.

Right now, Elanor was the one that was in trouble. But it was no fault of Frodo's. She had gotten into her own mess.

Elanor had, just a few days before, had stolen one of her father's most precious possessions.

The Red Book.

The book was very special to Sam. He counted it as priceless. Even Rosie was not allowed to read it. But read it was exactly what Elanor did.

"Elanor?" he asked, spotting the book.

Elanor froze, her and her father's eyes were locked on each others.

"Where did you get that?"

There was a moment of stunned silence.

"I… I…" Elanor said, but she could not muster the words.

"Is that…" Samwise started.

"Is that my book?" he asked.

Elanor's words had disappeared. She could see confusion slowly turn into anger in her father's eyes.

"Answer me, is that my book?" repeated her father.

Worry was steadily growing. Elanor gave a small nod, too scared to speak. Sam scowled at his oldest daughter.

"Give me the book, Elanor" he said, taking a few steps forward.

But Elanor was took scared to move. A small tear ran down her face.

"The book, now!" said Sam in a raised voice.

Elanor quickly handed over the book. She could hear her father's breathing. He was very angry at her and she knew it.

"Elanor, do you know what you have done?" he asked.

Sam's voice was stern and to the point. Elanor did not like this one bit.

"Daddy I'm sorry" she said.

But no amount of apologising could make Sam change his mind. But Sam was not the only person that Elanor had to worry about.

Rosie then walked into the room.

"Sam, what's the matter?" she asked.

An apron had been tied around her, keeping her dress clean.

"This one" he said, looking angrily around at his wife.

"Has been into our room!" he snapped.

Rosie was confused.

"Into our room?" she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

"And she stole this!" he said.

It was then that Rosie saw the book. Her eyes darted from the Red Book, to her daughter.

"Elanor?" Rosie asked.

She could see tears running down her daughter's face. A wave of disappointment washed over her as she took a deep breath.

"Mummy" Elanor whimpered.

But Rosie just slowly shook her head.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Elanor" she said.

Samwise walked out of the room, taking the book with him. There were many things running through his mind. He could hear his children playing in the lounge, just down the hall way.

Samwise thought that he would never see the day where his own daughter stole off of him. But the day had come. Samwise walked into his warm room, the fire was still feeding off of the wood that had been put in there.

The hobbit knelt down and dragged out the wooden box where he had stored the book. It was obviously that Elanor had come into the room. The lid that had sealed the book in the box was askew.

Sam took a deep breath and gently placed the priceless book inside. He took a deep breath and placed the lid on top.

Meanwhile, Rosie had closed the bedroom door and took a deep breath. Just then, an angry looking Sam came marching back.

"Sam, we need to talk about this" Rosie said.

But Sam was not interested.

"She needs to be punished" he said.

Rosie did not like the sound of this.

"But, she's only a child" she pointed out.

To Sam, this was obvious.

"I know that. That is why she has to start learning what is right and wrong" he said.

Rosie took a deep breath, sighing almost.

"I know she did wrong, but I also know that she wont like what you have to say"

"She wont like what ever I say to her. Anyhow, I've already made up my mind" Sam said.

Rosie knew that she could not intervene in the next set of events. She watched as her husband walked out of sight.

Elanor was silently sobbing on her bed. Her arms around her knees, tears glittered in the light of the candles as they ran down her perfect complexion.

The opening door made little Elanor jump. Her heart raced as she saw her father come in a close the door. The figure of her father was very intimidating to little Elanor.

"What have you got to say for yourself?" her father asked.

His calmness was even more terrifying. Elanor's mouth was dry, she dared talk. Sam knew that Elanor had no good reason.

"Do you know how much trouble you have gotten yourself into?" Sam asked.

He saw his daughter shake her head.

"I have decided to ground you" he said.

This made the small girl jump up off her bed.

"What? Why?" she asked in surprise.

"As I have said before, you are not allowed to be in my room. Not only have you broken one rule, but you've broken two!" Samwise said with a raised voice.

Elanor was now very much crying. She was incredibly sorry, but her parents did not seem to see it.

"I'm sorry" she whimpered, standing there.

"Sorry wont fix it, you'll be allowed out in one weeks time" he said.

Elanor was now feeling very angry and upset.

"A whole week?" she asked through sobs.

Her large eyes were glinting in the candle light.

"A whole week" Sam repeated.

Samwise knew that his daughter would start to argue. So, without a chance for Elanor to say anything, Sam left the room, closing the door behind him.

Elanor just stood there, she still couldn't believe what she had just heard. She wanted ever so much to go and argue. But she knew that she would only lose.

Rosie was now in the kitchen, washing up after dinner. She turned her head as Samwise entered the room. Sam headed straight for the cellar.

A large mug of ale was needed to calm his nerves. Rosie heard the cupboard door behind her open and close. She knew exactly what he was doing.

The last plate was immersed in the water, which had slowly turned from clean to murky. Samwise held a mug in one hand and a flickering candle in the other.

A minute or two later, he emerged from the cellar. Rosie had left the room, leaving the plates dripping wet. She had, in fact, gone to see her oldest daughter.

Elanor was still crying as she lay hunched up on the bed. Small whimpers were coming from her as she lay there. Rosie felt sorry for poor little Elanor. But then, her daughter had done wrong and there were consequences for doing wrong.

"Elanor?" Rosie asked gently.

Deep down, Elanor was at a fork. She wanted her mother there, but then the other part did not. Rosie slowly walked over to her daughter's bed and sat on the edge.

"Are we going to talk?" she asked.

Rosie's voice seemed very calming to the young girl. Elanor gave two blinks before sitting up. Her eyes were like large marbles in the flickering light.

In the kitchen, Samwise had poured out a very big mug of ale. It was then that a thought came into his head. This thought was important enough to tare him away from his ale.

His other children had been put to bed long before the events that had happened. All but Elanor and Frodo remained awake.

Rosie and Elanor were both sitting on the bed. Elanor's head was resting on her mother's shoulder.

Just a minute before, Elanor and Rosie had been talking.

"Daddy doesn't love me any more" Elanor whimpered.

Rosie sighed, holding her daughter close. Rosie's hair flowed down her shoulders. The colour of both Rosie's and Elanor's hair was exactly the same. It was rather hard to distinguish where Rosie's hair ended and Elanor's hair began.

"No, Elanor, he's just very protective of it. Just like he is with you" Rosie explained.

"All I did was want to read how daddy helped Mr. Frodo!" Elanor said.

Rosie knew that her children were very imaginative and adventurous. Imagination and the adventurousness was fuelled by her father's telling of fairy tales.

Elanor only had one more day of staying in before she could go out and enjoy the snow. Breakfast had been large and filling. A large mug of cool water had been placed out.

Elanor smiled as she took a few large mouthfuls. She gulped down the water. A few seconds later, she placed the mug back down and took a deep breath.

She could still see a few morsels of food on the plates. Rosie knew that one helping of food would not be enough for her children. Especially Elanor and Frodo.

"Can I have some more, please?" Elanor asked, smiling sweetly at her mother.

Rosie gave a deep breath.

"I suppose so, but not too much. Remember, the others might want more" she said.

Elanor smiled and nodded. She picked up the plate of chips and knocked a few onto her plate. The second helping of food had near enough no heat left. But, this did not stop Elanor, or Frodo for that matter, from eating it.

Sibling rivalry then started to show as they fought to load their plates. But this was not unseen by Rosie. She gave a gentle cough to catch their attention.

Elanor and Frodo instantly stopped, both looking at their mother. Rosie gave a look that both Frodo and Elanor could understand.

Elanor smiled as she started to eat again. Frodo seemed to do the same. There were only small morsels of food on the plates now. No more sausages were laying there, waiting to be served. Only the smallest pieces of crispy bacon were left. It was not even a mouthful for a mouse.

The brown toast was now down to only a few cold pieces. The mushrooms had now all been consumed. In fact, there was no evidence that they had even had mushrooms.

There were still a few eggs left. But they were quickly taken by Samwise. Rosie had the last of the chips. Her offer of cooking more was heartily rejected. Everyone was very full.

Elanor's sprits were soaring. The prospect of freedom and a chance to go outside came to her. She had been very bored and lonely in the house.

She missed her friends.

"The first thing I'm going to do is build the most massive snow hobbit" she told herself.

And there a lot of snow. The children that were out were finding it hard to walk anywhere. In fact, it was too cold to go out.

Gloria took a deep breath as she lay on her bed. The window showed nothing but a sheet of white cloud. She too would spend another day without her best friend, Elanor.

Gloria looked up to Elanor a lot. They had known of each other since they could remember. The two of them equally loved horses and had many small wooden statues of them.

But neither of them told each other that they were scared to go near one. For they were very small and horses were very large.

An adventure erupted in the mind of Gloria. She smiled as she rolled over and slid off the bed.

"We could!" she said, picking up her horse.

She smiled, scurrying back to the bed.

"That's a brilliant idea, horsey!" she said, agreeing with an idea that was now taking form.

The room transformed in front of her very eyes. Rivers flowed down valleys. Grass grew greener then anything young Gloria had ever seen.

The coldness of winter was far away, replaced by the warmth of a summer breeze. Gloria was standing on a sloping hill, over looking a large valley. A silver band snaked its way through the valley.

The river had a strong current as it washed over rocks older then time itself. On one side of deep valley was a large mountain. Its jagged peaks topped with snow.

Gloria then had an idea.

"Why don't we go to the mountains?" she asked the horse.

Even in her imagination, the horse was still the same size and still made out of wood.

"But, its dangerous up there!" the horse told her.

This did not stop Gloria. A heavy weight then grabbed her. A strap hung over each shoulder. It was a bag full of food. Gloria smiled as, magically, her hand wrapped tightly around a small walking stick.

"Lets get going" she said, looking down at the horse.

Everything in her world was magic. The wooden horse, that had once been standing as still as a pillar of rock, was now dancing around the girls large, hairy feet.

Grass was very green as the two of them made their way down towards the silver river. The sun shone down on the warm girl as she walked.

A few minutes had past since she left her starting point. Gloria could see trees lining the bottom of the valley like a carpet. She smiled, looking down at the light brown horse that had now stopped and looked around.

"We'll stop when we get to the trees" Gloria said.

The horse nodded and bounded off a few more yards. Gloria smiled as she continued walking down to the valley. But the valley was starting to get much more dangerous. The further she made her way down, the steeper the hill became. In some places, there were large crevasses she had to jump.

These were easy to jump over. But what she did not realise was that this was only a taster of what was to come. Steep cliffs soaked by water from near by waterfalls.

In her room, Gloria was now standing on her bed. She looked down at the floor. She took a deep breath as she looked down at the horse, now laying at her feet.

"It's a long way down" she said, shaking her head.

"Are you sure we can make it?" the horse asked.

Gloria was not sure. The rocks were slippery and wet. The little girl knew that there was no other way down.

"Yes" Gloria said, sounding confident in herself.

The horse was then picked up. Gloria had no other option other then to jump. She took a deep breath. So, without thinking, Gloria jumped.

Her flowery dress waved as she fell through the air. A second clicked over on the clock. The young girl landed on the cold tiled floor.

She was now safe.

A smile came over her, looking back at the bed she had just jumped off. The horse was then set down.

"I think" said Gloria, looking around.

She had landed on a flat ledge she had jump lumped onto.

"I think we should have some food"

The horse smiled and nodded in agreement. Gloria slowly took off her pack and propped her walking stick on the edge of the small cliff.

Meanwhile, Origo was on a very dangerous journey. The coldness, like many timed before, had started to slow the puppy down.

His fur was soaking wet, making his going hard. He could feel the cold drips touching the skin under his warm coat. But, Origo was not alone in this perilous journey.

A small green fairy was struggling to stay with him. Ivy could flutter a bit easier now. The wind was slowly dying down.

Origo did not belong outside in the coldness. Of course, he did not know this. For the small puppy had lost his memory. And Ivy was the cause. But now, she was trying her hardest to make up for the things she had done.

A small whine came from Origo as he stopped again. Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that food was needed.

"Puppy, we will stop soon" she said, shaking her head.

But Origo did not want food this time. He was very wet and very cold. It took a few seconds for the little fairy to understand that Origo was shaking and whimpering.

"Sorry, pup" she said.

A pleasant wave of warmth seemed to magically wash over the small pup. Origo was glad that he was now warm. But the warmth did not seem to last long. Ivy was not a very powerful fairy. But the warmth that she provided made travailing in the coldness very durable.

Ivy smiled as she saw her playful pup return back to normal. But she had other problems to worry about. The two of them had fallen a behind schedule.

Ivy was worried that Origo would not make it to Radagast. She knew that this journey would take a few months to a few years.

Ivy did not know how much Origo meant to his owner, Diamond. Diamond was not only missing Origo. But she was also missing Peregrin.

A small book lay on her bedside table. It had been unopened. But not ignored. Diamond took a deep breath as she lay her sleeping son in his cot.

"Maybe I should read just a little bit" she said.

The hobbit walked over to it. The fire was flickering in the heath, reflecting in her large blue eyes. The book was picked up. It had a bland cover, no titles could be seen.

"I think a nice mug of tea as well" she told herself as she walked out of the room.

Her feet slapped on the tiled floor as made her way down to the kitchen. The kettle was standing on the cold floor, waiting to be used again.

It already looked like it had been used for many years before. There were deep cracks in the bottom, evidence of the many times that it had been subjected to fire.

But this did not stop Diamond from using it. She picked it up and walked over to the sink. The house was very quiet.

Too quiet for her liking.

Diamond needed someone to look after. Pippin and Faramir were enough for her. But now, her house seemed very big and very empty.

The sound of running water erupted from the tap. This seemed to calm Diamond down. She smiled as the water started to fill the old kettle. The kettle started to become heavier and heavier.

Diamond could see bubbles popping as the level of water continued to rise. She smiled, turning the tap off and waiting a few more seconds.

The surface of the water seemed to calm down almost instantly. Diamond took a deep breath as she turned around and walked to the heath. The fire was now feeding off of the last bit of wood it could get.

Diamond slowly and carefully placed the kettle on the cold floor. A small metal basket held the wood. Diamond picked up a few small logs and placed it in the fire.

She smiled, seeing the fire heat up the wood and slowly start to burn. The flames steadily grew and grew. The flames seemed to dance around, getting more and more agitated.

Diamond smiled as she felt the heat rise and tickle her face. The kettle was then picked up and gently placed on the metal hook. Diamond smiled, turning around and heading towards the cellar.

Sugar and tea leaves were in need. The cellar door gave a small creek as it was pushed open. The difference of temperature was very noticeable as Diamond walking in.

She did not have to spend too much time in this coldness before coming back out with the things she wanted. The water in the kettle was now bubbling gently. A small sliver mist floated upwards and vanished.

Diamond took a deep breath. She stood there, waiting for the water to heat up. After a minute of doing nothing, Diamond strung into life.

Her hunger was starting to grow. She knew exactly the thing to make her hunger disappear. Diamond smiled as she entered the cellar for the second time.

Her trip was even shorter. For she needed only one object. A large muffin she had cooked the day before. In fact, it was the last muffin left.

The water was now bubbling gently. This was a sign that it was almost ready to be poured into the large mug. Diamond took out a plate and ripped open the thin paper packet that was keeping the muffin fresh.

It took a few minutes to get the tea ready. But ready it was. Diamond could now sit down and read Pippin's book.

Diamond placed the very full mug on the table mat. Pippin's book lay just inches away. The chair scrapped along the tilted floor.

Diamond sat down and looked at Pippin's book. Her hand slowly moved towards it. She could feel the cover. It was made of leather.

She picked it up and held it before her. Diamond slowly opened the cover. The first page reviled only six words.

The Memories Of Diamond And Pippin.

This gave but a small hint as to what Diamond was to expect. Diamond slowly flicked over the page and set her eyes upon a large amount of writing.

"Oh Pippin" she said, taking a breath.

Her eyes started to read the first lines.

It was the year 3001. The date, September 22nd. Music and fireworks filled the sky as both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins celebrated their joint birthday.


	78. Day Thirty Seven, Part Two

Diamond stopped for a moment, wondering if Pippin knew what he was talking about. And then, it came to her. She had only been a youngling then, but she could still remember the fireworks. The flashes of gold and purple, then the loud bangs.

Diamond remembered arriving at Hobbiton for the very first time. It looked exactly as it did this very same day, save for the carpet of fresh snow and the icy lake.

Hobbiton's gardens were full of growing vegetables and flowering plants. The yearly harvest was just a few days after Bilbo's magnificent party.

The day was darkening, but still retained its pleasant warmth. The clouds seemed to darken as the sun sank westward.

Lights seemed to spring up on a small field. Hobbits everywhere were gathering for Bilbo's magnificent feast. One hundred and forty four in total. Give or take a few.

Diamond continued reading. She could see perfectly what Pippin was thinking. His words filled her with that magic that she had felt when she had arrived.

She could hear music, smell the food, see the other hobbits and feel the excitement. A smile came over her as she read the last bit:

Ever since I saw your blue eyes, I've missed them.

Finally, after a few minutes, Merry had made up my mind for me. He pushed me nearer. It was then that I got your attention. My mouth was dry and my brain was stumped. Words seemed to escape me and turn into an unrecognisable mumble.

As you may have noticed, I left quickly afterwards. Yet my plan on talking to had worked. I finally knew your name. And that was enough.

"So, Merry made him come to me?" she asked herself, seeing the truth for the first time.

She knew that Pippin changed his attitude around her. She could see it. Pippin seemed to be shy around her. But, with Merry, Pippin became like a small child.

Diamond's tea was still standing on the table. The level had only gone down a few centimetres. The heat was slowly being lost into the room around. Small bits of the muffin had been broken off and eaten.

Diamond was now sitting there, thinking about what she had just read. She remembered the party like it was just yesterday.

All the excitement of travailing to Hobbiton and the food. The fireworks held a very vivid spot in her memory. But now, everything was quiet. Too quiet for her liking.

"Maybe I should read on" she thought.

But something else took her attention. The housework had not been done for such a long time. She had been very busy with her child. There was a lot of dust circulating around. It seemed to gather on the unused shelves and against the wall and floor.

Diamond knew that now was the time to clean up. She knew that she needed to take her mind off of what she had just read.

So, after a few minutes, her tea and muffin had been consumed. She was now ready to work. The chair scraped along the dirty tiled floor.

Diamond smiled as she placed the empty mug and the paper wrapper near the sink. They could be dealt with later. Diamond gave a small smile as she walked out of the kitchen and down the corridor.

Near the large front door was a smaller door. This was in fact a cupboard. Diamond stored all her cleaning gear in it. From buckets to mops, bars of soap to brushes. Everything that Diamond needed to make her home look its best.

A bucket was taken out. It had a handle made from fraying rope. A mop was taken out as well. Diamond then stood up after closing the door. For a moment, Diamond felt a bit dizzy. But the dizziness quickly wore off.

Diamond walked down the corridor into the kitchen. She walked over to the sink and turned on the tap. The sound of water filled the room.

Small splashes of water were impacting on Diamond's skin. She could not see them, but they were there. A few seconds of waiting past before the bucket was placed under the current of water.

The bucket started to fill up. Once again, Diamond was distracted by the bubbles. Some seemed to last a split second. Others managed to make it to the side of the bucket.

Diamond could feel its weight getting heavier and heavier. The candle light flickered on the popping bubbles. Diamond stopped the water gushing into the bucket by turning the tap off. A few seconds later, she heaved it out of the sink.

Meanwhile, Ivy and Origo were approaching a silver river. Its water was cold and its level high. In summer, the water would be crystal clear. But the water in the winter months murky.

The road crossed the muddy water. The bridge was made out of weathered rocks. A single pillar was set into river bed.

Ivy fluttered upwards, into the air. She saw the river just a few meters away. The sound of the river grew as they drew as they neared it.

"Puppy, stop!" Ivy said.

Origo stopped just a foot away from the steep bank. There was nothing in the way to stop the pup and the current was too strong for him to fight.

Ivy looked towards a bridge upstream.

"Must have gone off course a bit" she said, giving the puppy a smile.

Origo tilted his head.

"Follow me, come on" Ivy encouraged.

Origo blinked twice and then followed the small fairy. The two of them had gone off course only by a few meters. Ivy smiled as she stopped in the middle of the road again.

"This way" she said, fluttering off.

Origo slowly followed her. But he soon stopped again. The small pup looked down at his snowy paws. He gave a small whine, but carried on regardless.

Origo too could now hear the rushing water below the bridge. His curiosity took him to the edge.

"Puppy, careful now" Ivy told him, making sure he knew.

Origo's eyes scanned the rushing water below him.

"You wouldn't want to fall in that, puppy" Ivy said, fluttering up and stood by him.

Ivy tickled Origo's floppy ears. Origo gave a small whine and shook his head. Ivy was whipped by his large ear. She moved away, a bit too fast. Instead of moving away from the edge, the small green fairy moved towards it.

There was nothing to break her fall, apart from the water below. Her reactions were not fast enough. Even for a magical fairy, she did not have enough time.

Origo, being new to all experiences, did not react. All he could see was the small green flying thing fall into the water. But for Ivy, it was a very dangerous place to be.

Her ears were now playing the sound of popping bubbles. The strong current of water was washing her away. The coldness seemed to act like knives against her skin.

Her fragile wings were acting like sails, making the water grab her more then it would have. Small rotting twigs floated past, bobbing up to the surface.

The light day struggled to shine through the dirty water. But there was enough for Ivy to know where get to. So, kicking her tiny feet, she slowly made her way upwards. But the air in her lungs was running out.

She could feel her power seep away from her. Instead of giving up, this spurred her on. And, after what seemed like many minutes, Ivy finally broke the surface of the water.

But tiredness had grew too strong. Ivy was now floating along in the current. She turned and caught a glimpse of the bridge. Origo was no longer there.

"Origo!" Ivy shouted.

But there was no answer. Ivy was now panicking. She could not hear Origo so she did not know where he was. The puppy was very vulnerable with out little Ivy to guide the way.

But this did not mean Origo was not capable. In fact, Origo was now scooting along the bank of the river. The puppy tried hard to keep up with the rate that the water was moving.

But he could not.

Ivy was being dragged away quicker then Origo could catch up. But Origo did not give up. He could still see the green dot, but it was getting further and further away.

After a few minutes, Origo knew that he could not catch Ivy. The small pup started to slow down. His eyes still on the river. But there was no sign of his fairy friend.

Ivy was now struggling to keep afloat. But, there was something near her that might save her life. A large piece of rotting wood floated past the fairy.

"If I can just get to it" Ivy thought.

The trees on either side of the river's banks were zooming past. Ivy was very, very tired now. She knew that she had to survive. Not only for her, but for Origo and Diamond.

A tiny hand reached out. Ivy did not expect to grab it first time. Her judgement was off. But, miraculously, her tiny hand hit the wood. A split second later, she gripped.

Ivy had enough energy to hold on. Her head was now under the water. Oxygen was running out. As Ivy slipped away, a purple light met her eyes.

It grew and grew, outshining the level of natural light. Ivy's eyes were now very open. Little Ivy had seen this purple glow before.

Out of the orb of light, came a small figure. Ivy knew exactly who this was. She could not believe what she was seeing.

Petal was slowly floating towards her. Her wings seemed not to work. Ivy could hardly believe her eyes.

"Petal?" she asked.

The two stopped just inches away from one another. The murky water continued to slosh around her, her hair seemed to float like it was in deep space.

"Your time has not come yet" said Petal.

Ivy noticed that her voice was airy and spacey. A strangeness came over Ivy as she floated in the freezing water. Her hand was still gripped around the log that was floating near by.

"Your time will soon come, but not today"

There were many questions popping up in Ivy's head. She knew that Petal and the others had all been killed.

"My time?" she asked, wondering what was meant by that.

"What do you mean?"

But she did not get an answer.

"You need to help Origo" Petal said.

Ivy was not getting any closer to her answer. Instead, she was getting further away from the answers she needed.

"How do you know about Origo?" Ivy asked.

Behind the purple glow of Petal came another glow. This one was very different from the purple glow of Petal. Yellow light came from the depths. This mean only one thing.

Leila.

Leila smiled as she rose from the silt covered depths of the river. But she did not say anything.

"What's happening to me?" Ivy asked.

A strange warmth past around her.

"Do not give up, Ivy" Petal said.

All Ivy wanted to do was be with her friends. She had completely forgotten about Origo.

"Go back and help Origo, that is your job"

Before Ivy could answer back, something strange happened. Her eyes were filled with the colours of her best friends.

Yellow was Leila's colour, Purple represented Petal, Silver belonged to Luna and a hint of red meant that Rosa was there too.

A second later, Ivy was thrust on top of the floating log. But she did not move. Her eyes closed, her hair and fragile wings were soaking wet.

The water lapped at her small legs, still dangling in the freezing water. Ivy was slowly pulled from unconsciousness into reality. Her little eyes opened to a sound of trickling water.

For a few moments, Ivy wondered where she was. Her eyes were out of focus, her ears did not register sound. But both slowly came back to her.

Ivy continued to blink for a few moments. She could see the black pillars of trees gliding past. Ivy lifted her head up.

"Petal?" she asked, looking around.

The water below was dark and lightless. There were no sign of Ivy's friends.

"But, they were real!" Ivy shouted.

Her emotions were running very high. Tears started to run down her face. She could not take it anymore. Too many friends had been lost because of her.

But this just drove her on. Energy seemed to surge back to her. So much so that she found the energy to sit. There seemed to be no safe places to stop and disembark.

Ivy knew that, with every passing second, would be another second without Origo. This spurred her on even more. A large, for Ivy's small suture, splash erupted from the surface.

This propelled the log and small passenger along. Ivy could see a shallow bend in the river. This was where she would depart the log.

So, she steered the wooden raft towards the slower waters with what power she had. But the current was still very strong. A root dangled free from the deep carpet of snow. It was her only chance. And one that she needed to take.

She could see that she only had a few meters left to grab onto the root. So, she carefully stood up. The small chunk of wood wobbled as she stood there, threatening to throw her over the side.

But, after a few seconds, the log seemed to calm down. Ivy could now focus on root. The floating log drew ever closer.

Three seconds away.

Ivy's sight sharpened. She was now focused on the small bit of root that she was going to grab.

Two seconds.

Ivy bent her knees, ready to take off. She could feel the log underneath her wobble.

One more second.

She was now close enough to grab the root. So, she jumped off of the log. She was now flying in midair, her arms out stretched, waiting to grab a hold of the root.

Time seemed to slow dramatically as flew towards the root. But, after what seemed like hours, she grabbed onto the root. Her energy seemed to slip away again.

The root swung dangerously over the freezing water. Ivy watched as the small log continued to float away. She knew that if she slipped now, she would not survive the icy water below.

So, the small fairy looked up. She could feel her wings stiffen up as the cold wind formed a thin sheet of ice between them. Her wings were now out of use.

"Come on Ivy, you can do it" said a voice in her head.

This spurred her onwards. Enough strength was found to slowly start climbing the dangling root. Inch after inch past, she was getting closer to the top.

But her strength gave way. The root was slippery and Ivy's grip was weak.

"No!" she told herself.

Her strength seemed to come on in waves. This was exactly what she needed. The small fairy scrambled onto the snow bank. Her energy spent, the coldness was digging into her very soul.

The fairy was now laying on the frozen ground, unable to move another inch.

Origo was now in the wilds, by himself. He had no food, no warmth and no idea where he was. Ivy had let yet another friend down. The wind around her blew on her cold, wet hair. The small fairy could hear birds of many kinds among the trickling sound of the water lapping at the bank.

"Origo" mumbled Ivy.

She was slipping in and out of consciousness. Sounds seemed to come and go, as well as the light of day. Ivy knew little of where Origo was.

Origo was now standing in the deep snow, scanning the river. Every so often, he would call out Ivy's name. To human ears, only a bark echoed around the deserted forest.

The puppy's eyes continued to scan the river. Another bark came from him. But still, there was no answer. So, Origo pressed on, walking further and further away from the safety of the path.

But the direction that Origo was going made things harder. For he was heading away from the safety of the road and crossing of the bridge. For Origo and Ivy were now on different sides of the river.

Ivy could, for the moment, not use her wings. She was now reduced to walking. This made things very difficult indeed.

"Origo?" Ivy continued to mumble.

But there was, once again, no answer. Seconds seemed to turn into minutes, minutes into hours and hours to days. The level of light in the forest slowly started to fade as lunch came and went.

Origo's eyes were now, slowly, getting used to the darkness. But the darkness would not as deep as in the summer months. The snow would reflect what little light there was and would brighten the night.

In fact, the moon was starting a new cycle. A slither of it could be seen through the thinning clouds above. But that would be all that anyone could see of the moon that night.

Bree was very bright and cheerful. The Prancing Pony was getting ready for another round of cooking and drinking. The inn was warm and inviting. The smell of stale tobacco smoke met anyone who entered its doors. Come rain or shine, Barliman would open up in the small hours of the morning to anyone that was in need of food.

A young girl yawned as she waited. Two plates of freshly cooked food were waiting for her.

"There we are" said one of the cooks, placing the last of the sizzling sausages on the plate.

The girl smiled and carefully picked up both plates. The cook watched her for a moment before turning around and getting back to work.

The large door opened as the girl carried the food out to the lobby. The lobby was very busy now. Laughter ran out, a silver curtain of tobacco smoke from the ends of pipes floated into the air.

The girl smiled as she headed towards a table. Sitting at there were two people. She smiled as she got closer to them.

"There you are" she said.

Without warning, the two men pounced at the girl, grabbing her by the arms.

"Hello, poppet" said the man to the right.

The girl knew this voice. But, before she could answer back, she was pushed away. Barliman saw this.

"Wait just a moment!" Barliman said, placing the mug of ale down.

Other people were now watching the events folding before them. Barliman would not allow this kind of behaviour in his own pub.

"You stop that…"

But Barliman was silenced. A large fist came and struck his face. Pain instantly started to radiate from the point of impact. An up roar erupted as Barliman stumbled back.

"You get yourself away!" said the man that punched him.

A small, glinting dagger was taken out of his pocket. Barliman moved back.

"Alright, alright" Barliman said, raising his hands.

"Just, don't hurt the girl" he said.

The man gave a small grin and turned.

"Out of the way!" he shouted, threatening anyone who came near.

Barliman watched as the girl was pushed out of sight. He gave a heavy breath and looked around. The whole inn seemed take a few seconds of silence.

Without warning, the whole lobby burst into their normal talk again. Barliman took a deep breath. He had only known the girl for a few days, but she did not deserve this.

So, leaving his inn, he sort revenge. The outside world was very snowy. A few children were still around. The snow underfoot was deep. A crunching sound came as the man walked down the street.

His eyes were not used to the falling level of light. But the flickering candle lights from surrounding buildings were enough to spot his prey.

"Oi!" he shouted, his voice echoing around.

Barliman then started to run after them. He could hear the girl's screams echoing off towards the stables. Barliman was sure that he was not fail in getting the girl back. So, he started to run.

"Move!" he said, making people jump out of the way.

But he was too late. The girl had been put on a horse with the large man. Her struggles were fought as the horse started to move.

Barliman reached the stables, but the sound of hooves could be heard. Barliman saw two horse-like figures gallop away.

The man knew that he could not go after the girl. He took a deep breath, the coldness was now getting to him. His shoes were not in the best condition. There were small holes letting freezing water in.

This made the walk back very hard. His nose started to run and his fingers started to turn a light pinkish colour. Barliman noticed, on the way back, that he had ran longer then he had thought. The sign hanging over the front door of his inn was swinging in the bitter wind.

Meanwhile, Abira was laying on a large pillow. Her brown eyes were glinting the crackling fire in the heath. An old man sat along on one of the seats.

A book was held in his hands. His eyes seemed to skate over the words. Sitting across his eyes were clear glasses. This helped him to read.

A few candles were lit around the walls. They created just enough light to read by. Abira yawned and rested her soft head on her little paws.

Hunger was now getting to her. And she knew exactly how to get what she wanted. So, the small puppy stood up and walked off the large, warm pillow. A small bark let the man know that she was awake.

The man smiled, looking over the top of his glasses. A warm smile came over him.

"Did you have a good sleep?" he asked the small pup.

The small puppy gave a cute whine. One that gave the man the answer he needed. But there was something about the look in the pup's face that drew up another question.

The man and puppy seemed to share a special bond, just like Abira's Pimpernel back at home. The book was slowly closed and glasses taken off.

"I think food is in order" the man said.

Abira's small tail wagged and she bounded out of the room. The man slowly raised himself his comfortable chair. The darkness outside covered up the whiteness of the snow that had settled on the ground.

The old man slowly made his way to the kitchen. Abira knew that he would first have to go downstairs to the cellar. She kept far away from the cellar as she could.

Darkness and stairs were not her thing. The old man seemed to walk past her without looking at her. The door creaked open and the man disappeared from sight.

Abira was glad that she did not have to go down in the darkness. She could hear the man's foot steps slowly echoing away. But Abira's curiosity got the better of her.

So, she slowly made her way to the open door. Carefully, she popped her head around the corner. All that she could see a orange light, flickering behind some shelves.

She could hear the man mumbling something to himself. The light grew as the man made his way back. He smiled, seeing the pup's little face poking out from behind the door frame.

Abira back away a bit, watching him climb the last few steps. The man smiled, making his deep wrinkles some what shallower.

Abira watched as the man stood at the small, wooden work top. He ripped open the packet and smiled. A pan was taken out and a vase of oil poured into it.

"It should be ready in a few minutes" the man told her.

Abira's tail started to wag again. Abira's little mind seemed to be changing every so often. She knew that she had to help Origo get to Radagast.

But then, she knew he did not want her around.

But, how should she do it?

She could not Ivy or Origo know that she was following them.

This was something Abira had to think of on the way. If she caught up with him, maybe he would change his mind. But it would very hard work. All she knew was that they were going to Radagast.

The sound of bacon then hit her ears. A yawn came over her, evidence that sleep was still fighting to grab her back to the land of nod. But bacon was a much stronger pull on the pup.

The sound seemed to start of quiet at first, but the sizzling soon rose. Abira picked up the smell of bacon straight away. Her little wet nose seemed to pick up smells quicker then any elf could.

It took a few minutes for the man to get his first smell of the cooking bacon. By that time, he had flipped the bacon. A crisp brown layer had already formed on each piece.

The man gave a smile, looking down to his right. Abira was sitting there as patiently as ever. Her small tail was still wagging.

"Wont be long now" she was told.

Abira gave a small whine and looked around. Something else caught her. It was time to investigate. So, the young pup started to wonder off. The smell touching her little wet nose.

The smell led her over to a small, dark hole. This was very strange for her. She had never seen a whole this little in the wall before.

Behind her, the man was finishing up cooking the first few rashers of bacon. A few more were placed in the hot pan, sending out the sizzling sound around the room again.

Abira was still distracted by the small hole. It was then she saw it. Two points of light. Two big eyes looking right back at her.

Mice.

Abira back away. She did not like mice very much. As she backed away, something seemed to dart out of the hole. A squeaking mouse sprinted across the kitchen floor.

Abira was mesmerised by the small mouse, bounding across the floor. But the mouse seemed to be fearless in its quest for even a tiny morsel of food.

The mouse seemed to enter the forest of chair legs and table legs. Abira knew that her bacon was nearly ready. But this did not tare her away from watching the mouse search for food. And he had found some.

The man gave a few coughs as he plated up the last of the crisp rashers. The pan was then taken off of the heat. The spatula was then placed down, small droplets of oil still clung to its metal face.

The man looked around and smiled.

"Come on" he said, placing the porcelain plate on the floor.

"Now, you be careful, it's a bit hot" he warned.

Abira looked up at him, she saw his smiling face beaming down at her. A second or two later, the puppy started to eat. She could taste the bacon stronger then ever.

The man smiled, then started to clean up, leaving Abira to eat. The candle light flickered as the spatula was placed near the sink.

Meanwhile, Elanor and her family were just minutes away from sitting down for dinner. Elanor was very hungry, having spent most of her energy concentrating on making bracelets from the little box she had been given for Yule.

The box was split into small segments. Each with its own thing to hold. A small bundle of string was held in one of the compartments. The next few compartments were full of different coloured beads.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink were all in their own segments. Elanor found it hard to thread the tiny beads onto the string.

"Oh, just go on!" she told herself.

It was very frustrating for her. Just then, a knock came at her door. Elanor tore herself away from the beads as the door creaked open.

Rosie, her mother, poked her head around the door.

"Elanor, dear, dinner is ready" she said.

Elanor took a deep breath, knowing that she would have to finish her bracelet after dinner. A small part of her was relived that dinner was ready when it was.

So, Elanor got up off of her bed and walked to the door. Rosie had already departed back to the kitchen. The young girl yawned as she walked to the kitchen.

From where she was, she could hear her younger siblings talking and laughing. Sometimes, Elanor wished that it was just her, her mother and father living here.

Lately, she had been struggling to even talk to her mother. She needed attention, but she was not getting it. Yes, she had attention. But not the kind she wanted.

Elanor took her place at the table. Space seemed to disappear every time she sat down.

"Eat up" Rosie said, giving a smile.

Samwise was not sitting at the table. Instead, he was standing at the work top. A few seconds later, he turned around. A white bowl was held in his hands. It was another bowl full of roast potatoes.

He smiled, placing it in a seemingly small spot. The table was now covered in plates, mugs of water and bowls of food. Elanor smiled as she lifted a hot plate out of its spot.

Rosie watched her daughter pick out a few roasted potatoes. She was standing up, moving slowly around the table. She held a large bowl of roast potatoes.

Rosie scooped some onto each plate, including her own and her husbands. Sam smiled as he placed the honey roasted parsnips on his plate.

Everyone's plates were piling up with food. Elanor smiled as she placed the last of her food on her plate. Rosie was still standing, but now, she was carrying a steaming hot boat of gravy.

"Would you like some, Elanor?" Rosie asked.

Elanor looked over at her mother and smiled.

"Yes please" she answered.

Rosie carefully poured the dark brown liquid all over her daughter's food.

"Thank you" Elanor said, picking up her silver knife and fork.

The whole family was now eating. Frodo was once again sitting in his place, facing his sister. There was more eye contact then usual.

A small competition was going on between the two children. Rosie had now sat down. But, being quick in picking the slightest thing wrong, looked between her two oldest children sitting at the other end of the table.

There was a strange vibe radiating off of her two children. But she said but a word. Frodo seemed to kick up a gear as he chopped its his roast potatoes.

"Frodo, calm down" Rosie said.

It was then that Elanor and Frodo knew that they had been rumbled. No words were said, but Rosie could see that Frodo had calmed down. Rosie could continue eating her dinner. The light from the sun had slipped away. This was a queue for the coldness to fight what warmth had been gathered since the start of the day.

Birds had now been settled for a few hours. Their fathers seemed to be just enough to keep their warmth in. A gentle, but freezing wind was blew across the land.

But the wind was effecting one creature in particular. A small puppy was now all alone in the wildness of Middle-Earth.

Ivy and Origo had still not found each other. Hunger and coldness were now dragging Origo to stop more often. His paws were cold and wet. But that was not the only thing dragging out Origo's progress.

Tiredness.

In normal circumstances, Ivy and Origo would have found some shelter an hour ago. But Origo was not as fast at finding shelter good enough for him.

After what seemed hours in the bitter coldness, Origo finally found a suitable tree. It was not as extravagant as the ones Ivy could find. But it seemed to be good enough.

Without the green glow of Ivy, Origo could not see the ceiling. This made Origo scared. He needed his Ivy to be with him.

The puppy settled down, finding a comfortable spot. Ori could see into the endless darkness that now hugged the land. Ivy was all he knew. Without her, he was alone and very vulnerable.


	79. Day Thirty Eight, Part One

Elanor woke up at the crack of dawn. Her sprits were high and she could now taste the freedom she had again. The young girl was up so early, that even her mother and father were still tucked up in bed.

"Maybe I should continue with my beads" she said.

The box had been placed, as always, under her bed. So, removing the warm duvet, Elanor got up and stood on the floor. The tiles were cold to the touch.

The girl smiled as she slid it out and held it. Her bed would be the perfect place for her to work on her bracelets. One had already been started. Elanor smiled as she looked at the beads.

A few beads had already been threaded onto the string. They were now dangling at the bottom, a knot stopping them from falling off.

Elanor had thought very carefully about the arrangement of the small beads. After tying at one end of the string, Elanor started to thread the beads.

A red coloured bead was first. It was her favourite colour. This was not unnatural of hobbits. For all hobbits liked to have as much colour in their lives as possible.

A royal blue bead was next. This was Elanor's second favourite. But this bracelets was not for her use. She had someone she wanted to give it to.

A few more coloured beads had been threaded onto the string, it had been time for bed. But today was a continuation of the bracelet making.

Elanor picked out a little red bead. She smiled as she took the end of the string and lined it up with the whole in the bead. Her eyes seemed to hurt as she focused on string.

Elanor seemed to find it easier to thread the beads today. The red bead slid down and came to rest. Elanor smiled, knowing how hard it was to do it last night.

The light coming from outside slowly grew. Birds were rising and singing their morning song. Food was next on the list after cleaning their feathers.

A small robin seemed to bounce from branch to branch. It too was singing its own unique song. The sound seemed to travel for near enough a mile. All other birds, no matter if it was a crow or a magpie, could hear it.

Even Elanor could hear the small tweeting bird outside of her room. This was a normal part of every day life.

Summer was Elanor's favourite time of year. The days were longer and hotter. The young girl spent most of her time outside.

Sometimes, she would have all her meals outside on a table. She would eat, drink and play in the warmth that bathed the land.

But summer was not always the time for playing. It was a time of learning as well.

Samwise smiled as he walked out into his garden. In one hand, there were three fishing rods made of wood. Samwise smiled as he stopped. Two of his children, Elanor and Frodo, followed him.

In Hobbiton, the doors could be left open every day of the year, if they felt like it. But summer was the best time to keep them open.

"Come on, you two" said his father.

Little Elanor smiled as she came out. A large straw hat had been place on her curly hair. She smiled as she stepped out of the door.

The sounds she heard were quiet. Only the laughs of a hobbit or two near by could be heard. The sun was high in the sky now. Clouds were few, if any. Birds were the loudest sounds she could hear.

Frodo followed on afterwards, he was not so pleased to be with his father. Frodo was adventurous and wanted to play with his friends.

But instead, he had to go with his father and his older sister. Rosie smiled as she came to the door.

"No arguing" she said, smiling.

Frodo gave her an angry look. To Frodo, the day had already been wasted. His friends were already up. But he could not play yet.

"See you later" Sam said, hugging his wife.

Rosie smiled. She hated to see Sam leave, but this time, she knew he would be back.

"Right" said Sam, taking a deep breath, looking at his two oldest children.

"We have a bit of a walk" he told them, walking past.

He opened the gate and stood aside.

"So, lets get going"

The three of them set off down to a small river a mile or two away. The water flowing in the river could be traced all the way from the lake in the middle of Hobbiton.

But, today, the lake was iced over, apart from a small bit in the middle where the local ducks kept it ice-free. Snow lay around the banks of the river and lake. The water was much colder then it had been in the summer months.

The beauty of summer changed with the seasons. Now, the beauty of winter was in full swing. And Elanor could not wait to get out in it.

The clock, hanging from her bedroom, started to chime. Elanor smiled tiredly as one chime was followed by six identical chimes.

"Seven o'clock" she told herself, taking a deep breath.

The bracelet was almost ready. Another few beads and she would be done.

"I might get some more sleep after I'm done" she told herself.

This was a very good idea. The last few beads took longer then expected. But Elanor was determined to finish it before sleeping again.

And finish it she did. The last bead was placed on the string. Elanor surveyed her work for a moment. Only two types of beads were used. Red ones and blue ones.

Elanor smiled to herself, liking her work. The two ends were tied together, ensuring the beads could not fall off. The lid of the box was closed and placed under her bed again. The young girl would have to wait until her father was up to give it to him.

Origo was still curled up in a fluffy ball. But this did not mean he was warm or dry. He was very hungry and had not had a good nights sleep.

The puppy was woken up for the umpteenth time. And this time, he would not get back to sleep. It was daylight now and Origo could see exactly where he was.

The tree he had sort shelter in was, unlike the others that Ivy had found, was not burnt out. Instead, the tree had an unnaturally large hole in the trunk. This was perfect for the small pup. But he could not stay there.

He knew this. He had to find his Ivy before it was too late. So, the puppy slowly stood up, his paws were not working as he was used to.

A few snow flakes had stuck to Ori's fur. This was soon sorted out by a quick shake. Normally, a hot plate of turkey would be in order at the start of the cold day.

But not today.

Origo gave a small whine and hung his head. He missed his Ivy and needed her back. In fact, Ivy was in trouble herself. Her wings had frozen together. Not only due to the coldness, but due to her little slip and fall into the icy river the day before.

Ivy was now reduced to walking. But she was not walking anywhere. The little fairy was still laying face down in the freezing snow. But she had yet to give up her life. Her heart was beating slowly. Every so often, her consciousness would filter back. Noises could heard. The trickling sound of the river met her ears.

Ivy mumbled as she lay there. What energy she had left had been sapped away by the coldness. Another noise could be heard. This one seemed more distant.

Bird song.

Ivy's small eyes opened. This was something very familiar to her. It was a robin. One of the most helpful and loyalist of birds.

"Help" Ivy said.

But all she could muster was a whisper. All hope was gone in ever getting to see her small puppy again. But the curiosity of animals made that change.

The song grew louder as the little robin fluttered onto the bank of the river. The red breasted robin saw a small something laying in the snow. The only evidence that the robin had landed there were its small prints in the snow.

The bird hopped around, making sure that it was safe before he did anything.

The bird was now only a few feet away from the fairy.

"Help" it heard.

This was very strange, for pieces of snow and dirt could not talk.

"Hello?" he asked, hopping a few inches closer.

Ivy was very weak and very cold. She needed all the help she could get. The robin tilted its head, he had never seen a sight like this before.

"Maybe I can eat it" he thought.

The fairy needed all of her strength now. But none came. The beak of the bird wrapped around one of Ivy's leg. Pain instantly erupted from it. She could feel the bird taking off.

Ivy could just about open her eyes. All she saw was ground rushing away from her. After a few seconds, the robin landed on a branch. Twenty feet now separated the ground from the fairy.

"Stop" Ivy said.

This made the robin drop her leg. The pain in her leg intensified for a moment as it hit the branch.

"Did I just hear it talk?" asked the robin, hopping away.

Ivy could not move.

"Yes, yes I did hear it talk" said the robin.

The little robin hopped back.

"Help" he heard from the small green thing he had picked up.

"Help?" he asked, inching closer to Ivy again.

"Help with what?"

Ivy's head was swimming. She did not know where she was or who she was for that manor. Origo was forgotten for a moment, only to be pushed back into the forefront of her mind.

"Puppy" Ivy said, breathing deeper.

The robin was now past being confused, it was too much to take in. But hunger was forcing him to think again.

"Puppy?" tweeted the robin.

Other birds were now gathering. They too could understand the fairy.

"What is a puppy?" he asked.

But Ivy had gone back into her unconscious state. The robin looked around. He could see a large black crow perched on a tree just a few meters away.

"I say, crow!" tweeted the robin.

His little wings fluttered, propelling him away from the injured fairy. He landed on the branch next to big crow. The crow's beady black eyes followed him.

"What business do you have with me?" asked the crow.

The robin seemed not to be scared by the presence of the large bird perched next to him.

"I need help" the robin told him.

There was a few seconds of silence between them.

"With what?"

The robin looked back the branch.

"There is a strange creature, over there on the branch. It was talking about a puppy" the robin explained.

The crow could see the small fairy laying on the branch.

"Have you ever heard of a puppy before?" the robin asked.

The crow's eyes narrowed in on the fairy. He knew exactly what a puppy was. For he had been all over Middle-Earth. He had gained a lot of knowledge on his travels since he was old enough to fly the nest.

"Of course" he answered, looking around.

He could remember the first time he laid eyes on a dog.

"Vile creatures if you ask me. Dirty, smelly, flightless!" he told the robin.

The robin was shocked.

"Land lovers?" he asked.

The crow gave a small nod.

"Four legged land lovers"

The robin looked over at the green fairy, resting on the branch.

"She wants it, she wants a puppy" the robin explained.

The crow was now looking at Ivy as well. Her actions needed to be stopped.

"Where did you find her?" the crow asked.

The robin hopped around to look at the crow.

"Just below my tree" the robin answered.

The small fairy was now slowly sitting up. She needed food. But she was not the only who needed food. Origo was still trundling through deep snow.

Even though he had thick fur, the coldness still got through. Birds were all around him, fluttering past and perching high above him. He could hear their songs. But could not understand them.

"Ivy?" he barked, hearing it echoing through the forest.

But there was no answer. It was then he saw a massive bird flying towards him. The sight made him stop dead in his tracks.

It was a crow.

It swooped and landed on a tree near by. For a moment, Origo thought the big black bird was going to attack him. But instead, it continued to perch.

Origo felt very uneasy as he walked along the bank. The crow, now behind him, swooped down and flew to another branch.

Once again, Origo stopped. And, once again, the two looked at each other. Without warning, the crow started to make a horrible noise.

The small puppy did not like this sound one bit.

"I know where it is you have to go" the crow said.

But Ori could not understand him. The crow's knowledge did not extend far enough into other species worlds. This seemed to confuse the crow.

"Your friend needs you" he said.

Origo watched as the crow flew down the small path he was following. The crow perched for the third time. Origo looked around.

"Should I follow him?" he asked himself.

"Maybe he's friendly and knows where the fairy is"

This was good enough for Origo. So, he slowly started to walk again, his little brown eyes never leaving the black figure of the crow against the whiteness of the sky.

Down the river, the robin was now perching next to Ivy.

"And, he knows what a puppy looks like?" asked Ivy.

She was not looking at all good. Tiredness seemed to hang from her face. But her cut had vanished. Fairies were magical and had powers to heal themselves against almost anything.

Apart from fire.

Fire was their one weakness.

"Yes, he will bring him here" the robin answered.

Meanwhile, Rosie Gamgee and her family were now rising. Elanor, on the other hand, was now asleep again. Her doings in the early hours of the morning were still unknown to anyone in her family.

Rosie yawned as she stood before a sink. Hanging on the wall in front of her was a large mirror. She smiled as she rinsed the flannel out.

She closed her eyes as she rubbed the soap off. The flannel was then rinsed again and the water drained from it. Rosie left the bathroom a few minutes later. She yawned a second time as she walked back to her room.

Samwise was now awake and sitting up on the bed. He slowly stood up, his feet touching the cold tiles.

"Morning" Sam said, giving a small nod.

Rosie smiled.

"Good morning" she answered.

"The food shall come today, wouldn't it?" Sam asked.

He knew that food was very important for this ever growing family.

"Yes, it will" Rosie answered, changing into her cloths.

None of the children were awake yet. Rosie was the only one dressed and ready for the day.

"I hope so, we're running out of food again" Sam said, taking a deep breath.

Food and drink was very important for hobbits of every age. There was evidence of this in most hobbits. Large bellies and podgy faces were seen on nearly every hobbit.

"What time will we be expecting it?" Sam asked, knowing that he would have to help ship the food.

Rosie was now busy with making the bed.

"Well, it could be here at about ten o'clock" she answered.

The duvet was smoothed over and her night gown over her side of the bed.

"Right" said Sam, putting his robe on and tying it up.

"I best go and wake the children" he told her.

Rosie smiled and nodded. She too had a job to do. Breakfast was to be prepared again. One would have thought that Rosie would get tired of making the same breakfast every day.

But she was not. In fact, she smiled as she headed towards the kitchen, where as Sam headed the opposite way. Rosie opened the kitchen door and saw the heath.

More wood was needed, and quickly. Only the flaming embers were left, twinkling in the black and white ashes. Rosie took a deep breath, knowing it could take longer then expected to prepare the meal.

Merry and Rose had shared a room as long as they could remember. Rose was older by just two years. But there was nothing to tell who was older by looks.

"Merry?" asked Sam.

His son gave a little snort as he was woken. His eyes slowly opened, his father standing over him.

"Time to get up" he said.

Samwise then headed over to his daughters bed.

"Rose, time to wake up sleepy head" he said.

Once Samwise knew both would not go back to sleep, he left the room. The next room was home to Frodo, his eldest son.

The door to his room opened. Samwise noticed how warm the room was. Yet the fire in the heath was not as big as expected. Frodo was laying under his large duvet.

Sam smiled as he looked at his son. Out of all of his children, Frodo looked the most like his father.

"Frodo, my lad" he said, waking his sleeping son up.

Frodo slowly edged away from his dreams, back into reality. His eyes slowly opened.

"Come on, breakfast is being made" Sam told him.

Without another word, Sam walked out, leaving the door ajar. Frodo took a deep breath, wanting more sleep. But the door was open and echoes coming from his younger brothers and sisters were reaching him.

So, taking a deep breath, Frodo removed the duvet. The coldness hit his bare feet, making the hairs curl even more. Frodo knew that today was going to be different. He would finally ask the question he wanted to for a few days.

The fire in the heath was now getting bigger and bigger. Rosie smiled as she grabbed the long, metal prongs from the side.

Samwise was going to wake his last, and eldest child, Elanor. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for near two hours. It was then, after finally falling into sleep again, that she was woken up.

The clicking of an opening door stole this sleep away. Before her father could wake her, she opened her eyes.

"Elanor?" Samwise asked, walking up to her bed.

"Yes, I'm awake daddy" Elanor said, tiredness hanging to her voice.

Samwise gave a small smile and turned. But, as he walked towards the door, Elanor's thought suddenly changed.

"Daddy?" she asked, stopping him in his tracks.

Samwise turned around.

"Yes?" he asked, standing at the door.

Elanor quickly got out of bed and grabbed something from the small table standing next to her bed. She smiled as she walked to her father and stopped.

"I made this for you" she said, holding her hand out.

Resting on her palm was a blue and red bracelet. Sam gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Elanor" he said, taking the small bracelet and studying it.

After a few seconds, he gave an even bigger smile.

"This is very well made" he said.

Elanor gave an embarrassed smile.

"I finished it this morning, while you were still asleep"

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. The argument and incident about the book had been forgotten.

Samwise felt guilty about how he had reacted.

"Come here" said Sam, taking a knee.

Elanor and Sam embraced in a hug.

"I'm sorry, daddy" Elanor said, her eyes welling up.

Sam wise could read his daughter as easily as a book.

"You don't have to be sorry, it's all in the past now" Samwise explained.

Elanor broke away from the hug and looked into her father's eyes.

"So, your not angry at me?" she asked.

This was a hard question for Sam. On one hand, he had been angry. Angry that his oldest child had broken his trust. But then again, he was disappointed. Sam thought that he would never see the day when one of his children had stolen something off of him.

"Of course not. I was just scared" he answered.

This confused Elanor.

"Scared? About the book?" she asked.

Sam knew that she was still too young to understand what Sam and Frodo had been through. But that time would come.

"It has very great value to me. And one day, Elanor, you'll understand what I mean"

Elanor gave a small nod. The main reason why Sam had entered Elanor's room came back into his mind.

"Come on, your mother is cooking up a nice breakfast for us" he told her.

Elanor smiled as her father held out his hand. The young girl took it and, together, they walked out. Elanor suddenly thought of another question to ask.

"Daddy?" she asked, getting Sam's attention.

Sam looked down at his smiling daughter.

"Yes, dear?" he answered.

"Can I go out today?" Elanor asked.

It was then Samwise remembered, he had promised that Elanor would be allowed out in seven days time.

"I know I said a week and you've served your time" Sam said, looking down at her.

"Does that mean I can?" Elanor asked, getting excited.

"Of course" Sam answered.

Elanor's smile broadened. She already had her day planned out. But first, she had to have breakfast. She and her father entered the kitchen.

Rosie was still waiting for the flames to reach their full height. Rosie smiled as the flames grew to an expectable size. But food was still to be prepared. Rosie yawned as she opened the cellar door. As small candle was picked up. Its flame would be the only source of light in the cellar.

The shelves seemed emptier then normal. Shelves that held packets of food were now looking very empty.

Rosie seemed to find just enough food for a good sized meal. The echoes of her children talking and laughing came from the kitchen.

The small candle, which was held in her hand, was placed on one of the empty shelves. The candle seemed to dance as Rosie took her hand away.

"Right" she said to herself, looking at the packets.

"Bacon, mushrooms, sausages, eggs and…"

She stopped for a moment, thinking about else she could get. After a moment of thinking, it came to her. So, picking up the candle in her spare hand, she walked over to a different shelf.

She smiled, picking up the largest packet that was stored in the cellar. A loaf of fresh white bread. Rosie tucked it under one arm and walked out again.

Elanor smiled as her mother walked past.

"Mummy?" Elanor asked, hopping off of her chair.

Rosie placed the candle on the work to along with the packets of food.

"Yes, dear?" Rosie answered, looking at her oldest daughter.

"Could I help please?" she asked.

Rosie smiled, knowing that Elanor's helpful side was showing. But there was hardly anything to do and Rosie was not sure that she could trust her daughter near a hot stove.

"Well, you could help me set the table" Rosie said, ripping open the paper wrapping that had kept the bread fresh.

Elanor was a bit disappointed by what her mother had said.

"But, why can I not help you with cooking?" she asked.

Rosie took a deep breath as she opened a draw and retrieved a large cutting knife.

"Because your still too young to use the stove, maybe in a year or two" Rosie answered.

This made Elanor feel a bit useless.

"Could you lay the table for me?" Rosie asked.

Elanor gave a deep breath and nodded. Samwise walked towards the cupboard. An ale was needed for breakfast, as usual.

Water was hardly ever drunk, except in the heights of summer. But ale was preferred. So, picking out a large mug, Sam closed the cupboard door.

"May I borrow the candle?" he asked his wife.

Rosie looked around at him and smiled.

"Of course" she answered.

Sam smiled back, picking the mounted candle up. He walked towards the cellar and opened the door. He could not wait to take the first swig of ale. It always seemed best when he had just woken up.

Sam's mood improved when he saw the large barrels resting along the back wall. Sam placed the mug on the floor. It seemed to be the best place to put it.

Sam smiled as he turned the tap on. Amber liquid started to pour out in a solid stream. The flickering candle glinted in the liquid.

The surface of the ale rose and rose. The tap was only turned off when the level of ale was pleasing too the eye. Sam smiled as he picked the mug up.

He now had to be very careful. Ale seemed more precious then bars of gold to the hobbits. Sam smiled, leaving the flickering candle on the shelf. His goal was to get to the kitchen table.

Amazingly, not a drop of ale was spilt. Sam carefully placed the mug down before anything bad could happen. He smiled as Elanor placed the last of the table mats on their places.

Rosie was standing near by, waiting for an old looking pan to heat up.

"I think we're going to need a new pan soon" Rosie said, taking a deep breath.

Sam's expression changed.

"Isn't that one good enough?" he asked, his eyes drifting towards the cellar.

Rosie shook her head.

"No, it wont last much longer" she answered.

Sam gave a small shrug.

"I guess we could go and find one later" Samwise told his wife.

Rosie nodded and turned back to the pan. She picked up the first packet and ripped it open. Raw rashers of the Shire's finest bacon came into view.

The rashers were then taken out of the packet. Rosie was glad that she did not have to cut the block of raw bacon into rashers. It saved her a lot more time.

So, Rosie started to peal the strips of bacon off and placed them in the pan. A sizzling sound then erupted as the cold bacon hit the hot oil.

Three more rashers were placed into the pan. Rosie smiled as she walked away from it. But she did not walk far. All she did was open a cupboard and got out some plates. All would be used to put food on. Four plates would be used just for putting the freshly cooked bacon, eggs, sausages and a large pile of mushrooms.

The rest would be given to the family to put that food on their plates.

"Elanor" said Rosie.

Elanor had been looking at the fire. She did not know why, but when ever a fire was lit, she would some how get transfixed by its dance.

"Elanor?" asked her mother again.

This time, Elanor's gaze was broken as she looked away.

"Yes, mummy?" she asked, taking a few steps forwards.

"Could you put these on the table for me?" Rosie asked, holding six clean plates.

Elanor gave a smile.

"Yes, mummy" she said.

Rosie knew that her daughter could not handle the weight of all six at once. So, she handed her daughter one plate at a time.

"Thank you, dear" she said.

The bacon on the pan was now very brown and crisp on one side. So, picking the spatula, Rosie started to flip them onto the other side. The sizzle seemed to grow for a minute, then settle back down.

Meanwhile, Origo and Ivy were just meters apart, but they could not get to each other. Origo was on one side of the river, looking over at the other.

He could just about make out the small green fairy up a tree. But there was another figure near by. From what Origo could see, this one was not green like Ivy. But red.

"Is that him?" the robin tweeted, hopping to look at the small black figure on the other side of river.

Ivy nodded.

"Yes, that's him" she said, smiling.

The robin thought for a moment.

"I'll be back in a moment" the robin told the fairy.

Ivy nodded and watched the little bird flutter off. The robin took only a few seconds to get to where he needed.

Origo and the massive crow stood on the snow.

"It is him" tweeted the bird.

Origo, not being a bird of any sort, could not understand them. All he could hear was the crow and robin singing their own songs. But not a word came to him.

Ivy smiled as she sat there.

"He must be very hungry" Ivy told herself.

She could not wait to look after Origo again. He was very special to her and Ivy would do anything for him.

"And very cold"

Guilt was now surfacing. Yet again, Ivy blamed herself for what happened. Her happiness seemed to subside as she slumped back. Tiredness seemed to slowly come upon the small fairy again.

"Maybe I should try and fly there" she said.

But her wings were still frozen together. The water had frozen them together over night. There seemed to be no way of getting to the small pup just ten meters away.

On the opposite side of the river, the crow and the robin were talking to one an other.

"The puppy can not understand us. Yet, the fairy might be able to" the crow said.

He looked over at the tree the robin had just come from. A greenish glow could be seen coming from one of the branches. This was his Ivy.

A sudden noise came from the puppy. One that only Ivy and Ori could understand. And one that scared the crow and little robin.

Alarm calls rang out. The crow's massive wings stretched out and the bird began to fly. Origo continued to bark, trying to make his Ivy come to him.

The robin seemed to scoot away, leaving the puppy standing there by himself.

"He's bad news, I tell you" the robin said, landing by Ivy.

But Ivy had very different views.

"He needs me, I need to get to him" Ivy told the robin.

But the robin did not want this to happen.

"This forest was peaceful before he came along, now all of the birds have flown away!" the robin said.

The crow was now where to be seen. In fact, it was still flying though the forest of trees. Its roost was a mile or two from where he was flying.

The large bird swooped the leafless canopy of the forest. The river seemed to follow its own path, away from where the crow was heading.

Ivy was looking at Origo. She knew that the birds were not going to help. She had to get to Origo.

"But, he's harmless!" Ivy told him.

The robin was hard to convince.

"Harmless?" he asked, hearing the barks of the puppy echoing around the once tranquil forest.

Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that things could take a turn for the worse.

"Please just let me get to him, he'll calm down, I promise!" Ivy told him.

The robin thought about this for a moment.

"Are you sure of this?" asked the robin.

His tone had changed from inquisitive and helpful, to serious and reluctant to help.

"Of course, he trusts me" Ivy told him.

Once again, the robin stared at the small fairy.

"I can not take you over there myself and the crow seemed to have flown away" the robin said, hopping around to take a good look at the area.

Neither Ivy, Origo or the robin knew what was to come next. The crow was on his way back. But he was not alone. Twenty other crows were calling out in the forest.

"This way!" called the wisest and oldest crow.

He flapped his wings a few times and glided inches from the branches. The other crows followed suit as the river came into view.


	80. Day Thirty Eight, Part Two

"He's coming back" Ivy said, hearing the calls of the crow.

But the little robin was now very twitchy. He knew what had been coming ever since the crow had left.

"They are coming for him" the robin said, spotting lots of black figures gliding through the trees.

Ivy knew exactly what this meant.

"Coming for Origo?" Ivy asked, her gaze then met the large flock heading their way.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The robin knew that he had made a mistake. He now realised that Origo was not that dangerous.

"We have to get him out of here" he tweeted, looking around.

Ivy slowly stood up.

"You have to get me to him" she said.

But the robin knew that they could not get there in time.

"I cant!" the robin told her, realising that he could not get Ivy to where she needed.

"Yes you can, please?" she asked.

The crows were now only a few seconds away from Origo and their intentions were not amicable. What happened next happened in slow motion for the small pup.

A large bird swooped down and flew right into him. Ivy saw this from the branch that she was standing on.

"No!" she shouted, seeing Origo get knocked over.

Bird after bird attacked the small pup.

"Run, Origo, run!" Ivy shouted.

Origo could barely hear the fairy over the rabble of crows now attacking him. The robin knew that now was the time to act.

"Hold on to me, I can fly you over there" the robin told her.

Worry was now spreading through Ivy. Nothing could get her to the pup quick enough. But holding onto the robin was the quickest way right now.

"Are you sure?" Ivy asked, having doubts.

The robin knew that they did not have much time. He had seen the full wrath of the flock of crows. And he knew exactly what their aim was.

"If you want to save your friend, it is the best way" he said.

Meanwhile, a young girl was sitting on a horse. Her hands were bound by a tight rope. But she was not alone of the horse. Sitting behind her and holding onto the reigns, was a large man.

He had kidnapped the girl from Bree the night before and was taking her back to a dirty inn a days ride away. Their goal was almost an hour away now.

The young girl had only had minimal sleep during the freezing night. Food had not been eaten.

"Your not worthy of this food" the man told her.

The young girl's head bobbed a few times. Each time, she would wake from her shallow bout of sleep. The coldness was numbing nearly every muscle she had. Her ears were tingling and her fingers did not seem to move.

Her dress and hair were now dirty again. Small spots of mud had impacted with the girls face. Her vision was blurred every so often. The trees seemed larger and more prominent as they rushed past.

Sleep once again enveloped the girl. And, like before it slipped away from her. But this time, it was no her fault. Instead, the horse had started to slow down to a stop.

A large black block could be seen. Sounds were now just echoes in her head.

"Get off" the man said, pushing her off.

The girl fell and landed on the cold snow. Pain did not seem to register with the girl any more. She had no energy to move or even talk.

"On your feet!" the man shouted.

But no help came. An evil smile came over him. The young girl did not move or even make a sound.

"Very well then" he said, grabbing her hair.

The young girl, instead of being lifted to her feet, was being dragged along by her hair. The girl could do nothing about being dragged away from the stables.

"Come on!" the man shouted.

Just then, the back door opened. An old woman came out.

"I see she agreed on coming back" she said, an evil smile came over her.

She knew that the girl had not come by her own steam.

"Get her in, I need to talk to her" the woman said.

The man nodded and continued to drag the girl. The man heaved her over the threshold and closed the door behind him.

"Get her upstairs" the woman said.

She had many plans for the girl. Each more painful then the last. She smiled as the man stood the girl up on her feet.

"Get up there" he said, pushing her.

But the girl just fell. No energy could be mustered to start climbing. The man gave a small smile, he then walked up a few stairs.

"You are very silly" he said.

Once again, he grabbed the girl's hair again and dragged her up the stairs. The warmth of the building she was in seemed to slowly sink into her skin. But this was as warm as it was going to get as the man dragged her up the last few steps.

A door creaked open as the girl was dragged into her room.

"You silly little girl, your better off here" the man told her.

Without another word, the man walked out and slammed the door behind him. The girl lay in the middle of the floor, hands still bound.

She could hear talking coming up through the floor boards. Even if she had her strength, she could not understand what they were talking about.

Food was desperately needed. Be it just a morsel. But there was no chance of food being brought to her and she knew it.

Hobbiton was now awake and waiting for lunch to tick over. A young girl was laughing as she ran in the snow. Elanor laughed as a snowball hit one of her friends square on the back.

"Good shot, Elanor!" said another girl.

Gloria was running along side her taller friend. A group of boys were running after them. Elanor and Gloria had split off from the rest of the group. She and Gloria were now the main targets.

But Elanor was not going to just give in to the boys snowy attack. The field was edged by a winding wooden fence. Skeletons of summer plants hung over the wooden planks.

The lush greenness of the fields around Hobbiton had turned to whiteness.

"Quickly!" Elanor said, seeing that the boys were slowly catching up.

The two girls slid through a small gap in the dead bushes. Even though the hobbit boys could not see the two girls any more, they seemed to know exactly where they were going.

Elanor gave a smile as she continued to run. Reinforcements were standing right in front of her. Four more girls, about the same age, were standing there.

"About time!" said one of Elanor's friends.

"We got cut off, the boys are right behind us" Elanor told them.

In fact, this was only a small part of the truth. The boys had split into two groups. They were going to hit the girls with snow balls from two directions.

But one little boy was missing from the pack. Young Frodo Gamgee was standing on a chair, looking out of the small round window to the outside world.

Everywhere he looked, he could see hobbits either talking or playing. This made him very upset. He wanted to go back out in the snow, but his mother would not let him.

"But why?" he whined, following his mother into the kitchen.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"Because your still recovering" she told him for the umpteenth time.

"But I don't feel ill anymore, I'm fine" he told her.

But Rosie was not going to give in that easily.

"Give it another week, then we'll see about you heading out again" she told him.

This seemed very, very unfair.

"But, Elanor got to go out!" he pointed out.

Rosie knew that he still had cards to play.

"I know she has, but she has done her punishment and was allowed to" Rosie said.

Frodo seemed to take this the wrong way.

"So, you keeping me in to punish me?" he asked, his eye wheeling up.

Rosie took a deep breath, knowing that what she had just said did not sound how she wanted it to.

"Frodo, I don't mean it like that" she said.

But, before she could explain herself, her oldest son turned and scooted out. And, in the process of doing so, nearly ran into father.

"Slow down, lad!" he said, not noticing that his son was actually crying.

Sam took a deep breath, shaking his head.

"What is the matter with him?" Sam asked, entering the kitchen.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"I told him he couldn't go out" she said.

Sam was a bit confused at what she had just said.

"Well, he's still not back to himself" he told her.

Rosie gave a small nod.

"Well, the thing is, I might have told him the wrong thing" Rosie answered.

"How?" asked Sam.

Frodo Gamgee was now laying on his bed. A range of emotions were surfacing in the young boy's heart.

Hatred.

He hated the fact that his parents were still punishing him for something that he did not mean to do.

Confusion.

He needed to get out of the house. He had been stuck in for too long.

Sadness.

"Why don't they love me?" he asked himself.

This only made the sadness stronger then before. This sadness seemed to turn slowly into hatred and the cycle repeated again.

Frodo's mood did not improve when the door to his room opened. Standing at the door was his father.

"Frodo?" Sam asked, standing there for a second or two.

Frodo gave a small huff and turned over so that he was not facing him. Samwise took a deep breath and walked in regardless of what his son thought.

The door gave a small click as Samwise shut it.

"We need to talk" he told him.

The fire in the heath looked very healthy as it danced, letting out a pleasant warmth. The chair was gently picked up and placed nearer the bed.

"Frodo?" his father asked.

But still, there was no movement from the boy. Sam knew that his son could continue to ignore him.

"Your mother did not mean what she said" he told his son, regardless of being heard or not.

"Do you want to know what she meant?" Samwise asked.

Frodo took a deep breath. He did not want to know what his mother meant. What ever they said was lies.

"Your mother is just looking out for you. What happened a few weeks ago, we are very frightened about what else could happen"

Frodo slowly sat up and looked at his father.

"You don't trust me, do you?" he slowly asked.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"We trust all of our children. We trust them until they do wrong"

Frodo could not figure out what his father was saying.

"But, I broke your trust, I went over the bridge when you told me not too!" he said.

Samwise knew this. Discussions had been made about what they would do. But they had thought better of it.

"And you were very lucky to get away with it, you could have been killed!" Samwise told him.

"Lucky to get away with it" thought Frodo.

"But, if I'm not being punished, then I am allowed to go out" Frodo told him.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"Frodo, you still need to recover from it, a few more days and you'll be allowed out" Samwise told him.

"A few days?" asked Frodo, his voice had a hint of anger in it.

"Why a few days?"

Samwise took a deep breath. He knew that he did not have to go into detail. Detail that Frodo had already been told.

"Frodo, I am not going over this again. If you misbehave, it'll be even longer" Sam said.

Frodo had never been so angry in his life. Sam stood up from his chair and made his way towards the door. Sam opened it and walked out.

But, as he went to close the door, something that he thought he would never hear from any of his family met his ears.

"I hate you!" Frodo screamed, tears running down his face.

Sam stood there for a moment, he could not believe what he had just heard. But he had. Yet the impact of those words had not sunk in.

Samwise entered the kitchen, taking a deep inhale of breath.

"How did it go?" Rosie asked.

She had now started preparing lunch. A large delivery of food had been taken in just an hour or two before. A few wicker baskets of food were still laying near the entrance of the cellar.

There was no answer. Instead, Samwise made a bee-line for the cupboard. Rosie noticed that Sam's mood had changed.

"Sam?" she asked.

Rosie gently put the cutting knife down and wiped her hands on the apron that had been tied around her. Samwise seemed to completely ignore his wife.

Rosie took a deep breath, knowing that something had gone wrong. Samwise opened the cellar door. But, before he walked in, he grabbed a mounted candle to light the way.

His wife stood there momentarily, wanting to find out more. But she had to let it go, for now. So, picking up the knife again, she continued to prepare lunch.

Sam placed the candle on the floor and slowly squatted down. He placed the mug on the floor and turned the tap on. For some reason, the sound of the mug filling with ale made his thinking easier.

"My own son, hates me" he told himself.

The ale was getting deeper and deeper. It seemed to take a shorter time then normal. The tap was turned off, stopping the flowing ale.

Sam stood up, grabbing the flickering candle in one hand and the mug in the other. Rosie was still chopping an unbelievable amount of carrots, parsnips and potatoes.

Samwise took a deep breath and sat down. He was only carrying the mug now, the candle had been placed back on its small shelf.

"So" Rosie said, turning around.

"What happened?" she asked.

Samwise took a deep breath. He was deep in thought. Three words continued to circle in his head. He could not shake them off.

"He hates me" Sam said glumly, picking up his mug and taking a big swig.

Rosie took a deep breath, knowing how much impact this had on husband. His son was very dear to him. Frodo Gamgee had been named after one of Sam's most valued friend.

"Should I have a word with him?" Rosie asked.

Sam slowly shook his head.

"I think we should leave him to calm down a bit" Samwise told her.

Hours past since the event that changed everything. The sun had now set on another day. The coldness seemed even more harsher on the land, hardening soft snow.

Origo was now laying in a treeless area, still alone and without vital warmth and food. He had been running for many hours, away from danger.

Exhaustion had now got to the pup. His body was now shutting down. His heart was beating slower then normal. His head seemed very empty and light. Every so often, echoes of the outside world would meet him.

The small puppy seemed to be at ease in this dark world. Hunger, tiredness and coldness had all been forgotten. Origo was just an hour from passing the silver curtain.

Only one creature knew of his whereabouts. A small robin had fluttered to him.

"Oh no"

Ivy was still walking through the cold snow. She had seen the full force of the crows attack. But she had not arrived at the scene quick enough.

Origo had ran away, followed by a big black barrage of calling birds. Origo had to use what energy he had left to get away.

The crows chased him for almost a mile before they started to perch. But Origo continued to run. His breath could be seen coming out of his open mouth.

Every so often, Origo would look back. It was then he noticed the last crow fly and perch on a branch. The crow was silhouetted against the darkening sky.

Origo wondered where he was as he looked around. He was now very far away from where he had started off. Only his paw prints in the snow could be seen weaving through the forest.

Down near the river, Ivy was now standing in the snow. Her wings were still frozen, so the robin had to do all of the flying.

"Can you find him?" Ivy asked.

The robin was hopping around the snowy ground. He was looking at in comparison to himself, a large paw print.

"I will try my best" he tweeted.

Ivy gave a small smile and watched the robin flutter away. Ivy was now on her own again. Birdsong had ceased, something was wrong. The small robin knew that Origo had gone the way he was flying due to the paw prints in the hardening snow.

Ivy was left to follow the tracks by herself. It was very difficult without flying. Her small feet seemed to sink into the snow. But, unlike Origo, no prints were made.

Ivy was very tired. But the fact that Origo was out there spurred her onwards. Only the wind could be heard, trying to take the small fairy with it.

The robin could no longer be seen by Ivy. He was fluttering through the leafless forest as fast as he could. But, the faster he went meant the more energy he used.

The small robin came to rest on a branch, having spent most of his energy of flying.

"Origo?" he called out.

But all that came echoing back was his own song. The small robin had rested enough. He could not give up on the large puppy.

So, the robin set off again. His small wings propelled his through the air. The robin swerved through the pillars of trees.

After a few more minutes, the robin stopped again. Origo's prints continued to wind through the trees, stopping behind trees every so often.

The robin looked back, wondering how far he had flown.

"I better get going" he thought.

But something stopped him from opening up his wings. A strange figure caught him. This was what the robin was looking for.

Origo had been laying in the snow for the best part of thirty minutes. The coldness was seeping through every muscle the little pup had.

Without another wasted second, the robin too off. It took him but a few seconds to reach the small pup.

"Oh no" he said, seeing the state that the small puppy was in.

The robin looked around. He knew that Ivy was still quite away from where he was.

"What shall I do?" he asked himself, looking around.

Hobbiton was now bathed in darkness. Small points of light were set into the many hills situated around an icy lake. Chimneys were silhouetted against the moonless night.

A large building stood by a sturdy looking bridge. A small river trickled away from the lake to a river named The Water.

In summer, fish were caught from it using home made fishing rods. But, as the sun gave up its warmth, indoors was the best place to be.

The dormant heaths of summer seemed to slowly burst into life. But, hobbits were hardy. Most did not light their heaths until the middle of Blotmath, the eleventh month of the year.

Nearly every day since then, heaths would be stocked with pre-cut wood from the trees outside. Large piles had been kept near each large, round front doors.

The hobbits only had to venture out a few feet from their door to pick up some pieces of wood. But, even in the time that they were outside, all the warmth that they had had from the inside was quickly turning to coldness.

Dinner was now ready in nearly all households. Chimneys were spewing black smoke into the crisp night air. The Gamgee household was now getting busier again.

The smell of dinner trickled through the gaps in the doors. A young girl smiled as she sat on her bed.

"Elanor?" asked a voice.

A wooden horse was standing in the corner of the room. It had been a while since she had heard that voice.

"Could we talk?" it asked.

All conversations with the horse took place inside the young girl's head. For anyone else watching, it would seem that Elanor was talking to herself.

But the wooden horse had shared some of Elanor's most dangerous adventures. This horse had been to the fiery depths of Mordor and the harsh coldness of the highest peaks of Middle-earth.

Elanor took a deep breath, looking over at the wooden horse. For a moment, Elanor did not want to get up. But then, she had no reason to be mad at the horse anymore.

So, after a moment, Elanor slipped off of her bed. Her feet hit the cold tiled floor. She slowly walked over to the wooden figure and picked it up.

There was a coloured necklace around the horse's neck. Elanor had made it for him. The young girl picked him up.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked.

The horse seemed to take a deep breath, springing into life as the young girl sat back on the bed again. Elanor gave a small smile as the horse became alive.

The creature was not made of wood any more. It started galloping around the bed. Its tail swished as it did so.

"Well" he said, stopping before his friend.

There was a moment of silence between them.

"Well, I have to say something"

Elanor wondered what this was.

"Say what?" Elanor asked, wanting to know more.

The horse lowered his head.

"I'm… sorry" he told her.

The horse raised his head. The two of them looked at each other. Elanor took a deep breath, knowing that the horse's apology was genuine.

"I'm sorry as well" she said, picking him up.

She and the horse embraced in a hug. The two were now friends again. Just as Elanor was about to suggest their first adventure, the door to her room opened.

Samwise smiled as he spotted his daughter.

"Dinner is ready" he told her.

Elanor smiled, the horse seemed to change back into the wood that everyone else saw.

"Stay here" the girl said.

The horse was placed the bed and Elanor stood up. Sam was already making his way back to the kitchen. The smell of Rosie's cooked dinner was now as strong as ever.

Elanor reached the kitchen a few moments after her father. Everyone was now sitting down. Apart from one.

Frodo.

He had been in his room for most of the day. Anger festered in his veins. Frodo hated his parents.

"Why?" he asked himself, sitting on his bed.

He wrapped his arms around his knees and continued to mutter to himself.

"I haven't done anything wrong, it's not fair" he muttered.

In the kitchen, everyone was now sitting down. Rosie smiled as she placed the bowls on the table. Frodo's seat was still empty.

"Right" said Rosie, giving her large smile.

"Eat up" she said.

Elanor gave a smile as she picked up one of the bowls that had been set near her. Her mother took a deep breath as she stood where she was.

"I'll be back in a moment" she said.

Sam knew that she was going to see Frodo. But he could do nothing about it. Sam took a deep breath as he focused his attention on the children at the table.

"You be careful now" he said, spotting a struggling Elanor.

The bowl was resting perilously close to the edge of the table. But nothing bad had happened.

"Right" said Samwise, standing up.

He knew that the rest of his children needed just a little bit of help. Sam took the bowl of crispy, roasted potatoes and walked to little Merry.

He smiled as his father started to pile potatoes on his plate. Elanor smiled as parsnips were next on the list. Rosie seemed to make the best parsnips of anyone in the Shire.

Rosie raised her fist and knocked on her eldest son's door. Three bangs met Frodo's ears.

"Go away!" he said.

Rosie took a deep breath, but stood her ground. She slowly opened the door. The first thing she saw was the fiery heath. The flames were still dancing.

Her eyes seemed to slid over to the bed. There, she saw Frodo looking right back at her.

"I said, go away" he said.

His eyes were like large marble, reflecting the flickering light of the heath.

"Frodo, why wont you have dinner with us?" Rosie asked, closing the door.

Frodo huffed and looked away. All he wanted to do was be on his own.

"Leave me alone" he said.

But his wishes were not met. Rosie slowly walked over to the bed and sat down.

"Frodo, you have to understand that we are not punishing you" she said.

Frodo mumbled something and looked away.

"Do you know how scared I was when you went missing?" Rosie asked.

This was the first time that Rosie and Frodo had talked about it. Frodo slowly looked over at his mother. He shook his head.

"No" he answered.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"Well, I was very scared. Scared of losing you. I love all of my children the same. No matter what they have done. You're all special to me" Rosie told him.

She could feel tears welling up. Frodo was now realising that he had hurt his parents in more ways then one.

"I think your old enough to understand me now" Rosie said.

Frodo gave a small nod. He could not take it anymore. He and his mother embraced in a large hug.

"I'm sorry" he said between intakes of breath.

Rosie did not reply. All of the tension seemed to have washed away with the tears that both of them shed.

"I didn't mean to get lost, I just wanted to see what was on the other side of the river" he said.

Rosie looked into her son's eyes. It was true, Frodo was now getting older and had to be treated differently now. Rosie knew that she could no longer treat Frodo like she did with Merry and Rose.

"I know, sweetie" Rosie said, taking a deep breath.

In another household, Diamond was sitting down. Dinner had already been made and consumed. Faramir had now been put to sleep. He had drunk his milk and slowly fell asleep in his mothers arms.

Dolly's medicine seemed to work on the little baby. This made Diamond's life much easier. But there were still hurdles to over come.

As Diamond placed her young child in his cot. She stood there for a moment, looking at the peaceful baby. Her eyes were drawn to a small table on her side of the bed.

There, lit up by the candles that were mounted around the wall, was a small book.

"I think its time to read a bit more" Diamond told herself.

She picked the book up and looked at the cover. She now knew what secrets the book held. But that was only the start. She wanted to find out more about Pippin.

So, Diamond left her son sleeping peacefully in his cot. The door, as always, was left ajar so that Faramir's cries could be heard from anywhere in the house.

Diamond headed towards the kitchen. She would need a nice cup of tea before she started reading.

The kitchen seemed to have a warm smell about it. It was a smell of her dinner that she had just an hour before hand.

The fire in the heath danced invitingly as Diamond made her way for the cupboard. There, she got out a large mug, usually used for ale, but was now going to be filled to the brim with hot tea.

It took a few minutes to prepare the tea. Diamond smiled as she fished out the tea leaves and placed them on the side. Sugar was stirred into the rich tea, making the taste even sweeter.

Diamond was now ready to read the next chapter of the book. She opened it and flicked through a few of the pages before coming onto the next chapter.

There were no chapter titles at the top of the pages. This did not seem to bother Diamond too much. A few seconds later, she started to read.

Winter had come over the lands. Quickly and harshly. Like all of the children of the Shire, I was very excited for the first bit of snow.

But it had been months since I saw you. A few times, I caught myself thinking about you. It seems that your eyes had drawn me in and I was stuck with them.

"Come on Pip!" Merry said, running away from me.

It took a second or two to realise that I was now standing in the freezing snow. Flakes were sticking to my cloths and hair. But that was not the only thing I had to worry about.

A large snowball hurtled towards me. I only saw it at the last second. But the last second was too late. The ball hit me square in the face.

Laughter rang out around me. It was Frodo and Sam. In their hands were snowballs, ready to be aimed at me again.

My predictions were right. Frodo was the one to throw his. But, my reactions were faster then last time.

But my eyes did not see Sam ready to throw his. Upon missing one snowball, I could not miss the second. It impacted on my chest, leaving small bit clinging to my jacket.

Merry had now joined in with the laughter. It was all fun for him, but he did not take any hits from the others. I had had enough of snow being thrown at me.

Unlike the other three, I was getting very hungry. Yet again, I did not see the snowball thrown at me until the very last second.

This time, the snowball missed me, save for my finger tips. It landed in the snow behind me. The games stopped as I told them my plans. Frodo seemed a little bit disappointed, but did not heed his progress.

Samwise seemed very inquisitive about what I was going to do. But he was quick to agree. Merry and Frodo had no choice but to agree.

So, we parted ways. Frodo and Merry heading away from Hobbition, where as Sam and I stayed walked in the opposite direction.

As I walked home, Sam had already got back, a familiar looking girl came into view. I could do nothing but smile.

"Good evening" I said, hoping that you would remember me.

And you did.

"Good afternoon"

It was then that my words lost me. I could not think of anything else to say. But, luckily, your words had not escaped you.

"How are you?"

It was the perfect start to conversation.

"I am well, how about you?"

The uneasiness seemed to fall away the more I talked to you. But sadly, our conversation was cut short

"Diamond?"

It was your mother.

"We have to get moving now"

This was not what I wanted. For some reason, I felt like I could talk to you for an age. And I still do.

Diamond finished the chapter. Even back then, Pippin had loved her. It was the first time that Diamond knew of this.

She now had a lot to think about. This chapter seemed to be more powerful then the last. During her time reading, the tea had only been touched just a tad.

Diamond slowly closed the book, locking Pippin's memories within its pages for another night.


	81. Day Thirty Nine, Part One

A small puppy lay on a comfortable pillow. The house she was in was very warm. Night was slowly turning to day. The inky night was turning to a lighter blue. But clouds were still covering nearly every direction.

The coldness had fallen deeper then any other night before. But the small pup was safe as she continued to sleep. Her owner, an old man, slept peacefully in his bed.

Normally, by this time in the morning, the man would have woken. But not today. Instead, the man kept on sleeping. But this could not be said for the small puppy in the lounge. Sleep was now gently slipping away from her. Her small brown eyes seemed to slowly open. Her quota of sleep had all been used up. Hunger was quickly growing as the small pup gave a big stretch. Her ears flopped as she shook her head. A quick glance around told her that she was alone.

"I best see where he is" she thought.

So, the puppy left the warmth of pillow and trotted out of the room. The house was quiet as the young pup made to her owners room.

The door had been left ajar during the night. The little puppy poked her small, fluffy head around the door. The bed came into view.

The pups tail started to wag as she made her way to the end of the bed. There, she jumped on a small dressing box full of her owners old clothes.

The puppy could see the mound of the man underneath the duvet. It was then that she started on her short trip up towards the pillow. The clock on the wall gently chimed eight times.

"He should have been up an hour ago" the puppy whimpered.

But, he wasn't. The small pup continued her journey towards him. Her little paws sank into the warm duvet. After a minute or so, the pup reached the other end of the bed.

There, the old mans head lay on a pillow. He had his eyes closed. The puppy's tail wagged as she saw him.

"Wake up" she whined, trying to grab his attention.

But it did not work.

The pup blinked twice and gave another, louder whine. But this was still not enough to arouse the man from his slumber.

It was time to make her presents known. So, moving a little bit further up the bed, she reached the man's face.

"Hello?" she whined, sniffing the man.

But there was something wrong with him. He was not responding to anything she did. The puppy's mind slowly ticked over to the only answer it could be.

He was dead.

The puppy whimpered and waddled to the edge of the bed. She looked down. The pup bent her legs and took off. But what hit the solid ground was not a small puppy, but a fully grown girl. This girl had flowing blonde hair, unnaturally clean. It flowed all the way past her shoulders. Her large brown eyes were exactly the same as the puppy's that had been standing on the bed.

"I'm sorry" she said, knowing that she could not do anything about what had happened.

Now was the time to start her plan. She needed to find Origo. But there were no clues as to where he was. Yet this did not stop the young girl from trying to find him.

So, she walked out of the warm room, leaving the man peacefully laying in his bed. The girl now put her plan into action as she walked to the kitchen.

A few things were needed before she could set off. Food was one of these things. The cellar door was closed, soon to be opened. She, unlike her puppy form, did not have to act any more.

Mya, as she was known to only Tom Bombadil, Goldberry and her friend, Pilith, took a hold of a small burning candle. It flicked as she opened the door.

Unlike the rest of the house, the cellar was the only room that was accessed by stairs. It was also the coldest and darkest. Food and drink were stored down here, ready to be used.

But there would be no one around to use them any more. And Mya did not need all of it for her journey. Bread was the made food she would need for the journey. The coldness made sure that her hands would not work as well.

Three large loaves of untouched bread sat on their own shelf. This was exactly what Mya needed. So, she placed the candle on an empty shelf just near by.

She knew that she could not take all of the loaves and still be able to carry the candle as well. So, she took two loaves and walked out. The candle seemed to produce just enough light to find her way back to the stairs.

She ascended them and came out into the kitchen. Upon placing the loaves down, she turned and made her way back to the cellar again.

This time, the last loaf of bread was picked up. The candle was also picked up, making the flame dance around. But, just as she reached the door, something took a hold of her sight.

So, Mya placed the candle down and picked up this new packet. The loaf of bread was then held under her arm as she surveyed the packet.

An orange tinge came through the packet. Mya smiled, realising that it was a block of cheese. This was perfect for the young girl.

So, leaving the loaf propped under her arm, she made her way out. The stairs were not made of wood, but cold stone. The stairs ended as Mya arrived back in the kitchen.

She smiled, placing the candle down on its small shelf. Mya then placed the loaf of bread and the block of red cheese on the table, along with the other food.

"I can not carry all this by myself" Mya thought.

She knew that a bag was needed. But she had never explored the house on two feet before. So, leaving the food on the table, she started to search the kitchen.

Cupboards were opened, then closed. Pots, pans, knives, forks, all were present. A fifth cupboard door was opened. This was full of old, unopened wine bottles.

Dust had settled on the cold glass. It seemed to be untouched for a number of years. Until now. Mya's curiosity led her to slide one of the very old bottles out.

The label was very old and very brittle. It shed flakes as she tried to read it. The liquid inside showed itself to be deep red in the flickering candle light.

Mya could see her own reflection in the smooth glass. The light coming from window glinted in the opposite side of the round bottle.

After a minute, Mya placed the bottle back. Her curiosity had been filled and her mind was now back on finding a bag. But there were none to be found in the kitchen. So, making her way out of the room, she came across a small cupboard.

It was then that she found what she had been looking for. A few very old looking bags lay in a pile on the floor. She smiled as she took them out.

Most of them were too small to get three loaves of bread in. But there was one that was perfect. This one was left out as the others were placed back. The door to the cupboard closed with a click.

It took a few minutes to place all of the loaves into the bag. The block of orange cheese was the last thing to be packed. But there was one more object that Mya needed to get.

Water.

Down the road was a well full of water. Mya had only been there once before. This was when the man needed some water. Flasks were now needed.

Water was vital for survival in the wilds. Many people had died in the ancient forests. But Mya could not make this mistake. She needed all of her strength to find Origo. And the coldness would make sure it drained everything that she had.

So, upon finding many empty flasks, she put them in her bag.

"Well, this is it" she said, swinging the pack onto her back.

The house was unusually quiet. It was a shame to leave such a lovely home. But there was no reason for her to stay anymore. She had spent more time here then she would have liked.

But there was one last thing she needed to do. So, walking back to the bed room, she stopped. The man had not moved from where he was. His eyes closed, his lips had a hint of blueness about them.

Mya slowly walked up to the old man. She knew that, without him, she would have never seen Origo again. It felt wrong to leave him, after the attention that he had given her.

But she had to.

"Thank you" she said.

Deep down, she knew that his sprit would be with her forever. But for now, she had to get moving. So, with one last look, she turned around. That would be the last time that she ever saw him.

Mya walked through the house to the outside world. The front door creaked open. Cold wind instantly dug into Mya's perfect skin. Her hair blew gently in the wind as she took in the whiteness of the world before her.

A few seconds past before the young looking girl before she placed foot into the outside world. The door was then closed after her. But this was pointless now. For that man that had lived there was no longer living.

Mya's quest for Origo had now begun as she headed to her first stop. A well, full of water, was her first port of call. But she was not the only one wanting water.

As the well came into view, two figures came into view also. Mya stopped. She knew that the people of Middle-earth were not as friendly as she was. Every move she made would have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

"Well, there's nothing for it" she said.

So, the young girl set off again. The snow crunched underfoot as the well came ever closer. Mya's whereabouts were now known as one of the figures, a woman, spotted her.

But nothing happened.

Mya strolled up to the well and stopped. The other figure was a man. He was slowly drawing up a bucket full of very cold water.

"We wont be a moment, dear" said the woman.

She gave a warm smile. Mya nodded and returned the smile. The rope had been tied to the handle of the old bucket. Both the bucket and rope were soaking wet.

The man grabbed the bucket and placed it on the stone wall. He took a deep breath and looked around.

"Alright, better get it over with" he said, knowing what was coming next.

The woman smiled as she took her pack off. She opened it up and picked out five flasks. Each were empty, waiting to be filled with cold water.

So, the woman handed one over to the man. The top was then taken off and placed it in his pocket. What came next took his breath away. He emerged his hand into the freezing water.

The water started to trickle into the empty flask. After a while, the pain started to cease as he got used to the coldness. The flask was then taken out. It was much heavier then before. The stopper was placed back and handed to the woman.

This happened a few more times.

"All yours" she said.

Mya smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

The bucket was left on side of stone wall. Mya looked into the bucket. There wasn't enough water to fill her own flask. So, upon taking a deep breath, Mya started to lower the bucket down towards the water.

Meanwhile, Origo was still laying in the snow. His small paw prints could be traced back a mile or two in the snow.

But he was not alone. A small robin and an invisible fairy were near by. Ivy's spirits were the lowest they had been in hundreds of years. She knew that she had almost lost him.

"I shouldn't have let it happen" she said, kneeling in the snow.

Origo was resting on his side, eyes shut. His chest seemed to barely move as Ivy knelt there. Warmth was circulating around Origo's little body.

Life was slowly taking him back, pulling him into reality. His head became light and airy. A small bit of faint light met his eyes.

But sound was not present. He did not know that his friend, Ivy, was just a few inches away from him.

"It was inevitable, my dear" the robin told her.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"But still, it happened. I was not there for him"

The robin looked around.

"Life if full of ups and downs. It is just how we handle them that makes a difference. Some of us push on where others fall" he said.

These words were very encouraging for Ivy. She knew that she had forced Origo to do too much. A slower rate of travel was needed. Ivy knew that she and Origo were already days behind schedule. But nothing could be done to speed up this process.

But this was about to change.

A young girl was walking through the snow on the ground. Her hair blew as the wind rushed past. A large pack, full of bread, water and cheese rested on her shoulders.

It was enough food to get her to her next destination. But her destination was in an unknown direction. There were no signs that pointed to Bree.

So, the girl trundled ever onwards. The wind seemed to become colder then before. The bottom of her flowing white dress was now wet. She could feel it sticking on her legs.

The path seemed to wind through the forest for what seemed like hours. No greenness could be seen. Just black and white.

The rate of snowflakes seemed to be steady. A few landed on the girls dress. But they were too small to bother her.

After a few hours of walking, the girl's energy seemed to be all spent. Her stomach was now very empty, having not eaten since the night before.

"I guess I shall need some food then" she thought.

Unlike the house she had left an hour or two before, there was nowhere dry or warm to rest. But Mya had to get used to this. For there would be no places to stay until she reached Bree.

So, taking her pack off, she sat down. Her back rested against a large tree. The wind seemed not to be harsh here. A small smile came over her as she opened the bag.

Meanwhile, Hobbiton had woken up to a glorious day. Breakfast had been made, served and consumed. Children were now playing out in the snow.

Snow hobbits were being constructed out of the very snow that lay on the grassy fields. Elanor Gamgee and her friends were now pushing a very large ball.

But their power was not enough to make it any bigger then it was. They had been pushing the boulder of snow for a good half an hour. But it had only gone a few inches.

"Oh, this is hopeless" a young girl said, taking a deep breath.

The ball of snow was now solid. Evidence of the terrain underneath could now be seen. For the large ball of snow was not pure. Mud and blades of grass were stuck in the ball as well.

"I think it's big enough" said another.

Elanor Gamgee took a deep breath. She knew that if they just had more power, then they would be able to make it very large indeed.

But she knew this was not going to happen.

"I guess so" she said, giving into the fact that the large ball of snow was not going anywhere.

Gloria, one of Elanor's closes friends, bent down and picked up a handful of snow. Elanor watched as her friend squeezed compacted it into a solid ball. A minute later, Gloria started to roll it across the surface of the ground.

In the Gamgee household, a very lonely boy sat on his bed. His mother and father had stopped him from enjoying the lovely snow outside.

"You can go outside tomorrow, dear" Rosie said as she washed up the dishes.

Frodo seemed not to argue anymore. He knew that what ever he said would not be in agreement with his parents. So, he would trundle back to his room and gently close the door. A few times, Frodo had stood on his bed and looked out of his window.

His room over looked the fields of Hobbiton, right down to the lake. He could see for many miles. Only the horizon stopped his gaze from going any further.

This made the little boy upset indeed. He loved the snow, unlike his father who did not like the coldness.

"Get's into your very soul, this weather does" he said.

And he was right. The coldness seemed to burrow into to the depths of anyone's soul, making them shiver. Feet, although they acted like shoes, became numb and stiff after time.

Only the warmth of a fire could eradicate any coldness. Warm food was also very useful to fight of the coldness. And food was what one small creature needed more then anything.

Ivy and the robin had been waiting an hour or two for the small puppy to wake. And, eventually, he did. Ivy was resting on the warm puppy when she heard it.

At first, Ivy did not believe what she had heard. But the quickening movement in Origo's small chest made Ivy's suspicions become solid.

"Origo?" she asked, slowly standing up.

Miraculously, Ivy's wings seemed to have pealed apart due to Origo's warmth. But she was too concerned with the little pup to bother flapping them.

The small puppy did not move. He did not have the energy to do so. Yet another whimper came from him. Sounds were coming back to him now.

"Puppy?" asked a voice, echoing around in his airy head.

The small pup knew this voice. He knew that it belonged to Ivy. But another sound came into the puppy's light head. This one was much louder and scarier for him.

"Is he alright?" the robin asked.

Only Ivy could understand the small bird.

"I think he will, he just needs some turkey"

At these words, Origo's eyes seemed to open. All he could see was a sea of white. The snow seemed to block his vision.

"Ivy?" he asked, trying to raise his head.

Ivy smiled as she walked over to the little puppy.

"Origo, are you alright?" she asked.

Small tears were running down her little face. She knew that if Origo had enough energy for food, then he would be alright.

Origo's eyes were slowly moving around. Snow was not the only thing Origo could see. His little brown eyes were now filled with green light. He could see a blurry figure squatting down.

"Puppy, you need to eat some food" she said, wiping away a small tear.

Origo gave a small whine, making Ivy know that he was listening. The robin was taken aback at what happened next. A large plate of warm turkey appeared before him.

"How did that get there?" the robin asked.

But his question was ignored. Ivy needed Origo to just eat one piece. Even if it was just a small morsel.

"Puppy, please eat something" she said.

The smell of turkey seemed to give Origo just enough strength to lift his head now. But still did not have enough to grab a piece of turkey.

Ivy thought quickly. She smiled as she picked out a large piece. For the fairy, it was massive and a bit heavy. She smiled as walked back to the puppy.

"Puppy, do you remember this?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whine. Of course he knew what it was. His small pink tongue slid out and gave a small lick. He could taste the turkey more then he ever had before.

Ivy smiled as she felt Origo tug on the small piece of turkey. It quickly vanished as Ivy let go. Origo could taste the turkey as he swallowed it.

"More?" Ivy asked, knowing the answer to this already.

Origo gave a small whine. The small puppy now had enough energy to lift his fluffy head up. Ivy fed him a few more pieces.

She smiled as Origo shook off the tiredness. His eyes still tried to drag him back to sleep. But turkey would soon win over this battle.

Ivy smiled as the small puppy slowly stood on all four paws. A large, long yawn came from the pup. Ivy now did not need to help feed Origo now. For he had enough energy to stand and feed himself.

The plate of turkey took longer then normal to finish. But the turkey seemed to vanish none the less.

"I think a little bit more is in order" said Ivy, making the plate magically fill with fresh turkey.

The robin was now getting very hungry himself. His mind started to wonder.

"I wonder if she can make some food for me" he thought.

Ivy smiled, as she watched the little puppy gobble up the remaining food.

"Excuse me" said the robin, grabbing Ivy's attention.

The fairy smiled as she looked around.

"Yes?" she asked merrily.

The robin seemed to stall at asking her. But, Ivy could read the robin as easily as she could read Origo.

"I guess you need a bit of food as well?" she asked.

A glint in the robin's eye told her that she was right.

"Yes, if you don't mind" he answered.

Ivy knew exactly what the robin needed. A large apple appeared before his very eyes. It was much bigger then both Ivy and himself. The glint in the robin's eyes changed to surprise.

"Well, I never" he said, his song echoing around.

The robin seemed to be mesmerised by the size of the apple before him. So, without another second lost, the robin started to eat.

But there was one young girl who would not eating. She was laying in the middle of the floor. The room was cold. A heath was standing in the wall, but it was not alight.

The girl shivered as she listened to the sounds. Voices echoed from downstairs. People were talking, laughing, eating and drinking. They had no knowledge of the girl laying on the floor upstairs. Only two people in the main lobby knew of her.

The old woman smiled and pulled a leaver. A small nozzle erupted into life. Amber liquid started fill up the large mug. The liquid took less then a minute to fill it.

The old woman smiled, lifting the mug onto the counter.

"There you are, love" she said.

The man nodded.

"Thank you" he said.

He walked away from the bar, back to his seat. There, three other men were sitting down. Empty plates sat in the middle of the table. A few remnants of food remained on plate.

But there was no one to gather them up. The lobby was now very busy. Plates and mugs seemed to be left on the tables. There were not enough people to tidy up and serve at the same time.

"Here, now" said the old woman said.

One of the workers, a rugged looking man, came over.

"We need one more worker, the maggot upstairs will have to come down" she told him.

"And make sure she is alive, a slice of stale bread should do it"

The man gave small nod and walked out again. The woman went back to serving as the door that lead into the back closed.

The sound of footsteps met the girl's ears a few minutes later. The door flung open. She moved her head and saw a large looking man standing there. It was the one who brought her back to this horrible place.

Without a word, a plate was placed on the floor. The man turned and walked back out of the room. The girl, who could see her breath in the room, raised her head. She could see the plate down by her feet.

Only one slice of bread lay on the plate. This wasn't enough to keep her going. But she could do nothing about it. She did not have the energy to fight any more.

As she sat up, her head started to spin. For a moment, she thought she was going to pass out. But the rate of dizziness slowly subsided.

The thin piece of bread was picked up. The girl took a deep breath, she could feel how stale it was. Deep down, she knew that this was the best that she would get.

But, little did she know, Barliman was on his way. For the first time in many years, the Prancing Pony had closed its doors.

A noticed had been hammered into the very wood of the door. It swung gently in the bitter wind.

"What does it say?" asked one of the group, standing around.

There was much talk among the cold group.

"It's those bad times again" said one of them.

All thoughts turned to one race of creatures.

Hobbits.

But, there were no hobbits around to blame. Everyone knew that there was not a hobbit left in Bree. They had scattered after the War Of The Ring.

"Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for this" said one of the younger men.

But his thoughts were quickly thrown out as preposterous. Most of the drinkers and merry-makers had walked from all different corners of the town.

But there were more then just locals waiting outside. Travellers from nearly all corners of Middle-earth stood there.

"What are we going to do now?" they asked.

Barliman was now riding through the snowy world. He had put a saddle on one of the many horses that had been standing in the cold stable.

The wind seemed to become colder as he set off. The coldness seemed to eat into his very soul. Barliman's eyes slowly started to water as he rode past Old Harry, the gate keeper.

Harry shook his head, knowing that Barliman was up to no good. For he had heard the happenings up at the inn. He knew of the fight that Barliman had gotten into.

But his curiosity ended there. The old man closed the gates and turned. Old Harry sniffed as he walked back into the small building situated next to the gate.

In there, a fiery heath had been lit. It was the only way to keep the coldness at bay. Harry was getting older and older. His joints were soothed by the flickering flames.

But this was soon taken away from him again as three knocks came from the gate. Harry took a deep breath. He had been up and down since the morning.

Sleep had been, ever since he had started gate keeping, disrupted nearly every night.

"Maybe I should just retire" he kept telling himself.

But he could not find a replacement, no matter who he asked. For the times had changed. The youngsters of Bree were more interested in causing disruption and arguing.

Groups of youngsters gathered in dark allies. Sometimes, they would pick on travellers who did not know this area very well.

Money and possessions were stolen when ever they got the chance. Intimidation was the main way of getting what they wanted. Sometimes, if the victim fought back, they would be punished.

But the colder weather drove them in doors for longer periods of time. But this did not mean that they were inside all of that time.

As Old Harry sat in the warmth of the small room, a bang came from the window. Harry seemed to know exactly what this meant. For he had had to deal with the youths before.

So, he stormed out of the room. There, he saw seven or eight of them. They were all facing him.

"Get away from here!" Harry said, anger rising.

His voice was sharp and angry. But this only made the situation worse.

But, Harry's situation was not as bad as Origo's. The puppy was now cuddled up in a small, abandoned rabbit hole. But he was not alone. A glittering fairy stood by him, creating a glow that lit up the surrounding chamber.

Ivy and Origo had now left the small robin to his own devises. The fairy sighed, wondering what would happen next.

For the two of them were still heading towards Bree. There, Ivy would figure out what to do next. But, neither of them knew that a being was actually being tracked down by a girl.

This girl took a deep breath as she stood in the middle of the road. Another road flowed from right to left. But she had no idea on which way to go.

"Now" she thought, looking up at the sun.

Every so often, the carpet of cloud would rip, showing ponds and lakes of blue. The sun seemed an even rarer sight. Mya now had to guess which direction Bree was.

Birds were the only living creatures that could be seen at the moment. But, a rumble made the girl look around. A cart, drawn by two massive horses, was quickly baring down on the young girl. She had seconds to react.

But the opportunity was not going to be missed.

"Excuse me!" she shouted as the sound and rumbles grew louder.

A man was sitting on the seat at the front. In his closed hands were the reigns that had been tied to the horses. The man slowed the horses down to a stop.

Mya smiled as she walked down to meet him.

"Excuse me, do you know where Bree is?" she asked.

The old man smiled.

"Yes, it is. I am on my way there myself" he said.

Mya smiled.

"Would you like a lift?" he asked.

The young girl knew that this was an offer she could not refuse.

"Thank you" Mya said, climbing up.

The man seemed to move over a bit, letting her sit there. A few seconds later, the cart started up again. Mya could feel the coldness sharpen on her face.

No words were said for what seemed like hours. But curiosity had caught the man. It grew until he could no longer keep his words contained.

"So, what reason have you got to go to Bree?" he asked.

Mya could barely hear him. But she knew what he had asked.

"I am on my way to find one of my friends" Mya said, her voice raising over the sound of the wind.

Her hair blew as she looked around. On one side of the road, a thick, ancient forest. It was edged by a river to the East. And, without knowing it, Mya had actually past her friend.

Origo was now snoozing again. His small eyes were closed and his small fluffy head rested on his paws. Ivy was sitting near by. But she too was not awake.

Ivy found it easier and quicker when she slept. Her mind was at ease. A strange dream came over her. An experience that was similar to her.

Darkness and coldness surrounded her. But the darkness was broken by many colours. Ivy could not move. She seemed to be suspended on a rope, unable to grab anything.

Purple was the first colour to fill her vision. Ivy knew this as Petal. It zoomed slowly past her sight a few times. But, what happened next scared her. Another few coloured lights came out from the darkness.

All of them were zooming past her. And, as they did, they picked up speed. The colours slowly started to merge into one another. The individual colours had now blended into one.

White.

The light got brighter and brighter, blocking out the darkness. Ivy could feel her eyes start to hurt. But her dream was cut short by a coldness touching her.

A whine made the dream slip away even faster. Origo was now up and hungry again. It was then that Ivy's eyes opened. All she could see was a big wet nose and the brown eyes on the puppy glinting with the green light she was giving off.

A large smile came over the small fairy as she sat up.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked, reaching out and touching the puppies large face.

Origo gave a small whine. Ivy took a deep breath and stood up.

"I know, pup" she said.

Ivy took a deep breath. Magic took a small bit on energy each time. But this did not bother the fairy, for she could recover a few minutes.

The first bit of magic was to make the puppy warm and cosy. The coldness was getting to him, even though he had a large furry coat.


	82. Day Thirty Nine, Part Two

The second was a plate of warm turkey. For turkey was the only thing Origo would eat. And Ivy knew this. She had tried, along with Diamond, to get Origo to eat something else. But the puppy was having none of it.

So, to make Origo happy, Ivy produced a large plate of warm turkey for him. But Origo was not the only creature that was hungry.

Ivy was hungry as well. A smaller plate appeared near by. She smiled as she picked up one of the snowberries. She smiled as she started to eat. But the rate of eating was very slow compared to Origo's.

The small puppy continued munch. The large pile of turkey was slowly vanishing. Ivy smiled as she started to eat. The berry was massive compared to her.

If she stood as tall as a human, the berry would be the size of an average watermelon. Ivy took a big bite and started to chew.

It was then that Ivy started to feel strange. A strange airiness came over her as the vision before her eyes changed. She stood there, eyes glazing over.

She could see a cart, rolling through the forest. Ivy could see, barely, the outline moving along. Her vision did not include Origo. Instead, she was on her own.

Her wings were fluttering, propelling her through the air. The trees zoomed past as she made her way to the cart. And, as she did so, the cart seemed to slow down.

Ivy was still fluttering through the trees, but she was neither gaining nor reseeding from it. No matter how much she tried, the cart was not going to be caught.

So, Ivy decided to see if it would move away as when she stopped. So, slowing down, she came to a stop. Her wings were still beating, but she was not moving an inch.

And neither was the cart.

Ivy could see two figures sitting at the top. One was an old man, the other, a young girl. The young girl had blonde hair, waving in an invisible wind.

Even though Ivy was not moving, the trees were still flying past. The road took a shallow bend. And it was then that Ivy's vision stopped.

Origo, who had finished his turkey, was now looking at her. A small whine came from him, wondering what she was doing. Only a bite had been taken out of the berry. But this was all that Ivy was going to eat. She seemed to have lost her appetite.

Origo gave another small whine. Ivy's eyes seemed to move over to Origo. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Ivy started to talk.

"Sorry, pup" she said, now smiling.

Origo was now full and ready for the day ahead. But Ivy was distracted. Yet, she had to get Origo moving again. The fairy made both plate vanish.

Ivy took a deep breath as she looked around.

"Right" she said, smiling at the large puppy.

"I think we should get going again" she said.

Origo's eyes gave a glint that told Ivy that he was ready to go as well. So, both of them emerged from the abandoned rabbit hole.

The day around them was bright. Yet the sun could not be seen. Birds were fluttering everywhere. The robin that was around earlier was nowhere to be seen.

He had fluttered off, back to his tree. His part in the tale adventure was now over.

"Come on, puppy" Ivy said, taking off.

She had not flown for a few days and it was good to be back in the air again. The road was now a few hundred meters away from where they were.

Origo was slowly walking through the cart of melted snow. His little ears flopped as a sneeze came from him.

"Oh, bless you, puppy" Ivy said, zooming overhead.

Origo looked up. The fairy was now fluttering around, getting used to flying in the wind again. But this had to be cut short as a large paw came and battered her out of the air.

Her reactions were quicker then normal as she saved herself from hitting the group.

"Origo!" she shouted, looking back.

The puppy instantly stopped. His eyes fixed on the fluttering fairy. Ivy took a deep breath. Her heart rate had risen. But, upon seeing Origo's little face, she could not stay mad at him forever. Instead, she had an idea. A playful smile came over the her.

"I bet you cant catch me" she said.

Origo did not have to be told twice to do this. The fairy knew that Origo would chase her as long as she kept on flying. But she did not fly far enough for Origo not to catch her.

Instead, she zoomed around inches from Origo's large paws. A few times, Origo nearly got what he wanted. But Ivy was too quick. She giggled as she fluttered away.

"Nearly!" she said, shouting trough the wind.

Hobbiton was now deserted. Only birds were left to fight the coldness on their own. Elanor Gamgee smiled as she knocked on a large, round door.

She and her friends had been playing since the morning. But now it was time for a well needed lunch.

"I'll see you after" said Gloria.

Her hands and feet were freezing. But the fact that she was outside made it bearable. But hunger was getting to all of the little children that had been standing in the coldness.

A good meal was needed to replenish their energy. For imagination in these conditions seemed to sap energy faster then usual. Only Summer matched its ability to take their energy away from them.

It seemed that Spring and Autumn were the only times where they could stay out late and not feel tired until it was time for bed.

Frodo Gamgee took a deep breath as he sat on his bed. For some reason, he felt more tired then he did when he woke up. His eyes were heavy, but sleep would not catch him yet.

Echoes came down from the hall way as Elanor, his older sister, came back home. An unmistakable smell met Elanor as she unbuttoned her coat.

Lunch.

A smell of cooking chicken was warming her very soul. Elanor had a large smile that nothing could wash away. The young girl made her way to the kitchen. There, her mother was standing over a freshly cooked chicken.

The only sign that the chicken had just come out of the oven were silver strings floating upwards, away from the surface.

This was steam.

Bowls were lining the polished work top. Each waiting to be filled to the brim with hot vegetables. Rosie turned around and smiled.

"Did you have fun?" she asked.

Elanor smiled, her fingers and toes still bore a hint of pink.

"Yes, mummy" she said.

Rosie was quick to pick up a small unease in her daughter. This could mean only one thing. Elanor wanted to help again.

"Do you help me set the table?" Rosie asked.

Elanor gave a smile. She knew that setting the table was the only thing she could help with. Rosie had explained to her that the food was very hot and could injure her.

So, Elanor was entrusted with setting the table. But even this was hard work. The table mats were quite heavy for her. But she did not have to carry them for long, as the table was a few meters from where she was.

After a minute or two, all of the mats were placed before all of the chairs around the table. Knives and forks were the next thing to be set out.

Elanor placed the forks on the right hand side and the knives on the left. The young girl smiled as she looked around.

"Finished" she said.

Rosie turned around again. In one hand was a large trey, full of crispy potatoes. Rosie's smile was very similar to her daughter's smile.

"Thank you" Rosie said, placing the last of the potatoes in the bowl.

Parsnips were next to be cooked to perfection. Instead of being placed in a large bowl, they were placed on a porcelain dish.

But there was still lots of preparing to do. The chicken was yet to be cut, more potatoes were crisping in a bath of hot oil. Shire sprouts, mountains of mushrooms, stuffing and gravy were still to be made.

The chicken was left to cool down for a couple of minutes as the other food was prepared. Elanor was now standing around, having finished setting the table.

Her mind was now back on an adventure she had been having that morning. A smile came over her. She just wanted to get back to playing.

So, Elanor slipped out of the kitchen and back to her room. Elanor closed the door and walked to her bed. The toy horse was laying on one side, coloured beads hanging around its neck.

"Right" Elanor said, thinking back to where their adventure stopped.

It took only a few seconds to get back into the exact place she had left. Coldness surrounded her and the wooden horse. Darkness was deep, the light of the sun had sunk more when she had been away.

Mountains were peaking all around Elanor. But she was not alone in her quest. Another young girl was also with them.

Gloria.

The two girls were battling against a harsh wind as they climbed through the snow. A path had been cut out from the hard rock many years before. But this did not make it any easier to get through.

"We have to get out of this coldness!" Gloria shouted above the wind.

The two girls had equal size back packs on. Both full with food and water that they needed on their quest. But there was a twist to their journey.

A creature had been following them for a few days now. An evil looking wolf, as big as the two of them put together. It was hunting them down quicker then they could walk.

Its eyes were glowing in the darkness. Bird song had now ceased. Only wind could be heard, whistling through the trees around the wolf.

Small creatures fled in its wake. Owls that were perched on the tall trees eyed the wolf. Something in the air made the creatures feel uneasy.

They knew that the wolf was hunting the girls. It was obvious by his actions that he had picked up Elanor's and Gloria's scent.

In the mountains, the two girls had found a cosy cave for a rest. Elanor smiled as she took off her pack. She smiled as she opened it. Inside, she drew out a large loaf of bread, wrapped in a white cloth.

Elanor smiled as she looked over at her friend sitting just a few meters away. Gloria was also unwrapping a loaf of golden bread.

Two horses were looking around as well. Elanor's small wooden horse still had the beads around its long neck. It was much smaller then the girl, just the right size for holding and playing with.

It was then Elanor's adventure stopped again. For the door to her room opened. Her imagination quickly vanished.

"Elanor, lunch is ready now" Sam said.

Elanor was sitting with her back against the headboard. In her small hands was her horse. Without a word, Elanor slid off of the bed and walked out of the room.

Everyone was now sitting around the table in the kitchen. Bowls of delicious food were being placed on the table. Samwise could not be seen. He was in the cellar getting ale for Rosie and himself, then water for the children. After a minute or two, the hobbit came back into the kitchen. He was carrying two cups in each hand.

Two were full of ale, the other two were full of cool water. Sam placed them down and put them before each place.

One more mug of water was placed out as well. This was for Merry Gamgee.

Lunch was now in full swing. Plates were quickly piling up with different foods. Elanor smiled as she poured hot, brown gravy all over her lunch.

Gloria was having her lunch as well. All hobbits had exactly the same meals nearly every day. Be it hot weather or cold.

The young girl had also been playing. But, her adventures were much different. Unlike Elanor, Gloria knew little of the Red Book. So, she had made up an entirely new world of her own. One that she was apart of and that she loved.

Her room started to widen. Mountains, valleys, towns and rivers all erupted into life. This was Gloria's favourite place to get away. She loved to visit it when she was tired. Her imagination seemed to be strongest when she was calm and full of glorious food.

But her imagination had ceased. Her attention was now on finishing her lunch. And that is exactly what she did. The chicken was left for last. She poked the fork into the soft meat and started to eat. The gravy was clinging to the surface as Gloria started to chew.

She loved the hint of honey seeping through out the whole chunk of tender chicken. A few minutes past. The chicken was now gone. And so was most of the gravy.

Gloria smiled, waiting patiently for her parents to finish.

After what seemed like hours, her mother and father finally finished. But her eating session was not over yet. The smell of chocolate cake was now making young

Gloria hungry again.

But the same could not be said for Elanor. She had not had the luxury of having a chocolate cake. For Rosie was very busy now days.

And she was about to get a lot busier. For she was expecting another child. And she was about to break the news to her children.

"Elanor, Frodo, Merry, Rose" Rosie said, getting her children's attention.

Elanor looked around, like the rest of her siblings. She could see her mother smiling. It was then that she had a large bout of déjà vu.

"I have wonderful news" she said, looking at each of them.

Rosie gave a big smile.

"You are going to have a new baby brother or sister" she said.

Elanor's heart sank. This was what she did not want to hear. There was a stunned silence. After a few moments, Frodo was the first to speak.

"So, I could have a little brother?" he asked.

Rosie nodded.

"Or a little sister" she added.

Frodo did not like the sound of that. Having two sisters was enough for him.

"I don't want a sister, girls are icky!" he said.

Elanor did not look over at him. She was too deep in thought to notice Frodo's comment. Sam noticed that Elanor was not looking at all happy. He wondered what was wrong with the young girl.

Elanor ate the rest of her lunch in deeper silence. She was also the first to finish. Rosie noticed that Elanor had changed her posture. Something was very different about her daughter.

Rosie's eyes slid over to her husband. Sam looked right back. It was then he gave a small nod towards his daughter. Being of same mind, Rosie knew what this meant.

"Could I leave the table please?" Elanor asked.

Her voice was different. It did not see to have the passion that she usually had in it. Rosie picked up on this right away.

"Of course, darling" she said.

Elanor finished up her water, took a deep breath and stood up. Without another word or look back at her parents, Elanor walked out.

The young girl made a bee-line straight for her room. There, she would mull things over. The door opened and closed as she got to her room. Elanor walked to her bed. The adventure she had been having was now waiting for her to come back. But it would have to wait for now. Elanor did not want to play anymore.

The girl took a deep breath as she lay on her bed. It was then a noise came from her door. The young girl took a deep breath and looked over at the door.

It slowly opened. Behind it was Rosie, her mother.

"Elanor, are you alright?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

Elanor took a deep breath and nodded. But her mother could see right through her nod.

"Elanor, you have to understand" Rosie started, sitting on the bed.

"Me and your father still love you as much as the day you we're born" Rosie told her.

Elanor knew that her mother knew what she was talking about.

"But, why can't just be me, you and dad?" she asked.

Rosie knew that the pressure of having so many brothers and sisters was getting to her daughter. There was a constant fight for attention, made even worse by her younger siblings.

"I wish it could, but wouldn't you like more brothers and sisters to play with and look after?" she asked.

Elanor took a deep breath and looked away. Yes, she would like more brothers and sisters to play with. But then, she was worried about being forgotten.

"Will you still love me?" Elanor asked, looking back at her mother.

Rosie's heart melted.

"Elanor, I've never stopped loving you!" Rosie said.

A few seconds later, the two of them embraced in a large hug. Elanor took a deep breath, feeling comforted by her mother.

In the kitchen, everyone had now finished lunch. Frodo yawned as he sat there. His eyes were still heavy. The fact that he was now full to the brim with delicious food.

"Could I leave the table please?" he asked, looking very tired.

Samwise smiled, taking a swig of his ale.

"Go on, lad" he said.

Frodo smiled and slid off of his chair. Samwise watched his son walk out of the room. Only Merry and Rose were left sitting at the table. They were still eating their breakfast.

Sam saw a few pieces of toast still standing in the rack. He smiled as he reached over and took the last three large slices.

The heat that had once been coming off from the surface had now stopped. Sam did not mind as he picked up the butter knife. The sound of brittle toast crunching under the pressure of the knife was the loudest sound in the room. Butter clung onto the very surface of the bread.

After another minute, all of the slices were buttered. Samwise smiled as he took a bite. He smiled as he chewed. Sam watched as Merry and Rose laughed at each other. It was clear to Sam that they had finished their meals.

"Alright, you two" he said, catching their attention.

"You can go and play now" he told them.

Merry smiled and hopped off of his seat. Rose did the same a few seconds later. Sam took a deep breath and finished off his toast.

Plates and bowls were sitting on their table mats. Hardly any food was left. It was like a plague of vicious locusts had visited the Gamgee household.

But this was the norm for most Hobbit households. Cleaning up was another fun job mothers had to endure. But for some, cleaning was an art form. Especially for Diamond.

Diamond had not had a good, proper clean in a few days. Faramir had been put to bed. This meant a few hours of peace and quiet.

A bucket and mop had been taken out from the small cupboard near the front door. Diamond had filled a bucket of warm water and started mopping the floor.

As time ticked by, the bucket of water slowly drained as the floor continued to be soaked in soapy water. Diamond smiled as she finished the first room.

The kitchen was now done, it was just a matter of cleaning the rest of the house. But mopping was not the only thing that needed to be done. Dusting was just as important as eating for Diamond. But she had to wait.

The bucket was now lighter then it had been a when she had filled it up.

The tiles that made up the kitchen floor had turned a deeper, richer red. The water made the light coming off of the candles reflect in the thin layer of water.

It acted like a large mirror. The fire in the heath flickered as Diamond walked out of the room. She smiled as she walked further into the hill, walking past many, many rooms.

But Diamond had a lot of time on her hands to do it. For Pippin, her husband, was busy. Not with anything important, but with drinking and smoking.

Eglantine took a deep breath as she opened the door to his room. She was meet by a thin fog and a strong smell of tobacco smoke.

"Pippin, what have I told you about smoking inside?" she asked.

Even with the small window open, the smoke continued to congregate. Pippin had drunk many a pint of ale since lunch. And it was now taking its toll on him.

His mood was not a good one. Pippin took a deep breath and carried on smoking. Eglantine took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Pippin?" she said with a sharper tone.

Pippin looked over at his mother. His look gave her a strange feeling. Pippin's attitude had changed since lunch.

His feelings had plummeted into depression. All he wanted to do was be on his own. But the fact that his mother was now standing over him did not help matters.

"Leave me alone" he said.

It was a tone his mother had never heard from him. And one that she did not like.

"Pippin, what is the matter with you?" she asked.

This seemed to push Pippin to a tipping point. Without a word, Pippin took a deep breath and stood up. For a moment, Eglantine thought that she was going to shouted at.

But it never came.

Pippin's pipe had one out, waiting to be topped up by fresh tobacco. He left his mug on the bed side table and walked out of the room.

Many things were on Pippin's mind at the moment. All he wanted to do was to sort some thing out. So, he walked towards the front door.

His pipe was held between his teeth as he took his coat off of the hook and put it on. Eglantine took a deep breath as she heard the front door close.

A few seconds later, the tell tale sign that it was still cold outside met her. Eglantine walked back to the kitchen. Pippin's mood had now effected hers. She knew that Pippin was struggling with something.

"But what?" she asked herself.

Pippin was now trundling through the snow. Footprints could be seen coming and going from all directions. His very own footprints were lost in the sea of others. But this did not matter to Pippin, for he did not want anyone to follow him anyway.

So, Pippin continued to walk. His feet carried him down the shallow hill that led down towards a large building. This building, unlike the others in Hobbiton, was not connected to a hill of any kind.

Instead, it stood alone. But this did not mean hobbits did not use it. In fact, it was very well known in all parts of the Shire.

Hobbits came from miles around just to drink its golden ale. It was also reported to have the best food anywhere in the Four Farthings. This helped its reputation as a pub.

But this time, Pippin was not going there. Instead, he headed towards a stone bridge that lead over a small stream. Pippin could hear the trickling water over the crunching of the snow and blowing of the wind in his ears.

Pip stopped for a moment. He could feel the coldness tickling his exposed cheeks. They had taken on a pinkish colour. His hair, as curly as it was, still blew in the wind.

A lot of things were travailing through Pippin's mind. Things had happened that Pippin could not have foreseen. Yet, now that it had happened, he knew that it was inevitable.

Pippin took a deep breath, he looked around, seeing the whiteness of the snow. Pippin was now walking further and further away from Hobbiton.

The village of Hobbiton seemed not to spill out past the first large hill. This was perfect for most of the residence in Hobbiton.

"We don't want no folks lurking around our town. There are some strange people about now days, wondering the wilds!" they said.

The land around Hobbiton looked as beautiful as it did in summer. Snow seemed to be untouched in nearly ever direction that Pippin could see. Trees stood tall and proud. The wind seemed to die down as he made his way down a shallow hill.

Pippin knew these lands better then anyone else in Hobbiton apart from Merry Brandybuck of course. Pip could remember where he was going even if he had his eyes closed in the dead of night.

The echoes of times past ran through his head. He could hear the laughs and adventures that a younger Pippin had had. The crunching sound that ceased as Pip stopped. Now was the time to think.

His mind seemed to be at ease around here. A strange clearness came to him. One that allowed him to think deeper then he had even been.

Yet, all he could think about what Diamond. Pippin slowly sat down on a slimy rock, jutting out of the frozen ground. A million mile gaze over took the hobbit as he sat there.

Sounds and movements seemed to cease as Pippin slipped into a world past. Echoes of his adventures in these woods came back to him.

"Hurry up!" Merry said, running away from an unknown predator.

Pippin was right behind Merry. The two of them dodged trees and skipped over rotting logs. Frodo and Sam were not to be seen. In fact, Frodo was the reason why they were running in the first place.

"Quick, over here!" Merry said, spotting a good hiding place.

This was Merry's favourite place to hide. He had found it a few years before. It was a large tree, taller then any of the others that stood around it.

Merry smiled as he looked up. Unlike the snow that Pippin was in at this moment, the ground was carpeted by green grass. But grass was not the only thing growing out of the soil. Pretty flowers of every colour stood over the green blades.

Dots of yellow and white were visible in the sea of green. Leaves with a yellowish tinge to them rested on the richly coloured grass.

The trees were wearing that annual green coats. The leaves rustled in a stead, cool wind.

"Pippin, come on!" Merry said.

The two of them were much shorter and less well travelled then their older selves. Pippin waited a few seconds before he started to climb. Merry was looking around.

It was then that he saw a sight that he did not want to see. Frodo was heading straight to them. Pippin was now high enough for Merry to start climbing as well.

"Hurry!" Merry said.

Pippin was now out of breath. The heat of the sun dug into his forehead, creating beads of sweat that ran down his face. But he couldn't give up now. He was stuck up a tree with no escape.

Frodo smiled.

"You'll never get away now!" he shouted.

Pippin looked down. He was much higher then Merry was. It was then that Pippin felt a bit scared.

"Pippin, climb higher" Merry ordered.

But Pippin could not go any higher. Merry was now within reaching distance of becoming tagged. But Frodo did not move yet. Instead, he waited for Samwise to catch up.

In reality, Pippin was smiling. He could clearly see the difference between Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. Frodo had dark hair that covered his pointy ears. Frodo had extraordinary eyes. They were a blue as the sky above them.

"You might as well give up!" Frodo shouted.

But Merry and Pippin were now high enough up the tree to be out of reach.

"You'll never get us!" Pippin shouted down.

But he had not though of his words carefully enough. For Frodo gave a small, evil looking smile.

"Yes I will!" he told them.

He raised his hand and gripped onto a large branch. It was then that Merry and Pippin knew what he was doing.

"Pippin" Merry said, looking scared.

"Pippin, climb, quickly!" he pleaded.

Pip did not take long to get moving again. Higher and higher they went. The tree, after a couple more seconds climbing, became thinner and thinner.

Pippin was now having a hard time of climbing any higher. But Pippin was not the only one who had stopped climbing. Below him, Merry had stopped as well.

"I cant get any higher!" Pippin said.

Frodo was now getting within touching distance from Merry. Merry knew this. Every inch that he climbed was a bonus.

The branches that Pippin was standing on were more like twigs. And they were not strong. Pip looked down, he could feel the thin branch giving way.

"Merry, climb down!" he said.

The wind rustled through the trees, confusing Pippin for a second. And, in that second, his feet seemed to slip off of the thin branch.

"Whoa!" he said, catching himself.

Merry looked up to see Pippin's foot just inches from his head.

"Pippin, climb higher!" he said, seeing Frodo climbing ever higher.

But Pippin had nowhere to go.

"Got you!" Frodo shouted, touching Merry's foot.

This did not go down well with Merry at all. After a few seconds, his intentions were now changed. Instead of running away from Frodo, he was now on his side.

Pippin was still above Merry. And in reach.

"Got you too!" Merry said.

Pippin was not up to playing anymore. So, he gave in. But at least he was not the next one to find people. Merry smiled as he looked up.

"Alright, lets go and find Sam" Pippin said.

So, the two of them slowly got down from the tree. Pippin was glad when his feet touched the soft grass. But he could not catch his breath for long.

Frodo was now looking around again. His eyes were sharp and ears seemed to pick up nearly every sound. It was then something caught his eye.

There was movement in the forest, a few hundred meters away. Frodo knew of only one creature that could move that fast.

Samwise Gamgee.

Pippin had spotted it too. Frodo looked around. He knew that he did not have much time before Sam would disappear again.

"Hurry!" he said, running off.

Pippin and Merry smiled as they ran trough the forest. Pippin's heart beat was rising as he followed his friend. A small pillar of rock could be seen jolting up from the forest floor.

Pippin was getting hotter and hotter as the sun travelled trough the sky. Water was needed as Pippin sat down on it. The little boy had no idea that, many years from now, he would be sitting in exactly the same place.

So much had changed in that time. Friends had come and gone. He was considerably taller and wiser then he had been back then.

But then again, nothing had really changed. Pippin still did the same things he had always done when he was younger. The rate of eating had neither increased or deceased. The same was said to drinking and smoking.

Pippin could still remember the first time he had ever smoked a pipe. Like nearly all of his first experiences with his friends, it took place in woods he was still in.

Merry, Pippin, Sam and Frodo were all sitting in a circle. Each one of them had a pipe. Silver strings were coming out of the small bowls at the end of each pipe.

Pippin smiled as he took in a large amount of tobacco smoke. He smiled, seeing his friends the same thing. A strange sensation came over him. It seemed that his head started to empty.

A few seconds later, Pippin let out a silver cloud that rose up into the air. The day, like the only before it, had started off cool. But, as the sun rose, the temperature did as well.

Frodo smiled as he took another puff of his pipe.

"We might get into a lot of trouble, doing this" said Sam.

But he could not help liking this new experience. Frodo smiled. Hunger was now growing in him. For Breakfast was quick and filling.

Pippin then snapped out of his day dream. The coldness seemed to have not been felt for a few minutes. But now it was felt. His mind was now made up.

Pip had wasted too much time without even trying to make Diamond see that he still loved her. But this was about to change. For Pippin stood up.

"I've waited too long" he told himself.

A second later, he started to walk away, back towards Hobbiton.


	83. Day Forty, Part One

A knock came from the front door as Diamond continued to clean.

"Now" she said, stopping her cleaning.

"Who ever could this be?" she asked herself.

The mop was propped up against the wall. A bucket stood near by. But the cleaning had to wait as Diamond made her way to the door. She took a deep breath as opened the door.

Standing there was someone she had not seen in a while. It was Pippin. He gave a small smile as he saw her.

"Pippin?" Diamond asked.

There was a small bit of tension between the two. Pippin wasn't sure if he should have knocked or not. But it was too late.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Now was the time to tell her why he had come.

"I need to talk to you" he answered.

Diamond took a deep breath. A part of her did not want to let Pippin in. Not only because she did not want to talk to him, but because she was cleaning and didn't want his muddy footprints trailing over her clean floor.

But then, she had too. Diamond could not leave Pip in the freezing cold.

"Alright" she said, opening the door wider.

Pippin gave a cold smile and walked inside. The house was much warmer then the outside world. Pippin smiled as he looked around. Not an inch had changed.

"So, tell me" Diamond said, standing there with her arms folded.

"What would you like to say?" she asked.

Pippin placed his coat on the hook. He knew that what he had to say would take longer then just a few minutes.

"Could we sit down and talk about it?" he asked.

This was not what Diamond wanted. But then again, she still loved him.

"Follow me" she said, knowing that her cleaning would have to wait.

So, the two of them walked down the passage. Many doors led into many rooms. But Diamond and Pippin needed only one room to talk about things.

The kitchen was the best place to do this. Diamond secretly hated Pippin walking over her newly cleaned floor. But she could nothing but have to clean it again.

The kitchen door was opened. Diamond was the first to enter the room. The window showed a white abyss outside. A never ending cloud that reached from east to west, north to south hung there.

"Would you like some tea?" Diamond asked.

She was very uncomfortable with Pippin's presences.

"Yes please" he answered.

Pippin slowly took his seat, the first time he had done so in almost two weeks. Two weeks of being away from his wife and best friend.

But this was about to change as Diamond came out and started making two cups of tea. After a few minutes, the tea leaves were taken put and a few spoonfuls sugar were placed into the cooling water.

"Thank you" Pippin said as Diamond placed a full mug of tea in front of him.

Diamond sat down and took a deep breath. There was a moment of silence between the two of them.

"So" Diamond said, breaking it.

"What do you want to say?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath as he tried to muster some words.

"I don't know where to start" he told her.

Diamond's blue eyes were staring straight at Pip. But he was not doing the same. His eyes were focused on a spot on the table before him.

"I guess" he said, but stalled yet again.

It was very hard for Pippin to talk to Diamond. But Diamond seemed know Pippin better then he thought.

"I've been reading your book that you gave me" she said.

Pippin looked up. He could not believe that she had actually taken the time to read it.

"And, there are a few parts where your memory is not as good as mine" she said.

Pippin then felt something strange as Diamond smiled. After a few seconds, Pippin came to only one conclusion.

Love.

His heart beat started to rise as they locked eyes. Diamond's eyes were very blue and very perfect. Pippin still felt like he could get lost in them for many hours.

"I'm sorry" Pippin said, finally mustering some more words.

Diamond took a deep breath. Pippin knew that she did not believe his words.

"For what?" she asked.

Diamond knew that she was testing Pippin now. But this did not mean that she did not know the reason. She wanted to see if Pippin knew it.

A day had past since then. Diamond was still alone as she woke up to a crying baby. Her mood seemed to have changed over night. It went from upset and desperate, to happy and hopeful. Her talk with Pippin had gone well. Many things had been sorted out. But, for now, everything was getting back to normal.

"Alright, sweetie" Diamond said as she took the duvet off.

Faramir whined as Diamond stood over him. Two large, warm hands picked up the small baby. But Faramir was not as small as he used to be. In fact, Diamond seemed to notice this nearly every day.

"My little boy is getting bigger" she said, tickling him.

Faramir's tantrum seemed to subside a little bit, but he still whimpered. Diamond smiled as she walked out to the kitchen.

The room she entered was nice and warm. Two mugs standing by the sink. They acted like memories of past events. And the evens of last night were still fresh in Diamond's memory.

Pippin took a deep breath and looked at a spot on the table.

"Well" Pippin started, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for what I did. I know that you said that I should leave. But I didn't fight hard enough to stay" he explained.

This was what Diamond wanted and needed. Pippin, like only a handful of times before, was telling the truth.

"And, why do you think I told you to leave?" Diamond asked.

Neither of them had touched their tea, though Pippin's hand was wrapped around the handle of the mug.

"Well, because I was stupid. I thought of myself instead of you" he said.

Yet another thing that Pippin said right. Diamond started to believe that she could take Pippin back. But more things were needed to be uncovered.

But Diamond did not know where to start. She had never really been told about Pippin's time away from the Shire all those years ago. Though she had read his book, it did not cure her curiosity.

"I need to know more about your time away from the Shire" Diamond said.

Pippin took a deep breath. He knew that the time would come where he would have to surface all of his deepest secrets.

"Like what?" he asked.

Diamond looked away for a split second, then slid back over to Pippin.

"Well, I would like to know all that you can remember" she told him.

Pippin took a deep breath. There seemed to have been a block in his memory concerning the quest he had been on. But now, it was all coming back to him.

"Well, it all happened when me and Merry"

There was a slight moment of hesitation.

"We we're at Maggot's farm again. But this time, it was different."

Pippin looked over at Diamond. He knew how much she hated him stealing. But this time, Diamond wasn't bothered.

"Why was it different?" she asked.

Pippin thought more about what had happened.

"Well, as me and Merry ran away, we literally bumped into Frodo and Samwise. It was then all of us were running for our lives. But, something happened that changed everything"

There was an awkward silence between to the two of them. Small pops and crackles coming from the fire was the only sound they could hear for a while.

"A rider, bathed in a jet black cloak. Frodo was the first to saw him and the only one to warn us of the impending danger"

Diamond could only start to imagine what this rider looked like. But she still wanted to know more.

"What happened next?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"We hid. Hid for our lives. For the mounted figure stopped just meters from where we were hiding. I later learnt that this creature was from the very heart of Mordor. And I also learnt that this figure was not the only one wandering the wilds. Eight more were searching the land for Frodo"

This was Diamond's worst nightmare. She had always been fascinated by the riders. For she had heard many stories about them coming from over the boarders.

"Did it find you?" she asked, leaning a little bit forward.

Pippin shook his head.

"No, it did not. Sam was the one you should thank for that. For without his quick thinking, the Wraith would have found the ring. Frodo was just inches from putting the ring on. But Sam stopped him from doing so"

Diamond could see the scene clearly. She could see all four of them hiding, looking scared. But Pippin could see it and hear it clearer then ever before.

Diamond smiled as she got out a funny looking glass. It had a wooden top to it, like an inverted cone. A single slit had been made at the top of the inch high cone. This was where the baby would drink out of.

Diamond smiled as she carefully unscrewed the lid. The milk was stored in a large vase, just like the oil was. The vase was carefully picked up. Faramir was now being held with one arm. Diamond struggled as she walked out of the cellar again.

Faramir gave a small whine, getting his mothers attention. Diamond smiled as she looked down at her son.

"I'm doing it" she said, playfully.

The vase was carefully lifted onto the counter. It took Diamond most of her energy to do so. But now she had come to a stand still.

Diamond needed two hands to get the milk into the bottle. One to tip the vase so that the cold milk could flow out and one to hold the glass as the milk fell into it.

It took her only a few seconds to make up her mind. She would have to put Faramir back in his cot again. So, she walked out of the kitchen and back down the winding corridor to her room.

"Mummy will just be a minute, sweetie, she has to get your milk ready" she said, kissing him on the forehead and placing him back down.

Diamond hated leaving her son on his own. But she had to. The door was left open so that she could easily hear if her son started to cry.

The hobbit re-entered the kitchen. There, she saw the large vase and the glass bottle standing, waiting to be used. It was much easier to make Faramir's bottle of milk. The milk slowly started to fill up the bottle.

Diamond only stopped when she saw enough had been poured. But the top of was not placed back on just yet. The young woman opened up a cupboard and brought out a small bottle. This was different to any of the other bottles.

Firstly, it was much smaller then a wine bottle. And, instead of liquid, it held a fine white powder. Diamond twisted the cap and took it off.

Only a pinch of this powder was needed. Diamond smiled as she took what she needed and placed it in Faramir's milk. The cap was then placed back on the small bottle. The cupboard door had been left open so that Diamond could place the bottle right back.

And that's exactly what she did. The door closed, leaving the bottle locked inside. Now Diamond could get back to her son. She screwed the milk bottle cap on and walked out of the kitchen.

The bottle was just small enough to fit into one of her pockets. The young hobbit smiled as she walked into her warm room. As she came into the room, she could feel how warm it was.

Her heart melted as she reached the cot. Faramir had fallen asleep again. Diamond always hated to wake him up. He looked so much like Pippin when he slept.

"After the wraith, the four of us just ran. Ran for our lives. It was near darkness before we started to slow down. But this did not mean the danger would cease. In fact, it could do nothing but grow" Pippin told her.

Diamond was hanging on to every single word coming from him.

"Eight other wraiths were searching for us. But the darkness also helped us. We could move around easier then normal. But that did not mean we were not looking out"

There was a small pause.

"Every so often, we would see a shadowy figure on the horizon. We dodged from tree to tree looking all around us. It was then that Frodo told us of his quest to get to Bree. And Merry knew how"

Pippin could see the very place where Merry had suggested using the Buckleberry ferry. And then it happened.

"A large wraith blocking our path. Merry, Sam and I got past. But Frodo was having trouble. The wraith seemed to block his path. When he moved right, the wraith did too. When he went to the left, the creature followed him"

Some how, Frodo managed to pass the mounted figure and get away.

"Me and Sam untied the ferry as fast as possible. Fear ran through all four of us. Frodo had still not caught up. In fact, it was only a few seconds after we untied the rope that we saw him. But we also saw a massive wraith behind him. All we could do was set off and hope that Frodo made it"

There was a silence, broken once again by the crackling of the fire and the songs of birds that barely got through the pain of glass that made up the window.

Pippin took a deep breath. The Nazgûl's ear-splitting scream still lingered in the depths of his memory.

"Did he make it?" Diamond asked.

The more questions that were answered, the more questions popped up.

"Yes, but only just. The wraiths now had a twenty mile journey to do before they could cross the river. We knew that we had now gathered enough time to make our escape to Bree"

Diamond picked up her sleeping son. Faramir gave a small whine and wriggled in his large blanket. He had yet to have his breakfast.

Diamond found it very hard to wake her son. But she had to. Faramir's little face screwed up as he opened his eyes.

"I know, I know" she said, walking out of the room.

Her large, bare feet slapped on the cold tiled floor. Candles flickered as she walked down the corridor. The smell of dinners past hit her for the third day that time. The two mugs that Pippin and herself had used the night before were still waiting to be washed up and put back in their rightful place.

The glass bottle, full of Faramir's milk, was picked up. Diamond smiled as she carefully sat down. She smiled, taking the bottle and flipping it up side down. Faramir yawned before he started to suckle on the bottle. Diamond smiled as she saw the milk slowly start to drain away.

Every so often, Faramir would take another breath.

Diamond felt his little hand wrap around just one of her fingers. There was a strange tingling in Diamond's finger that ran all the way up her arm.

"You don't know how precious you are" she whispered.

Pippin and Diamond were still sitting at the table. An hour had past since they had sat down. Pip took a sip of his tea. It had lost nearly all of its heat. The taste of sugar was strong.

Diamond had a similar looking mug of tea. But hers had gone down more then Pippin's had. But there was something else needed.

Hunger was now getting to both of them. For storytelling was a tiring process.

"Would you like something to eat?" Diamond said, getting up.

Even if Pippin did not want food, Diamond was getting some for herself. Pip smiled.

"Yes please" he answered.

Diamond gave him and smile as she walked towards the cellar. Pippin was now alone in the room and alone with his thoughts.

He was getting ready to talk about the next set of events. The more he delved into his memory, the more he could see.

Beads of sweat were now running down his face as Diamond returned with a few packets of seed cakes. She smiled as she placed two packets in front of Pip.

"What's this?" he asked, looking up at her.

A small look of confusion over came Diamond.

"You didn't think I would eat all of them by myself, did you?" she asked.

Pippin smiled, knowing that Diamond always thought of him as well. Diamond sat down again and ripped open the packet. Inside, perfect seed cakes.

A strange silence came over both of them as they ate. Pippin gave a small smile as he broke a bit off and ate it. Diamond took a deep breath as she looked over at Pippin.

Faramir had now finished his milk. Diamond gave a big smile as he moved it away.

"Good boy" she said, placing the bottle on the table.

Diamond gave a smile.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Faramir's eyes were showing the first signs of their colour. They had a hint of his mother's blueness. But there was one thing that Faramir had that was apart of one of his parents.

His hair was exactly like his father's. Diamond smiled as she stood up. She carried her son with her as she walked over to the cellar. Faramir seemed to whine at the temperature change. But the coldness did not last long as Diamond brought out a bowl.

In the bowl was Faramir's breakfast. An orange mush that Diamond had made.

"I need to make some more" she thought, taking the paper off.

This was something to do later on. The cupboard door was then opened and smaller bowl was taken out. Diamond smiled as she closed it. All she needed was a small spoon. So, opening up draw, she picked out a big table spoon and a little tea spoon.

A few minutes past as Diamond scooped the mixture into the small bowl. She smiled as she placed the paper cover back on the larger bowl.

"Right" she said, putting the small spoon in the bowl.

Diamond turned around and walked over to the table. The bowl was placed down and pulled the chair back a bit more.

But there was a strangeness about the kitchen. Normally, a small puppy would be eating as well. But Origo was not here at the moment. In fact, it had been a few weeks since she had seen her little pup.

There were no clues to his whereabouts. Abira, Pimpernel's similar looking puppy, had vanished about the same time that Origo did.

Pimpernel seemed to be taking it harder then Diamond. For she had nothing to take her mind off of her missing puppy. But today, she had news that would change her life for the better.

Samwise was sitting on a large sofa in a warm lounge. He had a cup of tea in his hand. A few valuable pieces of parchment were laying on the table.

"And, you'll do that for me?" asked Pimpernel, finding out about Sam's plan.

Samwise smiled and nodded.

"As mayor, it is my duty to do everything in my power to make this town safe"

Pimpernel gave a small smile. Images were now flashing over her eyes. She could see her new home like it was already built. Nelly, as she was known, had seen the lay out of her new home.

The lay out was no different to her old home. The kitchen was in the exact same place in had been. In fact, all of the rooms that were labelled on the parchment.

But there was a bit of doubt in Pimpernel's heart.

Could she really live on her own again?

Did she trust herself?

"Sam, I don't know what to say" she said.

To Sam, it was obvious that this meant a lot to her.

"Don't thank me, Pimpernel. It was Paladin who first started to send the letters to the suppliers"

Pimpernel gave a large smile. She knew that her father had something to do with this.

"How long will it take to rebuild?" Pimpernel asked.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"Well, it may not start to be rebuilt for a few months. The snow is making things difficult to work at the moment" he answered.

This seemed to crush Pimpernel's hope. For she hoped to be in it as soon as possible. But for now, she would have to grit her teeth and get on with things.

Pippin had now finished his seed cake. Diamond had took.

"So, tell me" Diamond said, placing her mug of tea back down.

"What happened next?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Well, it took us a few more hours to reach Bree. Frodo was going to meet Gandalf there. But when we got there, the wizard was nowhere to be seen"

There was a hushed silence in the room now. Diamond could not keep her eyes off of the hobbit sitting opposite her.

"Where was he?" she asked.

"We did not know. All we knew was we could not get to Rivendell without him. So, we we're stuck. And then in happened"

Pippin took a deep breath. The consequences of event were still felt today. Frodo had slipped and vanished. Vanished from the sight of everyone in the inn.

"What happened?" Diamond asked.

Pippin took a deep breath. For some reason, he found it easier to talk.

"I do not know the exact details. All I know is that one second, I saw him and then next, he was gone!"

Diamond could not understand what Pippin was talking about. She could not get her head around what he had said.

"Did he just leave?" she asked.

Pip shook his head.

"No, he just wasn't there any more"

Pippin took a deep breath. Deep down, he knew it had been his fault. If only he hadn't started talking.

"Me and my big mouth"

"What happened after that?" Diamond asked.

Pippin continued with his story.

"Sam had the sharpest eyes that night. He saw Frodo being pushed up the stairs by one of the big folk. So, we armed ourselves, thinking it was one of those black riders from earlier. But, when we got up to the room, we were meet by a different figure"

Diamond had never heard this story before so all of his words were news to her ears.

"His name was Strider, later we found out his real name. Aragorn"

Diamond's eyebrows raised.

"Aragorn?" she asked.

She knew of this name. But only a few times.

"Yes. He made sure that we were safe. And it was a good thing too because the wraiths had tracked us down. Four of the nine were now baring down on the inn"

The clock on the wall chimed eleven times. One more hour 'til lunch. But lunch was not on the mind of all hobbits. Diamond and Pippin were still deep in conversation.

"The next day, the five of us set off. We brought along a horse. Well, when I say we, I mean Aragorn. The horse was massive, twice as tall as an average hobbit. It was ladened with food and drink for the journey"

Pippin had never been so tired and sore in his life. But his tiredness had only just begun. There were many days of walking to be done. They would have many late nights and a short supply of food to keep them going.

The five beings were two weeks into their journey when they reached Weathertop. An outcrop of rock shaped by the elements.

"Weathertop was our resting spot for the night, just like the few before it. But this night was very eventful indeed"

The more Pippin thought about it, the more Pippin started to blame himself. But what happened was inevitable. Sam, Merry and himself had started a fire. Hunger was getting all of them.

The three of them had gathered some dry wood and, within a matter of minutes, started a small fire. The three of them smiled as they sat around as they started to cook their food. But this was the biggest mistake that they could ever make.

"And then Frodo woke up. He wasn't very at all happy. Frodo stomped out the fire, getting ash all over our food. But that was the least of our worries. Five jet black figures, akin to the depths of a moonless night were seen coming for us. Strider, as he was called back then, was nowhere to be seen. So we we're on our own"

Pippin could still remember the cool wind blowing his hair in front of his face. All four hobbits were looking around. The wind seemed to suddenly stop. Sounds did too.

"And then they came. Not one wraith like before, but five. Five sword wielding devils, towering before us. All that could be heard as they approached were their heavy feet, impacting on the ground. Sam the courage to actually grab his sword. all I heard was the clanging of metal on metal Me and Merry were the first in their path. But we weren't much help."

The ringing still echoed around his memories to this day.

"Frodo was next in line. His sword instantly dropped to the floor. Fright over come him as he stepped backwards. But stepping backwards was the worst thing he could have done. For he tripped over a root or rock, I cant really remember. Now he was cornered. There was no way out, no escape route and no one to save him"

Frodo could do only one thing. One thing that he thought would work. The Ring was taken out of his pocket.

"If it makes me invisible, maybe it can shield me from these creatures" he thought.

"And then he vanished. It did not take long to figure out that he was still where he fell"

Frodo could see the creatures behind the veil of black cloth. The creature had a milky white ting to it. An invisible wind seemed to rush around all of them.

Frodo had never been so scared in his life. But the fear rose as he felt his hand slowly rise. But he wasn't going to give in that easily. The hobbit snapped out of the tight, invisible grip just in time.

This did not matters. A few seconds later, a long, poisonous blade was thrust into his chest.

"The sound coming from him was not forgotten so easily. But everything changed as Aragorn came out from nowhere. Then Frodo came into view again. He was clutching his chest. The blade lay just feet from him"

Pippin took a deep breath as sounds of Frodo's screams came back to him. Diamond would never fully understand what it was like to see a friend in so much pain.

"Time was now running out. Rivendell was still many days journey away and Frodo was slipping. Slipping into a wraith like creature. But hope was still on the horizon as a fair lady came to help"

Pippin could still remember the first time that he had laid eyes upon an Elven princess. Pippin had never seen anyone so beautiful. Apart from Diamond.

"Her name was Arwen and she was the daughter of Elrond. She had been tracking us for many days. For elves are good at tracking and found it easy to find anyone just by the sight of a broken blade of grass. Aragorn shared this skill as well"

The tea in his mug had now all but vanished. He had been taking small sips at every small break. Diamond was still hanging of every word.

But the best was yet to come.

"We had to left Frodo go with Arwen, even though we knew of the dangers of what was to come. But it would be quicker if Arwen took him"

Pippin, Merry and Sam were now with Aragorn while Arwen and Frodo made their way to Rivendell. They made it there much faster then us. But this came at a price. Frodo made it only just on time, according to Elrond. And it was Elrond that saved him. Frodo was minutes from becoming an empty shell, slaved to Sauron. But it never came to be.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"The powers of elves was enough to bring Frodo back from the darkness. But it was a few days before he woke. Samwise was most distraught. He never seemed to leave Frodo's side. Even at breakfast, lunch, dinner, basically every meal were could get"

But Frodo did eventually wake. Soon, all of them were back together. They could now take in the beauty of where they had gone to.

"And it was at Rivendell that we meet a familiar person"

Pip gave a small grin.

"Bilbo" he said.

Diamond was still sitting at the table, holding her little son. Mouthful after mouthful of her orange mixture was gobbled up. It seemed that both of them were in a really good mood.

"How about we go and see auntie Dolly?" Diamond asked her son.

Dolly had yet again helped Diamond out of a sticky spot. Diamond felt like she owed Dolly a lot. Not many people knew of Diamond's struggles and Dolly seemed to be the only one that understood what she was going through.

A few more minutes past as the baby continued to eat.

Finally, all of the food was gone. Faramir had now finished all of his breakfast. It was now time for his mother to make her own.

Hunger was not only physical, but now, it was also audible. Diamond's tummy rumbled as she walked back to her room.

"Mummy will be back in a bit, she has to get her breakfast too"

Once again, her meal would be a simple, but a filling one. Eggs were taken out of the cellar along with bread and oil. A pan was taken out and placed on a, now, very hot hob.

A few more minutes past as the pan grew hotter. It was now hot enough to cooking what Diamond needed to cook. So, having placed the oil in the pan, the food was now ready to be cooked.

The eggs were cracked and beaten. A pinch of salt had been put into the yellow yolk. Diamond smiled as the bread was dipped into the yellowy mixture.

Fizzing and sizzling erupted from the pan. The egg started to turn a brown colour the more it cooked. And then the smell came. This seemed to make Diamond's hunger double.

Time was seemed to slow down. Diamond held a spatula in one hand and the handle of the pan in the other. The hobbit smiled as she flipped over the last piece of eggy bread. It, along the several other pieces, was put into the plate. Diamond smiled as she took the pan off of the heat. Faramir was being his quieter self. This made Diamond's goings easy.

The plate was then put before her place and she sat down. A knife and fork had already been set out. The fork that had been laying on the left hand side was now picked up. The knife laying on the right was picked up too.

A few seconds later, after surveying the pile of steaming slices, Diamond started to cut into it. A large bit was cut off. This did not bother Diamond. For the food could not have entered Diamond's mouth quick enough.

The hobbit started to chew. She could really taste the egg as she chewed. The fork pierced the soft, warm bread. The knife was then used to cut a sizable piece.

But, just as she was about to eat it, Faramir started to cry. He cries were ignored for a while. All Diamond wanted to do was eat. Slice after slice were finished and started. The seven original slices had now turned into four. But Diamond's hunger still was not tamed.

"I think a bit of seed cake would do me beautifully" Diamond thought, starting on her fifth slice.

Faramir's crying seemed to have grown louder. This caught Diamond's attention again. A deep breath was taken. She knew she couldn't leave Faramir to cry on his own. Yet if she did leave her breakfast, she would struggle to finish.

For she would only have one arm to cut and eat the food. Diamond looked at the door as the echoes of her son continued.

"I need some help" Diamond said.

The day before was one of the best days in Diamond had. She had learnt about Pippin more then she did in her few years of knowing him.

"We had left Rivendell with Frodo at the helm. We were now heading towards Mordor. The four of us were now joined by five others. Gimli, the dwarfs. Legolas, the elf. Gandalf, the wizard. And two men, Aragorn and Boromir"

Diamond nodded.

"We headed down to the Gap of Rohan. But there was a problem. Saruman was now watching the gap. He had many spies on his side. Birds mainly. And that's exactly what happened. A black cloud of crows flew around the rocky out crop we were resting at"

Pippin took a deep breath. He knew what came next. A climb. Heights were not one of Pippin's strong points. In fact, heights were kept far away from any of the hobbits. For climbing any hill, be it even a shallow one, was too much effort for them.


	84. Day Forty, Part Two

"The snow was much colder then it is outside. And it was not only snow falling. A storm, conjured by Saruman, hindered our progress. Light came down and struck the side of the mountain. He was trying to kill us. But Gandalf was not going to make that happen. He spoke in tongues that only he could understand. But something happened that I don't think he wanted"

There was a small moment of silence.

"A massive lightning strike dislodged some of the snow and rocks above. And there was only one direction that it was headed"

There was yet another small pause. But Diamond seemed to know the answer already.

"It was heading right for us. All we could do was wait until it was over"

It was a miracle that none of the nine were swept off of the mountain. Gandalf, who had been leading the group, had now come to fork in the road.

"We now had come to a fork in the road. We had three directions we could go. One was the Gap of Rohan, but that would be a big risk. For Saruman now controlled the gap. It was impossible to slip past unnoticed. The second option was to keep going. But the coldness was getting to us hobbits. The third option was the one that we chose. It was to go through the mines of Moria"

The mood seemed to have changed as Pippin sunk ever deeper into his feelings.

"The door to the kingdom led into a large mountain. A whole race of beings lived their life by the flame of fire. But that had changed. When Gandalf finally managed to open the door under the mountain, the dwarves had all be killed"

Diamond did not understand what Pippin had said.

"Killed?" she asked.

"By what?"

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Goblins. But according to Gandalf, that was not the only to worry about. And we would soon find out what he meant as we journeyed deeper and deeper into Moria"

Pippin could still hear the echoes of the vast halls of Moria. But someone else came into his head as well. Ghastly goblins and massive trolls. The sound of metal on metal rang in his ears.

Goblin after goblin entered the chamber they we're in. Pippin gave a small smile. It had been him that had given away their position to the goblins.

But there was a beast far worse then stinking goblins to worry about. Its name was the Balrog. It was an ancient, fiery, dragon-like creature. This was the first time that Pippin had been Gandalf scared.

"And then we came to a bridge. It crossed a canyon, black and endless. But only eight of us made it. Gandalf stood in the middle. The Balrog stood before him. It was hundreds of times bigger then he was. We watched as Gandalf slayed the almighty beast. At first, we all thought it was over. But a large crack of a whip told us that it was not. Gandalf's ankles were wrapped in a fiery whip. As the Balrog fell, Gandalf's legs were taken out underneath him"

Pippin could see the small figure of Gandalf holding on. Then, a few seconds later, vanishing into the black abyss below.

Diamond could see Pippin replaying this scene over and over in his head.

"Did he survive?" Diamond asked.

She had not seen Gandalf since his visit to the Shire when Bilbo had his party.

"Yes" Pippin said, taking a deep breath.

"Frodo and Sam were the last to know. For, after visiting Galadriel, Frodo decided to go on alone. But Amon Hen brought the biggest fight. Orcs, straight from Isengard, had been tracking our movements. Their objective was to find the ring of power, killing anyone that stood in their way. And that's exactly what they did. Later, me and Merry found out that Boromir had been mortally wounded"

Diamond knew that this meant he had died. But neither of them said it.

"Frodo, with a little help from us, had escaped. But Merry and myself had paid the price. We were now captives and heading right into the jaws of torture and death. We were now prisoners, being taken away by the surviving orcs"

This was horrifying for Diamond. Yet she wanted to know more.

"What was it like?" she asked.

Words could not describe how much Pippin wanted to get back to the Shire. But that would have to wait.

"It was horrible. The smell coming from the rabble of orcs as they ran were over powering. Water and food were short coming, if any at all. Weakness started to overcome us. Our arms were numb due to the hours of holding onto the orcs"

There was a short pause before Pippin carried on.

"We knew little of the motives of the others. I slowly started to realise that the two of us might not get out of our little situation. For the orcs were ruthless and bloodthirsty"

Night time had fallen and the orcs stopped their running. Hunger was getting to the orcs. It soon turned to the hobbits. Talks of eating their legs sprung around.

Merry saw this as a distraction. So, the two hobbit headed towards a line of trees. But were stopped. What happened next happened a little too fast for Pippin.

Out of nowhere, a spear came and his an orc in the back. A few seconds after, a rumbling met Pippin's ears. It grew louder and louder. Out of the darkness came large creatures. Rohirrim on horses.

Within a few minutes, all of the orcs were dead. At the same time, Merry and Pippin had made their escape. They had cut their own bounds that had been tied around their hands. But the danger had only just started.

"We ran into what we thought was a safe forest. But it was not. Fangorn was ancient and wild. Trees were different there. Strange tracks crossed over the moist ground. Merry and I kept on running. But we were being followed by one of the bloodthirsty orcs. An idea then seemed to popped into Merry's head. He suggested climbing trees to get away from him"

Pippin thought this was a good idea at first. But then something happened that he had never expected in a million years. A large eye creaked open. The tree that Pippin was now up started to move.

"It was Treebeard. It had been a long time since we had a friend. At first, Treebeard did not trust us. For, as wise as he was, he had not heard of Hobbits before. We learnt that Treebeard had been having many problems with orcs. We understood what he meant, for we had seen what orcs could do. But this did not mean he trusted us. This meant only one thing. We were carried to a small area of the woods. There, we were dropped to the floor in front of a large figure"

Diamond's heart rate rose a little. She loved what Pippin was telling her. Respect was still growing for him. But another surprise was coming her way.

"Who was it?" she asked, thinking it was going to be a horrible creature.

But Pippin gave a small smile.

"It was Gandalf" he said.

This made Diamond's eye brows rise.

"Gandalf?" she asked, not trusting her ears.

"But, you said he fell!"

Pippin smiled. He had exactly the same reaction to finding out that Gandalf had returned.

"Indeed he did. But, you have to realise, Gandalf is not ordinary being. But, something had changed about him. Instead of his dirty gray cloak, he was wearing a crystal white one. But that was not the only thing that had changed. His staff, his hair looked like it had been cleaned and combed. There was a strange twinkle in his eyes too. One that I had never seen before. He later explained to us that he had killed the Balrog"

Diamond's curiosity was now getting to her again.

"How did he do it?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath. It was getting harder and harder to remember what the wizard had said.

"Well, he told us that he had defeated the Balrog after many hours. His energy had been spent after many hours and days battling against the creature. In the end, Gandalf prevailed and the beast was slain. But now, another, more dangerous chapter in Gandalf's life had started"

The War of the Ring was now taking shape. Battalions, companies, gangs, groups and rabbles of orcs were gathering together. Not only in Mordor, but in Isengard too.

Saruman was now ready to attack. He too had been cooking up orcs of his own invention. These were bigger then Sauron's orcs. Their armour think and their hatred for man was fuelled by blood thirst for death.

A massive arm was being created in the depths on Isengard itself. Creatures spawned from mud and ready to kill. They did not have to train to fight. It was in their very soul to kill.

Armour was made for thousands of orcs. Thousands of cold steel swords were made for one purpose. To kill mankind and let the darkness over rule.

But everything had now changed. Both Saruman and Sauron had been over thrown. The number of orcs and evil men had diminished.

The events were now assigned to the books and stories of men and hobbits alike. And this story was being passed onto one more being who knew little, if any, of the goings on.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"The wizard had meet Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. They had been coming after us, fearing the worst. But the worst had not come. In fact, Gandalf was heading for Edoras. There, he would talk things over with the king of Rohan, Theoden"

Diamond seemed not to be interested in this part of the story because it did not involve Pippin.

"Should I carry on?" Pippin asked, seeing Diamond's eyes wondering around.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"No, Pippin, you can carry on" she said, giving him a smile.

Pippin gave one back and continued.

"Merry and myself were now at the mercy of Treebeard"

Diamond smiled as she put her coat on. Her son was still crying, a sign that he needed his mother's comfort. Diamond buttoned up the last button and walked back to her room.

"Alright, mummy is here" she said, walking to the cot.

Faramir had wriggled out of his nice, warm blanket. His little face was screwed up.

"We're going to see Dolly, would you like that?" Diamond asked.

Dolly had helped Diamond so much over the past few months. In fact, it was hard to think of a way of saying thank you.

Diamond smiled as she walked out of the room and down the corridor. Diamond took a deep breath, knowing that

when she opened the door, she would have to face the coldness outside.

But there was nothing for it.

The door creaked open. The warmth that had been stored in the house was now escaping. Diamond could feel the coldness tickle her cheeks. The door behind her was closed, keeping the two fronts of temperature separated.

Snow was melting on the ground. But, there was still enough to make a crunching sound when walked on. Bird song could also be heard. Small robins went about their daily business, not bothering to watch or wonder what Diamond was up to.

It took a few minutes to reach Dolly's home. Diamond smiled as she knocked three times. Inside, Dolly had just started to pour water into a cool kettle when she heard the bangs coming from the door.

Dolly took a deep breath, thinking that she would never get to relax. So, turning the water off, Dolly walked out of the room. It took longer then normal to get to the front door. For her joints were now ceasing up with her old age. The wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen with every passing year.

The opening of the door couldn't have come sooner for Diamond. Dolly was revealed a few seconds later.

"Diamond?" she asked.

Diamond gave a small smile.

"Hello, Dolly" she answered.

The door widened, letting out the heat. Diamond could fell the warmth tickle her skin.

"Why, do come in" Dolly said, smiling.

"It's ever so cold out there"

Diamond smiled back and walked over the threshold. The large door was then shut, keeping the warmth in its rightful place.

"Would you hold Faramir while I take my coat off?" Diamond asked.

Dolly smiled and gave a small nod. Diamond then handed her child over to her. It was then that she could take her large coat off. She smiled as she looked over at Dolly.

"He's got much better" Dolly said, placing one hand over Faramir's little forehead.

Diamond nodded.

"He's calmed down a lot" she answered.

Dolly took a deep breath. Their conversation started to trickle away. But it was saved by Dolly's quick thinking.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked.

Diamond smiled.

"Why, thank you" she said, taking her son.

So, the two of them walked into the warm kitchen. Dolly had already had a large breakfast and managed to clear everything away.

Diamond smiled as she pulled a seat away and carefully sat down. She then looked down at her calm son. He was looking right back at her. His large eyes were glinting in the flickering candle light.

"How many sugars?" Dolly asked, making Diamond break her gaze.

"Six, please" she said.

This number surprised Dolly. Not for being too many, but too few. But she had to comply with Diamond's request. The kettle had been boiling for quite some time. The flames licked the bottom, making the water inside heat up. Steam now rose from the spout.

"There you are" Dolly said, placing Diamond's mug of tea in front of her.

"Thank you" Diamond said.

Dolly slowly pulled out a seat and sat down. Conversation had now ceased again. But, like before, Dolly picked up a small something different in Diamond's actions.

There was defiantly running through her mind. By the looks of it, Diamond was struggling to choose between two sides. Dolly knew exactly what to do to get the information she needed.

"So" Dolly said, taking a sip of her tea and putting it back down again.

"What have you been up to now that little Faramir is better?" she asked.

Diamond's eyes darted around for a split second before answering.

"Pippin" she answered.

Dolly was surprised. Of course, she had picked up that it was about Pippin. But she never thought that Diamond would tell her so easily.

"What happened?" Dolly asked.

Diamond could hear Pippin's voice in her head.

"Well, he wanted to talk to me, I was in the middle of cleaning up at the time. So, I let him in and we sat at the kitchen table, like we're doing now"

Diamond went on to explain the story that Pippin had told her.

"And that's when he reached the gates of Mordor. Merry was with him too. Three hundred men against ten thousand orcs in a last ditch attempt to rule Middle-earth"

Dolly, like Diamond, was clinging onto every word. Diamond smiled as she told about the destroying of Mordor, to the return journey.

"And, Pippin did all this?" Dolly asked.

Unlike Diamond, there was doubt in Pippin's story. Things just didn't add up.

"Diamond, do you think Pippin is making things up?" she asked.

But to Diamond, this was not so. She knew, better then anyone, when Pippin was lying. And lying he wasn't. everything seemed to add up. Even if it did sound preposterous.

"No, I know Pippin and he wouldn't lie to me" Diamond answered.

Dolly could see a different glint in Diamond's eyes now. One that convinced Dolly that both Diamond and Pippin were telling the truth.

Hours past as Pippin lay on his bed. He was not bothered for few just yet, having had a massive lunch, even by obit standards. The talk with Diamond the day before still lingered in his memory.

"Maybe it will change things" he told himself.

It was only a matter of time before Diamond could trust Pippin again. and Pippin knew it. He knew that he had finally done the right thing. For he had seen the look in Diamond's face when he said he was leaving.

It was true. Diamond hated that Pippin had to leave. Yet she was not comfortable with his presence.

"Take care" she said, opening the large door.

Pippin gave a small smile and felt the coldness hit him. For a moment, Pippin swore he could have seen Diamond open her mouth to speak. But no words came from her.

Pippin walked out into the crisp snow and down the path. He opened the gate with and click. Upon looking back, Pip saw that Diamond was still at the door. A few seconds later, it quickly closed.

It was as though Diamond did not want to show her feeling for him. But he was wrong. Diamond was now standing there, back against the door, wishing she would have said something. But the chance had come and gone. All she could do now was hope for another one to come her way.

Pippin slowly walked back. He too was regretting saying more. And, like Diamond, he wanted to say more. But now was not the right time.

A knock came at the front door as Eglantine sat at the table. Paladin was sitting at the opposite side of the table.

"That must be him now" Eglantine said, putting down her knife and fork.

Hobbits did not like being disturbed during their meals. All of them knew that if they were eating, there was a high chance that everyone else would be eating too.

But this time, Eglantine was not bothered. For she had only had a few mouthfuls. The door clicked open and the coldness stormed in.

"Pippin, come in dear" she said.

Pippin sniffed as stepped over the threshold. The door was quickly shut, keeping the coldness where it belonged.

"We've saved you some lunch" Eglantine told her son.

Pippin gave a small smile and hung his coat on the peg. A few seconds later, he followed his mother into the kitchen.

A full day had past since Pippin had visited Diamond and told her his story. He had not seen her since then. But his thoughts had remained the same. A few times, Pippin had come close to grabbing his coat, putting it on and walking out of the door.

But he caught himself as he gripped the door handle to his room.

"No, now is not the time"

Elsewhere, in Middle-earth, situations were much more worse then the one Pippin was in. A young girl was laying on a bed, unable to move. She was not bound in anyway. It was due to all of her energy being spent cleaning and serving people in the lobby below.

Food was rarely given to her since she had been back. In fact, it was getting harder to keep warm due to her weakness. But she was not shivering any more. The coldness seemed to have burrowed deep into her body.

She was now cold to the touch. And there was only one person that could save her.

And that very person had arrived. The sound of a horse outside echoed in the girl's head. But it did not bother her.

Barliman had arrived after a days journey through the land.

"I hope this is the one" he told himself.

For Barliman had been travailing aimlessly for almost a day. Four other inns were checked. But none of the had the young girl hidden inside.

Barliman struggled to tie the reigns to the wooden bar outside. His hands hurt every time they moved. But, after a few minutes, the reigns were tied. Barliman took a deep breath. The warmth inside couldn't have come sooner as he opened the door.

The only sign that Barliman had the right place was the man standing behind the bar. But Barliman was not so hard to miss either.

The man looked at Barliman for a few seconds before leaving the area behind the bar. The door opened and he walked into the back.

The horrible woman stood there, waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Her face was stern and angry.

"The girl is not moving, get her down here!" the woman said.

An evil grin came over the man. He nodded and, without another word, started to ascend the stairs.

In the room down the corridor, the girl could hear the heavy foot steps on the stairs. She knew of only one person it could be.

The fragile wooden door swung open. A creaking sound echoed around the door stopped.

"Up!" the man said, grabbing her hair.

The girl's face screwed up. The pain seemed more intense every time she was subjected to it. She could feel herself being forcefully lifted onto her feet.

Dizziness came over the young girl as she stood there. But, after a few seconds, its started to fade away. The man had also gone. He had gone back downstairs.

Barliman was sitting at the furthest table. His eyes were stuck to the door. His patients had paid off as the door opened again. The man walked through and looked over at Barliman.

A minute later, the person that Barliman was looking for came into the bar. It took a few seconds to realise who was sitting there. But, when she did, she could not help but smile.

"Take this to him" the man said.

He placed a large mug of ale before her. Without argument, she picked it up. The weight of the mug seemed heavier then normal. But it was not. In fact, it was the girl's strength that had been ebbing away since she had left Bree.

"I'm glad to see you" Barliman said, knowing that he was being watched.

The girl gave Barliman a look. A few messages could be extracted from this look. Firstly, a message of help. The young girl looked more like a slave then a worker. Her cloths, the same ones that Barliman had given her, were looking dirty.

The second message was different. It was a warning. For the girl knew how much trouble Barliman was in if he tried to take her away.

"I can not talk to you" she said, quietly.

The man behind the bar watched them intensely. But none of their conversation could be heard.

"Why not?" Barliman asked.

The girl's face now looked scared. She knew what would happen to her if they started to talk.

"Because" she answered, taking a quick look back.

The man was still watching them. The old woman was there as well. Both of them were eyeing the old man.

"If anything happens" the old woman said, handing over a small dagger.

The man instantly knew what she was on about. He took it and kept it concealed.

"You have to leave" the young girl told Barliman.

But Barliman did not see it that way.

"I will not and can not see you being mistreated. I've left my inn to come and get you back. And nothing is going to stop me"

Taking the young girl was easier said then done. But Barliman was ready for anything that came his way. For he too had small dagger concealed on him.

"Please?" asked the girl.

She was now getting desperate. The woman's fuse was not as long as most peoples and it did not take much to set it off.

"Can you just leave?"

But it was too late. Foot steps could be heard behind the girl. Without thinking, Barliman stood up. He was much smaller then the man that came over to him.

"I am sorry, but I am going to ask you to leave" he told Barliman.

Barliman took on a confused look.

"Leave?" he asked.

"But, I've only just arrived"

But this did not change anything. The girl was moved out of the way.

"You will leave now"

Barliman then saw the large, silver dagger. A small bit of him thought better of it. But he needed to get the girl to safety.

"I am not leaving unless I have the girl" Barliman told him.

The size of man did not phase Barliman one bit. For he had encountered people like this since he had owned the Prancing Pony.

A small smile came over the man. The girl knew that things were about to turn for the worse.

"You are walking on thin ice" the man told him.

There was a glint in his eye that told him that the small dagger would be used.

"I will give you ten seconds to start walking towards the door or I will make sure you feel pain"

Barliman knew that he could not afford the girl to get hurt. For, it seemed, that he was the only one that cared for her.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven six, five"

Barliman started to move. But his eyes never left the man.

"Four, three"

Barliman turned and walked to the door. A plan then came into his head. He would wait 'til all was quiet and calm. Then make his move.

The door closed. Barliman was the girl's only hope and he was now gone. She was back where she wanted to get away from. But, this time, she was in a much worse position.

"Get back to your room" the man said, pushing her.

The girl fell to the floor. Her wrists hurt as they impacted on the hard ground. The man walked past her as she knelt on all fours.

"He's gone now"

The woman gave an evil nod.

"We need to find out what she has been up to" she said.

Diamond yawned as she sat down at table. The darkness outside was growing as the sun fell under the horizon. For the first time in ages, she had made a proper meal.

Crisp potatoes, perfectly roasted parsnips, delicate chicken, delicious sprouts and mushrooms were just some of the things that Diamond prepared for herself.

A boat of gravy sat proudly before the plate of food. Diamond smiled as she lifted the boat of think, brown gravy up. Smiling, she started to pour the thick gravy onto her food.

A few seconds later, the food was covered in hot gravy. Smiling, knowing that nothing could disturb her peaceful time, Diamond started to eat.

But, there were still things wondering around her mind that she could not get rid of. One was a small puppy that should have been here.

Origo had been missing for a long while now. All hope in seeing him again trickled away with every passing day. Diamond feared the worst. Sometimes, she could see her precious little puppy laying in a dirty ditch somewhere.

These images upset Diamond the most. For she blamed herself the most. She did not know the whole story. And she may never know.

Bree was lit up but thousands of candles. The night sky was crystal clear. Not a cloud could be seen. The star light flowed unhindered to anyone who looked up. A thin slice of moon could be seen embedded in the inky night.

A young girl, with shoulder length blonde hair and large, brown eyes stood in the coldness.

"Terrific" she thought, looking at a sign.

This was not what she needed. Now, she had nowhere to stay. Mya, as she was known, looked around. She needed to get out of this coldness before looking for Origo.

But rest was needed before she could do this. So, walking back to the stables, she knew exactly what to do to get into the warmth.

Mya hid her bag. A small smile came over her as she changed. Her figure shortened, her body started to grow thick fur.

A few seconds later, a puppy was now standing by the bad, instead of a girl. Mya now needed to find a place to stay. This wouldn't be too hard.

So, the small pup walked out of the smelly stable and looked around. Mya looked around. Her plan was not working so well.

"Hmm, no one around" she whimpered.

So, the pup started to walk. There were streets as far as the small puppy could see. House after house could be seen. Only a few flickering lights could be seen.

Just then, a noise made Mya look around. A cough and crunching foot prints in the snow told her that someone was coming.

A young woman had a large, but old looking coat. She was on her way around to her house when she saw the small puppy standing there.

"Oh my!" she said, stopping.

Mya and the woman stared into each other's eyes.

"Hello there" the woman said, putting out her hand.

Cautiousness then came over the pup.

"Is this woman friendly?" Mya whined.

For Mya had come across many dangerous people in her life time. She still thought people were after her. But then again, she needed a place to stay while she figured out what to do next.

So, with a small wag of her tail, she chose to trust her. Her small wet nose picked up the scent of the woman.

"Hmm" thought the pup, getting a bigger sniff.

"She doesn't seem to be mean. Maybe I should give her a try"

So, walking a few steps forwards, the large hand started to run over her fur.

"Who's your owner?" she asked, checking for any sign of a collar.

But none could be seen. The woman knew that she could not leave the puppy out in this coldness, especially one as cute as this.

"Do you want to come home with me?" she asked.

"I have some nice chicken at home if you want it"

The woman smiled as the puppies tail started to wag.

"Come on then" she said, scooping her up.

Mya felt a strange feeling as she was carried away. She knew that her Pimpernel was waiting for her to come home. But, instead, she was in the arms of another person.

The woman smiled as she walked down a dark, muddy ally. Mya was thankful that she did not have to walk through this. For it would have spoilt her lovely coat of fur that she had.

A small yawn came from the pup as the young woman opened the door to her house. Mya could feel the difference in temperature straight away.

Candles were flickering on rusting mounts on wall. The door closed, shutting out the coldness. Mya looked around. Everything was new to her again. She did not like moving around so much.

Just then, small sound of footsteps met Mya's small ears.

"Mummy!" said a small boy.

Mya was placed on the floor and the boy was hugged.

"Mummy?" the young boy asked, spotting the puppy.

"What's that?" he asked.

Mya blinked twice as she sat there. She loved children. They were always nice to her.

"That's a puppy, do you like him?"

Mya gave a small whine.

"Oh, food!" the woman said, hanging up her coat.

As Mya was just about to walk away, she was stopped by the young boy. His grip was not as soft as the woman's Mya had just left.

"Puppy!" he said, giggling.

Mya gave a small whine.

"Do you want to play?" he asked.

The puppy shook her head, but this made no difference to the young boy. All Mya wanted to do was eat and sleep. But there was no way out of this trap.

"Come on puppy!" said the young boy, picking her up.

"We can play hide and seek!" he squealed.

Mya thought that being friendly to the woman was now a bad idea. For all Mya wanted to do was eat and sleep. But it looked like she would do neither any time soon.

The young boy scurried into the only bedroom of the house. Two beds were crammed into this small room. One for young boy and one for the two parents.

"Here" he said, placing Mya on the dirty looking bed.

"I'll go and hide and you find me"

Diamond took a deep breath as she walked into the kitchen. Dinner had been and gone, but she was still hungry. The clock chimed as it hung on the wall. It was only nine o'clock.

"Maybe a small bite to eat and then bed"

So, the young hobbit picked up a candle and opened the cellar door. Yawning, Diamond walked in. A minute past before she came out again.

The candle was placed back on the mount and the door closed. Tucked under her arm, Diamond held a loaf of bread.

Toast.

Toast was the easiest and most filling thing Diamond could have. So, upon placing the loaf down, a draw was opened. A large cutting knife was then taken out.

A minute or two past. Seven slices of fresh bread were now laying in a pile, waiting to be toasted. The oven was now very hot indeed. Fire had been heating a metal grate inside.

Diamond picked up a small towel. She made sure that her hand was covered before opening it. As she did so, she could feel the immense heat hit her.

Diamond had to wait until the barrage of heat passed before she could continue. Diamond could feel the heat radiating off of oven as she pulled out the small metal grate.

Three large slices of bread were placed on it. The grate, along with the soft bread, we trust back into the fiery chasm. The hot metal door was then shut, keeping the flames contained inside.

While the bread was toasting, Diamond got out the creamy butter.

"Just enough" she said, looking in the porcine holder.

More butter was needed. Luckily, the cart will all of her food would arrive in the morning. A spreading knife was then taken out of the draw.

Twenty minutes past before Diamond was ready to eat. Butter had been spread thickly onto the toast. Diamond smiled as she finally got to sit down and relax.


	85. Day Forty One, Part One

Bree was just a days journey away from where Origo and Ivy were now. But this did not make their journey any easier.

Darkness had now fallen across the land. Coldness grew as the sun sank. Origo was getting very, very tired now. Ivy, being a small magical fairy, did not feel tiredness. But this did not mean she did not sleep.

A small whimper came from the cold puppy.

"I'm sleepy" Origo told her.

His small eyes were heavy, on the verge of falling asleep where he stood. Ivy found this incredibly cute as Origo started to sway a little.

"Alright, pup" she said, fluttering down to his height.

Ori's little brown eyes were glinting in the fairies green light.

"Come on, we'll find some shelter for the night"

So, reluctantly, Origo started to move again. But, it did not take long to find suitable shelter for the pup. For, in this part of Middle-earth, there was an unusually amount of rabbits living there.

"Ori, stop" Ivy said, just as the pup made his way to the entrance.

Origo looked back, his little eyes could not be seen in the greenish glow. Ivy was unsure if there was anyone living in it.

"Let me just go and look inside first" she said, smiling.

Origo could do nothing but wait as Ivy vanished through the cold ground. The small fairy fluttered down the small hole into the ground.

The borrow was deceivingly large. Tunnels seemed to extend further then Ivy's green light could pick up. But this did not deter her as her little wings propelled her through the coldness.

It was then that Ivy found a small chamber. Her green light lit the way. But it was not empty. A small family of rabbits were huddled in the darkness. Ivy gave a small smile. She could make out five little bunnies cuddling up to one another. But she expected there to be more.

So, without disturbing them, she fluttered onwards. Another chamber then came into view. This one, unlike the first, was empty. But signs of use were scattered on the floor.

Clumps and strands of rabbit hair could be seen imbedded in the mud.

"I guess this will have to do" she told herself.

It was not the best accommodation for Origo. But at least it was better then being out in the cold. So, fluttering straight up towards the ceiling of the chamber, Ivy popped out of the ground.

The burrow was left deep under the ground. Ivy smiled as she was the faint outside of her puppy still standing at the entrance to the burrow.

"Origo!" Ivy said, shouting over the wind.

Origo's tail started to wag as he wondered over to her.

"We can go in there" she told him.

"But we have to be really quiet"

Origo tilted his little head.

"Because there are bunnies sleeping in there, we don't want to wake them up now, do we?" she asked.

Origo shook his little head, wondering what bunnies were. So, Origo followed Ivy down into the burrow. Only Ivy's green light lit the way. Other then that, the tunnel could have gone on for ever.

"Shush" Ivy said as the neared the rabbits snoozing in their chamber.

It was then Origo got his first glimpse on the rabbits. Ivy's light dimmed as fluttered away. She turned to see Origo still looking into the chamber.

"Puppy?" she whispered.

Just then, something moved before Origo. One of the bunnies had awoken. Both the small puppy and the bunny were the same size. But the rabbit had longer ears.

In Ivy's light, Origo could see its large black eyes looking right back at him. Its nose continually twitched. Origo tilted his head as Ivy's light grew.

"Puppy, come on, its just down here" she said, looking at the bunny.

A few more seconds past, then Origo started to move. Ivy gave the rabbit a small smile before fluttering off. The next chamber was not too far away.

"In here, pup"

Origo turned looked around. It was very difficult to move in burrow, but the puppy managed turn. He trotted into the empty chamber that Ivy had found.

"I know it's not much, but it'll have to do" Ivy explained.

All Origo wanted to do now was eat and sleep. But sleep was winning. The pup made himself comfortable and rested his soft, fluffy head on his equally soft and fluffy paws.

Before Ivy make him some food, the puppy had drifted off into a deep sleep.

In Bree, Abira had now been adopted by another family. But this was not unplanned. In fact, she was waiting for Origo. She was much warmer then Ori was. For a young boy was laying in bed as well. Abira, known as Mya in her human form, was gently snoozing and the boy lay there.

The clock, lit up by what little light reached it, showed the night to be very young. One o'clock was racing towards them. The young boy, who shared the only bed room with his parents, was now very upset. The duvet was suddenly taken off of him. He stood up and walked the few feet to his parent's bed.

"Mummy?" he asked, giving a small whimper.

The young boy's mother slowly opened her eyes. A small, sleepy smile came over her.

"What is it, darling?" she asked.

She could see that her son had not slept a wink since he had gone to bed.

"Can't sleep" he said.

The mother and son had a very good relationship with each other.

"Come here then" she said, opening up the covers.

The woman was wearing an old night gown. It looked like it had been brought many years ago. The young lad snuggled up in the bed. His father, who was sleeping on the opposite side of the bed, had not woken.

Abira opened one little eye. Her plan had worked. For it was her that had kept him up for all those hours. Now, she could sleep in peace.

The world around both puppies continued as they slept. But, as the hours flew by, the light of the sun grew. The sun grew to a crisp winters day. Clouds were few and far between. The clouds started to turn a painted look as they turned from inky blue to orange the higher the sun got.

The sky around them held a spectrum of different colours. Yellow was the nearest colour to the sun. Orange, then pink were mixed into the clouds. The tail end of night made the sky grow dark again. One or two stars shone, determined to fight the sunlight now bathing the cold land again. But they were soon hidden from sight.

Bree finally awoke. Smoke from chimneys could now be made out fluttering gently away in the wind. Candles in all house holds were being lit as people awoke.

One little boy yawned as he lay warm and comfortable in a large bed. His mother's arm wrapped around him. He had finally managed to fall asleep.

Another yawn came over him. His eyes still drooping. But the sight of the little snoozing puppy made him almost instantly forget about sleep. So, without caring much for his sleeping mother, the boy drew back the duvet and hopped out of bed.

"Puppy?" he asked as he walked over.

Mya slowly opened her eyes. She turned her head to see the towering boy standing there. Suddenly, two large, rough hands came down and picked her up.

She gave a small whine and wriggled.

"Puppy, don't you want…"

But his sentence was cut short with a yawn. His eyes felt too heavy to keep open. The boy subconsciously fell onto his own bed. Abira was yet again the culprit of this magic.

The boy had fallen into deep sleep. Deeper then he had when it had been night. Abira struggled out of the young boy's grasp.

"Maybe this was a bad idea, coming here" she thought.

But she had no where else to go. But then, it would only be for a few days. If Origo had not arrived, then she would head off, towards Radagast.

For that was the only direction she knew of that Origo and Ivy were heading. Radagast was Origo's only hope of leading a normal life again.

Origo had now awoken after a very deep and peaceful sleep. The small green fairy had also been sleeping. Although it made no difference to her.

A small whimper woke her up. Unlike Origo or any other creature, tiredness just seemed to fall away from Ivy as she opened her eyes.

"Morning" she said, without a hint of tiredness on her voice.

A large yawn came from Origo as he laid there.

"Had a good sleep?" she asked.

Origo gave a small nod. Hunger had now truly gripped the little puppy. Ivy knew this by the little glint in his eyes. Ivy gave a small point at the floor and a large plate of turkey appeared before him.

"Eat…"

But Origo was too fast for her. He had started chomping on the turkey.

"Up"

Ivy started to giggle as Origo ate. There was nothing to tell either of the creatures that it was in fact day time. But they would soon find out as Origo finished up his breakfast.

"Right" said Ivy, making the plate vanish.

"I think we could reach Bree today, if we walk quick enough"

Bree would be a safe place to rest for a few days. But neither of them knew that trouble would come yet again. Mya was already there. And she was waiting for them.

"Eat up, then we can go and play!" said the boy.

Food had been made for the small pup. But, like before, it was not what she wanted. Bacon seemed to be only for the human kind of the household. Mya was left with old pieces of cooked meat.

A small whine came from the pup as the boy's mother walked past.

"Eat up, it'll make you big and strong" she said.

But the puppy did not eat. Instead, she walked away.

"Hmm"

The woman wondered why the puppy had not eaten anything. For she ate the food last time. That was because last time, she had had scraps of bacon, instead of other meat.

"Puppy, don't you like it?" she asked.

A sizzling sound came as a third figure placed strips of fresh bacon in a scolding pan. This is what the puppy truly wanted and she would do anything to get it. If only she could talk to them.

An idea then popped into her fluffy head. She knew that all she had to do was act cute and she would get her own way.

So, the small puppy trotted over to the father, standing before the hot stove. A small whimper caught his attention.

"Well, hello there" he said, looking down.

Like the mother and son, the father thought the puppy was a little boy, not a little girl.

"You haven't touched your food yet, are you going to eat it up like a good boy?" he asked.

But the pup was not interested in having the nasty food. All she wanted was bacon and nothing else. The sound of sizzling grew as the rashers were flipped onto the opposite side.

Origo and Ivy were now in the bright, but cold, outside world. Ivy smiled, taking in a deep breath of the unusually clean air. Birds were singing and chirping as they perched on high branches.

The snow had completely gone, leaving the ground soft and muddy.

"Come on" Ivy said, fluttering her wings.

"We have to get back to the path"

Origo wagged his little tail and started to walk. Ivy smiled as she fluttered against the calm breeze. Flying was easy compared to other situations she had been in.

The wind was not trying to break her away from the small pup. In fact, it was more helpful as it pushed her along. The road that they were heading for was unseen. But Ivy had a vague idea in which way to go.

The forest seemed to stretch on for many miles. But it was small compared to the one they were heading for. Radagast lived in Mirkwood, the largest and most dangerous forests in Middle-earth. Trees, hundreds, probably thousands of years old stood there. Their trunks were thick and branches many. Only a small bit of light lingered in the depths on the thickest forest. For the canopy acted like a large sheet, making the ground below colder and darker.

This was where Origo and Ivy were heading. But they had yet to reach it. And it would take a lot walking to get there.

But that's what they thought.

Elanor Gamgee smiled as she finished up her very large breakfast.

"Can I leave, please?" she asked, smiling.

Rosie, who was still eating, smiled back.

"Of course" she answered.

Elanor was very eager to get out. But she was not the only one. Frodo Gamgee would also be joining her outside. Both children had their own groups of friends. Elanor's friends consisted mostly of girls where as Frodo's was boys.

Instead of going to her room, Elanor went straight to her coat. She did not even ask her mothers permission to go out. Yet she still put each arm through the sleeves and buttoned it up.

She smiled as she scooted back to the kitchen.

"Mummy, can I go out please?" she asked.

Rosie took a deep breath. She knew how much her children wanted to do out and play.

"You just be back for lunch" she answered.

Elanor smiled and kissed her mother.

"Love you" Elanor told her.

"Love you too" Rosie answered.

"And don't go over the bridge!"

Elanor did not have to be told twice to keep away from the other side of the bridge. But that could not be said for Frodo. For he had actually crossed it.

"Could I leave the table?" he asked.

Rosie had left the table and room. Samwise was left to look after Merry and Rose.

"Of course"

As Frodo left the room, something strange popped into his head.

"Daddy?" he asked, turning around.

Samwise looked up from the piece of parchment that he had been holding.

"Yes?" he asked.

Frodo slowly walked towards him.

"Do you know when I went over the bridge?" he asked.

Samwise nodded.

"Of course" he answered.

"Well, I saw something strange when I was in the forest"

Samwise wondered what this was. And he would soon find out what.

"Do you know the trees that Uncle Merry and Uncle Pippin met?"

Samwise was confused for a second. But then, something clicked.

"You mean Ents?" Samwise asked.

Frodo smiled and nodded.

"Yes!" he answered.

For a moment, Samwise thought that his son was lying to him again. But he knew that he had raised his son not to lie to him.

"And, where did you see this tree?" he asked.

But Frodo could one better.

"I can show you!" he answered.

Samwise took a deep breath. He did not know if it was a good idea or not. Sam looked over at the clock. He knew that Frodo had not strayed far from the hills of Hobbiton.

"Alright" Samwise answered.

The parchment he had been reading was rolled up.

"Go and get you coat on" he told his son.

Frodo smiled and scurried out of the room. Elanor had already gone out. It was now Frodo's turn. Frodo walked down to get his coat on while Sam walked back to the study.

There, the piece of parchment was filed away in its correct place. Sam smiled as he made sure everything was in the right place before walking out and shutting the door.

Frodo smiled as he saw his father walked towards him. Sam was saw his son waiting patiently at the door. After a minute, both of them were ready to go.

"Right" said Sam, doing up his last button.

"Lets go"

Sam picked out his favourite walking stick and opened the door. The fresh coldness of the morning air hit his face. Sam took a deep breath. He could feel the cold on the back of his throat.

This was the second time little Frodo Gamgee had been outside since Yule. The other time being just yesterday. Frodo loved the great outdoors. He loved being outside in any weather. For each had its own beauty.

Now, he could share it with his father. But, for the moment, Sam was busy. He was greeting any hobbit the knew him by name and appearance. There was no let up in the "Good-mornings" and "How do you dos"

It took Sam and Frodo so long to get to the bridge that the sun had risen higher in the sky. Shadows of near by trees were now shortening as the sun continued to climb.

Frodo and Sam had now reached the bridge. It was a strange feeling for Frodo as he crossed the bridge. A small part of him felt strange walking across it. For had been told, many times before, that he was not allowed over.

But, this time was different. Samwise smiled as he walked behind his son.

"So" Sam said, catching his attention.

Frodo looked around at his father.

"What did this tree look like?" he asked.

Frodo took a deep breath. Everything during and after the event was blurry.

"Well, it was tall. Very tall. Just like any other tree really. But, it was walking. And talking"

Now that Frodo thought about it, it sounded very silly indeed. But he knew that it had happened. Samwise took a deep breath.

"Did it say anything to you?" he asked.

Frodo knew exactly what the tree had said to him.

"It asked me where I lived, but I don't think it knew where Hobbiton was. But it was not being very helpful. I never got an answer to my question"

The two of them walked ever further away from Hobbiton. The hills around the small village were steep and slippery.

"Careful, lad"

Frodo looked around. He did not recognise any of the tree in front of him. Pines, still with their greenness, stood all around them. A few silver birch and oak trees were dotted around as well.

The two hobbits walked further and further away. Sam took a deep breath as he saw a large, steep hill before him.

"Not another one" he thought.

Sam took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. It was much harder walking up hill then down. Both Sam and Frodo had to stop every so often to catch their breath.

"It should be just over this hill" Frodo told his father.

Samwise smiled. Even though it was freezing cold, Sam had worked up a sweat. A few minutes past before they set off again. The trees helped in the two hobbits progress in getting up the hill.

The crest of hill came into view. The amount of sky that could be seen, grew with every step. The hill seemed to be one of many around the town, connected by sweeping grass land and steep inclines.

"Just down here" Frodo said.

Samwise had to rest again. But Frodo did not want to stop. He wanted to meet the Ent again. Sam watched as his son headed down the hill.

The small boy took a deep breath as, after a few minutes, he reached level ground. A large log lay on the ground. Frodo remembered that the tree had dropped it near him. He could still hear the large crack as the branch hit the solid, cold ground.

Sam arrived a few minutes later. His walking stick had helped him an awful lot.

"Where is it then?" Samwise asked.

Frodo was looking around. He knew that the tree could be anywhere. Even standing right by him. Sam took out a small hanky and whipped his forehead.

Frodo had started to walk around, looking up at the trees.

"Hello?" Frodo called.

His voice echoed away. Wind and birdsong echoed back. The snow that was left crunched underfoot.

"Hello?" Frodo called out again.

Sam watched his son walk through the trees, looking at each one. Just then, a large, powerful thump echoed around them. Alarm calls sprung up from every tree in the wood as birds fluttered away.

Frodo gave a small smile as he saw something trough the trees. Sam could also see a huge creature coming towards them.

"Frodo, come here please" said a concerned Sam.

Frodo was smiling. For he had seen this exact creature before. The thumping grew louder and louder. Branches snapped as it walked past stationary trees.

Sam placed one hand on his son. His heart beat quickened as the walking tree closed in on them. A few seconds later, it came into full view. A towering beast made solely of wood.

Sam backed away a bit. But confidence was souring in the young boy.

"Hello!" Frodo called out.

Sam's grip seemed to tighten as Frodo made themselves known. Sam could see two large amber eyes looking down at them.

"Not you again!" said a loud, booming voice.

The Ent seemed to have a woodiness about its words. There was a tiredness as well, like it struggled to talk.

"You remember me?" Frodo asked, smiling.

He took a few steps forward, just out of reach of his father.

"Of course, are you still lost?" asked the Ent.

Frodo shook his head.

"No, I'm fine now"

Samwise could do nothing but watch what was happening. It was then that Frodo turned around.

"This is my daddy, he wanted to come and see you" Frodo said.

The tree's attention was now on the large, rounder hobbit standing there.

"His name is Sam"

Sam gave a small smile, still unsure what was going to happen. Sam could see the eyes of the large Ent figuring him out. Sam felt that all of the trees were looking at him, not just the one before him.

Conversation seemed to have ceased. Frodo looked around at his father.

"See, I told you they were real"

Sam gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving the tall figure.

"Yes, yes you did" Sam answered, still in awe.

Only four hobbits had ever meet an Ent. Pippin Took, Merry Brandybuck, Frodo Gamgee and Sam. Sam had a million questions to ask. But only one seemed to come into his head.

"Excuse me, sir, are there any more of you?" he asked.

The tree's mood seemed to change.

"Sir?" it asked.

Its voice had a bit more anger to it.

"I am most certainly am not, my name is Fimbrethil" it said.

This was a new name for both of the hobbits standing there.

"Fimbrethil?" Sam asked.

All he could think of was Treebeard, although he had never meet him. Sam had heard the name from both Merry and Pippin, who helped him on his book.

"Have you ever heard of Treebeard?" he asked.

Once again, there was silence. For Ents were not hasty creatures. They took their time with things. And taking time is what they did best. The wind whistled about the two cold hobbits as the tree stood there.

There was no sign of any thinking going on. But, deep behind the Ents amber eyes was a lot of thinking.

"Treebeard, you say?" it asked after almost half an hour.

Sam and Frodo were now very cold. Their feet had become a little bit numb.

"Yes" Fimbrethil answered slowly.

"Yes, I remember him"

Samwise smiled.

"But I have not seen him in thousands of years"

It was true. Both Treebeard and Fimbrethil had parted ways. Not deliberately, but accidently. But neither of them could remember what had happened.

For, as wise as they were, Ents were forgetful.

"But, how did you get here?" Frodo asked.

From what the young boy knew, Fangorn was very far away. For Frodo had been told of some of the adventures of the Fellowship.

But, once again, the Ent did not know how it got here.

Meanwhile, Gloria and Elanor were walking on the snowy path. Lunch was fast approaching the two girls.

"Lets go over there" Gloria said, spotting what she thought was a fresh patch of snow.

Elanor gave a smile and agreed. The grass was taller here. The wind that blew around them made the grass dance in waves.

The two girls stopped. They could see for many, many miles. The horizon was the only thing that blocked their vision.

"Come on" Gloria said.

Once again, the two girls were thrown into a world of their own imagination.

"Gloria" Elanor said, looking at a spot in the sky.

Gloria, who had been walking away stopped. She slowly turned around to see her friend staring at a spot in the sky.

"Gloria, we have to get out of here, grab your sword"

Just then, a loud roar came from the sky. A dragon soared down towards them. Gloria and Elanor started to run as the dragon got nearer. Yet another loud roar came. There was only one thing that the two girls could do.

The two of them ducked as the dragon missed them by just a few meters. A large plume of fire came out of its mouth as it swooped around.

"Come on!" Elanor said, running back towards the road.

Hobbits had scarpered back into their homes. Only Elanor and Gloria were now outside.

"Where are we going?" Gloria asked.

Elanor could see the dragon coming back around.

"We need to kill it!" Elanor screamed.

Once again, the two girls had to duck as the dragon swooped around again.

"How?" asked Gloria.

But the answer had to wait as the field erupted into flames. Both girls started to run towards the road. The long strands of grass that had been swaying in the wind were now brittle and black.

Smoke started to rise into the sky. Luckily, both girls escaped without getting frazzled.

"We need to get stab it!" said Elanor, watching the beasts movements.

To Gloria, this was an impossible task. She could see no way controlling this beast long enough to kill it.

"We need do it, Hobbiton will burn if we don't!"

Screams echoed around them. Homes were now on fire. A whole hillside seemed to be on fire now. It was up to Gloria and Elanor to kill the dragon.

"I have an idea" said Elanor.

A few minutes later, the girls had split up. Gloria was now running as fast as she could. She was heading for the only place she knew that could lure the dragon in.

Another field, full of white sheep, came into view. The young girl placed one foot on the wooden stile and looked back. She could barely make out the figure of Elanor ducking and weaving on the field.

The dragon was much easier to spot.

"I have to be quick" Gloria told herself.

The field that she had entered was full of white sheep. They seemed to be oblivious to the surrounding panic as the continued to eat grass.

"Right" said Gloria.

The sheep were bigger and stronger then little Gloria was. Being a hobbit girl, the sheep were standing just as tall as she was. A small part of her did not want to go near them. her heart beat rose. Not only due to the dragon, but the size of the sheep standing before her.

"Hello" she said calmly.

The nearest of the sheep froze to the spot, looking at her. Gloria knew that they would run away before she even got close.

"I'm not going to hurt you" she said.

And it was true. All she wanted was to get just one sheep and leave. But it was easier said then done. The little girl managed to get to the sheep without scaring it off. But now, she needed to move it.

Meanwhile, as the two girls continued in their adventure, Samwise and Frodo were coming back towards Hobbiton.

"So, are you going to see Merry and Pippin?" Frodo asked.

Samwise was still in shock. His mouth was dry. The words of his son echoed around in his head. The bridge then came into view, as well as the Green Dragon.

"Go off and play now, I need to sort some things out" Sam said, eyeing the route up to Merry's home.

"But…"

Sam gave his strange look that said a thousand words. Frodo took a deep breath. He wanted to see the tree one more time. But he knew he couldn't.

"And be home by lunch!" Samwise called after him.

Frodo couldn't help but look over at place he and Sam had just come from. But there was no sign of movement. Frodo did not dare risk going over the bridge again. He had been in enough trouble this year and it had only just started.

Frodo's friends were now playing on the large field that led down to the lake. He could hear them long before he could see them.

Jumping over the stile, Frodo made his way down towards his friends.

"Frodo!" said one of them, spotting him.

Frodo smiled as he walked nearer.

"Where have you been? We've been waiting or you"

Frodo wondered what Fimbrethil was up to now. But his friends were taking over his thought. A smile came over the little boy as he started to join in the game.

Sam, meanwhile, was at Merry's.

"An Ent?" Merry asked.

A large mug of tea stood before each of them.

"Yes" Sam answered.

"My son, Frodo, showed me her"

Merry could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"So, Hal was right?" Merry asked.

Sam smiled.

"I know"

Merry could still remember the first time he had came in with an Ent. Both Merry and Sam had had the same reactions. Scared at first, then curious.

Merry took a deep breath.

"Is it still around?" Merry asked.

Samwise nodded.

"Just over by the hills. Tall it was, a few meters I would guess"

Merry took a deep breath and a swig of his tea.

"What else did it say?" Merry asked.

Sam went on to explain what else the tree had told them. He told Merry its name and the fact that she knew Treebeard.

"We need to tell Treebeard" Merry said.

A plan was now forming in his head. He knew that he could get them back to each other. But it would take any months, probably years to do so.

"But, Fangorn is too far away" Sam told him.

This was the only problem in Merry's plan. Ents were very slow walkers, sometimes not moving at all. For they had many years to get to where they wanted to go.

"And, even if you did convince her to leave, it would take a very long time judging by the way she walked"

Merry looked down.

"Does Pippin know?"

Barliman was now sitting at a table. The lobby around was quiet, save from a few sizzles and pops from the stocked fire.

But he wasn't alone in here. A young girl was sitting opposite him. She seemed to be in deep thought. For, the night before, she had seen two people die before her very eyes.

Two bodies lay on their beds. Blood seeped out of puncher wounds. A large man and an old looking woman. Both had succumbed to their injuries.

"I'm sorry" Barliman said.

The girl had now said a word since the event. Images were replaying in her mind. The shouts and screams as the two people who's life had been taken away from them echoed in her head.

"You" the girl said,

"You killed them"

Barliman was not proud of killing these people. But it was not without reason. Barliman had been ordered out of the building and that it what he did.

But his plan had only just come into being. Barliman took a deep breath as he shut the door. Inside, the two people made their way upstairs. The girl, who was now laying on her bed, heard the foot steps coming up the stairs.

The door flew open. Two of the girl's most hated people.

"Who was that?" asked the woman.

The girl, who's energy had been sapping since she had arrived back, could not contend with the woman's

"I don't know" the girl answered.

The woman gave an evil laugh.

"Have you been making friends?" asked the woman, throwing the girl to the ground.

The girl knew that she had actually made a friend. The first and only one. But now, seeing Barliman again seemed hopeless. But, little did she knew that, in just a few hours, everything would change.


	86. Day Forty One, Part Two

Barliman sat down on the wet ground. He did not know how long he would have to wait. He hoped it was not too long.

Hours past as the night wore on. Tiredness slowly took a hold of Barliman as he sat there. Every so often, the coldness would bring him back to consciousness.

"Best check again" he said, slowly getting up.

His joints were now stiffer then normal. The coldness seemed to sink into his very skin, down to his bones. Barliman walked slowly around to the back of the building. There, he saw no lights in the windows.

Now was the time to act.

There was a door just by him.

"It's my only chance" he said.

Barliman's heart beat started to rise as he placed a hand on the freezing handle. With a small amount of pressure, the door opened.

Barliman pushed the door opened a bit more. But he stopped. The door made a loud creak. Not only that, but the bitter wind was trying to close the door.

The man took a deep breath and walked in. He made sure that he did not make a sound as he closed the door. No candles were lit as he slowly and quietly shut the door. Barliman took a deep breath. His eyes darted around, trying to get a better view of what lay in front of him. Another door came into view.

This one led into a small lobby. There, the kitchen and bar stood behind doors. But neither doors would be chosen tonight. Instead, stairs came into view. So, Barliman chose this route.

But this route led into difficulty. The stairs creaked as Barliman walked up them. Although it freezing cold, beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

The top of the stairs could not have came sooner. Relief came over the man. But his mission had only just started. There were three rooms in the upstairs part.

"One of these has to be where the girl is" Barliman told himself.

So, he slowly walked over to the first door. But, without knowing it, he had chosen the wrong room. The handle that had been screwed to the door was made from cold steel.

Yet again, like the first door, the hinges creaked. Barliman held his breath as a small ray of light hit his eyes. A bed then came into view as the door widened.

A figure was sleeping under a large duvet. But it was not the girl. A loud snore came from the man as he slept peacefully, unaware that anyone had come into his room.

Barliman stopped dead. He was now scared of waking the man up. But this quickly past as Barliman had an idea. He slowly slid out his silver dagger. It glinted in the flickering fire in the heath.

Something strange came over Barliman. The man took a few steps forward so that he standing right over the man. Luckily, he had not awoken.

A few more seconds past. Barliman wanted a good look at the man. Without a second thought, Barliman took a deep breath and turned the dagger upside-down.

With a deep breath, he closed his eyes. A second later, the dagger was thrust into the neck of the man. No sounds were made as the man instantly woke up.

Blood started to pour out of the wound like a leak in a flask. The white pillow quickly became stained red. The struggling man seemed to struggle less and less as the minute past.

As the clock chimed three times, the struggling man seemed to subside. Sixty more seconds past.

Barliman opened his eyes. He took a deep breath and looked down. The man's eyes were open, drying blood trickling down his neck onto the bed.

Barliman slowly took the blade out of the person's neck. Blood clung onto the blade. Barliman wished that he had never done what he had just did. But he needed to make sure the girl was completely safe.

And, for now, she was.

Barliman looked around at the door. He knew that the woman was still somewhere in building. So, Barliman walked out of the room as quietly as he could.

The door was left open. Barliman saw yet another door just down the hall way. The second room housed the evil woman who owned the drinking house.

She had no idea that her life was about to end. As she slept, a figure had entered her room. Without knowing it, she was seconds from death.

A pain, sharper then anything else she had ever felt radiated from her neck. Her eyes instantly opened. All she could see was a hand, gripped around a blade.

She could feel her life slip away from her as the darkness of night deepened. The flames that had been casting dancing shadows died away.

Barliman took a deep breath as he looked down. He had now killed two people. Only one person was left sleeping. The young girl that he had been looking for.

But, unknown to Barliman, the girl was not sleeping at all. She had heard movement around the house. So, taking away the thin, old duvet off, the girl stood up.

The girl was nervous. She did not know who or what it was. A small part of her did not want to know who or what it was.

But her curiosity drover her to the door. Her hand held the cold door handle. Upon applying pressure, the door was opened. The girl peaked around the corner.

A creak echoed around as a figure came out of the room. She could see the fire of the woman's room. A black figure then came out of the room. The girl knew that, what ever it was, was coming for her.

Barliman looked over at the third and final door. A click then echoed around him as it shut. A smile came over him. So, Barliman walked over to the door.

The girl held her breath as she held the door shut. She could feel the figure try and open the door.

"Hmm" Barliman thought.

The door was not opening. The girl was blocking his entrance. Barliman took a deep breath and pushed as hard as he could.

"No!" the girl shouted.

But Barliman was too strong for her. The girl moved away from the door as Barliman burst in. It took a few seconds to realize that the figure was actually Barliman.

"Barliman!" she said, fear had turned to surprise in an instant.

Surprise slowly changed to curiosity as her eyes saw the bloody dagger gripped in his hand.

"What is that?" she asked, eyes on the dagger.

Barliman took a deep breath. He knew that he had a lot of explaining to do.

Origo and Ivy had now reached the main road that ran towards Rivendell. Ivy smiled as she looked both ways.

Not a soul in sight.

This is what Ivy wanted and needed. Origo yawned as he started to walk. Bree would be reached by night fall. And there, Ivy would make sure Ori got enough rest.

"Come on, pup" Ivy said, fluttering against the wind.

Origo, who was his happy, playful self bounded after her. The road was empty. No carts, horses or travelers could be seen. Only wildlife.

Ivy knew that the two of them must not be seen by anyone. She could not afford anyone to be friendly with Origo. For it would only slow them down.

But, waiting at Bree was a creature that both Ivy and Origo were familiar with. Mya was waiting for him. But a small part of her thought of leaving.

"I could have missed him" she thought, as she looked out of the misty window.

The little puppy could see figures moving through the misty window. Mya gave a small whine as she felt the cold window touch her nose.

"I need to get out of here"

But it was much harder to leave then she expected.

"Puppy!" came a loud voice behind her.

The little boy was standing at the door, looking at the pup.

"How did you get up there?" he asked.

Breakfast had come and gone. The boy fell into a deep sleep just a few hours before. But it was not a natural sleep. The small puppy, that had been picked up, had been responsible.

"Should we go and ask mummy if we're allowed out?" the boy asked.

Perfect.

It was just what she needed to escape. But, there was nowhere else to stay. But she had to escape the confinements of the boy.

The young boy smiled as he held the puppy.

"Mummy?" he asked as he came to her.

The boy's mother had an old looking bucket at her feet and a soaking wet mop in her hands. The floor had a strange shine to it as water lay on top.

"Yes, dear?" she answered, stopping her work.

"Can I go outside to play please?"

The woman took a deep breath. Bree was not the safest town to live in. Highwaymen, robbers and kidnappers all past through here.

"Only if you go with your father"

The boy smiled and scurried away. His father was in the next room, at a small table. The young boy's father took a deep breath as he read though a letter he was writing.

"Daddy?" the young boy asked.

His little puppy was still in his arms. The large man sitting at the table looked down and smiled.

"Yes?" he asked.

The boy looked like a miniature of his father.

"Can me and the puppy go outside, please?" he asked.

The man took a deep breath. He was very busy writing a letter to one of his friends.

"I guess so" he said, after a few seconds.

The boy smiled as his father stood up. Mya now had a chance to escape. She needed to change back into her human form. For her puppy form was causing too much trouble.

A few minutes later, the boy and his father were ready to go outside and play.

"Come on, puppy!" the boy said, standing at the door.

The small puppy barked as it made its way outside. There was a noticeable difference to the temperatures inside the house and outside.

The door was closed as the three of them made their way down to a small grassed around in the middle of the town. The boy smiled as he picked up a small stick.

"Puppy?" he asked.

Mya looked around.

"Oh no" she thought, looking at the stick.

The boy smiled. The next second he threw it a few meters in front of him. But the puppy did not chase it.

"Puppy" he said.

His voice sounded a bit disappointed.

"Maybe he doesn't want to play today" his father said.

Mya's paws were now very muddy. This was not what she wanted at all. She liked being clean. She liked it when her fur was fluffy. Not wet and sticky.

The young boy took a deep breath and walked over to the stick. The puppy did not watch him. In fact, it was watching and listening for any signs of another puppy.

Origo and Ivy were closing in on their target. The first signs of a settlement met Ivy's view.

"Puppy, look!" she said, stopping in midair.

Black strands of smoke were snaking away in the wind. This was civilization. And this meant a place to stay and rest for Origo.

"That might be Bree, pup"

So, the two of them continued on with their journey. Origo had started to feel hungry again, but could last an hour or two more.

Mya had now seen her chance to escape. And that's exactly what she did.

"Puppy!" said the young boy as he saw his puppy running away.

The father of the young boy turned around. He could see the little boy running after his puppy. But the boy did not go far as the figure of the pup dodged large puddles and people walking past.

The boy's eyes started to fill up as he looked around. He saw his father looking at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

A single tear ran down the face of the little boy.

"Puppy, he ran off" he whimpered.

His father took a deep breath.

"Alright, come on" he said, holding out his hand.

So, upon taking boy's hand, the two of them started to walk down the path where the puppy ran down. The mud clung onto everything that touched it.

The small puppy headed straight for the one place she knew was safe.

The stable.

After a few minutes, she had arrived at her destination. The small pup looked around for a few seconds before heading into the stable.

No one could see her as she changed back into her human form. Luckily, her bag was still where she left it. So, Mya picked it up and looked inside. She gave a smile as she took out a loaf of bread.

It was still fresh as she ripped a piece off. Just then, someone came into the stable. Mya ducked down, just in case it was the little boy, looking for his puppy.

But it wasn't. Yet this did not mean Mya wanted to be seen. She could see the man untying the reigns of a white horse. A minute past. The man jumped on the horse and rode away.

Mya took a deep breath.

"Right" she said, putting her pack back on.

Mya took a deep breath, wondering what to do now. But then, it came to her. She would wait for Origo else where. So, Mya exited the stable.

"Oh!" she said, bumping into a small boy.

It was the exact boy that was looking for her. But, being human now, the boy did not recognize her.

"Sorry" she said, giving a warm smile.

But, Mya noticed that the boy looked upset.

"Are you alright?" she asked, knowing exactly what was wrong.

The little boy took a deep breath.

"My puppy, he ran away" he told her.

Mya now felt guilty. She knew how much the boy loved her. But she had to get Origo and make her way to Radagast.

"Oh, well I'm sure he's around here somewhere"

Just then, the boy's father came up to him.

"What have I told you about wondering away?" he asked.

The boy did not say a word. He just hung his head and took his father's hand. The father then looked at the girl standing before him.

"Your not from these parts, are you?" he asked.

Mya's eyes darted away, just for a split second.

"Of course I am" she answered.

But the man was not so easily fooled. Mya knew this by the shake of his head and the small laugh he gave.

"I can hear a local by the sound of their voice" he said.

"And you don't sound like your from this neck of the woods"

Mya took a deep breath.

"Well, if you don't believe me, then good day" Mya said, giving a small nod and walking off.

The man took a deep breath, knowing that trouble might come of this girl. But he did nothing to prevent it.

Origo and Ivy continued to walk for the next few hours. Stopping regularly for food and a rest. The sun had now risen and was beginning to sink in the West.

The coldness grew deep as the sun could no longer heat the land below it. Origo was the first and only one to feel this coldness.

He let Ivy know with a small whimper.

"Cold?" she asked, knowing that it was too short a time to be hungry again.

Origo gave a small nod. Ivy took a deep breath. It was getting repetitive, trying to keep the puppy warm and happy.

The two continued ever onwards, nearing their goal. And, by the time they saw the first signs of a wall, it had almost gone completely dark.

Mya had been sitting in a dirty, smelly stable for the past few hours, just waiting for any sign of Origo. Little did she knew she would only have to wait another hour before seeing him again.

But this hour would be the longest one yet. The coldness was deepening as she sat there. The people that had once been outside had now retreated back into.

The lobby around the two people had now sunk into blackness, save for a few small candles. One stood proudly in the middle of the table.

"Come, we need to get back to Bree" Barliman said, standing up.

The two of them had been sitting there for many hours. The doors were locked, keeping them inside and any unwanted visitors outside.

The girl took a deep breath. She could not help feeling upset. The people that looked after her for all those years had gone. But, then again, she was relived.

Life for the girl would get much better as she stood up. This was not where she belonged anymore. Her home was now in Bree. There, she could be who ever she wanted and get what ever she wanted.

Barliman smiled as he opened the door to the back.

"We need to get going" he told her.

He picked up the two mug and walked to the bar.

"We're going to Bree, right?" the girl asked.

Barliman looked around. His large sideburns moved as he smiled.

"Of course, I have spent too long away from the inn"

The girl smiled. She loved Bree, especially the Prancing Pony. For some reason, the girl felt at home there. The first time that had ever happened.

So, the two of them walked out, leaving two dead bodies upstairs. The coldness hit Barliman as opened the door.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Barliman asked.

The girl smile.

"Of course" she told him.

Barliman gave her a smile as he untied one of the horses standing in the coldness.

"Then you can take this one" he said.

Saddles had been placed onto the horses already.

"You alright?" Barliman asked, getting onto his horse.

The girl placed one foot in the stirrup and hauled herself onto the house.

"Yes" she said, smiling.

Her dirty hair danced in the cold breezed as she sat there.

"Let's go then"

With a flick of his heals, the horse jumped into life. The young girl did the same too. Both horses were steered towards the road. They gathered speed as they put distance between them and the building.

Frodo and Elanor walked with their father along a lush, grassy bank. Their father, Samwise, held three fishing rods in his hands.

In the pack, hanging from his shoulder, was food and bait. A large wooden box full of earth worms sat next to a few loafs of bread and flasks. Two flasks were full of water while the third was full of ale. This one was for Sam.

The three of them followed a small trickling stream that lead away from Hobbiton. The stream ran around a shallow bend.

This was where Sam's father brought him when he was their age.

"Right then" Sam said, looking at his oldest two children.

"This is where we'll make our camp" Sam said.

He smiled as he handed the three rods to his daughter. Sam smiled as he took his pack down. Elanor looked around. This was a lovely spot of the Shire. The trees were growing on either side of the stream. Their roots sunk deep into the silt covered floor of the stream.

Sam smiled as he took out the flasks.

"Here" he said, handing it to his children.

Both of them took it and unscrewed the cap. Elanor smiled as she gulped down a large amount of water.

"Right" he said, seeing that both children were now ready to start fishing.

"Now, do you know what this is?" he asked, holding out the rod.

"It's a rod" Frodo asked.

Sam smiled.

"Yes, and what is this?"

He held out the long piece of thin string. On the end, was a metal hook.

"It's the hook, isn't it?" asked Elanor.

Sam gave a smile.

"Very good" he said.

Sam then opened his pack and took out a large wooden box. Elanor yawned as she watched her father open the box.

"Now, we'll have to use these as bait" Sam said, picking a large worm.

This was not everyone's cup of tea. Elanor did not like getting her hands dirty. Where as Frodo smiled.

"What are you going to do with that?" Elanor asked, watching her father.

"Well, I'm going to put him on the hook"

Elanor backed away a bit. She liked neither pain nor wriggling little creatures. Frodo, on the other hand, liked the sight of the wriggling worm, hanging on the hook.

"And now, we can cast out" he said, turning around.

A few seconds later, the line flew out to its full length and plopped into the water. The worm slowly sank to the bottom.

"And then we wait" he said.

It was now Frodo's and Elanor's turn to bait up and cast out. Frodo seemed to have no trouble at all doing this. But Elanor did. She looked into the wooden box of worms. She did not like the slimy touch that Frodo and Sam could cope with.

"Elanor?" Sam asked.

Elanor looked over at her father.

"I cant do it" she said, looking at the worms.

Sam took a deep breath.

"It's not that bad" he told her, walking over.

But Elanor still did not like putting the worm on the hook. Not only the feel of the worm, but the thought of piercing the poor, helpless creature got to her as well.

"Would you like me to do it?" Sam asked.

Elanor smiled and nodded. So, Sam picked up a nice looking worm and hooked onto the end of the line.

"There you go" he said, letting go of the line.

Elanor smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

The little girl walked to the edge of the bank. She looked back to see if anyone was there before casting out. The worm hit the water with a small plop and sank out of sight.

Now, all three rods were baited and waiting for a fish. Frodo Gamgee was now sitting down, looking very bored. This was not what he called fun at all.

Sam smiled as he looked over at each of his children. He was the only one still standing. The sunlight shimmered on the calm stream.

Ever so often, a few ripples would erupt from a random place. This was the only evidence of fish swimming under the surface.

But an even bigger bit of evidence that fish were swimming came just a few minutes later. Frodo, who had been picking at long strains of grass and putting them in the water, looked up.

Something was tugging at his line. A few seconds later, a very large tug told him a fish had fallen for his bate.

"I've got one!" he said, making both Sam and Elanor look over.

Sam smiled as, sure enough, a fish jumped up, creating a splash.

"Well done, Frodo" Sam said.

Frodo slowly brought the fish to land. But it was a very hard process. The fish struggled with all his might. But, in the end, Frodo was the victor.

Sam smiled as his son looked at the fish, now flapping on the ground.

"And can you tell me what kind of fish this is?" he asked as he took the small hook out of its mouth.

Frodo started to think as he saw his dad pick it up.

"I don't know" he answered.

Sam then turned to his daughter.

"Do you know what this is, Elanor?" he asked.

Elanor looked up. It took a few seconds to spot the reddish fins.

"Roach?" she asked.

Sam smiled and nodded. Elanor was better at naming fish then her young brother.

"Do you want to hold him?" Sam asked his son.

Frodo was unsure. The fish started to wriggle in his father's hands.

"No, it looks icky" he said.

Sam smiled.

"Shall we throw him back?" he asked.

Frodo nodded and walked over to his rod. Samwise slowly let the fish slip out of his hands into the water. Elanor took a deep breath as she waited for her fish.

What felt like an hour past without anything being caught. a few times, Frodo and Sam got close to catching one. But they let go before they could be hauled in.

Elanor took a deep breath. Samwise had finally sat down. But the heat was making him tired. He sat with his back against a near by tree.

A few times, he had fallen asleep. Elanor smiled.

"Frodo?" she whispered, trying not to wake her father.

Her younger brother looked up. Elanor gave a small nod at her father. Now, both children were smiling. It was then Frodo got an idea.

He slowly stood up, not wanting to wake his father. The box of wriggly worms was sitting just a few feet away. A loud snore came from the sleeping Sam.

Frodo slowly picked up the wooden box. He smiled as he picked out one of the biggest worms he could see. Elanor couldn't help but laugh. For it would be a while before Sam noticed the worm wriggling on his hand.

Frodo quickly put the box down and went to sit down again. Just as he did, Elanor got a bite on her rod.

"I've got one!" she said, standing up.

Origo and Ivy had now arrived at the large gate that lead into Bree. But it was closed. Origo yawned as he watched a little green light zoom away from him.

Old Harry, the gate keeper, huddled in his small room. every night, he would have to wait for a few seconds. Ivy magically opened the heavy door. Ivy smiled, knowing that Origo was now safe.

So, she fluttered down.

"Hurry" she said, fluttering away.

Origo scooted after her, snaking through the large door. This was the second time the pup had been to Bree. But, due to his memory loss, he did not remember it.

The two of them made their way up towards the centre of the town. Mya, who had been waiting for Origo nearly all day, was minutes from seeing him.

As the small pup walked up, another four legged creature came into view. And Origo did not like it. A growl came from him as the black cat stopped.

"Puppy, no!" Ivy said as Ori ran off.

The cat hissed, but this did not seem to bother the pup. A few barks echoed around the area. The stables were just a few buildings away. But Origo's bark was loud enough to hear.

Mya looked up. Her ears seemed to sharpen all of a sudden. Another bark echoed around. This solidified Mya's thoughts. So, grabbing her pack, she stood up. A few seconds later, she was outside.

"Now, where did it come from?" she asked, looking around.

Just then, a cat ran out from one of the many ally ways that ran between the houses. A few seconds later, a small puppy ran out.

Mya could do nothing but smile as she walked over to him. But Mya was not the only one to hear Origo's barks. A young boy did too.

"It's puppy!" he said, rushing into the kitchen.

The young boy's parents were sitting at the table. They had heard it as well. The father took a deep breath. He knew that the coldness would be deeper then it had been a few hours before.

A few minutes later, after much persuasion, the father put on his coat.

"Wait here" he said to his son.

The little boy nodded and watched his father open the door. The coldness hit the man as he closed the door behind him. Another bark told him which direction to go.

But, he was not the only one wanting the small puppy.

"I wont hurt you" Mya said.

Ivy fluttered past a man walking towards Origo. It was then, as Origo came into view, a girl came into view as well. She was holding out her hand.

The cat had vanished, Origo was looking a bit weary. Just as Ivy reached him. He was picked up. Mya carefully placed the pup into her bag.

But her plan did not go as smoothly as she had liked.

"Hey!" said a man, coming out from the darkness.

Mya knew that it was the man she had seen earlier.

"You have my little boy's puppy" he told her, stopping a few feet from her.

Mya gave a confused smile.

"What?" she asked.

"I saw you put my son's puppy into your bag"

Ivy was worried for Origo's safety. Two strangers were fighting over him.

"But, they don't know him!" Ivy thought to herself.

It never once crossed her mind that Abira had been here too, just a few hours before.

"No I haven't" Mya answered.

She then started to walk away. Origo gave a small whine. This was evidence enough for the man.

"Hand him over, you have no right to be here"

But Mya just ignored him. Ivy was now fluttering very close to Mya. She could not help but think there was something strange about this girl.

"I haven't got anything of yours" Mya told him.

"So, leave me alone"

Mya turned around and walked away, without giving the man another chance to talk. But her troubles were not over yet as the man gave an evil smile.

He knew exactly what to do. So, he walked the opposite way. He would gather a group of men up to get the puppy back by any means possible.

Mya smiled as she walked through the dark roads. The empty pub came into view. Normally, she would have stayed there. But she could not.

A few minutes past as she headed back down to the main gate. She smiled as she raised her hand. But something stopped her from opening it.

"There she is!" shouted a voice.

Mya looked around to see a large group of beastly looking men coming towards her. Old Harry emerged from his little hut beside the gate. He had been sleeping, so he did not properly know what was going on.

Mya knew that she had to get away. So, she opened the small door within the large gate and stepped out. A bang told her that it the gate was closed.

But her problems were far from over. Ivy was now having problems as well. She had tried to keep up with Mya. But the wind had pushed her off course.

"Origo?" she shouted.

Origo whimpered as the bag moved about. It was not the most comfortable place to be. He had been stuffed into the beg and was now being taken far away from where he wanted to be.

"Ivy?" he whimpered.

There was no sign of his fairy anywhere. All he could hear was the foot steps of the person who had taken him away from his Ivy and the shouts of the men behind.

Mya was now very worried that she would not get away. The girl looked back to see men filing out of Bree, onto the road. She knew that she had a good enough start on the gang as she dived off of the road, into the forest on one side.

"Find her!" the man shouted.

Back at the house, the little boy was looking out of the window.

"Where is he?" he asked his mother.

His mother was looking very tired indeed. She took a deep breath as she drank her warm tea.

"He'll be back in a minute, sweetie" she said.

The little boy started to think that he would never see his puppy again.

And he was right.


	87. Day Forty Two, Part One

Hobbiton awoke to a clear, crisp day. The sun rose in the east. A layer of thin cloud could be seen on the horizon. A hint of purple clung to the clouds as the light grew. The sun slowly chased the night away, like a curious cat chasing a tailed mouse.

The clouds seemed to thin as the day grew. Birds had started to sing at the crack of dawn. They seemed much more awake then one of the hobbits, laying in her bed.

Estella Bolger had been up for most of the night. Not due to sadness, but overwhelming delight. The sun had barely rose when she woke. A large yawn came over her as she stretched.

The memories of the night before then came into her head again. And the smiling commenced. Without another moment lost, Estella drew back the duvet and got out of bed.

The cold tiles made the souls of her unproportionately large feet. Estella made a bee-line to the writing table. She smiled as she sat down in the wooden chair.

A book was taken from the top of the table. It was full of Estella's memories. Pages full of times long since gone flashed past her eyes.

The pages suddenly became blank. Estella stopped flicking through pages until the first blank one came into view. She took a deep breath as she picked up one of the ink pots and took the stopper out.

A feather quill was then picked up. Estella stopped for a moment. She could think of only three words to sum up what she was feeling.

So, she dabbed the quill in the sea on ink and wrote the date.

22nd Afteryule

Estella had never been happier. Merry and her had been meeting ever night for seven days. And, the night before, Merry had spilt his true feeling for her.

He loves me!

A large smile came over her face as she replayed the moment that he had told her. Both had been at the local hobbit drinking hole, the Green Dragon.

They had chosen a quiet corner of the pub and ordered some drinks.

"So" said Estella, taking a sip of her ale.

"Why have you invited me here?" she asked.

It was a question that she already knew the answer to. It was obvious that Merry had something to ask. But Estella needed to make sure.

Merry took a deep breath as he looked down. What ever it was, Merry sure was finding it hard to say.

"You know, I like you, right?" he asked.

Estella smiled and nodded.

"Yes" she answered.

"And, I know you like me, don't you?" Merry asked.

Estella nodded. It was getting very close to the time where Merry would ask her.

"So"

Merry stopped. He did not know how to say it. For it had been the first time he had ever said these words.

"So"

Once again, he stalled.

"Will you…"

But it was no use. He couldn't seem to say it.

"Are you asking me out?" Estella asked, giving a cheeky smile.

Merry smiled. Estella could see that he was blushing.

"Yes" he said, his eyes darting from his mug to Estella.

"Yes I am"

Estella did not have to think long about what her answer was going to be.

"I'll be glad to" she answered.

Merry's eyebrows raised.

"Really?" he asked.

Estella nodded and smiled.

"Yes" she answered.

Merry took a deep breath. He had finally asked her. He slowly picked up his mug. Estella did the same. They pouched mugs and gulped down a large mouthful.

"So" Merry said.

A lot of weight had been taken off of his shoulders. But now, there was nothing to talk about. Merry looked around to see other hobbits coming and going. The large door remained closed, keeping in the warmth.

"So, what have you been up to lately?" Merry asked.

Estella took a deep breath. All she could think of was her brother, Fredegar. He had slowly been recovering since Yule. Since their father had passed away.

"Well, I've just been looking after my brother and mother"

Merry knew that the death of their father had been very hard on him. Merry had yet to loose anyone close to him. But this was soon to change.

Mya was now sitting with her back against the tree. Her eyes were closed. She was sleeping. But not for long. For a small bark awoke her from her dream filled land.

Origo, who had been stuffed into her bed, had fallen asleep as well. Both of their nights had been an uncomfortable one. But there was one little creature that had not slept.

Ivy was exhausted as she continued to flutter through Middle-earth.

"Origo?" she shouted.

Birds could hear her shouting. But they did nothing to help. Ivy was now feeling very worried again. A sickening feeling swelled up inside her. She had felt this feeling before. But in a different situation.

"Puppy?" she shouted at the top of her little lungs.

But only bird song echoed back. Ivy could not take any more of this. Origo was nowhere to be seen. To Ivy, he could be in Rivendell already.

But he was not.

In fact, he was closer then Ivy thought. Mya had found a dry, shallow ditch. The trees seemed to only grow soft moss on one side.

Mya smiled as she slowly opened the bag. Inside, a gorgeous looking puppy. Origo was still sleeping. The bag had kept him warm. But it had not been comfortable.

A large hand then slid the small puppy out of the bag. Origo gave a small whimper, but did not wake. Mya had never had this opportunity to cuddle her friend.

She felt a bit strange. The two of them had known each other for a very long time. But this was the first time she had held him.

At the moment, Origo was just a normal puppy. There was no pain in his little eyes. No memories of the evil they had seen and the pain they had suffered.

Ori gave another little whimper as he yawned and snuggled down. Bird song could be heard, both near him and far away. A large hand was slowly running down his furry back.

Ori slowly opened his eyes. He could see something flowing either side of him. The pup gave a small whine and looked up at the face of the girl.

She smiled down at him.

"Did you enjoy your sleep?" she asked.

Ori gave a small whine. Normally, he would have recognised the girl before him. But he did not.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Ivy was now standing on a branch, high in the canopy. But she could not see the young girl that taken Origo. Just as she was about take off, a small Redwing fluttered onto a tree not too far from where she was.

This was her chance to get some help.

"Excuse me?" she asked the small bird.

The Redwing, who was just about start singing, looking about. Before him, a very strange creature.

"Have you seen anyone run through these woods?" Ivy asked.

The little redwing looked her with curious eyes.

"Someone?" he asked.

"You mean, not of bird kind?"

Ivy gave a little nod. The small bird thought for a moment.

"I did see a large creature an hour or two ago. Most unbird like creature I've seen yet"

Ivy needed a better description.

"What did it look like?" she asked.

The Redwing hopped a bit closer.

"Your not bringing trouble to our forest, our you?" he asked.

The small bird eyed her suspiciously.

"No, no I am" Ivy answered.

She knew what had happened last time. But this time was different.

"I just need to talk to him"

The Redwing found this strange.

"Why do you need to talk to him?" he asked.

Ivy took a deep breath. Origo could be miles away now. She could not waste any more time.

"I just need to talk to him" she answered.

The Redwing heard the sorrow in her voice.

"I saw a being, walking down that way. I'd be careful, beings are not like us birds"

This is exactly what Ivy needed to know. She now had a direction to go in.

"Thank you" she said.

The little Redwing watched her as she fluttered off. Ivy now fluttered as fast as her little wings could carry her. she skimmed around tree trunks and dived through thick tangles of branches.

After a few minutes, the being came into view far below her. She could make out Origo, laying on Mya's chest. Ivy dived down towards the ground, pulling up just inches before hitting it.

"Ori?" she asked, grabbing his attention.

Mya could see Ivy as well. But she did not react. She did not want to give away the fact that she knew Ivy was there.

"Puppy, are you alright?" she asked.

Mya smiled as she put the puppy down.

"Now, what would you like to eat?" she asked.

Of course, she knew the answer. But then, she had to act like she didn't know. Origo gave a small whimper. Ivy could understand this as well.

"Hmm" Mya said, looking in her bag.

A few seconds later, Origo gave a small bark. Mya looked around. Ivy had done exactly what she wanted her to do. A large plate had appeared next to Origo.

Ivy watched Mya's reaction. Mya seemed not to have one as she watched the small puppy eat. Ivy knew that a normal person would be surprised at a plate appearing right next to them.

But Mya was not bothered.

"I know you can see me" Ivy said, fluttering her Mya's eye level.

Mya ignored the fairy. She was looking at Origo, trying to act like she did not know Ivy even existed.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Mya was very tempted to answer the fairy. The beans were close to spilling.

"I know you can see me, who are you?"

Origo was too busy gobbling up his turkey to notice Ivy's little break through.

"Tell me who you…"

But Ivy did not finish her sentence. A large hand had gripped her tiny self.

"Do you want to know who I am?" Mya asked.

She was a little bit annoyed in having all these questions thrown at her. Ivy had a face of fear on her. the large hand had caught her by surprise. She tried to flutter, but the grip of the hand was too strong.

"I am one of two left in my species. But at the moment, I am the only one who can remember who and what they are, thanks to you!"

Origo stopped eating as he heard the voice of the girl raise. Both Mya and Ivy looked down. Ivy was suddenly let go. Her little wings fluttered.

"Puppy, eat up" Ivy said, smiling.

Origo looked between the two of them. He knew something was up. But he did not know what.

"Come on, we have a long way to go yet"

So, Origo continued with his breakfast. Ivy and Mya looked back at each other.

"How did you find us?" Ivy asked.

Mya took a deep breath. She had not thought about how she had come to Bree. She thought of the old man, the first time she had found out her oldest friend had lost his memory.

"Bree was the only place that I thought you would stop off at" Mya told her.

Ivy had just as many secrets as Mya did. But everything was about to change. Origo had finished every scrap of turkey on the plate. Mya and Ivy looked around as Origo gave a small whine.

"Are you ready to go?" Ivy asked.

Origo gave a small nod.

"Are we going with her?" he whimpered.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"I guess we could, but we don't know where she is going"

"Right, puppy, we're going to see a friend of mine, would you like to come?" she asked.

Origo looked from Ivy to the girl. Mya slowly stood up. Her legs seemed to have stiffened in the coldness over night.

Meanwhile, two figures were making their way towards an old fortress. One was a blonde elf. He was taller then his companion. The other, an old dwarf.

Land slowly passed them by as they glided on top of the water. The two were sitting in an Elven boat. Gimli yawned as he looked around. The forest on either side held many skeletons of trees. The autumn months brought the most beauty and colour to this part of middle-earth.

"We should reach Gwathiá in a day or two, then Tharbad in another seven" Legolas told Gimli.

The two of them had their own packs. Gimli's was full of everything that he needed. There was enough Lembas bread to last him and Legolas many weeks on the road.

The last flasks of Miruvor had now been left to Gimli. For Legolas did not need warming up. Coldness did not effect elves like it did other beings.

Legolas continued to row as the sun grew higher in the sky. The river continued to flow to a far off ocean. Hours past as the two beings in the boat stormed towards Tharbad.

When they reached Tharbad, they would go South, towards the Gap of Rohan. But it would still be many weeks before that happened.

Nine days had past since Faramir and his men set out on their quest for wood and rock. At least one thousand able bodied men were with him. The small army of workers had now reached their goal.

But the work had only just begun.

"Cut as many trees as you can, Osgiliath needs rebuilding" Faramir told them.

So, five hundred men were chosen to do his will. While five hundred more were led further away. They would be the ones to cut the massive pieces of rocks from the quarry.

Faramir had entrusted someone else to make sure this happened. Many large blocks needed to be hauled many miles back to Osgiliath. That is why there were many horses. Man power was not enough to deal with the load.

Carts full of equipment had been shipped to both sights. Hammers and chisels were shipped to the quarry. Axes were shipped to the forest.

Faramir made sure all of the men knew what they were doing.

"Give me an axe" he said to one of the men.

All around him, tents were being set up. There was plenty of space for them. In fact, an army of hundreds of thousands could make camp here.

Faramir had his own tent. It was bigger then the rest. And, unlike the others, he did not have to share it with two other people.

A few hours past until it was up.

"Your tent is ready, my lord" said one of his advisors.

Faramir nodded, but did not walk to it. He was too busy with telling his head workers what to do. Faramir had brought, not only lumberjacks, but an army of cooks as well. They had their own tent too, built solely for cooking and serving food for the hungry workers.

The same was said for the workers heading on a three day hike to the mountains. The quarry had been used for hundreds of years. Minas Tirith had been built from the same rock thousands of years before it.

But serious construction had not happened in an age. What Faramir was doing was the large construction project since the building of Minas Tirith over three thousand before.

Thousands of tons of rock would be shipped to Osgiliath. They would be cut into smaller blocks once back at the city.

Origo, Ivy and Mya were wondering through the woods. Mya and Ivy had hatched a plan. They would act as though they could not see each other. That way, Ivy could make Origo stay with the girl.

Deep down, Origo felt a strange feeling deep inside. He felt like he had known her for a very long time.

But how could this be?

He had never seen her before. Well, that's what he thought. In fact, they had been friends for more then could be remembered.

"We shall see each other again, my friends. Sooner or later" Goldberry said.

Goldberry. She was a very pretty being. Flowing golden hair that glinted in the warm summer sun. She wore a green dress, greener then the grass she stood on. Mya and herself embraced in a hug.

"Be careful" she said.

Mya smiled and nodded.

"We will"

After another few minutes, the door was opened and the two of them walked out. Tom and Goldberry came out after them and saw them off.

The two of them walked off, northwards to the road that would take them East to Rivendell. But it would be a very long journey for them. In fact, it took many hours of wondering northwards to find the road.

"Well, here it is" Pilith said.

Mya smiled.

"We best get moving" Mya said.

So, the two of them started to walk eastward, towards Bree and Rivendell. But, after a few hours of walking in the height of summer, their energy was spent.

Food was in order as they stopped. Pilith was the first to take his pack off.

"I'll be nothing but bone if we carry on like this" he said, collapsing onto the grass floor.

Mya smiled as she sat down. The two of them made sure that they were far enough away from the path not to be seen. The two of them ate the freshest, softest bread, the ripest apples, pears, grapes and strawberries. The drank the coolest, clearest water they had ever seen.

Their energy seemed to recovered fully as they sat there. The summer sun made it harder for them to start moving again.

Even though their energy had been restored, they did not feel like using it just yet.

"We should get going" Mya said.

But Pilith was too comfortable. His eyes were heavy. Every muscle in his body was relaxed. The prospect of moving again was not very appealing.

"Come" Mya said, getting up.

Pilith took a deep breath, knowing that, in a few hours time, his feet and legs would be hurting. So, reluctantly Pilith rose to his feet. The two of them put their packs back on and started to walk.

"Just think about this, but the time the sun sets, we'll be in Bree" Mya told him.

Bree was one of the reasons why Pilith had gotten up. He also knew that it would be a hard place to leave. For there were no beds in the wildness.

The two of them continued to walk for many hours with the sun beating down on them. Beads of sweat dripped down Mya and Pilith's forehead.

The bags that they were carrying made walking uphill very tough. Even though they had eaten some of the food, it felt like their packs just as heavy as before.

The two climbed ascended and descended hills. Bree came ever closer. Mile after mile past underfoot. Life past around them as they moved closer to their target.

The sun had past midday a few hours before. But now, instead of a hot wind blowing at them, it cooled down. Pilith smiled as he stopped at the brow of a hill. Mya was right behind him. The two of them took a quick break before setting off again.

And now, Mya and Pilith were on the exact same journey. But only one of them was walking on two feet. Pilith's name had now changed to Origo. And the two were joined by a third. A fluttering fairy that had helped Origo most of the way.

But now, Mya was there to help as well. Both the fairy and the being could see each other. But they had to act like they could not see each other.

Origo yawned as he walked behind the large girl.

"Where are we going?" Origo whimpered.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered at his walking speed.

"We're going with this girl" she answered.

Origo looked up at the figure. He knew that she could not understand him.

"But, why?" he asked.

Mya took a deep breath. She was finding it hard to hear all of what Origo was saying about her. But, due to shear determination, she ignored what he said.

Meanwhile, Elanor was getting ready to go out. The snow had now melted, but that did not bother her much. For she still had her imagination to explore.

Elanor and Gloria, her closest friend, would finish off an adventure that they had started the day before. Gloria was already waiting for her friend on the other side of the large door.

A minute past.

The door creaked open.

"And don't go over the bridge" Samwise told her, as he came to the door.

"I wont!" Elanor said.

Gloria smiled at her friend they met.

"Where did we leave off?" Gloria asked.

Elanor thought for a moment.

"Well, we just killed the big dragon, now we have orcs after us"

Hundreds of orcs were marching the two of them.

"Hurry!" Elanor said.

The two ran down the road, trying to get away to higher ground.

"Be careful" said one of the elders, walking towards them.

Elanor's dress flowed after her as she run.

"This way!" she said, running up a hill.

Within the hill was a warm, cosy hobbit hole. It was a different world outside. Coldness slowly started to numb Elanor's feet.

"Stay with me" Elanor said.

The hillside she was on was chard black. The body of a massive dragon lay on the hillside to the side of them. The orcs, hundreds of them, were now making their way up the hill.

Elanor and Gloria were alone. But Elanor's confidence was higher then anything she had felt before.

"Don't be scared" Elanor told her friend.

Gloria could see very big beings coming towards her. Each wielding a massive sword. But they were not as big as the ones that her father had come face to face with.

These ones were the same size as the girls. Just a little over two feet. But this did not make them any less blood thirsty or evil.

The orcs stopped a few meters before the two girls. There was no help to come. Roars came from the orcs as they stood there.

As if it in slow motion, one orc started to run for them. Gloria was very frightened. But Elanor was not. She swung her sword around. Gloria took a few steps backwards.

Elanor swung her sword. It hit the orc, cutting off its sword arm. Blood started to spurt out of the armless orc.

The orc slowly fell to the ground as life escaped him. The other orcs now had a reason to fight. Without hesitation, the rest started to run towards the two girls.

Elanor swung her sword. One orc was cut down, followed by another and another. Gloria was now a target for the orcs. She now had to fight weather she liked it or not.

So, quickly gathering up her courage, Gloria swung. She felt the sword cut through the orcs flesh. Gloria hated these feeling. She had closed her eyes, not wanting to see the blood and severed arm before her.

But a orcish scream met her ears. Another one was coming to her. Gloria opened her eyes. A sword was seconds from hitting her.

But, upon the threat of getting killed, she reacted. And just in time. The sound of swords echoed around her. She had survived for another few seconds.

But now, she had to fight. There was no other way to get out of this fight. So, taking a deep breath, Gloria swung. The orc in front stopped and slowly sank to his knees. Gloria screamed and swung the sword again. This time, it sliced through the orcs neck, cutting it clean off.

In the real world, both girls were on top of the hill. Instead of metallic swords, they had wooden sticks. And, instead orcs, there was thin air. Both Elanor and Gloria were using their imagination.

Lunch time was fast approaching. Hunger was growing in nearly all hobbits. Especially Gloria. She took a deep breath. The coldness was now getting to her nose as she took a deep breath.

Elanor was busy killing orcs. But, due to her friend just standing there, she stopped too.

"Gloria?" Elanor asked.

Gloria took a deep breath. Her cheeks were cold and nose running.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Gloria gave a tired smile. Hunger had been growing in her for about an hour. Lunch had been growing on her mind. Her stomach had been rumbling. It grew louder and louder the more time wore on.

"I'm hungry" she said, looking down at her stick.

Elanor took a deep breath. It was true. Hunger was growing in Elanor as well. Lunch was not too far away. In fact, lunch was already being made.

Estella smiled as she walked into the kitchen. The smell and sight of cooked chicken met her. Rosamunda looked around and gave a smile.

"Hello, dear" she said.

Estella smiled back.

"How long until lunch?" she asked.

Rosamunda took a deep breath. She had a lot of food to prepare.

"An hour or so" she answered.

Estella could not wait that long until dinner.

"Just a small bite to eat" she thought.

So, she opened the cellar door and walked in. As always, she brought a candle in too. She knew exactly what would put her over until dinner.

Cookies.

Hobbits were keen sweet makers. Sugar was consumed nearly as much as their drinks. At least every house hold, even the poorest ones, had a large supply of cakes and sweets.

Estella smiled as she picked out a pack of chocolate cookies. The girl smiled as she came out again. The candle was placed back, but the cookies were taken with her.

Rosamunda smiled as she put some vegetables into a large pan. Sprouts, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms and chips were all being prepared. Gravy was still to be started.

Rosamunda made the best, thickest, flavorous meals in all of the Shire. A few plates were taken out of the cupboard. Four in total, one more then was needed.

The chicken, that had been cooking for the past few hours, had now cooled down enough to cut. So, Rosamunda took out a large prong and sharp cutting knife.

Estella smiled as she ripped open the packet of cookies.

"Are you going to be able to eat dinner?" Rosamunda asked.

Estella smiled.

"Of course" she answered.

The pack of cookies that she held contained three very rich cookies. Estella had already taken out one cookie and had a few bites.

She could taste the lovely, chocolaty taste, melting on her tongue. Estella, although dinner was just a few short minutes away, could eat them every second of every day.

Rosamunda started to plate up the chicken. One for each of the four plates. Each pans of vegetables were bubbling happily, waiting to be drained and dished up.

And that's exactly what happened. Rosamunda still did not realise that she had put out an extra plate. The water that the vegetables had been boiling in was drained. They were then dished into their own bowls.

Estella had finished up her cookies and was now ready for dinner.

"Could you call Fredegar, please?" Rosamunda asked.

Estella gave a small smile and nod. Estella walked out of the kitchen and down to her brother's room. As she was doing this, Rosamunda discovered that she had in fact prepared four plates, not three.

This seemed to make her sprits plummet. She missed Odovacar very much. It hurt her to think that she would never see her again.

But, what she did not know, was that Odovacar could see her. Even though he was beyond the silk veil, her actions could be seen as clear as day.

For, now that he a spirit, he could move between the two worlds. No matter what he did, he would not be seen, heard or felt by his beloved family.

But he was not alone. His father, Herugar, was standing by him. He gave a small smile.

"She's beautiful" he told Odovacar.

Odovacar did not answer. He took a deep breath. The poor hobbit felt like he had let his family down.

"Odovacar?" asked his father.

There was a strange vibe coming off of his son. One that he picked up almost immediately.

"Do not blame yourself, my lad. What happened will happen to all of us"

Odovacar shook his head.

"I just wished I could have said a proper good bye" he told his father.

Herugar gave a small smile and placed a hand on his son.

"You raised two lovely children" he told him.

"Trust me, I have been watching you for years"

Meanwhile, Rosamunda had sorted out the problem with the plates.

"Eat up" she said, placing the large boat of gravy on the table.

Estella smiled as she took hold on a large tray. Mounds of parsnips, roasted in the finest honey, lay inside. A spoon had been set out in all the bowls.

Fredegar seemed to be doing very well again. But, every so often, he would slip back into silence. Silence was exactly what was happening.

For eating, like many meals before, was more important then talking. So there was none. Only the sound of metal scraping or impacting on the plates.

Estella piled roasted potatoes onto her plate. Space was quickly running out. But this did not stop her. More and more food was being piled onto her plate.

But it was nothing compared to Fredegar's. His plate was already had twice the amount of wonderful food on it. And he was still going. Neither his mother or sister stopped him from doing this.

Soon, all three of them were eating. Fredegar smiled as he started to wolf down his food. Stuffing had been prepared as well. And, as always, a large mountain of it had been onto his plate.

Estella and Rosamunda had considerably small plates compared to Fredegar. But they were still larger then anything a normal human could eat.

Fredegar continued to wolf down his food. Taking breaks only to have a drink. Odovacar smiled as he walked into the kitchen. But none of his family looked up. Herugar followed him.

"You see, they are fine" he told him.

Odovacar gave a small smile.

"Maybe they are recovering" he told himself.

Herugar took a deep breath.

"We have to get back" he told his son.

Odovacar gave a small nod. The picture of his family slowly started to fade. The sounds dulled out just as quick as the picture vanished.

It took a few seconds for the spirit world to come back into view. Odovacar took a deep breath. He wished he could stay in the real world forever. He knew that he couldn't be seen by his family, but at least he would know that they were safe.

The world that Odovacar had re-entered was perfect. Perhaps more perfect that the one he had just seen. Rolling hills lay before him. Birds fluttered around, just like the real world did.

But there was one difference about this world. All of the creatures were the souls of their earthly selves. Everyone here had a story to tell.

But there was one small difference that separated the two worlds. Each soul seemed to look as young as the day they turned twenty. There were no old people in the silver world.

Odovacar and Herugar were images of their younger selves. Happiness seemed to flourish in abundance. Evil seemed non-existent.

The sun shone, clouds swam in a endless see of rich blue. Grass swayed in a gentle wind. It was akin to summer. The days were long and cool, the nights seemed to retain the warmth collected by the air.

Odovacar took a deep breath as he saw Hobbiton laid out before him. It was much bigger then the one in real life. For all the spirits that past through the real world now lived here. Odovacar and his father walked back to their home.

It was a very strange world. Hobbits from hundreds of years before his time walked around like they had lived here all along.

Everything was strange, yet familiar to him. But there was one thing that remained the same.

His thoughts.

He wished that he could have said a proper good bye. Like that did to him. Of course, he had been there when they had buried him. He had seen their pain as they watched his wooden coffin disappear underground.

A little disappointment rose in him. For Fredegar had not been there. And he did not blame him. Even though Fredegar was older, he was not taking it as well as was hoped.

Estella seemed to have taken the events better. She had enough strength to go down, along with her mother, to his burial.

Lunch was almost over. Hunger had been tamed. Thirst had been quenched. Even though it had just chimed once, Fredegar was tired.

It seemed that he slept more then any hobbit in Hobbiton. A yawn came over him as he sat back in his wooden chair. It creaked, taking the full weight of the large hobbit.

But the consumption of food was not yet over. A large, chocolaty pudding was next. Rosamunda smiled as she slowly stood up. She too was very tired.

The cake had already been made. All she had to do was to heat it up. A chocolate sauce had been made as well. It took was heated up.

The runny mixture was poured into the pan. The small clay bottle was then placed on the work top. A small bead of the brownest mixture slid down the side of the small bottle.

The pan it was place onto the scolding metal hob where it started to heat up. The cake was placed into the hot oven for a few minutes while the sauce heated up.

A few minutes past. The cake was then taken out. The sauce let off small bubbles. It was the only sign that it was gaining heat.

Rosamunda took out a cutting knife. She smiled as she cut the cake into three. One for each of them. The three pieces were placed into three separate bowls.

The chocolate sauce was then poured onto the cake, soaking it up. Rosamunda smiled as she turned around. The pieces that lay in the plate were big enough to feed an entire family of humans.

"Thank you" said Estella, picking up her spoon.

Fredegar did not say thank you. He had already scooped off a large spoon full. Rosamunda smiled as she took her plate and sat down.

Meanwhile, Origo was snoozing. Two large hands were wrapped around his little fluffy body. His little eyes were closed. Mya smiled as she looked down at his little face.


	88. Day Forty Two, Part Two

Ivy was sitting on Mya's other shoulder. Her wings were flapping in the wind as Mya walked. The forest they were in was minuscule compared to the jungle that they were heading for.

Chetwood was its name. It stood just East of Bree. Like the other forests of Middle-earth, this one housed many different creatures. Mainly deer, birds and creepy crawlies were in abundance. Rabbits and the occasional wolf wondered the forest as well.

All year round, foxes would hunt rabbits and other creatures. Cubs would be born and raised in the safety of the forest. There, they could explore the surrounding area, with a careful eye from their mother.

Mya smiled as she continued to walk. She loved her little friend. But, if she ever changed into her puppy form, Origo would certainly know who she was.

For she still remembered what he had done to her. And it was that reason why she was in her human form.

"We'll have to have a break soon, I'm getting hungry and I think Origo would be too" Mya whispered.

Ivy nodded. The puppy was still sleeping, so they had to be quiet. But neither of them knew what Origo was dreaming about.

Two figures were locked separate rooms. Their hands were bound. On the walls were flaming torches, shedding out dull light.

A young looking boy looked very tired indeed. Screams and yells from many tortured beings echoed through the cold dungeon.

Sauron was now on the rise again. His blood thirst was greater then ever. He now knew that the Ring of Power, the one that he needed, was still in existence.

Sauron would do all he could to get it back. And this meant destruction. All who stood against him would perish at the hands of his orcs.

The boy heard noises coming from the other side of the metal door. He knew that it was for him. The heavy door gave a small click and opened. Standing on the other side were two large, stupid looking orcs.

Without a word, they took the shackles off of his wrists. Without a moment to massage them, they heaved him to his feet.

"Move along!"

The orc had a murderous voice. Its skin looked like it had been stabbed and grated many times. Deep scars criss-crossed his face. His eyes were blood red.

The second orc was much more frightening. He was shorter then the first, but more stocky. His nose seemed to be bitten off. This was due to the many fights that he had been through.

A few fingers were missing. But that did not bother him. The young boy winced in pain as a large, powerful hand grabbed his neck.

But this was only a taster in what was to come. Times of old, memories of things past then came back to the boy. His vision was much lighter and sunnier then this.

In fact, he was nowhere near the evil place he was at now. There were lots of people around him as he sat at a table. His bag sat on the floor next to his feet.

Mya and Pilith had reached Bree. Their feet were tired and sore, for they walking all day. Barliman Butterbur looked extremely tired. But he was still his helpful self.

"May I offer you a room to stay the night?" he asked them.

Pilith gave Mya a look that told her many words.

"Yes, thank you" Mya answered.

Barliman smiled. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced then normal. Mya and Pilith smiled as they picked up their bag. They followed Barliman up some stairs.

There were more doors up here then there were down stairs. Most of the travellers had already gone to bed. Windows were left open due to the height of summer. The night above them was cloudless and starry. A thin slice of moon could be seen.

Owls hooted in the distance. They sat high in their trees. Unlike human eyes, their eyes could see just as well in darkness as they did when the sun was out.

Origo gave a small whine as slowly woke up. It was not Mya's hand or walking that woke him up. It was the coldness.

A small whine told both Ivy and Mya that he was now awake. Ivy smiled as she took off. Origo gave a small whine as he got comfortable again. But the coldness made him uncomfortable.

"Puppy?" Ivy asked.

Mya's large hand was still tickling his little floppy ears.

"Cold" he whimpered, his eyes still half shut.

Ivy gave a smile. She loved Origo when he was this sleepy. For this was when he was at his calmest. Ivy took a deep breath. Origo loved the feeling that happened next. It was akin to a large, fluffy blanket being wrapped around him.

Mya could feel the puppy cuddle up again. Mya smiled as her eyes darted to the small fairy. Ivy could sense that Mya needed warming up as well.

So, for the first time in her life, Mya felt like coldness had never existed.

"Wow" she whispered.

She had never felt warmth trickle through her body like this before. It was not a uncomfortable warmth, yet it was not a weak warmth. Every muscle seemed to be pain free. Strength seemed to raise in the young girl was she walked along. Only another few hours of walking were needed to get back to the path.

Both Gloria and Elanor had both gone in for lunch. Hobbiton seemed to be emptier then normal around the same time each day.

But now, lunch had finished. The children of the small village were all emerging from their homes again. Gloria smiled as she put her coat back on.

"You be careful out there" said her mother, kissing her little daughter on the forehead.

"And come back when you cold"

Gloria gave a large smile. She had big blue eyes and brownish hair, mixed with a little bit of grey. It curled past her shoulders.

"I will, mummy" she said.

The large, round door opened on a freezing world. The exposed blades of grass did not blow in the wind. Instead, they crunched under foot.

Gloria picked up her stick from just outside of the door. Her imagination exploded into life again. But there was one person that Gloria needed.

Elanor yawned as she walked to her room. She had no idea that Gloria was coming to get her out again. But all Elanor wanted to do was play inside.

A few minutes later, as she had started to fall asleep, a knock echoed down from the large front door.

"Probably someone for daddy" she thought, closing her eyes.

Even though it had pass one o'clock, sleep was needed after the large meal she had had. But Elanor was not the only one going to have a quick nap.

Fredegar Bolger had already fallen asleep. Loud snores could be heard echoing down from his room. Estella smiled as she helped her mother with the washing up.

Fredegar's snores could be hear around them.

"So, what are you plans for today?" Rosamunda asked.

Estella knew of only one place that she wanted to go to.

"Well, I was thinking of going to Merry's later"

Rosamunda smiled. She had been told about the events of the night before. Estella was worried about what her mother would say. But Rosamunda did not have a problem. In fact, she thought they made a good couple.

"Are you going to be back for dinner?" her mother asked.

This was a question that Estella did not question that Estella did not know the answer to.

"Well, I'll have to see if he'll make some or not" she answered.

A tap was then turned on, making water gush into the metal bowl below. Rosamunda smiled as she waited for the water to reach a exceptional height. The tap was then turned off. But a few drips managed to escape the tap just after it was turned off.

There was a mountain of bowls and plates to wash up. Spoons seemed to be piled up as well. Remnants of a meal past still clung to their silver surface.

Rosamunda took a deep breath as she started to put bowls into the warm, clean water. The water instantly became dirty as the bowls sank to the bottom.

It was a lot of hard work cleaning up after meals. Hobbits had to clear up at least three times a day. More if they had a large family.

But, cleaning up came hand in hand with eating and drinking. And hobbits liked to do this a lot. But, sometimes, it could be a draw back.

"But, I'm tired" yawned Elanor as she stood with the door open.

Gloria took a deep breath.

"Just for an hour, there are a lot of orcs still left"

Elanor's eyes were very heavy. The coldness and the orcs could wait for another few hours.

"I'm sorry, Gloria, but I need some sleep" Elanor said.

It was unusual for Elanor to have a nap. But, today was different. She felt more tired then usual. Gloria looked down. She now had no friends to play with. Elanor took a deep breath.

"I'll come outside later, we can finish off the orcs then"

Gloria gave a small smile.

"Alright then, I'll see you soon" she answered.

At that, Elanor shut door. Now was the time that she could finally get some sleep. Her younger brothers and sisters were not as tired as she was. She could hear them playing, laughing and merry-making all throughout the house.

Elanor yawned as she sat on her bed and then laid down. She could still hear her siblings playing around the house. But this soon stopped as Elanor slipped into a land of dream.

The Bree gate slowly opened. Two figures riding on two horses bolted trough the door. Old Harry, the gate keeper, shook his head. He closed the gate and wondered back into the small room.

Barliman slowed down his horse. The second horse pulled up next to him. It was a young girl. The very same one that he had rescued the night before.

Barliman hopped off of horse. His feet were covered in mud. He looked down and shook his head. But, even though his feet were caped in cold mud, he made no complaint.

The girl smiled as got off her horse. For some reason, she felt like she had come home again.

"But, this isn't my home" she thought as she tied up her horse.

But she was wrong. She had in fact reached the place she would stay for the rest of her life. For Barliman was planning on something special.

But for now, he had to wait.

The two of them smiled as they made their way up the muddy path to an old looking building. Hanging from two rusty bits of metal was a sign. It swung in the wind.

Barliman smiled as he took out a key from his jacket pocket. He placed it in the lock and twisted it to the left. The door gave a metallic thud. The door handle was cold to the touch.

Barliman smiled as the door creaked open. The lobby was quiet and empty. But it had not always been like that. Rats and mice roamed the cold, tilted floor. Small scraps of food from meals past lay on the floor. That was, until the small rodents got to them.

The girl smiled as well. She was glad to be back here. A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the tables. Only a few hardy candles were still flickering.

"I guess we should clean the whole thing and then reopen" Barliman told the girl.

Cleaning was the one thing the girl knew the best. For she had spent many hours and days on her knees. Her hands had wrinkled many, many times. The coldness seemed not to effect her as much anymore.

The large door was then closed, keeping what coldness that had not already fought its way in. The young girl took a deep breath as she made her way up stairs.

Each one creaked underfoot. Meanwhile, Barliman had walked over to the heath. The fire was now as cold as the air around him.

Just feet away was the seat that Strider had sat in all those years before. Barliman remembered that night clear then any other.

Beasts, straight out of the depths of Mordor, seeking the Ring of Power. But they had not counted on an experienced man now helping four hobbits, fresh out of Hobbiton.

But the Wraiths did not find the Ring. The hobbits would be safe, as long as they stayed with this mysterious man. But all that had now passed. The queer folks that past through, seeking stories of old, had ceased.

Life was back to normal.

Time wore ever onwards as the sun started to slowly dive down towards the western edge of the world. Both Elanor and Fredegar were now awake. The smell of a large dinner roamed equally through both households.

But for one, dinner did not come quick enough. Fredegar and Rosamunda had been left by Estella. She had put her coat on and left the house.

For, tonight, she would be having dinner with Merry Brandybuck. Merry was very nervous indeed. For he had never cooked for anyone other then Pippin and himself.

A large chicken had been put in the oven a few hours before. A towel was protecting his hand from getting scolded. The chicken how browned nicely. Merry felt the heat as he carefully placed the chicken, dripping in very hot oil, on the work top.

Just then, three knocks echoed down from the large front door.

"Estella" Merry instantly thought.

So, leaving the chicken to cool down, Merry walked out of the room. Estella slowly emerged from the other side of the door.

"Hello" Merry said, smiling.

Estella's cheeks were rosy. The coldness was slowly digging into her very skin.

"Do come in" Merry said.

Estella smiled. She was holding a basket full of freshly made muffins.

"I made these for pudding" she said, taking back a bit of the cloth.

Merry looked inside. There, he saw the biggest, most delicious looking muffins. Small chocolate chunks had been added to the mixture.

"Oh, they look lovely"

Merry smiled as he thought of more things to say. But he couldn't think of it.

"Dinner will be ready in just a few moments" he said.

Estella smiled. The basket had been placed at her feet. Merry couldn't resist the temptation to just have a small bite of one of them. But he had to. For Estella walked just behind him as they went to the kitchen.

The chicken stood on the worktop. Pans with vegetables stood on the work top too. They waited to be filled with cool water and placed upon the hot hobs.

Only two people stood in the middle of a large room. The floor glinted in the water that had been used. Buckets of water had been used. Both Barliman and the girl had been going on for hours.

"Right, I think that's the lobby done"

The clock was hanging on the wall showed the time to be only seven o'clock. The sun had sunk, leaving the darkness for the next few hours.

Candles were lit. Fires were stocked up. But there was no fire for one creature. A dwarf was laying down inside an Elven boat. Another figure, an elf, smiled as he looked around.

Gimli had fallen asleep. His snores were loud. Too loud for the peaceful elf. So, with one nudge of his knee, the boat started to rock.

This made the made the little dwarf wake up. Legolas gave a small grin as Gimli opened his eyes. the faint silhouettes of trees slowly slipped past.

Clouds blocked out the stars and ever brightening moon. Gimli quickly fell back to sleep. The snored quickly followed.

The river was now very deep. It was then Legolas saw it. The forest on his right hand side started to thin. Just a few hundred meters away, another river could be seen.

"Gimli" Legolas said, waking the old dwarf up.

Gimli gave a tired humph.

"We are almost at the Gwathiá" he said.

But Gimli did not seem bothered. Sleep was much more important. The amount of Lembas that Gimli had consumed was more then usual.

The dwarf grumbled something. Legolas liked to see the dwarf annoyed. It seemed to be his favourite pass time. Not that wasting time mattered to an elf. For they had a lot of it.

Pippin, who was living with his mother and father, slowly opened the door. A confused look came over him as he recognised the two figures standing at the door.

"Sam, Merry?" he asked, trying to figure out why they had come here.

Merry took a quick glance at Sam.

"We need to show you something" Samwise told him.

This made Pippin even more confused.

"Show me what?" he asked.

Merry knew that they could not wait around for long.

"Pippin, get your coat, its important"

But Pippin wanted to find out more before he went anywhere.

"What is important?" he asked.

Samwise was normally very patient with people. But Pippin was pushing him.

"Just come with us, we can explain on the way"

Pippin took a deep breath. Lunch would be ready in just under an hour. The smell of chicken already assaulting their senses.

"Alright, wait here" he said.

Sam gave a nod as the large front door opened. A minute later, the door opened again. Pippin had quickly put his jacket on and was ready for the coldness.

"Lets go" Samwise said as Pip closed the door.

Pippin brought up the rear as he closed the gate.

"So" he said, catching up with his two friends.

"What are you showing me?" he asked.

Other hobbits were going about their daily business. They were either heading to the Green Dragon to have a goblet of the finest ale in all of the Shire. Or, they were walking about, talking and telling stories of past events.

Neither Merry or Sam spoke a word. All Pippin could do was follow. The three of them headed down towards the small bridge that crossed a small stream.

Sam and Merry knew that they were now far enough away from anyone to start talking about what was happening.

"Now, tell me what its all about" said Pippin, stopping just short of the bridge.

Merry took a deep breath.

"There's something that might surprise you" Samwise told him.

Pippin gave him a confused look.

"And, what would that be?" he asked.

Sam took a deep breath.

"Ents" he said.

Pippin's confusion deepened. He was not sure that he had heard Sam correctly.

"Ents?" Pippin asked.

It was then, as Sam gave a small nod, that it was true.

"But, Ents don't live around these parts"

All Pippin could think of was the time he spent with Treebeard. He knew that Ents could not travel great distances.

"I know, but I saw one" Samwise told him.

So, after a bit more convincing, Pippin agreed to come along. So, the three of them continued on over the bridge. But their whereabouts were not unknown.

"Where are they going?" asked a little boy.

Frodo did not answer. He knew exactly where they were going. Frodo started to remember the stories that his father had told him. And of frightening beasts the spilt black blood. To fire breathing monsters that stood fifteen feet tall.

Frodo watched them out of sight. He knew that they were going to visit Fimbrethil again. he took a deep breath, wondering if he ever see the Ent again.

Playing did not seem as attractive as before. Frodo was too distracted by the goings on elsewhere. All Frodo wanted to do was follow his father. But he knew that eyes would be on his movements.

One of those trusted to do this was Frodo's aunt, Marigold. Marigold's home over looked the lake and field that Frodo was playing on.

Marigold was the youngest of the Gamgee children. She had two older sister, May and Daisy. Unlike their younger sibling, they did not have as brilliantly gold hair as Marigold did. Hence her name.

Marigold also had three older brothers. Hamson, Halfred and, of course, Samwise. The Gamgee family could be spotted from a mile off. For all of them looked alike.

Mari, as she was known by her closes friends, stood at the large window. In her hand, a large mug of delicious tea. She could just make out her nephew. But he seemed not to be as active as the others.

Marigold finished up her tea and placed the empty mug near the sink. A few minutes past before she walked down the hall way to the front door.

But first, she put her coat on. A smile came over her. She hated leaving her nice, comfortable home to go outside in the coldness.

One last looking in the mirror told her that she was perfect. A small click echoed around the house as the door opened. A blast of cold winter air rushed in.

The candles on their mounts danced with joy. It was the only time they did. Marigold smiled as she looked back. She always liked to see the candles dancing like this. Somehow, she felt like they were dancing for her, sending her off and hoping she would return. The door closed and all was calm again. The candles eagerly watched the door for her safe return.

Marigold looked around. The sun was high in the sky and fellow hobbits were going about their daily lives. As Marigold exhaled, a thin cloud came out of her mouth.

She smiled as she watched it dissipate into the cold air. The yells of hobbit children, although for some, they spoilt the peace, echoed up from the field.

Marigold smiled as she placed her cold hands in the large warm pockets. She smiled as saw faces that she knew and some she knew not as well.

For there were a lot of hobbits around the Shire. Each family, weather it be Baggins, Bracegirdles, Burrows, Brandybucks, Boffins, Bolgers, Gamgees, Tooks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Brockhouses and Proudfoots, all looked similar.

In some cases, there would be so many children running about the house that sometimes, the parents would forget which one was their child.

But this did not happen all of the time. Marigold smiled as she walked along the road. The stile to the field was just a few seconds walk away.

"Hurry up!" said a voice.

Marigold knew that this was one of Frodo's friends. But she could not hear Frodo. So, upon reaching stile, she stopped. Everyday, hobbit children would come here. This is the one place parents could come and watch their children without them wondering off.

It was a few minutes before Marigold spotted her oldest nephew. Frodo was looking very cold. But he was not alone. He was with two other boys.

Marigold watched as the three of them talked. Frodo seemed to do be deep in conversation with them.

"Talking trees?" asked one of them.

Frodo could sense that the boy did not believe him.

"How can trees talk?"

Frodo took a deep breath. He knew that there was no way to prove they really existed.

"They do, I've seen them!" Frodo told him, getting rather annoyed.

The other young boy laughed.

"Seen them?" he asked.

"My daddy says your daddy is like old Bilbo" he said.

Frodo was now very annoyed that he did not believe him.

"Well, my daddy has seen elves and yours has not"

But this was an empty card. For the young boy standing in front of him did not know what they were.

"Elves?" he asked, thinking quickly.

"Aren't those things you put food on?" he asked.

Frodo took a deep breath.

"No, their like tall folk, only cleaner" Frodo said.

In fact, he had never seen an elf himself. He was just repeating what his father had told him. Frodo was not sure that Elves even existed.

"Big folk?" asked a voice behind him.

Frodo instantly turned around. A smile came over him as he saw his auntie.

"Auntie Marigold!" he said.

Marigold was surprised as Frodo jumped into her arms. Frodo's weight seemed to have gotten heavy since she saw him last.

Frodo gave his favorite auntie a large kiss.

"How are you?" she asked, putting Frodo down.

And it wasn't a moment too soon. Frodo was shorter then her. Marigold could see her older brother in little Frodo.

"I'm good" he answered.

He looked around at his friends.

"Auntie Marigold?" Frodo asked, looking back.

"Yes?" she answered, smiling.

"Have you seen an Ent?" he asked.

Marigold had never heard of that word before. For Samwise had not spoken of his adventures to anyone in his family, apart from his children.

Meanwhile, Merry, Pippin and Samwise had reached where they needed to be. Sam looked around. But could not see any large movements.

"Fimbrethil?" he asked, looking around.

The hobbit waited a few seconds before calling out again, this time, a bit louder.

"Fimbrethil?" he asked.

His voice echoed back. Pippin took a deep breath. He had been dragged out of the warmth and comfort of his home.

A full five minutes past of Samwise shouting. Each time, bird song echoed back. But, as Samwise was about to give up, something caught his eye.

Two amber eyes were watching his every move. Both Merry and Pippin jumped as a loud crack to the side of them. Both looked up at a large tree.

"More of you?" asked a loud, slow voice, echoing around.

Pippin still could not believe what he was seeing. But, Pippin should trust his eyes more often.

"Pippin" Merry said, moving backwards.

Merry and Pippin had been around Ents more then anyone in Hobbiton or even the Fellowship. But, even then, they were shocked.

"So, it's true?" Pippin asked, looking at Sam.

Sam gave a small nod.

"Her name is Fimbrethil" he answered.

"I know that name" said the old tree.

Pippin had a slight bout of déjà vu. He could clearly remember the first time that he had encountered an Ent. But this did not mean all Ents were friendly.

Treebeard himself had told Merry and himself that some would harm them. But harm never came to them, save from Treebeard not knowing his own strength.

For being stuck up a moving tree was not as comfortable as it sounds.

"Is that her name?" asked Pippin, whispering to Sam.

Samwise gave a small nod.

"But, what is she doing here?" Pippin asked, still not sure he was seeing what was in front of him.

Samwise looked up at her.

"She's been here for thousands of years. She knows Treebeard" Samwise said.

This was one name that Pippin knew.

"She knew Treebeard?" he asked.

Millions of questions were now running through his head. But a full day had past since then. Pippin was now looking out of a large window.

Pip was sitting in the Green Dragon. The windows seemed to be glazed. Pippin had been thinking about where his life was going.

Many things had happened over the past few days. He had told Diamond all of the events that had happened when he had gone away from Hobbiton.

Diamond now knew a little bit more to Pippin. He did not seem as simple as she thought he was. Now, both of them had a lot of think about.

But Diamond had a lot more then Pippin. She had to think about weather she would take him back or not. Pippin took a deep breath. He knew just as much as anyone else what was going to happen.

So, upon taking the last swig of his ale, he stood up. His coat had been placed on the back of the chair. His pipe lay on the table.

"Hmm" he thought, doing the buttons on his coat up.

Pippin brought out a small leather pouch. Inside, strong smelling tobacco. Pippin placed the pipe in his mouth and took a bit of the tobacco out.

Other hobbits, who had been sitting at the other tables also got up. Only a handful were left. But they too would soon go home.

A few minutes later, Pippin was ready. But now, he had to light it. This was easier said then done. For there were no lighters or matches in Middle-earth.

Yet, they had ways around it. Pippin got out a few thin wooden sticks. They were used to light other candles and especially fire. But they were also used for light their pipes.

Silver smoke started to flutter up from the bowl of the pipe as the tobacco caught light. Pippin gave a puff, making the small fire in the bowl strengthen.

Pippin took the pipe away and exhaled. Silver smoke came out of his mouth and slowly flew away. Pippin smiled as the tobacco taste followed.

Pippin took a deep breath. He hated going out in the coldness. But he had to go home. His pipe continued to smoke as the door opened.

The coldness instantly hit him. It was sharper then the days before. Pip made sure the door was closed behind him. So, taking a deep breath, he started on the journey back to his home.

Hunger was getting to him now. He had not had dinner due to loosing track of time. But, luckily, some dinner had been saved.

Eglantine took a deep breath as she washed up. As she finished, she heard the front door open. She knew of only one person this could be. But she did not.

Pippin had finished his pipe on the walk home. The smell of tobacco smoke clung onto his coat. A smile came over him.

"Dinner, then bed" he told himself.

Eglantine looked around as her son walked in.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath, but did not answer. He smiled as he picked up his dinner. Pippin needed to wait a few minutes more for his dinner to warm up.

The sound of plates echoed around the kitchen as Eglantine washed up. Pippin took a deep breath. A few minutes had passed since he had placed the plate in the oven.

Pippin took the small towel again and opened the oven. The instant smell of cooked chicken hit him as he slid it out.

A few minutes later, Pippin started to eat. All of the usual food had been saved. Crispy potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, peas, carrot and turnip, sausages, bacon and chicken. Gravy had been poured over his dinner.

Pippin took a deep breath as he looked down at his dinner. A drink was needed. So, he got up and walked to the cupboard.

Eglantine watched as he took out a mug. Pip then walked over to the cellar and opened the door. A candle was then taken. It gave off just enough light.

Eglantine turned back and continued to was up. As she did, she heard different foot steps. Paladin had now come into the kitchen.

"Ah, I see that Peregrin is home" he said, spotting the half eaten dinner.

Eglantine smiled. Just then, Pippin came out of the cellar. No words were said between them. Paladin took a deep breath. He stood there, watching his son eat.

Pippin finished up his meal and downed his ale. Without a word, Pippin got up and walked out of the room. the mug and plate were left sitting on the table.

Pippin's door closed, echoing down the corridor. Pip gave a deep breath. He slowly changed into his night gown and pulled back the duvet.

The candles were all blown out, sending the room into semi-darkness. Pippin gave a smile as his head hit the pillow. The duvet was pulled over himself.

He could hear echoes coming down from the kitchen. Eglantine and Paladin were getting ready for bed. Eglantine had gone into the bathroom. She had ran a bowl of hot water and was not washing up.

She smiled the water rushed away. Her face and hands felt much cleaner. A clock chimed on the wall. One more hour 'til midnight.

Paladin was already washed and already in bed. He heard a door click open a small way down the corridor. Moments later, his wife walked into the room and shut the door.

She got into her night gown and got into bed.

"Good night" she said, kissing him.

Paladin smiled.

"See you in the morning" he answered.

At that, the two of them quickly fell asleep.


	89. Day Forty Three, Part One

Ivy took a deep breath as she looked around. A young looking girl was sleeping on the hard, cold ground below her. And, in her arms, a sleeping puppy. Both were unusually warm. For the little fairy had wrapped a bubble of warmth around each one.

Ivy, like the elves, could not feel tiredness or coldness. Ivy smiled as she fluttered about. The forest seemed to have thinned

Chetwood had finished, the road was just a few hundred meters away. Every so often, a cart or horse would gallop past. Ivy knew that Mya and Origo were hidden enough not to be seen.

Ivy fluttered down towards the pup. His little eyes were closed. Right before he fell asleep, Ivy had produced a large plate of Origo's favorite food.

Turkey.

Origo, like many times before, had eaten it all up. Mya, on the other hand, would have had staling bread for her dinner. But, now that Ivy was with them, she could have what she really wanted.

"Ivy?" whispered Mya.

Origo had already fallen asleep. But this did not mean he could hear them. Ivy smiled as she fluttered towards her.

"What is it?" Ivy asked, fluttering just a few inches in front of Mya.

Mya took a deep breath and looked down.

"Well, you know how you make Origo's food appear?" she whispered.

Ivy knew exactly what Mya wanted.

"You want some food?" Ivy asked.

Mya gave a small nod. Bacon was what she wanted the most. Ivy, having knowledge of Mya before she turned into her human self, knew exactly what she wanted.

Just like that, a large plate of the warmest, crispiest bacon appeared. Origo was oblivious to the going on in the world of wake. Mya, although having seen this a few times before, could never get over the magic coming from one small fairy.

With one hand, Mya started to eat the bacon. She smiled as she took a large bite. It was the first time that she had had eaten bacon since she left the old man that had been looking after her.

Ivy watched as rasher after rasher were consumed. Mya's under slowly vanished. But, with half the plate gone, she was still hungry.

A few minutes past. Mya smiled as she came to the last rasher. She smiled as it seemed to fill her to the brim. Ivy smiled as she looked down at the plate. Only a few morsels were left.

"Thank you" Mya whispered.

Without a sound, the plate disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Mya yawned as she looked around. She could not see more then thirty meters in front of her.

The canopy was leafless, small white points of light could be seen against the never ending blackness of space. Ivy looked up.

Wonder started to erupt in her mind.

What other worlds were out there?

Were any other beings watching them?

All Ivy could do wonder. Although, she felt very strange. Darkness brought different feelings. One feeling was the feeling of being watched.

When she had been living, in her tranquil forest home, she had seen many strange things. None for strange then one a clear, autumn night.

Ivy had been fluttering in the last of the warm sun. Clouds took on a pinkish colour as the sun sank. Ivy loved this time of year. But she did not like the next few months to come.

For the sun would not have enough strength to bathe the land in warmth. Ivy zoomed around the trees, happiness filled her heart. So much so that she could never see anything bad happening to her or her forest.

Ivy zoomed just inches away from the branches. Unlike the winter months, the branches were full of leaves. But they were not all green and lush.

In fact, they had many different colours. From light green and dark green, yellow, red and brown. The forest seemed to be more colourful then in any other time of the year.

As Ivy fluttered around, a large leaf fell from the canopy. The fairy, as clever and as magical as she was, did not see it.

As she fluttered, she was hit by the leaf. It seemed to scoop the little fairy right out of the air. Flying was useless. Ivy spun in the air. Gravity took a hold of her took, pulling her closer to the ground.

For a moment, it looked like she would hit the ground. But Ivy had it all under control. Her wings started to beat, slowing her down to a stop, just inches from the ground.

"Whoa!" she said, catching her breath.

Her little heart was now racing. She had come close falling to the forest floor before, but not this close.

It was then through the twilight of the forest, that something caught her eye. Some flashed with many colours. Red, orange, yellow, green and blue. All flashed quickly.

"That's odd" she thought, placing her feet on the ground.

None of her friends were with her. But it was a thought that crossed Ivy's mind.

"No, no" she said, thinking quickly.

"Their probably busy"

It was up to her and her alone to investigate. So, taking flight, she fluttered towards it. The trees blocked the object from sight a few times.

Ivy stopped behind a large tree. No sounds could be heard. Birds that had once been singing had now all stopped. The cool wind had stopped. The little fairy felt all alone in the woods now. The trees dared to move in fright.

Ivy could see the flashing lights as she poked her head around the side of the tree.

"What is that?" she asked herself.

Ivy knew that she was too deep into the forest for it to be any being. Not even elves visited these parts. The structure seemed to float in midair by an unknown tether.

The lights coming from it seemed to melt into each other. There was no sign of any beings walking around. Ivy slowly fluttered to another tree. Her eyes never leaving the lights flashing in front of her.

Just as she got to the tree, there was a small bit of movement. The fallen leaves on the floor were pushed by an invisible wind.

The lights suddenly grew brighter as the object moved. But it did not move along the ground. Instead, it gained height. Ivy took a deep breath. All she could hear was her heart beat.

The fairy raised her head as the object gained height. What happened next happened quickly. Ivy could clearly make out the lights flashing.

Ivy blinked just at the wrong time. For, for the split second her eyes were shut, the object took off. As she opened them again, she saw the light now as a small dot.

Ivy watched it get smaller and smaller until she could not see it anymore. Everything went back to be extremely calm. Birds had started to sing again, like nothing had ever happened. The wind picked up again.

The sun seemed to have gone down a bit further, deepening the pinkish colours in the clouds. Ivy held her breath as she scanned the skies.

But there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, a lot of time had past since Ivy started to think about what had happened all those years ago. The sun was rising in the East. Bird song echoed through the forest as they started to wake.

Only one could be heard for the moment. But, as the light grew, more and more birds began their morning son. Mya and Origo were still sleeping. Although it looked like Mya would be the first to wake.

Mya yawned as she made herself comfortable again. But all of her comfort had gone away. Her back was now hurting as she continued to sit there.

Ivy, who had been on look out all night, smiled as she saw Mya's eyes open.

"Morning" Mya whispered.

For the small puppy in her arms was still snoozing.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Ivy asked, fluttering closer.

Mya smiled and nodded.

"I wouldn't mind some of that bacon" Mya whispered.

Ivy took one look at Origo. If he found out that Mya could see Ivy as well, he would not trust her. Neither Mya nor Ivy wanted Origo to find out who Mya really was.

Another hour past. By this time, the sun had now fully risen. The songs of birds seemed to echo all around them. Origo yawned as he stood there. Ivy smiled as she made a plate of delicious turkey appear before the sleepy pup.

But Origo was not sleepy for long as he started to munch the warm chunks.

"Puppy?" asked the girl.

Origo looked up at her. Mya took one a confused look. Ori just blinked, wondering what she was on about.

"Where did that plate of turkey come from?" she asked.

Origo was now very confused. His little brown eyes darted from the fairy, to the girl. A small whine came from him.

Mya took a deep breath. An idea came into her head.

"Maybe we could save some for later" she told him.

"You've had enough for now"

But the small puppy did not think the same. He gave a stern sounding whine. Ivy gave a smile.

"Puppy, all she wants is to help, maybe it is a good idea if you have some later"

But Origo was too clever.

"But, you can make more for me" Origo pointed out.

Mya, who was now acting, smiled.

"I think we should get going now" she said.

But Origo had other plans. A small growl as two large, cold hands scooped him up.

"Oh, puppy!" Mya said, feeling him wriggle.

He whimpered, still seeing turkey that was uneaten. Mya took a deep breath.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked.

Ori seemed to have changed. He was not his calm little self any more. He had changed. Mya took a deep breath as he continued to whimper.

"Puppy" Mya said.

But it did not work.

"Puppy!" she repeated.

This time, her voice had a hint of sternness about it. This seemed to work as Origo stopped squirming. But it did not stop his adorable whimpering.

"Puppy, we have to get walking if we want to see our friend" Mya told him.

"But I'm hungry" he whimpered.

Mya smiled.

"That's a good puppy"

Origo's little face was kissed as he was set back down on the floor. By this time, the plate had vanished. This did not help Origo's mood.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered to him.

"Puppy, you'll be able to have more food in a few hours"

Origo had never left turkey on his plate before. Usually, all of it would have been gone within a few minutes.

In Hobbiton, breakfasts were being prepared. None took more effort then in the Gamgee household. Rosie had rose at the first sign of light.

Tiredness was drawn across her face. But she managed to drag herself out of her warm bed. Samwise, her husband, was gently snoring near by. Rosie smiled as she silently opened the door and walked into the colder corridor.

Candles had been left to burn over night. They made interesting shapes as the wax melted, slid down the side and solidified again.

The kitchen was too small for the family that Rosie had. The table was not enough for her, Sam, Elanor, Frodo, Rose, Merry and Pippin.

The amount of food that the family got through in one sitting was enough to feed five human families for a week. Vast amounts of food were consumed every day. For that's one of the main reasons why hobbits were famous, apart from their role in the war of the ring.

Rosie smiled as she squatted down. More wood was needed to stock up the fire. The house around her was unusually quiet. But that would soon change as the morning grew.

Small logs were places in the dying embers. But, there were enough to re-catch the fire. Rosie smiled as she continued to stock up the fire.

As the time past, the fire grew and grew. The wood that had been placed in there was now turning white hot. The flames grew to an expectable height.

Rosie smiled as she took the old, fire beaten kettle. She smiled as she walked over to the sink. The tap was then turned on, sending water gushing into the kettle.

Rosie stood there, feeling the weight of the kettle strengthen. A minute past. There was now enough water in the kettle to produce many mugs of sweet tea.

Rosie heaved the kettle out of the sink. A hook had been placed just above the fire. It was this that the kettle would hang on.

A metal clung signaled the kettle being put on the hook. Rosie rubbed her hands as she took a deep breath. The large window near by showed that the sun was now truly up.

In the room, just down the hallway, Sam slowly woke. He yawned and turned over. Sam would have rather stayed in bed all day. But he had jobs to do around the house.

So, Sam slowly sat up. His eyes wanted ever so much to close. But he did not let them. His large, hairy feet hit the cold tilted floor.

It was then that he noticed that the door had been left ajar. This could mean only one thing, Rosie had risen before him.

So, Sam walked to the door and out of the room. He smiled as, a minute later, he reached the kitchen.

"Morning" he said, seeing his wife.

Rosie looked around and smiled.

"Good morning" she answered.

Two large mug had already set out on the polished work top. A small box, full of strong smelling tea leaves sat near by. A small vase of milk and another small wooden box sat near by.

The second box contained sugar. Sugar was very important to hobbits of every age. It would be put into most things, such as cakes, muffins, tea and on bowls of cereal.

Sam yawned as he took his seat. He took a deep breath as he rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the sleepiness that clung to him. Rosie continued to make the tea. The old kettle gently steamed as the water inside bubbled.

A few minutes later, Rosie took the tea leaves and put a good wad of tea leaves into the hot water. They instantly gave up some of their colour. A small silver spoon was then picked up.

Rosie smiled as she started to stir the first mug. Another batch of dried leaves were put into the mixture. Rosie stirred both for a few minutes before she picked out the soggy leaves.

Samwise smiled as Rosie turned around. She carefully watched the two mugs as she turned on the spot.

"Thank you, dear" Sam said, taking it.

Rosie took her seat and smiled. The calmness in their day only came twice. Once before the children were up. And once after the children had been put to bed.

Rosie sat down. the small vase of cold, fresh milk sat between the two of them. Sam helped himself to some sugar and started to stir. Rosie took her little spoon and started to transfer sugar into her drink.

A few minutes of silence past. Both hobbits were too warn out to talk. Sam slowly sipped on his tea, dreading the thought of his children waking up.

"You know what I would like right now?" Sam asked his wife.

Rosie gave a tied sigh.

"What?" she asked.

"A nice, large muffin" he told her.

Rosie gave a smile. This was indeed a good idea.

"I'll get one" she said, leaving her mug.

"And only one"

Rosie knew that if Sam had the chance, he would eat a shire's worth of muffins. Sam took a deep breath, but gave a smile.

So, Rosie walked over to the cellar and opened it. But, before crossing the threshold, she picked up a candle. Its light would help her find the location of the muffins.

Sam watched his wife walked out of view. He took a deep breath as he looked over at the clock. Only half an hour more before he would wake his children.

Rosie came out of the cellar holding two small packets in one of her hands. The candle was placed back and the cellar door closed.

"Thank you" Sam said, being handed a plate with the fresh muffin on it.

Rosie smiled as she sat down. Both hobbits were now eating. Only the ticking of the clock could be hear, as well as a drip falling from the tap.

Half an hour had past since the two of them rose. Now was the time to raise the children from their slumber. Sam took a deep breath as he stood. He gave a large stretch, trying to get rid of the last bit of sleep.

Meanwhile, in the Realm of Gondor, Lord Faramir had risen and was now riding a horse towards a near by forest. There, thousands of workers had started cutting down large trees.

There was a noticeable line where the trees had been felled. There was quite a large pile of branchless trees near by. More men were cutting it half.

Many carts had been placed in a long line. Men had already started to load them as Faramir dismounted. A few seconds later, one of his advisors came up to him.

"My lord" he bowed.

Faramir gave a small nod back. In fact, he was there to work. For Faramir felt like he was one of the men.

"Give me an axe" he said.

His advisor did not know what to make of what he said.

"May I ask, why, my Lord?"

Faramir took a deep breath.

"I am not here on business, I am here to restore Osgiliath. Get me an axe"

The advisor gave a nod.

"Certainly, my Lord"

Faramir took a deep breath. It was bitterly cold here. The ground crunched underfoot. Every so often, a large thud echoed around. This came from the front line in the attack on the forest.

Large trees were being eaten away by metal. Deforestation had not happened on this scale for many years. But, this time, its cause was of good nature.

A few minutes later, the advisor returned. Faramir was then handed the axe. After a few seconds of inspecting it, Faramir came to the conclusion that it would suit him well.

So, he walked towards the line of trees ready to be cut down. Men bowed as he walked past. Tiredness could be seen in the faces of the men facing him.

As he reached the tree line, men stopped their work.

"As you were" Faramir told them.

A tree had been left unscathed. Faramir ran his hand over the hard bark. A small smile came over him. So, he gripped the wooden handle. He draw it back. A few seconds later, he started to swing.

A gentle click came as Samwise opened the door. He smiled as he saw his eldest daughter and child, Elanor, snoozing peacefully under her large duvet.

Samwise took a deep breath. This was the part of his day he hated. He hated getting his children up when they looked this peaceful.

"Elanor?" he asked, moving a few strands of hair from her face.

Movement then came from the young girl. Her eyes slowly opened as one of her hands slid up and out of the duvet. Elanor gave a small whine rubbed her left eye.

"Morning honey" Sam said.

He smiled as he left her to properly wake up. Underneath the duvet, laying next to Elanor, was a warm wooden horse.

"Have a good sleep, horsey?" she asked.

The horse was tired as well. It seemed that the horse had a soul of his own. And it lived through the adventures that it shared with Elanor.

A few minutes of play time followed as Elanor and the horse continued to wake up. Sounds in the house grew as Elanor's younger siblings woke.

Merry and Rose seemed to be more awake then any one else. They instantly started to chase each other around the house.

Frodo had yet to wake. but the land of dreams had been taken away from him. He could hear sounds, echoing from behind his door.

Sam had left his door deliberately open so that the noises would keep his son from falling back to sleep. And it was working. Frodo took a deep breath as he turned under his duvet.

His eyes opened. He could see shadows of his siblings flashing past in the light coming into his room. He could hear his father keeping the others at bay. For it took a lot of work to mould this family.

The kitchen door was shut. Rosie was putting pans on the fiery hobs. Bacon, mushrooms, toast, bacon, sausages, eggs were all being prepared.

Rosie took a deep breath as she started to crack eggs and put them in the hot pan. Oil had already been placed so that they would not stick.

Rosie managed to fit five eggs into the pan. But this was not the only thing to start cooking. Sausages were then taken out of their packet and placed into the pan.

Fifteen in total.

The eggs were being looked at as the heat cooked the sausages. But it was not going to be a short process. Rosie needed to make sure there was enough for second helpings.

The clock continued to tick on as more and more food was prepared. The sun was now warming the crisp earth below. There was a cold mist hanging on the horizon.

A horse galloped trough the land. Its rider looked very tired indeed. For he was not a man of the Shire, nor Rohan, which he had just past.

This was a man of the King of Gondor. He had been riding in the freezing lands for near enough twelve days. He stopped only for a few hours a night to catch some well needed sleep.

As the messenger made his way towards the Shire, a strange sight came into view. A large black building came into view. It dwarfed the trees that grew around.

The horse was then pulled up. The man was very tired. His breath could be seen as he sat on the saddle.

"Orthanc" he said.

A few seconds later, the horse sprung back into life. The sound of hooves impacting onto crisp ground. Birds seemed to be just small dots in the distance as he continued to ride.

The tower seemed to grow as the horse and man came up to it. But first, there was a river to negotiate. Luckily, a bridge had been built.

The man saw this opportunity to cross. And he took it. Isengard looked much different then it did a few years before. The blackness that was caused by Saruman had now all gone.

Ents had been responsible for the destruction of the surrounding wall. But the tower was not so easily destroyed. Not even the strongest of Ents could put but a dent in the steel.

The man smiled as a silver ribbon of water running from right to left. The bridge, when at night, was lit by a candle inside a dirty looking box on top of a post.

But, due to the sun, it was no needed. The horse started to slow down again as the man came to the bridge.

"Whoa, whoa" the man said.

The man took a deep breath as he sat on the saddle. A strap flowed over each shoulder. A heavy bag sat on his back. Like his clothes, the bag was old and spotted with drying mud.

The sound of trickling water came over the sound of the horses hooves. The man smiled as he hopped off of his beast. The horse neighed and nudged the man with its large head.

"Almost there" he told it, running a cold hand down its face.

A yawn came over him. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced then usual.

"Come on" he said.

A little walk and a bit to eat would suit him nicely. The tower of Orthanc created a long shadow. The tower was now home to many peaceful creatures.

Birds occupied the newly growing forest by day. Bats, owls, hedgehogs and foxes occupied it by the cover of darkness.

The trees, for the moment, stood leafless, waiting for the first of the spring sunshine. But for now they waited. A few lakes were dotted around the large circular area.

Below its murky surface, the echoes of a era past. Metal spike lay on the very bottom. But they were not forgotten about. Pippin and Merry thought about their time with Treebeard the most.

Sometimes, Pippin would have dreams of his adventures. And the night before was no different. Eglantine, who had served up breakfast, found her youngest child, and only son, very withdrawn.

"There's something not right with Peregrin" she said as the last plate was washed up.

Paladin, Pippin's father, took a deep breath.

"Yes, I have felt it too" he answered.

Eglantine looked at the door that Pippin had gone out of. Pippin was in fact thinking about the journey he had been on with his three best friends.

A large mug of ale had been carried to his room. The door was closed. Pippin sat on his bed, deep in thought. He wondered what his best friend and wife, Diamond, was up to.

"Maybe I should go and see her" he thought.

But another voice came into his head.

"No, just give it more time" it said.

Pippin did not like the fact that he was now arguing with himself. His mind seemed split in half. One side wanted to go and see Diamond. The other wanted to wait just one more day.

In fact, Diamond was thinking the exact same thing. Although her mind would see be distracted by a book. The very same one that Pippin had written and given to her.

Diamond was sitting in a nice, warm lounge. A nice mug of tea had been placed on the old, but polished, table before her.

A healthy fire flickered in the heath just across from the room. Shelves had been made. It had been filled with many books. Some read, others not.

But there was only one book Diamond wanted to read. And it was the one in her grasp that was going to bed read/ Diamond took a deep breath as she flicked through the pages.

She smiled as she came to a new chapter in the book. Diamond made herself comfortable and started to read.

The day had started off very well. The flowers were in full bloom and the calves had been born. Everyone was excited for the nicer, warmer weather to come.

It had been a few years since we had seen each other. But never a day went by when I did not think of you. But something would happen that would put my life and the lives of everyone in Middle-Earth in danger.

Merry and I had decided that it was time to visit and old friend. He went by the name of Farmer Maggot.

Diamond took a deep breath. She had heard stories of what Merry and Pippin had done to Farmer Maggot. Diamond shook her head as she continued to read.

But it would not be an easy task. The farm was guarded by three of the biggest dogs I had ever seen. Grip, Fang and Wolf were their names. They had long pointy ears, a large black nose and a coat that considered of black and light brown fur.

According to Merry, it was my turn to distract them. A task that neither one of us wanted to do. But it had do be done.

So, I took up the task of distracting them. The corn field that we had just come through was perfect cover. So, I left Merry hiding in the corn field.

I headed straight for the only place that I could get in. A small gap in the hedgerow, crossed by a wooden fence. Nerves were now getting to me. Each sound made my heart jump.

The warm sun beat down on him. Buildings were dotted around. But there was only one building me and Merry were interested in.

But, before I reached it, I had been seen by one of the dogs. This is not what I wanted. Farmer Maggot had now been called to action. But a job was now to be done as I hid.

The dogs looked around. They could smell me, but just did not know where I was. The store room was just a few meters from where I was. But there was no sign of Merry.

But I did not count one the number of dogs against me. A growl came from behind me. It was one of the three dogs. This was a queue to run.

So, without a second thought, I ran. but running was useless, for I could not get near enough to the store room. But, luckily, Merry got there before me. He managed to open the door.

A few moments later, I arrived. Our work could now start. So, we stocked up on carrots and lettuce. My forehead was dripping wet.

After a few minutes, we had grabbed all that we could grab. As we left, the dogs saw us. Farmer Maggot was there too. He looked very angry indeed. So, Merry and I made like a wild river and ran.

But something happened that we could not control. We had ran into a path of unknown danger and unforeseen friends.

Frodo and Sam were in the middle of the field. We literally ran into them. we had now got them into trouble too. So, after our hurtful meeting, the four of us had to run for our lives.

But Farmer Maggot was least of our worries.

Diamond took a deep breath as she came to the end of the chapter. It took a while for her words to sink in. For some reason, she did not feel any different about Pippin afterwards.

The book was placed down, the cup of tea was picked up. Diamond took a sip of her lukewarm tea. Her eyes were now focused on the flickering fire.

Diamond knew, near enough, exactly what Pippin had been through. And that's exactly what had happened a few nights before. For Pippin had come to visit her.

A long story had been told, so far, Pippin was half way through.

"Merry and myself were now at the mercy of Treebeard"

Treebeard was new to Diamond.

"Who is Treebeard?" she asked.

Pippin gave a little smile.

"You'll never believe me if I told you" he answered.

But Diamond's trust had changed. For she believed every single word that came from him.

"Pippin, I do trust you" Diamond said.

Her large blue eyes showed no signs lies. This was strange for Pippin. For he had never seen this look in Diamond's eyes before.

"Really?" he asked.

Diamond gave a small nod.

"Of course"

Pippin smiled.

"Well, where were we?" he asked himself.

"Ah" he said, remembering his place in the story.

"Yes, well, we we're now in the company of Treebeard.

Treebeard was a talk, walking tree. Same as the ones you get here. But he had a special quality. He was the wisest of any Ent we encountered. But he was also the calmest, slowly creature we came across"

Pippin gave a small smile, remembering the discomfort that followed.

"Gandalf seemed more trusting. But it was I who put us in the most danger. For, before the Entmoot, we had seen Saruman's army of ten thousand orcs march to Helms Deep"

A dangerous plan had came to his mind.

"The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm" Pippin told him.

"It's the last thing he'll expect"

Treebeard found this an excellent idea. But one that would turn dangerous. For both Merry and Pippin were heading towards Isengard.

There, they discovered the wrath of Saruman. Treebeard was going to take revenge. He called upon his fellow Ents to help him out.


	90. Day Forty Three, Part Two

At the same time, Gandalf was on his way to help Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli battle ten thousand orcs. They had been battling them for most of the night. But, as the sun rose, so did hope.

"Ride out with me, ride out and meet them" Aragorn said, in a last ditch effort to keep the orcs from killing every man, woman and child within the walls.

King Théoden's hope had vanished. All hope seemed to have trickled away with every man laying dead on the floor.

But it was the words of Aragorn that rekindled his fire.

"For death and glory"

A small smile came over him. Maybe there was hope after all.

"For Rohan. For your people"

A small stream of light started to pour into the Keep.

"Yes, yes" Théoden said, confidence rising with every echoing bang of the Keep door.

"The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!"

"Yes!" Gimli said, scooting away up some stairs.

At the top of the long flight of stairs was a large, metallic horn. Gimli took a deep breath and started to blow. The sound echoed throughout the valley.

"Let this be the hour when we draw swords together" he told Aragorn, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Snowmane, King Théoden's faithful horse, was summoned.

"Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red dawn!"

As these words rang out, the keep door gave way.

"Forth eorlingas!" he said.

At that, he and his men, including Aragorn and Legolas, charged. Orcs were killed left, right and centre. The small group of horse men rode out into the plains before Helms Deep.

There, a familiar sight caught their eye. The lone figure of Gandalf stood on the hill side. But he was not alone. As promised, Eomer was there too.

Pippin continued to tell his side of the story.

"Thousands of them. Hundreds on thousands and no way out" he said.

Minas Tirith was surrounded by the biggest army Mordor had ever sent out. Orcs, men, trolls, wargs and wraiths. All of them descended onto the unprepared city. But the Gondorian army was led by Gandalf. But courage was fading fast as large towers inched ever closer.

"I had to find Gandalf, not only for my protection, but for the protection for another"

Confusion crossed Diamond's face.

"Who else were you meant to protect?" she asked.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"Faramir" he answered.

Diamond knew of the reason why her son was named Faramir, but there was a different story to tell.

"What happened to him?" Diamond asked.

Barliman took a deep breath as he unlocked the large, weather beaten front door. The lobby he was standing in was warm. Candles flickered and heaths burnt with a healthy glow. A young girl was standing beside him.

The locked clicked as he twisted it to his left.

"There" he said, happy to be back in his inn.

But his business did not start up right away. Only people who walked past the building would see the candles flickering in the windows and know that the Prancing Pony was open for business.

It did not long before the door opened. A young man poked his head around the corner.

"Excuse me, are you open now?" he asked.

Barliman smiled.

"Of course, my dear sir, we most certainly are"

The man smiled as he opened the door a little further and walked in. He was followed by three of his friends. The large door was closed behind them, keeping the lobby warmer then the freezing outside world.

Barliman gave a small nod over to the girl. She smiled, but was obviously nervous. She approached the group of lads.

"Excuse me?" she asked, getting their attention.

Barliman smiled as he watched the girl take down their orders. A few minutes later, the girl turned around and walked back over to him.

"What do they want?" asked Barliman.

The girl smiled.

"They would like a full Bree lunch" she answered.

"With a large pint of ale for each"

Barliman smiled and nodded. He walked out from behind the bar, towards the kitchen. The man opened the door just as more people came into the inn.

"I'm guessing he's back" said one of them.

The girl smiled as she waited for her next job. Nerves were getting to her as she watched the men sit down. Barliman was in the kitchen, ordering up the food. A few minutes past before he came out. His eyes darted over to the new group of men sitting there, then back to the girl.

He gave a small nod at the girl. Once again, she had to befriend the group of men. This time, the group was smaller. But this did not take away her nerves.

"Good morning" she said, giving them a big, welcoming smile.

The two men looked up.

"Ah yes" he said.

"We would like the usual, please" said one of them.

The girl gave a small nod and walked away. She would have to ask Barliman what the meant. As time wore on, more and more people entered the lobby.

Travellers waited patently at the bar for Barliman. The young girl smiled as she walked out of the kitchen. She carried two plates full of food.

"There you are" she said, placing it down.

Two travellers were sitting there.

"Thank you" the woman said.

Both looked tired. Both had come from Gondor on a year long travel. They had many stories to tell. But no one asked. No one cared where the other people came from.

Meanwhile, Mya, Origo and Ivy were now on the road. They were nearing the half way point between Hobbiton and Rivendell. But it would still take a few days to get there.

Origo's journey had quicken in the past few days. For he had met a new person. The small puppy was still figuring out weather to trust her or not.

But there was one creature that did trust this strange girl. It was Ivy. Ivy was a small green companion that had helped Origo in and out of trouble.

But now, she was happy where she was. Unlike Origo, she had found out exactly who this girl was. This made Ivy's trust in her became concrete. The two of them had agreed that they should act like they could not see each other.

That way, Ivy could convince Origo that she was friendly. Origo gave a small yawn as he walked along. He had been walking his little paws off for a few hours. And it was taking its toll on him.

Mya looked over at Ivy. They seemed to know what each other was thinking.

"Puppy?" asked Mya.

Origo looked up. His little puppy eyes were heavy. Sleep seemed to winning as he whimpered.

"You sleepy?" Mya asked, picking the fluffy puppy up.

Origo gave a small whine. To any other being, this was just a whine. But, to Mya, her question had been answered. For Origo was not a normal puppy. He was a changeling. This meant that he could change from puppy to being in an instant.

But, due to his memory loss, he had completely forgotten this. There was now only one creature that knew of changelings. And she was the only one.

Origo's eye slowly shut. Both Mya and Ivy noticed this. Small, soft snores came to the pup.

"He's worn out" Ivy whispered.

Mya subconsciously stoked the pup. Mya started to wonder what the small pup about. But, even if she knew, she would not believe it.

Darkness surrounded him as he lay on a cold, metal surface. Both of his arms had been chained with cold shackles. Two orcs were clamping his feet down.

"No" Pilith moaned.

He knew what pain was coming. Origo shivered as a cold wind blew around him. Large black figures were walking around. Their faces looked evil. Origo whimpered, wanting to find a way out.

"No!" came another shout.

Origo wondered what was happening. A clunking sound came as a large metal wheel at one end of the table was cranked up.

"Now" said one of the orcs bending over Pilith.

They were inches from each other. Pilith could smell the foul breathing of the orc. It was a kin to rotting flesh. Its teeth were stained yellow. His gums had only a hint of redness left. The rest was as black as the skin that was stretched across his face.

"Where is it?" he snarled.

Pilith knew exactly what the orc was on about.

"I don't know!" Pilith said through gritted teeth.

The orc gave a grunting laugh.

"That is not what lord Sauron wants to hear" threatened the orc.

A large metal clunk echoed around the chamber. Origo whimpered as he stood there. There was no sign of a way out. The coldness was making him shiver.

"Ivy?" he asked, giving a small bark.

But there was no sign of her green glow. Origo whimpered as large, foot came down just inches from where he was.

"You have two more chances to tell me where it is"

Pilith could feel the cold metal slowly try to pull his hands off. The shackles on his legs were cold. The skin that had been exposed to the metal was now red raw. A small cut bled as the shackles were tightened.

Origo, who had been trying to find a way out, came across a large fire. One of the two orcs was standing near it. A large spike was held in his hands. One of the ends was sitting happily in the raging fire before it.

The orc had been standing there for a few minutes. The end of the metal bar had a single spike. It was slowly turning from black to deep red.

Pilith could see just a slither of the raging fire. It seemed to be the only source of light in the entre room.

"This is your second chance to tell me where it is"

Pilith, who had been captured a few weeks before, had been through this too many times. The second orc gave a small smile as he took the end of the poker out. It was red hot.

"I'm telling you the truth, I do not know what your talking about"

This was a lie. Both Pilith and Mya knew exactly what they were on about. But neither of them would say a thing.

"Then, you'll just have to suffer" the orc said.

He took the red hot poker and pointed it right at Pilith's face. He could see fear across the face of his prisoner.

"You have one more chance" the orc said, pointing the poker just inches from Pilith's face.

"Tell me"

Pilith was getting close to spilling the beans. But he knew that if he did, he would not be the only one that would be in danger. If Sauron found the ring, the darkness and pain that he had seen and suffered would split out to the furthest reaches of Middle-earth.

Pilith took a deep breath. It all came down to him and Mya. But there was another who knew where the Ring of Power was. And that creature had been caught.

Gollum knew more then any creature about the Ring. For, in the year two thousand, four hundred and sixty two, he had become the Master of the Ring.

And that's where the Ring stayed. For nearly five hundred years, it never strayed from his grasp. But Sméagol, as he was known, had already killed one of his best friends for it. For that was the power of this small piece of metal.

But, five hundred years later, it would be taken from him. For, a small hobbit, lost in the lonely mountain, stumbled across it half buried in the mud around a black lake.

But, Bilbo Baggins was not alone. He was one of a group of fifteen. This included one wizard and thirteen bearded dwarves.

But, before Bilbo could get back to them, he had had an encounter with Gollum. Riddles were asked and answered. In the end, Bilbo came out the victor.

Bilbo had now escaped, much to his relief and the relief of Gandalf and the dwarves. It took Bilbo a while to find the party of dwarves. But, when he did, he had a little surprise up his sleeve.

Mya was now getting very cold as she walked. Her bubble of warmth that Ivy had put around her had now gone. Origo had now awaken too. He gave a small whimper as a cold blast of air ran through his fur.

Mya looked down. Origo had curled into a small ball. This was very strange for Mya. For she had never held her best friend before.

"Are you cold, puppy?"

Origo looked up. Mya seemed to read Origo's look better then anyone. But she could do nothing about it. But there was one little creature that could end the coldness for both Mya and Origo.

But, at this moment in time, Ivy was asleep in one of Mya's big pockets. Ivy had curled up. The fairy snored peacefully. But, due to the fact that Origo was now awake, Mya could not get her.

"Unless" thought Mya.

She gave a small smile. Origo was not paying attention as Mya's hand slipped gently into her pocket. A few seconds later, Ivy was gently woken up.

Ivy gave a grunt as she woke. A massive figure was gently, as Mya put it, waking her up. It took a few seconds for Ivy to understand what was going on. She smiled as her little wings started to flutter.

The fairy fluttered upwards. She was just about to ask Mya what the matter was, but something else caught her eye. Origo was not looking at all happy.

He gave a small whine to Ivy.

"Cold?" she asked.

Mya looked down at the pup. He gave a small nod. The fairy fluttered as Mya continued to walk. Mya took a deep breath.

"We'll stop for some food soon" she told him,

Origo, now a warm puppy, gave an approving whimper. Mya smiled as warmth travelled through her very soul. The wind around her was not as cold anymore. In fact, she could not feel it on her at all, save for the swaying of her dress and the dancing of her hair.

Diamond could tick of two meals that she had now had. Breakfast and lunch. Dinner time was fast approaching as she put her coat on. For she was not to have dinner in her own home. She was now a guest at Marigold's house.

Diamond smiled as walked back to her room. Squirming in his cot, Faramir lay.

"Come on, you" she said, wrapping him up more.

"We're off to see your aunties" she told him.

A few minutes later, the large front door closed with a click. Luckily, Pearl did not live far away. Just a few doors down in fact.

Pervinca had already arrived. The smell of cooking roamed freely around the house. Though they could not see it, they could defiantly smell it.

Three mugs of tea had been made. A fourth, for Diamond, was waiting to have water added to it.

"So, when should we be expecting our only nephew?" Pervinca asked.

All of Paladin's children looked alike. Especially the females of his family. All three girls, Pervinca, Pearl and Pimpernel, had the same blue eyes. Pimpernel, although being the second oldest of the four, looked the youngest. And she was defiantly the shortest by a few centimetres.

Centimetres to hobbits were akin to inches for humans. Excess height was very unusual for hobbits to have. It was unnatural to above average height. For hobbits led peaceful lives.

"There's no need to grow tall like the tall folk, hobbits are meant to be this height and that's that!" the elders would say.

"Their getting taller every year" others would mutter as a taller, younger hobbit walked past.

Pearl took a deep breath and a sip of her tea. Just then, three knocks echoed down to the kitchen.

"That's them!" squealed Pearl.

She instantly got up, leaving her tea standing on the table. She smiled as she rushed down the hall way. Her big feet slapped against the tilted floor.

She smiled as she opened the large door. Standing on the opposite side of the door was Diamond.

"Diamond, come in quickly!" Pearl said, opening the door.

Diamond gave a cold smile and walked over the threshold. In her arms, a warm and bubbly Faramir. The door behind them was closed.

"How are you?" asked Diamond.

Pearl smiled.

"I'm good" she answered.

Diamond looked down at her son.

"Could you hold him for a moment please?" she asked.

Pearl gave a smile as she was handed her only nephew. She looked down at his face. She could defiantly see both Diamond and Pippin in Faramir's little face.

Faramir had Diamond's amazing blue eyes and Pippin's hair.

"He's beautiful" Pearl said, looking up.

Diamond gave an embarrassed smile. She secretly thought that Faramir would grow up to be like his father. Something that she thought was not a good idea. But, as Pippin grew older, he seemed to have settled down. Diamond took her son back as the two of them walked into the kitchen. Diamond was secretly envious at the cleanliness of Pearl's home.

"I should clean here more often" Diamond thought.

But, for now, cleaning was not on her mind. Pimpernel and Pervinca had remained seated in the kitchen. But, as Diamond came in, they both stood.

"Hello, Diamond" said Pervinca, walking around the table.

The two of them carefully embraced in a hung. Pervinca smiled as she looked down at the baby in his mother's arms.

"He's got your eyes" Pervinca told her.

Then it was true. Diamond was starting to believe it now. For Faramir's aunties had both said it. Pimpernel was the last one to welcome Diamond.

Diamond smiled as she sat down. The smell and sound of cooking echoed around them.

"What's for dinner?" Diamond asked.

The four girls in the room had very similar accents. Diamond's was not as sharp as the other three girls. Pearl, who was now standing at hot stove, turned around.

"Roasted turkey" she answered.

Turkey. The one thing that reminded Diamond of her little puppy. Pimpernel, who had been looking at Diamond, seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

Diamond suddenly changed the direction of her gaze. It landed right on Pimpernel. For a moment, the two girls stared each other.

No words were said between them. There was no need. Both knew exactly what the other was going through. Diamond took a deep breath as she looked away.

Pimpernel looked down into her mug of tea. She could see her reflection in mug. She took a deep breath and took another sip.

Pearl smiled as she opened the oven door. A large, sharp blast of hot air rushed out into her face. Pearl stood back and waited for the hot air to pass.

A few seconds past before she bend down again. Two large, think towels had been wrapped around each hand. For the metal was very, very hot.

Pearl smile as she carefully slid the trey out. Sitting in a pool of scolding hot oil was a juicy, brown chicken. Diamond could smell the chicken more then ever now. Her stomach rumbled, telling her food was most appreciated. But Pearl was not ready yet.

She smiled as she surveyed the bird in front of her. Before it was subjected to the heat, it had been covered in the purest honey that could be found. It ran on nearly ever inch of cold meat.

Herbs were then scattered onto the bird as well. They stuck to the honey slowly flowed down the side. Pearl then poured a lot oil into the pan. She smiled as she brought out a large spoon.

The oil was then scooped up and poured over every inch of the bird. A few minutes past before she was happy with it.

"Should take a few hours" she told herself, looking at the clock.

Pearl smiled as she brought out a long fork with two sharp metal spikes at one end. A sharp cutting knife was then brought out too.

A plate was the last thing to get to be brought out of the cupboards. The turkey was then cut into.

"Have you seen Dolly about it?" Pervinca asked.

Diamond smiled.

"Oh yes, yes I have. She gave me some white powder to put in his milk. It seems to have worked" she said, looking down at her son.

"Well, that's good news"

Pimpernel nodded. She had hardly said a word since Diamond got here. Ever since the fire and the disappearance of Abira, she had fallen silent. All three of the other girls could see that she was not her right self anymore.

"Pimpernel, can you come and help me please?" Pearl asked.

This was the only words Pimpernel feared. Ever since the fire, she could not even go near a heath. Sweat started to congregate on her forehead. Her eyes focused on her sister.

"Me?" she asked.

Pearl took a deep breath. She had forgotten about what had happened.

"Oh, Pimpernel, I'm sorry"

Pimpernel took a deep breath and stood up.

"No, Pimpernel" Pearl said, watching her sister walk out of the kitchen.

Pearl took a deep breath as she heard the door to Pimpernel's room click shut. Guilt was now swelling up in her heart.

"I'm sorry, Diamond" Pearl said

Happiness seemed to have plummeted as Pearl thought about what she had said. Her words rang in her ears.

"How could I have been so silly?" she asked herself.

More pots and pans and white porcelain bowls were taken out of the cupboards. Faramir had now been past over to Pervinca. She smiled as the little boy grabbed her long, curly hair.

Faramir's eyes darted around. Everything was strange for him. He could not see the familiar face of his mother any more.

"But, why have you got mummy's eyes?" he asked himself.

This new person was very playful. A little too playful for him. Little Faramir's face screwed up. Play time with this person was now over.

"Oh" Pervinca said, wondering what she had done wrong.

Diamond gave a warm smile.

"I think little Faramir is hungry" she said, as her child was handed back to her.

Faramir continued whimper. But he seemed to have calmed down a little. Diamond took a deep breath. She had forgotten his little bowl of food. It had been accidently left on the kitchen table back at home.

"Oh no" she said, taking a deep breath.

Pearl looked around.

"What is it?" she asked.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"I've forgotten Faramir's food"

There was only one thing for it. She would have to go back and get it.

"Sorry, I need to go and get it" she said.

Faramir was hastily past back over to her aunt.

"Oh, I know. Mummy has to go and get your food, she'll be right back"

Faramir's forehead was kissed before his mother departed. She smiled as she headed back down the hall way. Pimpernel could hear Diamond walk past her room. A few seconds later, the front door clicked shut. Pimpernel lay on her bed, tears streaming down her face.

The tears left a little traces of water on her cheek. They glinted in the flickering candle light.

"Why did this have to happen to me?" she asked.

Her soul could not take the weight of the events that had happened to her. Firstly, she had been in a massive fire, but escaped with just minor injuries. Secondly, her best friend and husband to be left her.

Pimpernel could not understand why Hamson had left. She loved him and missed him everyday that he was gone. For he had left Hobbiton altogether.

Pimpernel wondered, very often, why he had done so. All answers came down to one outcome. He did not love her anymore.

Pimpernel had planned nearly most of life. She had already planned the wedding. Her sisters would be her bridesmaids. She had an idea on how many children she wanted. Ten in total. She even knew which room would be who's.

But, all had been shattered the when Hamson had decided that would be leaving. But, his reason for leaving was very complex indeed. Not even Samwise, his own brother, knew of this reason.

The third reason for her crying was because of a small puppy. Abira was more precious Hamson. For Abira, although she could not talk to her Pimpernel, seemed to understand everything that was being said to her.

It was as though her soul had seamlessly connected with the pups.

"But, she's only a puppy" Pimpernel kept telling herself.

But there was a lot more to Abira then Pimpernel knew. For Abira was not a normal puppy. In fact, Abira was older then anything else in the Shire.

But now, she had gone. Gone many, many miles away from Hobbiton. The ruins of Weathertop was just twenty four hours walk away. There, Mya was to wait a few days to gather her strength up and carry on.

For the worst was yet to come. A large mountain range stood in front of them. Their peaks were covered in snow. There was no life in the mountains. From many miles away, the difference between the greenness and snow could be distinguished easily.

But for now, they were hidden by the horizon. Mya took a deep breath as she continued ever onwards. The darkness had started to deepen a few hours before. The sun was stealing all of the warmth is had given the land.

Ivy was sitting on Mya's shoulder, looking down at the small pup. Ivy's glow shone in Origo's brown eyes. Ivy gave a smile.

"You alright, pup?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper. Mya gave a small smile and held onto his little paw. Origo's little nose was cold to the touch as he sniffed Mya's hand.

There was still something about this girl that Origo found strange. There was something familiar about her smell. But Origo could not place a paw on it.

"Maybe I've met her before" she thought, looking up.

Mya looked right down at him. Both looked at each other for a few moments. Mya took a deep breath and looked away. Origo gave a small whimper and snuggled up.

Darkness was now fully upon them. Candles were now being lit in Bree as the sun went down. Barliman and the young girl were very busy indeed. Order after order was taken. The girl looked at the clock. There was still a few hours of service left to go.

Barliman was nowhere to be seen. In fact, he was upstairs, showing a small group of travellers their room for the night. At this moment in time, he was struggling with large metal bed.

"Could you grab the end for me?" Barliman asked one of the men.

The traveller smiled.

"Of course" he answered.

The man heaved the metal frame of the bed up. Barliman heaved it up as well. Now, all four of the legs were off of the ground. A minute later, the bed was placed down.

"There you are" said Barliman, whipping his hands.

The thin mattress had already been placed in the room. The pillow and old sheets had been placed near by.

"If there's anything you want, just look for me"

The travellers, three men and two women in total, all smiled and thanked him. Barliman smiled and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Barliman descended the stairs to lobby. A few years ago, Barliman had two hobbits working for him. But, events of just one night changed everything forever.

Hobbits were now banned from Bree for good. The ones that resisted got forced to leave. The men and boys of Bree sought out to get rid of them. For hatred for hobbits had risen suddenly. A rumour had formed since the evens in the Prancing Pony.

Stones were thrown, though they were not very effective in making the hobbits leave. But the fires were the most effective. Some hobbits were even killed in the attempt to stay.

"It ain't our business what happened there, so leave us be!" said a very brave elder.

But the hobbit's numbers were not so great. Most had gone quietly. The eyes of many man bared down on them. Old Harry shook his head as he watched the hobbits walk out of the gate. Harry could see the fires of homes that had been set alight.

Harry closed the gate as, a few about an hour, the last hobbit left Bree. Barliman now had to find new workers. But no one would work for him. For hobbits were good workers. They were honest and hardworking. But now, everything in Bree was peaceful, save from the odd drunk fight outside of the Prancing Pony.

In Hobbiton, Diamond had finished up her second helping of food. Faramir had been put down in small wicker basket, normally used for food. But now, it was a makeshift cot.

Diamond and the other two girls talked and laughed about past events. Faramir seemed to be undisturbed by this, though the girls tried to make sure they didn't wake him.

Pimpernel had not shown herself since the start of dinner. Just one question had caused her the most grief she had ever felt.

Pimpernel was now contemplating leaving Hobbiton for a while and travel the road. For she had had a sheltered life. The stories that had been told about her younger brother made her want to go even more.

"What have I got left?" she asked herself.

For, to Pimpernel, nothing felt like home anymore. She knew that, one day, she and Abira would be reunited. But that seemed far off, even none-existent.

But when should she go?

This is where another rope attached to her plan. It was Hobbiton. As much as she wanted to leave, Hobbiton was still her home.

"Maybe not forever" Pimpernel told herself.

A small smile came over her.

"Just for a month or two"

Pimpernel took a deep breath. Hunger was now getting to her. She took a deep breath and got off of her bed. She stood there for a few seconds, feeling the hunger roar up.

The smell of food and the sound of Diamond and her sisters met her as walked towards the kitchen. Pearl, who's seat faced the door, saw it slowly start to open. Diamond and Pervinca looked around. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she walked in. She instantly spotted little Faramir asleep in his makeshift cot. Conversation stopped as Pimpernel slowly took her place.

Pearl smiled as she got up.

"Good thing I saved you some" she said, taking it out of the oven.

Pimpernel's plate seemed to be over flowing with delicious food. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she started to eat. Pervinca gave a strange look over at Pearl. Pearl seemed to know exactly what this meant.

Nelly ate and ate and ate. The clock on the wall chimed nine times as time wore on.

Finally, Pimpernel finished. No words had been said during the meal. Not even by the others. Faramir's crying was a welcome break from the awkward silence in the kitchen.

Pimpernel sat there in silence. A lot was to think about.

"I'm leaving" Pimpernel suddenly said.

Pearl, who had been making mugs of tea for them all, looked around.

"Leaving?" she asked.

Pimpernel looked over at her sister.

"Yes" she answered.

Pearl instantly forgot about making the tea. The kettle she was holding was placed on the side and the water turned off. The kitchen was now quiet again.

"Why?" she asked.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"Why shouldn't I?" she asked.

Diamond looked between the two girls.

"Because we love you, Pimpernel. Where are you going to go?" she asked.

Pimpernel had not thought about where she would go. All she knew was that it had to be far away from Hobbiton.

"Bree" she answered.

The news of what had happened in Bree had not travelled this far. Not even Diamond, who was at Bree just a month before, knew of what had happened.

"Bree?" Pearl asked with surprise.

"Why Bree?" she asked.

Pimpernel was getting very annoyed now. The water running from the tap had now completely filled the kettle. It was now trickling into the sink.

Pearl suddenly looked around and turned the tap off. The sound of the water echoed away. Silence now surrounded them.

"Well, I don't know, its just far away I guess" she answered.

Pearl did not like the sound of this.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Nelly"

Pimpernel's mind had changed. She was now acting very different.

"But, don't you think I am old enough to do what I want?" she asked.

Diamond now felt like she had over stayed her time. She had to make an excuse. But, there was none. Faramir was snoozing peacefully in his wicker basket.

Pervinca took a deep breath.

"Why are we arguing?" she asked, now throwing her opinion into the matter.

Pimpernel looked over at her sister.

"I am not arguing, I am saying what I am going to do"

"But, Pimpernel, your not like this"

Pimpernel gave an huff and looked away. She couldn't take this arguing. So, without a word, she stood up. The chair scrapped along the cold, tiled floor. The noise woke little Faramir up. He instantly started to cry.

Diamond took a deep breath. She watched Pimpernel leave the room before attending to her son.

"It's alright honey, mummy's here" she said, cradling him in her arms.

The door shut with a bang. Pervinca took a deep breath.

"She'll be alright, I guess" she said after a moment of awkward silence.


	91. Day Forty Four, Part One

Pimpernel woke to a new day. A large duvet had been drawn over her. A yawn came from her. A smile came over her. For today was the start of a whole new chapter in Pimpernel's life.

Today, she felt freer then ever before. The duvet was lifted off, surrendering her warmth for the coldness of the room. The night's events had been forgotten. There was no need to remember it.

Her door was opened. The light coming in from the windows continued to grow as the sun rose. Pimpernel had never woken this early before. The house was silent as she entered the kitchen.

"I think a nice mug of tea and then I'll be on my way"

She had planned to leave without incident. And by that, she would leave before Pearl rose. But her plan would fail. For Pearl had not had a wink of sleep nearly all night. When she heard the small click of the door down the corridor, she slowly got out of bed.

Her ears were sharper then usual. She could hear the faint rushing of water for a few seconds, then nothing.

"Should I go and see her?" she asked herself.

But something was holding her back.

"Maybe its best if she goes without seeing anyone" she thought.

Pimpernel opened the cellar door and walked in. The kettle was left to bubble over the flaming heath. Pimpernel's heart seemed to have changed her whole perception on the world.

"Maybe I should try a bit of this" Pimpernel told herself, picking up a small vase.

Inside was sticky honey. Pimpernel gave a small smile as she walked deeper into cellar. Milk and tea leaves were then picked up too.

The cellar door was then shut. All of the things Pimpernel needed was placed down in the work top. A mug was taken out and placed by the rest of the things. A small silver spoon was taken out of draw.

A few more minutes past before the water bubbled just enough for Pimpernel's liking. Carefully, the kettle was lifted off of the hook. Pimpernel concentrated as she poured some of the water into the mug. But not too much.

The kettle was then placed bag. Pimpernel could now get on with making her tea. Firstly, the tea leaves were placed in the cooling water.

The spoon was used to stir them around as their colour leaked into the water. After a few minutes, the tea leaves had given all the colour that they could.

Pimpernel carefully fished out all of the tea leaves and placed them to the side. Milk was then poured into the brown water. A cloud could be seen as the milk spread out through the mixture.

Only one thing was left to add. Now that it came to it, Pimpernel did not see that it could actually taste nice.

"Well, there's nothing for it" she told herself.

The small jar was opened. Inside, golden honey gathered a few months previous. Pimpernel picked up the spoon. She then dug it into sticky honey. A few seconds later, she took the spoon out again. It was covered in honey. A smile came over the girl as she dipped it into the hot water.

Slowly, but surely, the water made the honey slip off. But one small spoonful was not enough. Three more, making four in total, were added to the tea. Pimpernel gave the spoon a lick. The honey seemed to dance on her tongue as she placed it down by the sink.

The tea was them picked up. Pimpernel smiled as she placed the full cup of tea on the table. The chair was silently drawn back. She did not want to wake her sister.

Birds outside could be heard singing through the cold sheet of glass. The first sunlight of the day leaked through onto room. Even though it was only seven hours into the new day, light was already starting cast faint shadows of the objects on the table.

But this did not mean the coldness would lift. In fact, it was deeper then ever. It was so cold that rain turned to ice and fell as snow.

And that's exactly what was happening. The light flurry that had started just a few hours before had turned into a full scale blizzard. A sheet of whiteness covered the Shire. Anyone caught out in it could hardly see past their feet.

But this did not stop Pimpernel from travailing away from Hobbiton. She continued to sit and drink her honeyed tea.

She smiled as she downed the last but. She smiled.

"I think a bit of food would do me nicely" Pimpernel told herself.

It was then that she eyed the cooker. Her plan seemed to crumb before her very eyes. her heart started to beat faster.

"I'm not ready yet" she told herself, looking away.

A hot meal would not be on the agenda. But, there were many other things that Pimpernel could have to eat. Cereal would have to do.

So, once again, Pimpernel entered the again. This time, a packet of cereal was brought out. The milk had already been taken out. It did not take long 'til she could eat. The milk was poured over the breakfast.

The bowl was picked up and placed on the table. A larger spoon was then taken out of the draw. Pimpernel smiled as she sat down and started to eat.

Pearl was now behind the kitchen door. She was so tempted to stop Pimpernel from leaving. But she knew that she could do nothing about it.

Pimpernel took a few minutes to finish the large bowl of cereal. But hunger was still present in her. So, she poured the rest of the packet into the bowl. The milk had been left out for a bit too long and was now getting warmer.

But this did not Pimpernel from pouring the rest of it into the bowl. Pearl could once again hear the sound of the spoon hitting bowl.

"Maybe I should just let her go" Pearl thought, taking a deep breath.

She lent on wall and thought deeply.

Meanwhile, far from the safety of the Shire, a young girl was sitting on the frozen ground. She had been walking for most of the night. But she was not alone. In her bag slept a precious, fluffy companion. Origo and Ivy were both snoozing in the bag as snow continued to fall around them.

Mya was sitting in the snow, which was now over her feet. But she had yet to wake. For she did not feel the bitter coldness around her.

Ivy was responsible for this. For she had magic in her. This was defiantly an advantage. Both Origo and Mya seemed to benefit from this.

But, now that the sun had broke, sleep would not mask their coldness for any longer. In fact, Origo was the first to wake. his little brown eyes slowly opened to a closed world. A large blanket had been wrapped around him, keeping the warmth in.

A small whimper came from him. He could not move. Hunger had grown in the small pup overnight. Ivy, who had also been sleeping in Mya's bag, began to wake as well. It was the movement of the large puppy that woke her.

Ivy awoke to the light of day and the cold wind. She smiled as the puppy came into focus.

"Hello" she said, slowly sitting up.

Origo's little eyes glinted in her faint green glow. Ivy could see a small reflection of herself in his eyes.

"Hungry" Origo whimpered.

Ivy smiled. She knew that she had to get out of the bag. The small fairy knew exactly what to do. So, after reassuring the pup she would be back in a jiffy, she slipped out of bag.

She was met by a white world. The warmth in the bag had not given the coldness a chance to build up. The wind was more powerful then before. This took the little fairy by surprise as the wind grabbed her and tried to take her away from her two companions.

But Ivy was stronger then this. She knew that nothing would take her away from either Origo or Mya. So, she started flutter. It took most of her energy to get back to Mya. But she managed too.

Origo was still in the bag, waiting patiently for his fairy to remerge. He gave a small whimper as he yawned. Ivy finally reached the large shoulder of Mya. Ivy looked down at the bag. She could see that Origo was safe there.

"Mya?" Ivy whispered.

Mya did not wake. Ivy took a deep breath.

"Mya?" she repeated, a bit louder.

The girl's head moved. But she did not wake. Ivy took a deep breath. She could see the small figure of Origo getting restless.

So, Ivy conjured up another spell. One that she knew would wake Mya. As Ivy touched Mya's sink, a sharp pain erupted at the point of contact.

Mya instantly woke. But, what happened next took Ivy by surprise. Mya stood up quicker then Ivy could grab a strand of hair. All three were now awake. One of the three seemed to not to take this well.

As Mya stood up, the bag swung around hurting the pup. Mya looked around. At first, she did not see a thing. Her eyes were sharp and her heart was racing.

Ivy then fluttered up a few seconds later.

"Mya, it's me" she whispered.

This confused the girl even more.

"Ivy?" she asked.

Origo whimpered as he struggled out of his towel.

"Shh" Ivy said, worried that Origo would discover their secret.

Mya took a few seconds to figure out what this meant. Origo gave a small bark, letting the fairy and the girl know he was still there.

Mya looked down. The bag had been shut. A few seconds later, the bag was opened and the pup taken out.

"Oh, I'm sorry puppy" Mya said, kissing him on the head.

Origo instantly started to shiver and whimper. Ivy took a relived breath as Origo was placed on Mya's shoulder. Ivy's wings were working over time as she struggled to move a few feet forward.

"Puppy?" she asked as Mya picked up her bag.

Origo gave a small whimper.

"I know you're hungry pup, you'll have to ask the girl" she told him.

Mya took a deep breath. She was very cold indeed. But she could not ask for warmth from the fairy. For that would create suspicions for little Origo and, sooner or later, he would find out what Mya really was.

But, for now, her secret was safe. Origo gave a small whimper and looked up. Mya's large hand was making sure that the small puppy would not fall.

"Hungry" he whimpered a bit louder.

Mya looked down.

"Love you too pup" she said.

Origo gave a little confused look. He then looked around at his Ivy. Ivy took a deep breath. Mya smiled as she looked in her bag.

"What about a bite to eat, pup" she said.

She could feel and see that Origo approved of this. He started to wriggle more and more as Mya looked into her bag. As she did, she noticed a strange packet laying there.

She gave a quick glance at the fairy. She gave a smile and a little nod, confirming that she had indeed planted the turkey there.

"Right" said Mya, making the bag slip off and fall onto the snowy ground.

"I think it's time for breakfast" she said.

Origo was then placed down in the cold snow. He did not like this one bit. A small whimper came from him. Ivy smiled warmly and fluttered down to him. His coat was catching the cold snowflakes falling from the white sky. The pup shook his whole body. The melting snowflakes seemed to fly off all over the place.

"Puppy!" said Ivy, getting splashed with half melted snowflakes.

Mya took a deep breath as she sat back down. The coldness was now getting to both of them. It was evident in Origo's little whimper that he needed warmth. Ivy took a deep breath.

"I know pup" she said.

With a small tickle of his hear, the shivering slowly stopped. Mya smiled as she pulled out a very large packet of turkey. Origo's sights were now focused on the packet that had been brought out. Due to his little nose, he could smell the turkey better then anyone else. Mya suddenly saw a different side to the pup.

Origo's tail started to wag as he trotted in the snow, towards Mya.

"Puppy, stop" she said, feeling his cold little nose touch her skin.

Mya's eyes quickly darted over to Ivy. Ivy was given a strange look. It took a few seconds for her to figure out what this meant. She smiled as she pointed to the bag.

Mya smiled as she looked down at the pup.

"Honey, move back a bit please" she said.

Origo, being on his best behaviour, did as he was told. His eyes never leaving the packet in Mya's hands. Mya produced a large, clean plate from inside her bag.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered to the pup. Flakes the size of feather continued to fall. There seemed to be no end to the onslaught.

A ripping sound then weaved its way through the wind. The plate that had been gotten out was now ladened with small specks of snow.

Mya smiled as she started to place the turkey on the plate. But, due to Origo's inpatient nature, he was soon trying to eat the turkey before it was place on the plate.

"Puppy" said my, giving a smile.

Her blonde hair was dirty and wet. She moved a small bit away that was sticking to her skin.

"Puppy, wait" she said, a small hint of sternness could be heard in her voice.

This did the trick as Origo backed away. He gave a small whimper. His eyes still didn't leave the mounting pile of meat. Mya made sure that she got every last morsel of turkey out of the packet.

"There you are" she said, placing the plate in front of her.

Origo started to eat. Mya's smile seemed to widen as her eyes left the pup. Ivy was struggling to stay in one spot long enough.

Mya gave a small nod, the coldness that she was feeling finally stopped as Ivy fluttered over to her.

"Thank you" she mouthed.

Pimpernel was now in her room again. Her mood had not improved as she folded some clothes and put them in a bag. Pearl was standing just outside Pimpernel's room. She had not felt this upset in a long time.

She knew that she could help, but Pimpernel would just let her. Pearl needed to tell someone.

But who?

A few minutes later, the door clicked and opened. Pimpernel wasn't very happy at the sight of her sister standing there. For a moment, Pearl was about to say something. But the sight of Pimpernel's face told her not to.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she walked back to the kitchen. The time to leave Hobbiton was fast approaching.

"Where will you go?" asked a voice behind her.

Pimpernel had placed her bag on the table and was now at the cellar. But she did not answer. A small tear ran down Pearl's eye. She loved her sister dearly.

For her whole life, she thought that both Pervinca and Pimpernel would be by her side, no matter what. Pearl wiped away the tears from her eyes as she heard Pimpernel pick out a few bits of food from the cellar.

A minute past before Pimpernel came out again. In one hand, she held the candle. In the other, she held a loaf of bread and some other small packages.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she placed the candle back and walked over bag. She placed the loaf in bag first, followed by the three or four other packets.

The bag was closed and placed on her back. Pimpernel took a few seconds to move. A small part of her was thinking about staying. But the urge to journey took a stronger hold on her.

So, for what Pearl thought would be the last time, Pimpernel walked out of the kitchen.

"This is it" Pimpernel said as she saw Pearl standing there.

Pearl's tears glinted in the small flames of the candles. It took a few seconds for her to react.

"Oh, Nelly" she said, flinging herself at her.

The two embraced in a large hug.

"I'll be back soon, Pearl" Pimpernel said.

The two girls had equally blue eyes. Pimpernel had been blessed with youthful looks, although she was just four years younger then her sister.

"Be safe and write to me when ever you get the chance" she said.

Pimpernel gave a small smile.

"Of course, but I don't know when it'll be" she answered.

The conversation had come to a solemn end. Pimpernel knew that she would miss Hobbiton, but she had to get away.

"Well, I should get going" she said.

The sisters hugged one last time. Pearl followed Pimpernel to the door. A cold blast of air and a few flakes of snow entered the house. Before her, a world of whiteness. She had not counted on the weather. For the last few days had been snow free.

But it was not going to stop her. She could already feel a small tingling in her cheeks as they turned a rosy colour. Pearl was not so sure about Pimpernel's intentions now.

But she could say nothing to stop her younger sister as she walked out into the world. The snow crunched under her feet as she walked down to the gate.

Flakes blocked out many of the hills that lay around her. The flakes seemed to give up their secrets once in a while, but only when the wind told them.

Pimpernel's hair was now covered with melting flakes. And the flakes that had hit her face had melted and were now drips trickling off of her nose.

On one side, Pimpernel could see the colourful doors peaking through the curtain of snow. Small flickers of light weaved their way through the curtains of flakes.

Chimneys were smoking gently. The black smoke that rose up snaked away in the wind. Pimpernel continued to make her way down towards the bridge that led away from Hobbiton.

The lake that Hobbiton was built around could not be seen. The snow seemed to be getting deeper and deeper by the minute. But still, this did not stop Pimpernel.

Pearl was now sitting in her kitchen. The house was very quiet. She was now living on her own again. Even though her sister had gone for a few minutes, it felt like she had been gone for a life time.

Elanor Gamgee smiled as she put food onto her plate. Hobbiton was now up and ready for the new, but snowy, day.

The Gamgee household was especially busy today. Elanor could not wait to get out in the snow. But breakfast was needed before she went out. For playing in snow was very tiring.

Rosie had done a very large breakfast for all of them. For everyone will be going out in the snow. Rosie flipped over the last few pieces of bacon.

She smiled as she waited for a few minutes. She then scooped them out of the hot pan and onto a plate. There were many rashers of bacon sitting on the plate already.

Rosie took the plate and turned around. She smiled as she searched for a place to put it down. after a moment, she found the right place.

"Eat up, you're all going to need it today" she said.

It would be the first time that they had been out in the snow as a family. Both Samwise and Rosie helped their children when it was needed. Only Merry and Rose seemed to need a little bit more help.

"Thank you, mummy" squeaked Rose.

Mushrooms were being piled onto Elanor's plate. Three large spoonfuls had already been placed when Elanor went for a fourth.

"That's enough now" said a voice to the side of her.

Elanor looked up. Her mother, being of sharp eye, had spotted Elanor's little plan. The young girl took a deep breath and placed the spoon back.

It took a while for everyone to get settled. Rosie could finally sit down and load her own plate. There was not much left are the children had taken their fill.

Rosie put a few brown, warm sausages on her plate. Five in total. She put the same amount of rashers onto her plate. Chips, a pile of scrambled egg, salted and peppered, was placed onto her plate as well. A few fried eggs were placed on her plate too.

Elanor was already half way through her breakfast before her mother had even started. But, Elanor soon stopped. She placed her knife and fork down and picked up her mug.

Cool water was drunk, making the bloated feeling slowly vanish. Elanor took a deep breath as she stopped. There not felt like room for a second helping.

But first, she would have to finish everything on her plate. But she wasn't going to be the first to finish. That title was Frodo's. He quickly cut up his sausages. They had been left 'til the last. For they were what he liked the most.

Like Elanor, Frodo needed a drink. After a quick swig of his water, he continued to eat.

Rosie smiled as she looked around. This was the one time in her day that she did not have to worry about the children

Breakfast took another hour to complete. For hobbits could just eat and eat when ever they had a supply of food before them.

"Right" said Sam, getting up.

Both Frodo and Elanor had been granted permission to leave the table. Pippin, Merry and Rose were all still there. Pippin, now being two, was slowly learning how cut his food. He was seated nearest to his mother.

Rosie noticed that he was getting very good at feeding himself. Little Pippin babbled away as he poked the his small fork into a bit of sausage.

Rosie was, once again, the last one sitting at the table. She smiled as she helped her son eat the rest of his meal.

"Good boy" she said, lifting him out of his high chair.

Like nearly everything else in Rosie's house, the high chair had been made in Hobbiton. For hobbits in Hobbiton thought it strange to import anything from the outside world.

"If we haven't got it, we haven't got it" they would say.

Most of the wood that was used for fire and making various other object was cut down from a few close by. Everything that a hobbit would need would be made by hand. Everything from bricks, to tables and chairs, to small glass vases were made by hobbits.

But this did not mean they did not help the environment as well. Youngsters were taught how to plant trees and shrubbery.

The stones that were lain in the front lawns were now covered in a carpet of snow. Elanor smiled as she put her coat on. A figure of a horse stood at her feet. She smiled as she looked down as she did her last button up.

The sound of bare feet slapping against the tiles. It was her younger brother Frodo. Frodo was coming out as well. He took one look the figure horse. Elanor felt a slight distaste raiding from her brother.

The two gave a quick glance at each other. Frodo grabbed his coat and quickly put it on. Elanor picked up the figure horse and looked around.

Fifteen minutes past before everyone was ready. Rosie smiled as all of her children had congregated near the door. Little Pippin held his mothers hand. His coat had been made by sowed by none other then his mother.

"Are we all here?" she asked.

Elanor was nearest the door. She smiled as her mother came to the door. Elanor moved out of the way as her mother opened the door.

Each one of them could feel the tickle of coldness that was now flooding into the house. One by one, they crossed the threshold.

Samwise was the last one out, making sure everyone was accounted for. He gave a smile as he stood at top of the path. The snow seemed not to be as strong as just a few hours before. Footprints could be seen travailing away from the door.

A few seconds later, Sam started to walk down to the gate. Rosie stood there, holding her youngest son in her arms. She smiled as her husband closed the door after him. The two of them smiled at each other as they held hands.

Elanor and Frodo had run off. They knew exactly where the large field was. But they were not the only ones out in the freezing blizzard.

A young girl, about the same age as Elanor, was also playing with a horse. She smiled as she saw the little figure of her friend, Elanor, walking towards her.

They both seemed to fight against the softening wind. The distance that could be seen was surely lengthening. But the flakes were getting no smaller.

"Morning, Elanor" said Gloria, shivering.

Elanor was shivering as well. Neither of them noticed Frodo standing a few meters away. He had a cold ball of snow in his hands. He smiled as he hid behind a large, green bush. It was one of a few that kept their leaves through the harsh winter months. The rest were just a waved mess of bare twigs.

Frodo watched as the two girls talked. The moment to throw had now come. So, taking aim, Frodo drew his arm back and threw the ball.

A second later, the ball impacted on Elanor's back.

"Ah!" she said, turning around as quickly as she could.

But Frodo had ducked out of sight. Elanor knew exactly who had thrown it. For, over sound of the wind, came the sound of talking and laughing.

"Frodo" she thought.

But Elanor did not go over there. Instead, her adventure with Gloria had just started. The two of them could now delve deeper into their imagination then ever before.

"Shush" said Elanor, stick in hand.

A large wolf was hunting them. He could smell them, but did not spot them. The snow made little Gloria shiver as she waited.

"We have to kill it" Elanor told her friend.

The stick she was hold slowly changed into a metal sword. Gloria had an equally shiny sword.

"How?" she whispered.

Frodo and his friends were now playing on the field. Snowballs were being snow. Some hit their target where as others did not.

"Ouch!" said one of Frodo's friends, being hit right in the face by a ball of ice.

Frodo laughed, his determination to hit more of his friends rose. But, upon standing to his full height again, a snowball was thrown at him.

Seeing it at the last second, he tried to duck. But he was too slow. The snow ball impacted on the top of his head. It broke into a million pieces.

"Argh!" he said, quickly wiping away the coldness from his hair.

Samwise smiled as he watched his son play. But his focus soon changed to Merry and Rose. They were busy arguing near by.

"Daddy, Merry wont let me help"

Samwise looked down at his daughter.

"Help with what?" he asked.

Merry had gone back to making a snowball.

"Making a snow hobbit" she answered.

Samwise thought quickly. It was his job to keep everyone in his brood happy, including himself and his wife.

"Well, why don't you build one of your own?" he asked.

Rose thought about this for a second.

"Will you help me?" she asked.

Meanwhile, Rosie was with Pippin. He giggles as he fell over, face first, into the snow.

"Oh, be careful" Rosie said, briskly picking him up onto his feet again.

Rosie brushed her son off, smiling as she did so. The fact that little Pippin had just fallen face first into the snow did not seem to bother him.

Elanor and Gloria had now made their way onto one of the hills. Deep within the hill, a family of hobbits lived. The only evidence that they were in fact on the roof was the chimney poking out of the top.

Snow had gathered around it as black smoke poured out of the top. Gloria stopped. But Elanor did not.

"Elanor, shush" Gloria said, stopping her friend.

Two specks of light could be seen in the blizzard. They were not flickering candles. They were in fact of the light reflecting from the wolf's eyes.

Elanor took a few seconds to figure out what it was. Gloria backed away. But she was stopped.

"Don't move, he cant see you if you don't move" Elanor whispered.

The wolf could smell them more then he could see them. His coat of fur kept the warmth in better then the coats that Elanor and Gloria were wearing.

The wolf snarled, showing its razor sharp teeth. Drool hung from his jaw as his eyes scanned the area around him.

"Someone is close" he snarled.

He could sense a being or two standing right in front of him. It was then that he saw something move between the curtain of snow. But it was only for a split second.

Elanor was holding in a large sneeze. She knew if it came out, all hell would break loose. But, it no fault of Elanor's that would break the thin ice they stood upon.

Gloria too had the urge to sneeze. And she did not have a strong enough will to keep it down. Elanor was shocked when she sneezed.

The two girls could not be in any more danger. The wolf could now see both girls clearly.

"Run!" Elanor shouted.

The hill that they stood on had changed into a dangerous mountain pass. The two girls only had meters on either side of them to run.

Styles became rocks and roads became crevasses. Gloria followed Elanor as they ran down the other side of the hill. But the wolf followed. It front two paws impacted on the snow as it gained on them.

"Get over" said Elanor, waiting for Gloria.

A plan then quickly formed in her head. Gloria hopped over the stile without touching the two planks of wood that helped them climb.

The wolf bore down on them. Confidence rose in little Elanor. The stick she was holding glinted in the light. The wolf could see the glint of the sword. It snarled.

"Bring it on" Elanor said.

Gloria's heart rate rose as she turned around.

"Elanor" she squealed.

"Stay back" Elanor told her friend, not taking her eyes off of the wolf.

The young girl knew that if she did not kill the beast, then it would stop at nothing to the kill them. The girl took a deep breath as looked on both sides. On both sides, a drop of thousands of feet. Elanor was stuck on a bridge, covered with a thin layer of ice.

Frodo and the other boys were now getting very bored. They had built their snow hobbits and had a long session of throwing snowballs at each other.

Lunch was just an hour away. Rosie took a deep, cold breath as she walked past her house. She could see Elanor and Gloria onto of the hill.

Gloria, who gave a little look around, saw Rosie walking towards them.

"Elanor" she said.

Elanor looked around. As she did, she spotted her mother. The girl gave a small smile and turned. The battle with the wolf could wait.

Elanor hopped over the stile. The snow was still coming down around them. Rosie smiled as she approached the two girls.

"Lunch will be ready soon, Elanor" she told her daughter.

Gloria smiled as her lunch would also be ready.

"How are you, Gloria?" Rosie asked.

Rosie's nose and cheeks had changed a light pinkish colour.

"I'm good, thank you"

Gloria was Elanor's oldest friend. Gloria's parents had known the Gamgee family for many years. But Gloria's family were not as well off as others. They lived at the bottom of the hills. For, unlike Elanor, Gloria lived in one of the small Smails.

Smails were smaller then the standard homes that hobbits lived in. They contained just the minimum luxuries. The kitchen was basic, but still better then most human kitchens.

The bedrooms had smaller windows then normal. But the hobbits that lived there made up for it by many, many candles.

Everything that a hobbit needed was still present in the Smails, but just a little smaller. Families that lived there did not grow very large. But, if they did, they struggled for space.

Space was something that Rosie's family needed the most. She had many sleepless nights thinking about what she could do about it.

And it was not about to get any easier. Rosie smiled as she opened the door. Three of her children were with her. Samwise had stayed outside, in the coldness, to make sure Frodo and Elanor did not get too cold.

Elanor took a deep breath. She was getting hungrier and hungrier. But, it was Gloria that reignited her imagination.


	92. Day Forty Four, Part Two

"Elanor" she said, looked beyond her friend.

For a moment, Elanor wondered what she was looking at. She then remembered that the wolf was still on the prowl.

"Get back!" Elanor said, holding her stick like a sword.

Gloria moved back a bit. She was scared of the big wolf before her. But, between the girls, the wolf looked quite different.

Elanor saw it as a large, black wolf. His eyes glowed green, his two front paws were as thick as tree trunks. His fur was as black as the darkest night.

His teeth were as sharp as Elven blades. They were stained black. Elanor thought that this was because of all the orcs it had eaten. Although Elanor couldn't understand why this was. For orcs were not very tasty.

Gloria saw the beast as a muscular dog with two large fangs. Drool hung around its mouth, dripping onto the cold snow every so often.

Its eyes glowed a red as a fiery heath. It seemed to contently growl. Its fur was the same as Elanor's vision, but the rest was different.

In Elanor's vision, the wolf had gigantic paws. But, in Gloria's vision, its legs were thinner and its back was arched. Its head stayed low to the ground. Its eyes never leaving the two girls.

"When I say run" Elanor said calming, staring at the beast before her.

The surrounding had now changed back to dangerous mountains. The dangerous pass had been crossed. Now, the two girls were in a maze of ice. Sheets of ice towered on either side of them. There was no way out, save from a small crack in the ice.

"Elanor?" Gloria asked.

Gloria had spotted the crack in the ice. Elanor slowly looked back.

"What?" she asked.

Gloria did not know to tell her, but she had to. The wolf was baring down on both of them.

"There's a small cave we could run into"

As soon as those words were spoken, the wolf pounced at Elanor. The young girl stepped back as the wolf changed at her.

With a swipe of her sword, the wolf was injured. It gave a small whine, obviously effected by blade. But he recovered from it quickly.

Anger rose as blood dripped down from the side of its face.

"Elanor, we need to go!" Gloria said, seeing the sudden rise in danger.

She grabbed her friends arm and led her away. The wolf roared loudly and, once again, bounded towards the two girls.

Luckily, the two girls got away with moments to spare. Gloria and Elanor squeezed into the gap. The wolf, being larger then them, could not fit in the gap.

"Quickly, move further down"

Gloria and Elanor had to moved sideways to get down the passage. It was a couple of minutes of this tightness before the crack opened up into a cave.

Elanor looked around. There was no snow here, yet the cold wind blew through. Gloria and Elanor could hardly see what was in front of them.

Luckily, Elanor found what she thought was a unlit torch.

"Gloria, pass me the fire stones" Elanor said.

Gloria, who had had a pack on all this time, took it off and opened it up. A couple of seconds pasted before she found a small box. She grabbed it and took it out.

"Here" she said.

The level of light was just enough to see where the box was. Elanor opened it and took out the two, smooth stones. Both looked like black voids in her hands.

A few minutes later, fire erupted from what Elanor thought was a torch. The light showed her what she really picked up. But, the shock was quickly taken away as Gloria took a deep breath.

Origo's small, pink tongue was hanging out as he slept. Mya had once again put him in her bag. A large, very warm blanket had covered nearly ever inch of his fury body.

Ivy was in the bag as well. But she was not asleep. Mya continued to walk as Origo conserved his energy. Ivy, meanwhile, was still awake. She could see, through the woven fabric of the bag. Every so often, a large thump would come. This was the sign that Mya was still walking.

Ivy could see her surroundings darken as time wore on. Origo continued to sleep. Ivy could see his little face in the ever growing darkness. His fluffy head was resting on his fluffy paws.

It was normal for Origo to do this, but Ivy still found it cute. Ivy thought about sleeping herself. Though she did not need sleep, she could stay up for the rest of time, time would pass quicker if she did sleep.

And that's exactly what Ivy did. She curled up next to the large puppy. She smiled as she found a small bit of blanket that was not being used.

It was just big enough for her to wrap around herself. She smiled as she laid down and closed her eyes. The small fairy yawned and slowly fell to sleep.

Mya continued to walk. But, as she did, hunger grew. Her left hand side, a snow ridden marsh. It was muddy and waterlogged. The static water had now turned to ice.

Animals that lived in the water were now trapped. Snow settled on thin ice, disguising it from anyone that wondered through the marshes.

But Mya's plan was not to go cross country. Instead, she would fallow the road that she was on. In the distance, which could not be seen at this moment in time, a small range of hills stood.

They too were covered in white, untouched snow. An abandoned settlement stood, covered in ice and snow, just a few miles from where they were.

Weathertop lay cold and unused, save for small animals and birds. Other then that, it was weather-beaten. Trees and weeds grew in small cracks between the stones of the once prominent settlement.

The trees grew stronger and stronger. The small cracks, that had once housed them as saplings, was no more. Instead, the slabs of once polished marble had cracked. Bumps could be seen, creating more cracks and letting other plants and trees grow.

But it would be many thousands of years before the whole of Weathertop was eaten by nature. For now, it was, and had been, a safe spot for resting.

Travellers, for many hundreds of years, had stopped there. Their length of stay would be for just a night or two, then they would leave again.

Mya would soon reach this. Just one more day of walking and she would be able to stop there. But for now, she would have to continue walking.

Tiredness was now getting to her as the sun completely went down. Mya had no concept of time. It could have been nine o'clock at night or three o'clock in the morning.

All she could do was walk. The snow on the ground seemed to lighten the night up. Any light that was shed out was magnified.

But, around these parts, light was hard to come by. Only a small, dull spot coming from her bag. Only Mya could see this light.

It was Ivy.

Ivy let out a healthy green glow. Mya thought that it had become more prominent as Ivy lay there. There was little thought that she might actually be asleep.

Hobbiton was now dark as well. But, the residents could see more of their surroundings then Mya could. All of the hobbit children were now inside, out of the deepening coldness.

Snow elves and snow hobbits had been left to fight the coldness by themselves. The compact balls of snow that they were made of hardened in the coldness. They were now akin to the concrete.

There were some balls with second, small ones, on top. Sticks and stones had been placed into the balls of snow. Frodo Gamgee and his friends had spent a few hours playing and building their own snow hobbits.

Lunch had past and now dinner was being prepared. Rosie smiled as she picked up a trey. On that trey, a very large chicken, its feathers had been plucked.

Its insides had been scooped out and thrown away. Rosie had spent a good half an hour cleaning and preparing the bird.

Rosie smiled as she took a knife. She started to stab the chicken, creating small slits in the meat. A small box and vase stood near by. Honey was in the small jar and herbs were in the small, wooden box.

Rosie smiled as she took the small box. The herbs would be the first to put on the chicken. Rosie smiled as she took a small pinch and stuffed them in each of the small slits with the herbs.

Rosie smiled as she picked up the small glass jar. A spoon was taken out of the draw. Rosie went back and opened the jar. Inside, amber honey.

The hobbit took the spoon and scooped out the honey. It ran off of the spoon as she took it out. A second spoon, much smaller then the first, was picked up as well.

The smaller spoon was used to scrape off the sticky honey. More and more honey started to slide down the cold meat.

Down the corridor, Elanor was still in her adventure. Though Gloria had gone back to her home, she was still involved.

The torch burst into flames. The old cloth still seemed to have oil poured on it. What they saw took their breath away. The cave was massive. It was bigger then anything the two young girls had ever seen.

The cave seemed to stretch out before them. But, it was the goings on behind them that scared them the most. A loud howl, from the wolf, echoed around them. the echoing seemed to last for a long while.

"Come on" Elanor said, taking a deep breath.

"Lets get away from here"

Gloria gave a small nod and walked after her friend. The ground they walked on consisted of slimy rocks. Elanor made sure that she did not slip and hurt herself. That would just slow them down even more.

The sound of water, dripping from the ceiling of the cave and into an invisible body of water, grew louder. It was then that the flickering torch reflected on a large body of blackness.

"Stop" Elanor said, seeing that her friend had yet to spot the lake.

She held Gloria back with one arm. Gloria's eyes reflected the light too. The lake was akin to glass. Shallow ripples crossed the lake and licked the shore.

"It's a lake" Gloria said.

Her voice echoed in an endless cave. Elanor nodded. The wind whistled through the small gap that they had entered in.

"Well, I guess we're here for a while" Elanor said, looked back.

She could make out the black shadow of the wolf, prowling around outside. Elanor knew that they had to find a way out soon. The coldness and lack of food would kill them off in a couple of days.

Elanor put her pack down. She suddenly realised what a weight it was. Her back had a dull pain running through it. She could come to only one conclusion to why this was. She had worn the bag for too long.

Gloria too had an equal painful back. She took a deep breath as she found a less slimy stone to sit on. Gloria opened her pack and took out a flask.

She took a large swig and looked around. The torch had been stood against a large rock. Its flames flickered in the wind blew against it.

"I'm starving" Elanor said.

Deep down, the bread that she had taken out of her bag was not enough. She needed warm food like bacon and chicken. But that was hard to come by.

Yes, the two girls had had some meat, but it had been a couple of days ago when they were further down the mountain.

"You know" said Elanor, her voice echoing around the cathedral sized cave.

"I'd rather be at home" she said.

The two girls had battles their way through valleys and peaks, snow, rain and heat. But their mission had only just started.

In Elanor's world, an evil had been spreading across the land. One of her best friends, a wooden horse, had been taken captive. That was the reason that she was so far away from home.

She missed Hobbiton. But she would not rest until her friend had been set free. And Elanor would stop at nothing to make that happen.

Meanwhile, Mya, Origo and Ivy were not the only ones out in the freezing snow. Pimpernel was still walking towards a small village. It was the only one, out of all the hundred of thousands in Middle-earth, that she wanted to go to.

Pimpernel continued to travel towards the small village. But the coldness was getting to her. Pimpernel sniffed as she came over yet another hill.

In the distance, she could see a few lights. This was where Hamson was.

"Come on, Pimpernel" she told herself, taking a deep breath.

"Just a few more miles"

Pimpernel took a few moments rest before she started to walk again. But her journey had not been an easy one. A few times, she had stopped in her tracks and started to walk back.

But she stopped again.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself.

Hamson was the only reason that she had left the warmth and safety of Hobbiton. And it was Hamson that drover her on through the worst winter storms of the year.

Hunger was now getting to her. A single loaf of white bread had been packed in her bag. The straps hung over both of her shoulders.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a bite to eat" she thought.

As she slipped the bag off. The snow around her was coming to a stop. The snow, just down the dark road from her, was untouched. Not even birds had had the pleasure of being the first to enjoy the snow.

Pimpernel shivered as opened the pack up. The loaf of bread was then taken out. Nelly's hands were beyond cold. They took on a dull pain as she slowly unwrapped the loaf. Her hands were not as nimble as they were.

Everything was done much slower then normal. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she tried to rip off a small bit of bread.

But her hands lacked the power needed to do so. So, thinking quickly, Pimpernel started to bite off the bread. This worked much better. But the bread was starting to stale as Pimpernel ate.

After ten or so minutes of eating, Pimpernel put the bread back. less then half of the loaf was left. The hobbit knew that all of it would be gone by the time she reached her Hamson.

Hamson was sitting in a warm, well lit kitchen. He smiled as he cut up a large, steaming stake. His aunt, uncle and his cousin, Anson was sitting just beside him. All four of them ate in silence.

Hamson smiled as he poked his fork into the last bit of beef. He smiled as he ate it. his plate was now clear. Hamson placed both his knife and fork on the plate. He smiled as he picked up his mug.

"Well, my dear" said Andy, broadening his smile.

"That was most excellent"

His wife smiled.

"Only the best for my family" she said.

Hamson smiled too. He felt well fed, as he did when ever he finished a meal. His ale was finished. Andy's wife stood up again. For, after dinner, came one of the only reasons hobbits did not retire to their rooms.

A large cake had been cooking in the flaming stove. Hamson watched as it was taken out. He took a deep breath. Even though he had had his fill of food, a little bit of cake would go down nicely.

His auntie smiled as she cut it into four, very large pieces. She placed one piece into each of the four bowls. A large glass jar of cream had been taken out of the small cellar. Andwise's wife smiled as she turned around.

"There you go" she said, placing a bowl in front of her husband and son.

She then turned around and picked up the last two bowls. She smiled as she placed one before Hamson and one on her place.

"Thank you" Hamson said.

A spoon had been placed out before each place. Now was the time to use them. Andy was the first to take a large mouthful of the warm cake.

Judging by his face, it was a great success. Soon, all four of them ate. And, as before, quietness came over them. Hamson's tiredness grew as he took mouthful after mouthful.

The amount of cake quickly vanished as he ate. Now, only half of it was left. A small part of him wanted to finish up there, he could not eat another bite. But, then again, he was a hobbit.

After a minute, Hamson started to eat again. And he continued to eat. The cake vanished from sight as he ate. But he was not the first to finish. That title was given to Anson. He smiled as he placed the spoon down.

Less then ten minutes later, the rest of the family had finished. Andy's wife smiled as she sat there. Everyone was now fed and watered, her duties were done, for now.

Now, the washing up needed to be done. Like always, Hamson and Andy helped. Bowls that were once full of food were now standing by the sink. Anson had already departed back to his room. he had refilled his mug with ale before he left.

"Oh, my dear, I can do it" Hamson's untie said.

Hamson smiled as the bowls were taken from him.

"Now, go and relax, I'll bring the tea in when its ready"

Hamson smiled and nodded. He took a deep breath as he turned around and walked out of the kitchen. But, Hamson was not the only hobbit that had been eating. The Gamgee household had been very busy over the past hour.

But, now that all of the children had been fed, the level of activity had slowly started to stop. Elanor smiled as she sat on her bed. The young girl smiled.

"It's my birthday in two months" she told her favourite toy horse.

The horse, of course, knew this. For the horse knew every little secret that Elanor had. For the horse was indeed a part of her own imagination.

Elanor was at that stage where she was seeing things a bit differently. Her feelings were getting stronger and more real. At the back of her mind, for the five days, was a thought that she could not get rid of.

"You are going to have a new baby brother or sister" her mother had told them.

Yes, Elanor loved her brothers and sisters. For she was the oldest and could remember most of their births. But it was taking it toll on her.

The young girl was in a fragile state. Love from her mother and father seemed to have been trickling away with every passing birth.

But not all of the Gamgee children felt like this. Frodo seemed not to be bothered by the amount of children that his parents had. For he was in his own little world.

Elanor and Frodo, for the moment, did not have to share a room. But that was soon to change as the family grew. For now, Elanor could delve deep into her imagination.

"What are you hoping to get?" the horse asked.

Elanor took a deep breath and started to think. She hadn't thought about what she wanted yet. And it was the bed time to do so.

"Well" she started, thinking of a few things she already wanted.

"I wouldn't mind a mirror and a comb" she answered.

These were much different answers to the ones the horse was expecting. He knew that his Elanor had been growing up and the day would soon come.

"What about toys?" the horse asked.

Elanor seemed not to be interested about getting toys this year. Her mind was now on how beautiful she looked. Even though she was going to be ten, her looks were now getting more important then playing.

But she had many years of playing with her friends before she would start to worry about other things. The horse was now galloping around the bed.

"I want to play again" the horse told her.

Elanor smiled. But she did not feel like playing at the moment. Elanor felt like making more beads. Without an explanation to where she was going, the girl slid off of the bed.

Under her bed were a few boxes that stored her old clothes. A layer of dust had congregated on each surface. But Elanor wanted only one box.

The box had been given to her by her father. The box contained lots of small beads of nearly every colour under the sun. A bundle of strings lay in the last compartment. They were just long enough to put a good amount of beads on and to tie it up.

Elanor smiled as stood up. The horse was watched her every movement. Elanor had made only three bracelets. Two were in the room. One around her small wrist and the other around the wooden neck of her toy horse. The third was laying in a dark box. And that box was under a bed. Samwise had placed it in a box that he used for his most precious objects.

Elanor's bracelet lay right on top, taking pride of place on the top on everything else that had been put in there. The rest of the objects were either drawings by each of his children or letters from Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.

Elanor took a deep breath as she uncoiled a piece of string. Like the bracelet before, this one was for a member of her family.

Rosie had yet to receive one. She did not know that Samwise had been given one. But she would soon find out as Elanor tied a very small knot in onto end. This was to stop the beads so that they did not fall off again.

"Now, which to choose" Elanor thought, looking at the different segments.

She then smiled as she chose a red one. Elanor looked at the bead. A small hole had been punched through the middle. It was then that Elanor focused on the end of the string.

A moment later, the small red bead slid down to the string to the knot. Elanor now had an idea on how to make the bracelet. The second bead would be orange.

The horse watched intensely.

"Why don't you do a blue one next?" the horse asked, thinking it was a good idea.

But Elanor knew what she was doing.

"No, its going to be the colours of the rainbow" she answered.

The second bead was then placed on the string. Elanor then picked out a yellow one and did the same. Soon, seven beads hung on the string. From red to violet, all sat there happily.

"And now, we start again"

The process was then repeated a few more times. An hour past. Elanor continued to hang beads onto the string. But, after a final bead had been placed on the string, there was no more room to put any more on.

"Now, we have to tie the two ends together" Elanor told her horse.

The young girl found this to be the hardest part. She concentrated harder then ever to tie the two ends together. After what seemed like hours, the two ends were tied together. Elanor smiled, feeling proud as she inspected her craft.

The bracelet had three distinguishable bands of colour running through it. Beads of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet were all hugging the string.

"Do you like it?" Elanor asked, showing her horse.

The horse, who had been galloping around, came to a stop. The horse took a quick look at it and nodded.

"Yes, yes it's very nice" he answered.

Elanor smiled. She knew that it was nearly time for bed as she looked at the clock. Her parents had already put her younger siblings, apart from Frodo, to bed.

Rosie smiled as she walked to her oldest daughter's room. The clock chimed as a knock came at the door. Elanor smiled as she closed the lid to her beads.

"Yes?" she asked, watching the door.

Rosie smiled as she walked in.

"Time for bed now, honey" she told her daughter.

Elanor smiled. But, before she could say anything Rosie had gone.

"Mummy?" Elanor asked, rushing to the door.

Rosie stopped in her tracks. She looked around.

"Yes, dear?" she asked.

Elanor smiled as she held out her hand.

"I made this for you" she answered, looking up at her mother.

Rosie looked into her daughter's small hand. Laying on her palm, a small bracelet. Rosie gave a smile.

"Is that for me?" she asked, taking it from her daughter.

"Yes, I made it for you" Elanor said.

Rosie inspected the bracelet.

"This is beautiful" she said.

Elanor's smile broadened. A few seconds later, the mother and daughter embarrassed in a hug.

"Now" said Rosie, breaking their hug.

"Get washed a ready for bed" she told her.

Elanor nodded and scooted off towards the bathroom. Rosie smiled as she heard the door click. The hobbit walked trough her quietening home. Only the evidence that it was below freezing outside was the snow that had settled on the small ledge outside the window.

"Wouldn't like to be out in it" she thought.

But there was one being that was. Pimpernel's progress had slowed right down. Her hands and feet were beyond hurting. The hobbit had been shivering since she left her sisters back in Hobbiton.

Pimpernel's lips were blue. Her hands had been shoved into the pockets of her coat, but this helped just a little. The fact that Hamson was near by drove her on.

As Pimpernel walked down a path, from the main road, a large building came into view. The sound of a river slowly met her. First by sound and then by sight. A building be been built so that a waterwheel could be placed in the river.

It continued to spin, splashing water into the river again. Pimpernel noticed that the river looked darker then normal. Probably because of the whiteness of the snow made it look darker.

The noise of the river was drowned out as the building got closer. Spots of light could be seen coming out and touching the snow on the road. The snow here was still untouched, saved for a few foot prints coming out of a door that led into the building she was walking by.

As she walked, the noise from inside the building died down. Hamson was shutting up for the night. He had no clue that Pimpernel was outside.

Hamson took a deep breath as the large heart of the building came to a stop. There was an eerie silence. Hamson took a deep breath. All of the rope making for today had stopped.

"Time for bed" he thought as he blew each of the candles out.

Outside, Pimpernel could see the light getting fainter and fainter. She walked a little bit down towards the only door that she could see.

The minutes that past felt more like hours to Nelly. Hamson smiled as he opened the door. A single candle had been left burning. This was the light that would help him see his way home.

He smiled as he closed the door behind him. But a sound caught him. Pimpernel had sneezed four times. Hamson, holding his candle, knew who it instantly.

"Pimpernel?" he asked.

He knew it was her due to her shimmering blue eyes in the flickering candle.

"Pimpernel, what are you doing here?" he asked, walking closer.

But still, she did not talk. Hamson, being quick minded, knew that he had to get her into the warmth quickly.

"Pimpernel, come on" he said, gently pushing her towards his home.

A few more minutes past as the two of them walked slowly towards Hamson's uncles home. Hamson left a quiet and cold Pimpernel standing before the front door as he went to open it.

"Come on" he said, showing her in.

Pimpernel continued to shiver as she slowly walked over the threshold. It was then that Hamson's uncle came to see him.

"Hamson?" he asked, spotting Pimpernel.

"What's this?" he asked.

Hamson took a deep breath.

"She's an old friend, a very old friend" he said.

Uncle Andy was confused.

"Where did she come from?" he asked.

But Andy's questions could wait.

"Could you get her some tea and some blankets, please?" Hamson asked.

Andy wasn't sure about this girl, but he could see that the girl needed some help. So, with a small nod, Andy walked away. Hamson smiled as he helped Pimpernel take off her bag and coat.

"Come on" he said, holding out his hand.

Pimpernel seemed to be spaced out. Her face did not show any expression. She barely looked at Hamson.

"Pimpernel?" Hamson asked, bringing her glassy eyes resting on him.

Her eyes slowly slid down to his out stretched hand. For a moment, she did not look away. But, after a few more seconds, she slowly reached out and took it.

Hamson felt how cold Pimpernel was. He took a deep breath. A lot of things wanted and needed to be said. But now was not the time.

"Come on, lets sit you down" he said.

Pimpernel did not nod or answer. She followed Hamson through to the lounge. Andy's wife and son were sitting there too.

"Hamson, who is this?" Andy's wife asked.

She instantly stood up as Pimpernel was sat down.

"Could you get her some tea, please?" he asked.

Hamson gave a look that told the woman that it was important. So, giving a nod, the hobbit walked out. Andy had come back into the lounge. He had found some blankets that Pimpernel could use.

"Here" he said, handing them to Hamson.

Colour had already come back into Pimpernel's face. Hamson smiled as he placed the blankets over her.

"Is that better?" he asked, looking at her.

Pimpernel's eyes seemed to have lost its million mile stare. Hamson smiled, seeing the face that he knew and loved so much.

"Yes" Pimpernel quietly said.

Andy stood there, looking between the two of them. a few minutes past with not words spoken between Hamson and Nelly. Andy's wife came back into the lounge, she was carrying a large mug of sugarless tea.

Hamson smiled as he took it.

"I'll just get the sugar" she told Hamson.

But, Hamson knew that Pimpernel did not like sugar in her tea.

"Oh, not for Pimpernel, she doesn't like it in her tea"

Hamson's aunt found this very strange.

"Well, I have some honey, if she would like that" his auntie told them.

Pimpernel's blue eyes darted over to Hamson's aunt.

"I would, thank you" she said, delicately.

The older woman gave a smile and turned around. Anson was still sitting down. his eyes were back on the book that he was reading. For, at night, there was nothing else to do other then read and eat.

A few minutes later, Hamson's auntie came back. she was carrying a trey with a mug on and a loaf of bread.

"There you go dear, eat up, you'll get better quicker if you do" she told Pimpernel.

Pimpernel gave a small smile and picked up the small table spoon. The trey rested on her legs. The lid to the clear glass jar of honey. Pimpernel could remember the last time she had done this.

She had been in the warmth of her sister's home. But now, she was in her true home. Hamson smiled as he looked around.

"We need to make you a bed" Hamson said.

His auntie gave a smile.

"I'll go and make one now" she told them.

Pimpernel looked down at the mug of hot water on the trey. The tea leaves had already been taken out, leaving a dark brown colour. The honey seemed to slowly slide off of the spoon, into the water.

Half an hour past as Pimpernel ate and drank to her fill. Tiredness was now getting to her as the trey was taken away from her.

"You look tired" Hamson said, looked down.

Colour had now back into her lips. She seemed more lively then before.

"I am" she answered.

Hamson smiled and held out his hand again. The trey that had once been sitting on Pimpernel's lap was now back in the kitchen. Pimpernel took Hamson's hand again and stood up.

There was a noticeable difference in temperature when Hamson touched her skin. Warmth had flooded back into her little body as the two of them walked down the winding corridor.

Hamson smiled as he opened the door to the spare room.

"Ah" he said, seeing that it was the right one.

"Here you are" he said.

Pimpernel walked in. There was a strange smell to it, but she was too tired to complain. Her pack, along with all her clothes, had already been put in the room.

"I'll be just down the hall way if you need me" Hamson told her.

This disappointed Pimpernel. She had been hoping that the two of them would spend more time together. For that was why she came.

But then, she did not have the energy to argue. Hamson gave her a hug. For a moment, he felt an awkwardness come over him. But that quickly washed away.

"Have a good sleep" he told her.

Pimpernel smiled. Her eyes continued to survey the room around her. Her eyes were getting heavier and heavier as she changed, without a wash, into the night gown that she had brought with her.

The candles were left flickering as she climbed into bed. she took a deep breath as her head hit the pillow. Only one of the three things she wanted back had been given to her.

Her house was still an empty, black shell within a sea of white and her precious little puppy still had not returned. Pimpernel's eyes closed as she delved into a sleep deeper then any before.


	93. Day Forty Five, Part One

Pimpernel arose to a very strong smell. But it was not a horrible smell. In fact, it was very inviting. A small glance over at the clock showed her the true length of her sleep.

Both of the hands were pointing upwards, near the twelve at the top. This had been the latest that she had ever slept in. The warm duvet was then drawn back.

The candles were still flickering as she slowly sat up. Her head swam for a moment before settling down. She took a deep breath, realising that she was not at her sister's anymore.

Pimpernel yawned as she walked towards the door. Pimpernel felt dirty, she had not had a wash in more then twenty four hours.

The door gave a small click as it opened. Pimpernel looked down the corridor. For a few seconds, she wondered which way to go. But a noise from her left hand side confirmed that she should go that way.

So, she walked towards, what she thought, was the kitchen. Sure enough, the smell of food came ever prominent. A humming sound came from the kitchen, along with a few clunks and bangs. Andwise's wife was busy with a large chicken that had just come out of the stove.

Pimpernel smiled as she entered the room. Her arrival had not been unnoticed. The woman looked around and gave a nice, warm smile.

"Good morning" she said.

"Or should I say, good afternoon?" she asked.

Pimpernel knew that she had over slept. But, for hobbits, it was better to sleep then to feel tired.

"Lunch will be ready soon, so you can get washed and dressed if you want"

Pimpernel nodded.

"And I'll have a nice cup of tea for you when you get here"

Nelly gave a small smile and walked out of the room again.

"I need to wash my hair" she thought.

Meanwhile, Hamson was in the building just across from their house. The water wheel had been started again. This led the machines to spring into life. Hamson smiled as the end of a very long piece of rope came to an end.

Hamson heaved the heavy load over to a spot on the floor. The rope was piled next to many other piles of thick, strong rope.

Each one would be used for many different things. Some would be shipped to the grey havens where ships were built. Others would be shipped to Hobbiton and the surrounding areas. They would mostly be used for wells to get water by.

Without Hamson's knowledge, a cart had pulled up along side the building. Unusually, it was a man that was riding it. He jumped off of the cart and looked around. He had been coming here for many, many years.

He gave a smile as he walked away from the cart. Large prints of his feet were left behind as he walked towards the low door way.

Hamson looked up as the door opened.

"Oh" said a large figure, spotting Hamson.

Hamson took on a confused look.

"Do you know where Andwise is?" the man asked.

Hamson now knew that the man was in fact here for the rope.

"Certainly" Hamson answered, rubbing his dirty hands.

Hamson had already been working for two hours now. Once again, Hamson had to go out in the coldness. The man kept the door open as Hamson walked out.

The two of them made the short journey to the house.

"I'll be back in a moment" Hamson told the man.

The man, who was twice as tall as he was, nodded and gave a small smile. Hamson opened the door. He could feel that the house was incredibly warm. But there were no complains to be had. For warmth was the only reason hobbits stayed in during the winter months.

Lunch was now in the last stages of being prepared. Pimpernel, who had had a wash and a change of clothes, was now helping with lunch.

"And, that's why I left Hobbiton" she told Hamson's aunt.

The woman took a deep breath.

"Well, I feel for you, Pimpernel, I really do"

Just then, Hamson walked into the room.

"Where is Andy?" he asked.

Pimpernel looked around. She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling deep within her. A smile came over her that she could not contain.

"I think he's in the study, dear" his aunt answered.

Hamson gave a smile.

"Thank you" he said.

Without a word to Pimpernel, he walked out again. Pimpernel continued to smile as she got out five plates.

"You're blushing" the woman said.

Pimpernel's eyes darted around.

"No I'm not" she said, blushing even more.

Hamson knocked on the closed study door. Inside, a voice came.

"Come in" it said.

The door clicked as it opened.

"There is some human waiting for you in the front" Hamson said, poking his head around the door.

Andwise, who had a quill in his hand, placed it down.

"Ah, he's here, is he?" he said.

The chair scrapped on the cold tiles that made up the floor.

"I can deal with his requests, my boy, you get yourself cleaned and ready for lunch"

At that, he walked down the corridor. But first, Hamson needed to turn the machines off. So, before he could relax and eat to his fill, he would have to venture out into the coldness one more time.

The coldness outside seemed to have lessened. But, this did not mean he didn't feel it. Hamson sniffed as he opened the closed door to the large building.

Inside, the man and Hamson's uncle were taking.

"Ah yes, here it is" Andy said, spotting a few more bundles of brown rope.

The man was already carrying a large bundle. It was larger then anything that Hamson could lift. The man smiled as he took the weight of the last piece of rope.

He smiled at Hamson as he walked outside. Uncle Andy walked out as well. for there was money in his investment and he wanted to make sure he got it.

Hamson was left alone to make sure that the machines were all off before he could go in for lunch. After pulling a few levers, the machines died down.

Lunch was now ready in Hobbiton too. Pearl took a deep breath as she got out a single plate. The house was very quiet now. Pimpernel had left her home. Worry was still ripe in Pearl's heart.

Pearl's lunch had not shrunk in size. Although she would have a different lunch then normal. Eggs sat in a hot, oily pan. A metal spatula, with a wooden handle, was then picked up.

The egg was quickly cooking, the yoke sat right in the middle. Pearl smiled as she flipped the egg over. The fizzling sound grew louder for a few seconds before dying back down again.

A few minutes later, the eggs were done. Pearl carefully lifted the cooked eggs out of the pan. To the left hand side of her, six slices of bread had been lain on the work top. Two of her three sandwiches had already been made.

Pearl smiled as she placed the two eggs onto of a pile of bacon.

Like the other two, the second slice of buttered bread was placed on top. A clean plate was then taken out of the cupboard. But food would have to wait as the plate slipped out of her hands and shattered onto the floor.

It instantly broke into a million pieces. Pearl took a deep breath and looked up.

"Terrific" she said.

Yet more time before she would eat. Hunger was now becoming both felt and heard as her stomach rumbled. Pearl took a deep breath, knowing that she would have to go to the small cupboard to get the broom out.

Pearl closed the cupboard door, broom in hand. She took a deep breath as she re-entered the kitchen. The sound of scrapping erupted as the hobbit started to clean up.

A pile of shards lay on the floor, waiting to be picked up. Pearl moved the wicker bin over to her and started to remove the shards from the floor. After a few more minutes, she was ready to get a new plate out.

The three sandwiches were placed on a new plate. Finally, Pearl could sit down for lunch. A pint of her best ale had been set on the table too.

A smile came over her as she picked up the large sandwich. Moments later, a large bite was taken out of sandwich. Pearl started to knew, tasting both the bacon and egg at the same time. She was proud with her lunch. For she had never tried it before.

"I should make this more often" she thought.

The first sandwich was finished in good time. But, before she started on second sandwich, she took a large swig of ale. This seemed to make her less hungry, which was a good thing. This meant that she could eat more.

Meanwhile, Hamson had sat down to lunch. It was the first time, since the fire in Hobbiton, that he would share it with Pimpernel.

Pimpernel was sitting opposite him. Her plate was filling up with delicious food. It was when she picked up a bowl full of rashers that she stopped.

Bacon was her puppies favourite thing to eat. She would eat nothing but bacon. The woman sitting beside her saw that Pimpernel's actions. Something was troubling the young girl as she sat there.

"Would you like some help?" said Andy's wife.

Pimpernel took a few seconds to react. Her eyes were looking down at the warm rashers of bacon.

"No" she answered, slowly.

"No, I'm fine"

The bowl of bacon was then past on. Pimpernel did not feel like having any at the moment. A large pile of honeyed chicken had been placed on her plate.

Pimpernel's appetite seemed to vanished. She smiled as she took a bowl of crispy parsnips from Hamson's cousin. She could feel the heat radiating off of the cooked parsnips.

She held the handle of the spoon and started to place a few parsnips at a time. She took a deep breath, seeing that enough had been placed on her plate for her liking.

Sprouts, carrot and turnip, sausages and roasted potatoes were all piled onto her plate. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she picked up a boat of gravy.

The gravy was then poured out of boat. Pimpernel smiled as all of her food. She placed it back and picked up her knife and fork. Pimpernel started on the sausages.

They were cooking to perfection. A little hint on mint could be tasted through the warm sausage. Now, everyone was eating. Pimpernel was the only one who had not put bacon on her plate.

Hamson was cutting the sausages lengthways. Two slices of bread had been buttered. Now, the cut sausages were being placed on one slice of bread. It took three or four of them to cover one side. Hamson smiled as he placed the second piece of bread on the first.

He smiled as he took a large bite. The butter that had been spread on either slice was now melting. But this did not bother Hamson as a small drip of butter fell onto the table.

Meanwhile, little Elanor Gamgee had finished her lunch. She had managed to through two helping of lunch. She was now very full up and ready to go outside and play. The snow had fallen the day before. But, today, the clouds did not threaten the land with more flakes.

Instead, they were floating high in the sky, surveying their work. Footprints of nearly every living creature could be seen in the snow. From foxes to hobbits, all prints crossed each other.

But they were not made at the same time. Hobbits were the first to enjoy the downfall of snow. The foxes had been too scared to come out in the day time. They loved the darkness. For, under the cover of night, the could roam unhindered.

Birds, like the hobbits they lived near, cuddled up and slept. The birds had a much harder time then their fellow nature loving hobbits. For fires could not be lit by birds, a skill that was most needed at this time of year.

The abandoned shell of Pimpernel's home was not left unused. Small birds had made temporary homes in the deep crevasses on her home.

Elanor Gamgee could not wait to get back out in the snow again. Her imagination was already in full swing as she put her coat on. Like the day before, both Samwise and Rosie would be coming out with them.

"Hold your horses, dear" said Rosie, calming a excited Merry.

Merry's sister, Rose, was waiting patently for her mother to help her. the last button was poked through the small slit on the other side of the coat.

"There you go" she said, standing up.

But there was still Rose to button up and make sure that she was warm. This did not take long as Rose could do all but top button up.

"Right" said Samwise, carrying youngest son.

"Are we all ready?"

Frodo and Elanor took a quick glance at each other. This split second glance said a lot to little Elanor. She now knew that Frodo was planning something.

The door opened and the family quickly filed out into the snow. A crispness about the air hit Rosie as she looked around. Once again, the land was carpeted in a whiteness that stretched for mile after mile.

Elanor and Frodo were taken aside. They were told to behave, like always, and not to cross the bridge that lead out of Hobbiton.

The family filed out of the house. Once again, Samwise was the last one out. The party of hobbits made their way through the gate.

Elanor and Frodo had already gone off, being free to do what they wish. But there was limit to what they were allowed to do.

Gloria was sitting in her warm room, she gave a small yawn. She was waiting for her friend to come and knock for her. The lunch that she had eaten, just thirty minutes before, was taking it toll on her.

She was just about to have a little nap when a knock came at the door. Gloria looked up. She knew exactly who this was. So, she slowly slipped off of her bed. Her father had already walked to the door and opened it.

"Do come in, I think she's coming now" he said.

Sure enough, little Gloria was walking towards them. Her father closed the door and walked away, leaving the two girls standing there.

"Are you ready to come out?" Elanor asked, her little nose had taken on a pinkish colour.

Gloria's home was nice and warm. But, in the time it had taken, Elanor now felt a bit warmer.

"Yes, of course" Gloria answered.

She then took her coat off of the hook and proceed to put it on. For the first time, Gloria managed to do the top button on her coat. She gave a smile, her spirits were lifted as she heard her father coming.

"Oh, I see you've done it yourself" her father said, smiling.

Gloria's mother and farther were a lot older looking then Elanor's. Her little brain started to work. And there was only possible answer.

They were not her real parents.

"Should I say anything?" Elanor asked herself as the two of them headed outside.

Elanor thought better of it. She did not want to make her friend angry or upset. The gate gave a small bang as it closed.

"Shush" said Frodo, hiding behind a bush.

The mess of twigs broke up their outline. Each of the boys had two snowballs in each hand. Frodo could see the blonde hair of his sister walking away from them.

"Come on" he said, braking his cover.

The group of young hobbit boys, five in total, followed the two girls. Frodo could see them walking towards a large hill.

"What are they doing?" asked one of his friends.

But he was soon hushed. For another figure came into view. It was Frodo's mother. She had a very good eyes and, unlike Elanor and Gloria, could see the group of boys closing in on the two girls.

Rosie continued to watch her son get closer and closer. A small child, Pippin, was snuggled up in a large blanket. Frodo had yet to see his mother. So, he continued on with his quest to throw snowballs at his older sister.

Gloria and Elanor hopped over a large, by their small standards, stile. Frodo and the boys were right behind them, tracking their foot prints in the snow.

"There they are" Frodo whispered.

A plan was forming in his head. All the while, Rosie was watching them. But she did not intervene just yet. She watched as Frodo talked about something.

"Quickly" he said.

"Go"

So, three of Frodo's four friends ran off. Rosie knew that she should act soon. But, then again, she wanted to see what was happening first.

She stopped where she was, watching the two boys that had just ran away. They were heading around the hill to cut the girls off. Frodo and his friends were now heading the opposite way.

Meanwhile, the two girls had no idea of the impending attack.

"I've found a way out" said Gloria.

A large wall of slimy rock stood before her. Sunlight seeped through a small gap in the vase wall. A whistling sound came from the small gap. For the girls, it was too small, even for them.

"We'll have to leave our packs behind" Elanor told Gloria.

This was defiantly not good news.

"But, all of our food and water is in them" Gloria said, concern now growing.

Elanor took a deep breath. It was then a plan formed in her head.

"Maybe if one of us goes outside first and pass the packs through" she said.

There seemed to be no flaw in her plan. So, the two of them took their packs off.

"I'll go through first, you can pass the packs out to me"

Gloria nodded and waited until her friend had made her way out. After a few seconds, Elanor got through the gap and stood up.

"Alright, you can pass the bags through now!" she shouted, over the wind.

Gloria nodded and picked up the first heavy bag and pasted it through. Elanor grabbed a hold of it and placed it aside. Gloria picked up her bag, it seemed heavier then Elanor's, but she did not complain.

A few minutes past before she was out in the coldness again. She could feel coldness tickle her face. But that's not all that she could feel.

Frodo and his friends had sprung their surprise attack on them. Gloria was the first to get hit. She gasped for air at the coldness. But she had little time to recover as more were thrown.

"Gloria, watch out!" Elanor said, ducking.

Gloria ducked as well. More and more snowballs were being thrown. Laughing could be heard as the four boys ambushed them.

Elanor could see her younger brother throwing snowballs at them.

"Stop!" Elanor shouted, but this just seemed to fuel them more.

There was only one thing that could stop the onslaught. And it was very close by.

"Frodo Gamgee!" said a stern voice through sound of wind.

But Rosie had come one snowball to late. Frodo threw his last snow ball. It twirled through the air and hit his sister right in the eye. Elanor instantly felt pain in her eye.

She placed her hand over her eye. Elanor instantly started to cry. Gloria was very worried indeed.

"Elanor, Elanor?" she asked.

Rosie was climbing up the hill. Frodo and the boys knew of Rosie's bad temper, for they had seen it before. But not like this.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister!" Rosie said.

The other boys backed off as she came closer. She could see Elanor holding her left eye.

"We were only playing" he said, stepping back a bit.

His mother loomed over him.

"Playing or not, you're coming home" she said, taking a hold of his hand.

"Owww!" he said, trying to set himself free.

But, his mother's grip was too strong. Rosie marched over to Elanor and took a look at her.

"It's alright, I think we should all go home"

Frodo tried to slip away, but his hand was recaptured. Rosie then marched away. Elanor's fun was now over as she trotted back home. Gloria helped her friend home before heading back home.

"Thank you, dear" Rosie said.

Samwise had rounded up the rest of the children. The matter in hand involved both parents.

"There you go" Rosie said, helping take off Elanor's coat.

"It hurts" Elanor whimpered.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"It will do, for a while" Rosie said.

Elanor gave a small whimper as she held her hand over it. Rosie took a deep breath. She now had talk to her oldest son. Elanor's coat was then hung up.

"Go into the kitchen and we'll get you all cleaned up" Rosie said.

Meanwhile, Samwise was standing with his back to Frodo's door. Frodo was standing before him. Tears were running down his face.

"Let me out!" he said with a raised voice.

But Samwise did not move.

"Let me out!" Frodo repeated.

This time, his voice was louder.

"Shouting isn't going to help you" Samwise said, calmly.

"I don't care!" Frodo said, trying to get to the door handle.

But the large figure of his father blocked any progress that his son could make. But soon, Samwise had to move out of the way as a knock came.

Rosie opened the door as Sam stepped a few paces forward. Frodo wouldn't dare try and escape now. For he was more scared of his mother then of his father.

Rosie closed the door with a gentle click. The echoes of his brothers and sisters met him. Rosie took a deep breath and just looked at her son. Frodo looked right back. His eyes were akin to his father's eyes. There was also a hint of his father's chubbiness within his face.

"Why did you do it?" Rosie asked.

They had gone through this many times before. Rosie hoped that Frodo had learnt his lesson last time, but it seemed that he did not.

"I didn't mean to" he whimpered.

He was very, very intimidated. Samwise shook his head.

"If you're going to keep misbehaving, then we will stop you from going outside" he told his son.

"No!" Frodo said, shocked and worried that he would miss all of the glorious snow outside.

"No, please don't" he begged.

But his pleads fell on deaf ears.

"You'll have to be punished for what you've done" Rosie said.

Elanor was walking down the hallway when she heard voices coming from her younger brother's room. Curiosity took her again. She wanted to find out what punishment her brother was getting.

So, as quiet as a mouse, Elanor stood outside his room. The muffled voices of her parents could be heard through the wood. But the laughing from her younger siblings seemed to drown out the sound of her parents.

Inside the room, the two adults were coming to a conclusion. Samwise took a deep breath.

"You're grounded"

But, before he finish, Frodo started to shout again.

"No, no, no, no, no!" he said, anger in his voice.

He quickly jumped onto his bed and started to mumble things under his voice.

"You will stay in for the rest of today and for tomorrow as well" Sam told him.

Rosie took a deep breath. She had something to add as well.

"And you will apologize to your sister as well"

Once again, Frodo went a fit of rage.

"I am not apologizing to her, I hate her!" he screamed.

Elanor took a deep breath. She had heard enough. The young girl made her way back to the kitchen. As she sat down, the door to Frodo's room opened.

Rosie and Samwise walked out. Frodo was now standing again, noticeably fuming.

"Stay in your room, I will call you for dinner" Sam told him.

Frodo watched as the door closed. He now felt very trapped. The young lad was going though a variety of emotions.

Anger rose in him.

"It wasn't even my fault!" he said through gritted teeth,

He was now laying on his bed. Every little thing seemed to be against him. Eyes seemed to watch his every movement. His room felt more like a prison then a place to relax.

Anger slowly, but surely, changed to sadness.

"I didn't even throw one" he whimpered, tears now running down his face.

Deep down, he knew that he had hurt not only Elanor, but his relationship with his mother and father as well. Time seemed to tick slower then normal.

Frodo started to think about all the fun he could be having. Elanor was thinking the same.

"We were in the middle of an adventure" said a sad sounding Elanor.

"What kid of adventure?" her mother asked.

Elanor took a deep breath.

"Well, me and Gloria were on our way to Mordor to find my horsey" Elanor told her.

Rosie now knew that her daughter's imagination was rich and clear.

"Oh" she answered, wanting to find out more.

"And why did he get taken?" she asked.

Elanor thought for a moment.

"Well, its complicated" she answered.

Rosie smiled.

"Well, maybe you could write a little story for me, like your father did" Rosie told her.

Elanor had never thought about writing a story about her adventures. But, now that it had been mentioned, it was a very good idea indeed.

"But, I haven't got a book to write it in" Elanor said, sounding a bit disappointed.

Rosie gave a smile. She knew exactly what to do.

"Well, I'm sure your father has a spare book laying about" she explained.

"If you ask nicely, I'm sure he'll give you one"

Elanor smiled. The pain in her face was now turning into numbness. There was a noticeable difference to the redness.

"Should I ask daddy now?" the little girl asked.

Rosie smiled.

"If you want, I'm sure he's not busy"

Elanor smiled and hopped off of the wooden chair. Rosie watched as her daughter scurried out of the room.

Meanwhile, Hamson had gone back into the freezing cold again. Yet another large log had come into contact with the waterwheel. And now, the machines were all sleeping again.

"Fantastic" Hamson said, knowing exactly what he needed to do.

So, walking the length of the building, at either end was a door. One led onto road that ran parallel to the building, the other door led to the perpendicular flowing river. And it was this freezing cold river that fed the machines.

Hamson picked up an old piece of rope, one that he had used for a nearly a dozen days now. It was stained with the muddy water of the near by river.

Hamson picked it up. The rope seemed to have freezing water soaked into it. This did not help with grip. Hamson took a deep breath as he opened the door to a freezing world.

The river was the same height as it was since the last time he had to pluck a log from the waterwheel. Hamson shivered as he made a knot in the wet rope.

"It'll have to do" he told himself.

Pimpernel was sitting in her new room. Ever since she had arrived here, she had felt a strange vibe from Hamson. One that she could only describe as a lack of connection.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she sat at the table.

"Well" said Hamson's aunt, sitting opposite her.

"Why don't you bring it up?" she asked.

"There's no harm in asking"

Pimpernel did not see it being as easy as she said. A large mug of honeyed tea stood before her.

"I came here because of him" Pimpernel said, staring into an unknown spot.

The woman was surprised.

"Why?" she asked.

Pimpernel knew that it would take a while to explain. But she had to do it.

"Because I love him" Pimpernel answered.

There was a moment of silence before Pimpernel continued on with her story.

"Many years ago, me and Hamson met for the first time. It was a time that will stick with me 'til the day I pass"

Pimpernel could remember the exact day and events that happened when she first talked to him. It was a bright summer's day and the market was in full swing.

She had been wearing her straw hat that she had made herself during the cold wither months. A wicker basket was held in her left hand, waiting to be filled with delicious food.

Pimpernel smiled as she reached the first stall. Small wicker bowls full of fruit and vegetable had been set out. Peppers, oranges, apples, pears, cobs of yellow corn and mushrooms could all be seen within the first few seconds. Pimpernel smiled as she looked at them.

"Good afternoon, dear" said an elderly hobbit.

Pimpernel returned the greetings.

"Is there anything you would like?" the woman asked.

"The apples were picked just this morning, very ripe they are"

Pimpernel thought that they did look very tempting.

"Well, I think you've convinced me" she said.

After a few minutes, Pimpernel had brought nearly a bag of everything that she could see on the stall. She placed the packs in her baskets and carried on.

A stall with meat, hanging from hooks, was next. Pimpernel smiled as she ordered some stakes and some rashers of bacon. But that was not meat ordered. Turkey and chicken were put into small paper packets and placed into her basket. It was then, as she made her way towards another stall, that she bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry" she said.

As she turned her head, her blue eyes fell upon a very hansom hobbit.

"Oh" Pimpernel said, quite lost for words.

Hamson smiled, making Pimpernel feel a bit funny inside.

"It's alright, lass" he said.

For some reason, Pimpernel started to blush. So, she averted her gaze. Just when she thought the meeting was over, Hamson started to talk.

"Beautiful day, don't you think?" he asked.

Pimpernel's smile widened.

"Yes, It's wonderful" she answered.

Hamson's face changed.

"You sound familiar" he said, wondering who she sounded like.

Pimpernel knew exactly what family this hobbit was from.

"You must be a Took" he said.

Pimpernel nodded.

"And you must be a Gamgee" she answered.

Hamson gave a single nod.

"Indeed I am" he agreed.

"I'm Hamson Gamgee" he said, holding out his hand.

Pimpernel was becoming more and more shy. Birds were singing, colourful insects were fluttering through the air and hobbits were talking, laughing or playing all around them.

"And I'm Pimpernel Took" she answered, taking his large hand.

There was something about this hobbit that Pimpernel felt comfort in. She didn't know what, but she knew it was there.

An awkward moment of silence past before they talked.

"Well, I best be off, Samwise needs some help in his garden" he said.

Pimpernel nodded.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you" Nelly told him.

"Like whys" Hamson said, giving a small wink.

"I'll see you around" Pimpernel said as they parted.

A moment of regret came over her as she walked away.

"Oh, Pimpernel, why did you say that?" she asked herself.

For the rest of the small shopping trip, she was very distracted. A few things had been forgotten as she walked back to her home. This was the same home that, a few years into the future, would be lost to a fiery accident.

"And that's why I came here" Pimpernel told her.

Her tea was now stone cold. It had been untouched.

"Well, that is tragic!" the woman said.

Meanwhile, Hamson had fished out the log and was now back to work. He gently pulled the finished rope as it came to end.

A large pile had been made by his feet. It took another few minutes to reached the end. Hamson left the rope in a pile as he walked the entire length of the building.

There, he hooked up smaller, thinner bits to the machine. After a few seconds, the whole posses began again. So, after making sure that the rope would not snag, he walked back to the fresh pile of rope.

He picked it up and moved the bundle to the side. Many more bundles were waiting to be shipped all over Middle-earth.

But, Hamson and his uncle were not the only rope makers. There was plenty of competition, but none in the Shire. This is where Andy got most of his orders from. It was very rare that he had an order further then Bree.

The distance the rope had to travel did not bother him much. But, there were a few times, Andy had not been able to meet his orders.

But, now that Hamson had come, his business was running smoother then ever. Hamson took a deep breath as he left the rope sitting on the floor.

"A bite to eat, I reckon" he told himself.

So, leaving the machines running, he walked out of the building. Pimpernel and the woman were still talking.

"I just, don't know what to do" she said.

Just them, the front door opened. Pimpernel looked over at the kitchen door. A click echoed down the hallway. This confirmed that the door had now been shut.

Hamson yawned as he walked down the warm corridor, to the kitchen. Hamson was met by the site of Pimpernel and his aunt sitting there.

"Talking about me?" he joked.

In fact, they were.

"We were just catching up. Pimpernel here has had quite a hard time, it seems" his aunt answered.

Hamson was quick to put two and two together. He knew exactly what they had been talking about. He noticed that Pimpernel had not been looking at him as much as she had been in the past.

"There's some stew left in the pot, dear" he was told.

This was what Hamson needed more then anything. Food and warmth. Even though he would just be in for a few minutes, it would make all the difference.

So, getting up from her seat, the woman walked over to the cupboard.


	94. Day Forty Five, Part Two

"Sit yourself down, dear. I'm able enough to serve you a bowl of stew" she told him.

Hamson smiled as he handed the bowl to her. Hamson smiled at Pimpernel as he sat down beside her. Once again, Hamson felt a vibe of awkwardness radiating from her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, watching her.

Pimpernel had to smile. She did not want Hamson to think that she was thinking about him.

"I'm fine, thank you" she answered.

Nothing more was said on the subject as a bowl of warm stew was placed before him.

"Thank you" he said, picking up the spoon that had also been set out.

Hamson started to wolf down the strew. His aunt watched as her nephew ate.

"So, is it busy in there today?" she asked.

Hamson, who was eating, looked up.

"As busy as ever, I need to get back in there soon" he answered.

Another mouthful of food was taken in.

"Well, your uncle should be joining you soon, he's just sorting out some more paper work" she answered.

Pimpernel had fallen noticeably quiet. She wanted to say many things, but she could not say it in front of Hamson's untie.

Hamson finished his stew after a few minutes, but he was still hungry. Luckily, his aunt was there to sure this.

"More?" she asked.

Hamson smiled and nodded.

"Yes, please" he answered.

So, bowl in hand, the woman walked over to pot again. The bowl was then filled with her delicious stew again.

"Thank you" Hamson said again as the bowl was placed before him for a second time.

Once again, Hamson started to eat. His hunger was now slowly slipping away. Soon, all of the stew in his bowl had had all gone.

Hamson smiled as he sat back in his chair.

"Did you like it?" his auntie asked.

"Of course" Hamson answered.

Pimpernel gave a small sigh, trying to make Hamson notice that she was not happy. But it didn't work.

"Well, I best be getting back" Hamson said.

He smiled at his auntie. Pimpernel looked up at him. But he did not return the gaze. With out even a look at her, Hamson walked out of the room.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"Do you see what I mean?" she asked, making sure Hamson was out of earshot.

The woman stood there, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Maybe you should talk to him, bring it up in a conversation" she answered.

Pimpernel knew that Hamson was scared and shocked that she was there. But, then again, this was no excuse to ignore her.

"He loved me once, why doesn't he love me anymore?" she asked herself.

So, upon draining the rest of her lukewarm tea, she stood up.

"Where are you going?" the woman asked, turning around.

But Pimpernel did not answer. She walked down the corridor to the front door. She quickly put her coat on and buttoned it up. She then opened the door and walked out to a cold, white world.

The sun was snow slipping into the west as the day grew older. Darkness and a deeper bout of coldness was chasing the daylight like a cat chases a mouse.

Pimpernel did not have far to travel. In fact, it was just a few seconds walk. The handle was cold to the touch as she opened the door.

The inside seemed to stretch on for what looked like miles. Hamson was just a small figure near the opposite end of the building.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and walked the short distance to him.

"Hamson?" she asked.

But the noise drowned out her attempts to grab his attention.

"Hamson?" she said, louder and more pronounced.

This did the trick as Hamson looked up. He was met by the small figure of Pimpernel, standing there.

"Pimpernel, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Pimpernel could barely hear him over the roar of the rope making machines.

"I need to talk" she answered.

But Hamson could not hear her properly.

"Pardon?" he asked, moving a bit closer.

"I need to talk to you!" she half screamed.

Hamson took a deep breath. He did not have time for talking right now. But the fact that Pimpernel had come all the way from Hobbiton made him want to find out why.

"Maybe this is my chance to ask why" he thought.

After a few seconds, he looked back at Nelly.

"Follow me!" he said.

Pimpernel nodded and walked behind him. The two of the length of building. Pimpernel couldn't help but look at the length of rope being made.

After what seemed like a minute, the two of them reached the other end of the building. Hamson took a deep breath as he opened the door.

"Out here?" Pimpernel asked, not liking the fact that she had to go out in the coldness again.

Hamson nodded.

"Its quieter" he answered.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and walked into the coldness. Hamson followed her and shut the door. Pimpernel turned around to face Hamson.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" he asked.

Now that it came to it, Pimpernel did not know what to say. All she could think of was three words. But now was not the right time.

"I've missed you" she told him.

Hamson took a deep breath. He averted his gaze to the ground. Deep down, he had miss Pimpernel every second that he had been away from her.

"Did you miss me?" asked Pimpernel, seeing what his reaction would be.

Hamson took a deep breath. He needed to get this question right. He needed to make her feel better, but he still needed time.

"Of course, its just…"

Hamson stopped midsentence. This was not what Pimpernel wanted. She wanted words of comfort.

"Its just what?" Pimpernel asked, fearing the worst.

If Hamson did not love her, then there was no point in her being here.

"Its just, I'm scared" he answered.

"I know its no excuse, but your precious to me. Very precious" he told her.

Pimpernel did not understand.

"If I'm so precious to you, then why did you leave?" she asked.

Elanor had now recovered from the incident earlier, which was more then could be said for Frodo. The young girl was now sitting at the kitchen table. An ink pot, a book and a quill had been given to her by her father.

"Now, you be careful with this" Samwise told her, handing her the book.

The book had no words written on it or in it.

"I will" Elanor answered, flicking through the pages.

There was a smell radiating from the book that captured Elanor's imagination even further. The blank pages were crisp and ready to be used.

"Now" said Samwise, turning around.

He retrieved a spare ink pot and a feather quill.

"Take good care of these, their yours now" he said, handing it to his daughter.

"And don't write on your bed, use the kitchen table" he told her.

Elanor smiled.

"I will, thank you daddy" she said.

She kissed her father and scooted out of the room. Samwise smiled and returned to writing his letter. Elanor smiled broadly as she entered the kitchen.

There, her mother was feeding Pippin.

"Look what daddy gave me" Elanor said, placing her three items on the table.

Rosie looked at her daughter.

"Did you say thank you?" she asked.

Elanor nodded as she opened cover. She took a deep breath as she picked up the quill.

"Now" she thought, staring at the blank page.

"Where to begin"

After a moment, she gave a smile.

"Ah yes" she said.

So, she dipped the end of the quill in the small bottle of ink and tapped it off. A scratching sound erupted from the paper as she started to write.

But Elanor soon came to a stand still as she described the situation further.

"Mummy?" she asked, looking up.

Rosie smiled and looked around.

"Yes, dear?" Rosie answered.

"What was the name of the naughty man in daddy's book?" she asked.

Rosie thought for a moment. For there Samwise had written about lots of evil men.

"Saruman?" she asked.

It was now Elanor's turn to think. The more she did, the more it did not sound right.

"No, it's the other one" Elanor thought.

She knew that she had seen the name before.

"You mean Sauron?" Rosie asked.

Something clicked in the young girl.

"Yes!" she said, sitting up again.

The quill was dipped in the sea of ink. Elanor then started to write again. Soon, the a whole page had been written on. Elanor took a little while to read what she had written. A smile came over her as she started to write again.

Rosie had finished feeding her youngest son. He giggled as his mother stood up. Rosie placed the empty bowl by the sink.

"Alright, Elanor dear, time to move" Rosie said.

Elanor smiled and closed the book. Luckily the ink had dried quickly. Elanor screwed the top back onto the pot and picked it up.

"Don't get ink on your bed!" Rosie called after her daughter.

Elanor smiled as she scurried to her room. She closed the door and walked over to her bed. The ink pot was placed down on her small bedside table.

The top was then unscrewed again and placed on the side. The book was then opened. Elanor scanned through the last few words that she wrote before she started to write.

The sound of quill on paper filled her room as she concentrated. Pictures were flashing past her eyes as she wrote. She smiled as she stopped. A small point of ink indicated the end of another sentence.

"What now?" she thought.

For a few seconds, the adventure seemed to shape itself in those few seconds. So, dipping the quill into sea of ink and started to write again.

In her head, Hobbiton was now being left. She explained what had happened. Both Gloria and Elanor were involved.

Heavy packs were on their backs. A walking stick, about the same height as them, was held. Coldness surrounded them as they headed to the Great East Road. Both girls had never been this far away from home before.

As Elanor wrote, her imaginary seemed to get stronger and stronger. Page after page was filled with her glorious adventure.

Hours past as she sat there. A yawn came over her as she looked up. Seven chimes echoed around the room. the sun had now full gone down.

"Have I been writing for that long?" she asked herself.

A little break was in order. In fact, dinner was in order. She smiled as she closed the book. The quill was place down next to the ink pot.

Rosie was now busy in the kitchen. Merry and Rose were giggling as they ran around the table.

"Oh, careful dears" she said, holding a big pot.

Inside were steaming potatoes, ready to be put into a hot pan. The water was then drained out into the sink. Rosie was very good at draining the water without any potatoes falling out.

Elanor smiled as she walked into the kitchen. Rosie looked around.

"Hello, mummy" Elanor said.

Rosie turned around and smiled.

"Hello, dear" she said.

Elanor could now smell the distinctive smell of chicken coming from the oven.

"How long until dinner?" the young girl asked.

Rosie did not answer right away. She heaved the heavy pot over to the side. She placed it on the table mat and picked up a large spoon.

"About two hours" Rosie answered.

This was a rough estimate for she had a lot more work to do. Elanor could not wait that long for food.

"Could I get something to eat, please?" Elanor asked.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"Don't eat too much, your dinner is ready soon" Rosie told her.

Elanor smiled and scurried to the cellar. There, she picked out a pack of five homemade cookies. She smiled as she came back out and shut it afterwards.

Rosie took a deep breath as she scooped the potatoes out of the very hot pan and into a cooler, oilier pan. Rosie took a deep breath and placed the trey in the oven.

Rosie smiled as she looked around. Vegetables were waiting to be cut. But first, she needed open the packets. Rosie brought out a few more pots. Each was filled with water.

Rosie then took out a large cutting knife and started to prepare the large meal. But she was not the only one preparing a large meal.

Diamond took a large chicken out of the oven. She had started dinner a few hours before everyone else. But, tonight, she had someone to share it with.

Pippin was sitting at the table. He had a mug of ale sitting before him. Hardly any words were said between the two of them as Diamond got dinner ready.

Pippin smiled as watched Diamond work.

"That smells nice" Pippin said.

Diamond looked around and smiled. She loved complements on her cooking. And it was Pippin who normally gave them to her.

Hunger was getting to both of them now. Diamond took a deep breath as she looked inside the different pots of bubbling water.

Thirty minutes more past before dinner was in the final stages of preparation. White bowls were placed out on the worktop. Each one would be filled to the brim with vegetables.

Diamond smiled as she took the first pan and drained the water out of it. these were small green sprouts, picked from a small garden in Hobbiton. In fact, nearly everything in the kitchen was made or came from Hobbiton and the shire.

Diamond picked up a wooden spoon. She smiled as she stirred the gravy. Diamond gave the spoon a little lick.

"Hmmm" she said to herself.

A pinch of salt was needed. So, taking a small bit was then placed into the dark brown mixture. Diamond stirred it once again. The wooden spoon was then placed down again.

The oven was then opened and out came another trey. This one had sizzling parsnips. Before Diamond had placed them in the oven, she had smeared them with rich honey.

The small chunks of parsnip were now very crispy and ready to eat as they were placed into a bowl. Diamond placed the last bowl on an already over run table.

Space was limited as she took out two mugs. Pippin wondered why Diamond was not going into the cellar, like usual.

"Diamond, we normally have ale with dinner" he pointed out.

Diamond knew this, but she then she was thinking ahead.

"I know" she answered.

"But, how many have you had already?" she asked.

Pippin knew that Diamond had clocked onto the fact that he already had three pints of shire ale before he left. This meant that Pippin would have had four within the space a few hours.

Unlike humans, hobbits did not get drunk as easily as the taller humans. But, by far and away, elves were the champion drinkers.

Elves were a very magical folk. Their faces seemed not to bare the thousands of living. Men of seventy bore deep wrinkles and scars from the past.

Elves spent most of their lives in one place, though there were a few Elvish settlements. But, one of the most famous and important settlement was Rivendell.

Now days, it was looking bare. The trees that once stood green and lush now stood browning and dying. Yet, there were still elves living there. Just two.

Elladan and Elrohir were sitting at a long table. Plates of food had been set out. Fillets of fish had been placed on both of their plates. Vegetables had been placed in clear glass bowls.

Both of the twins sat on fantastic wooden chairs. Each one of them stood tall and elegant, much like the beings that were seated in them.

Just a few days before, two guests had been sitting at the table as well. Legolas and Gimli. An elf and dwarf. They had now gone on their own paths.

The two of them had taken a small boat, just big enough for the two of them, and set sail for Helms Deep. The small party of two were now nearing their trip down the river.

Gimli took a deep breath as he looked around. The distance that this dwarf could see was getting considerably shorter and shorter.

"Gimli" Legolas said, waking the old dwarf up.

Gimli gave a tired humph.

"We are almost at the Gwathiá" he said.

Gimli looked back around. From what he could see, the river just kept flowing. There was no signs that another, similarly sized river, was just a few hundred meters from them.

But, as the minutes past, the two of them grew nearer to the other river. Out of the darkening darkness came the sight that Legolas had spotted a few minutes before.

This did not improve Gimli's attitude. He hated being the one to see things last. But, then again, he was not very observant. And he had shown this many times before.

The little boat rocked in the strengthening waves. This was the part that Gimli hated the most. For dwarves were not very stable creatures, especially in a boat. Legolas, on the other hand, was very confident in boats. For he had used many over his three thousand year existence.

A year could pass like a blink of an eye for the elf. Unlike the mortals of Middle-earth, Legolas had seen mountains rise and crumble to sand.

He had watched seedlings turn into the greatest of trees. But now, they had all gone, replaced by newer ones. Massive forests, ones that he had walked through in his younger days, had come and gone.

Legolas could remember tracking rivers, flowing to the sea. For that had been his favourite pass time when he was just in his hundreds. For travailing was what he did best.

Shorelines had been walked and mountains had been conquered. An Elf was a very good walker, needing no sleep nor warmth to keep them going.

Food and water could be found in abundance if one knew where to look. And elves were very good at searching. Unlike men, the elves had not lost their ability to make a good meal out of anything they caught or harvested.

Legolas continued to row through the choppy water as the two rivers merged into one. The little boat continued to pick up speed.

Legolas and Gimli were now three days journey from the meet of the two rivers. Gimli took a cold breath. He had crossed his arms and was shivering constantly.

A small bit of his regretted leaving the warmth of Rivendell. Even though the small settlement had no windows, Gimli found warmth by the heath. Flames flickered as the wood burnt. It had been quite a while since Gimli was truly warm and full to the bring with ale and food.

Little did he know that this was exactly what Legolas was planning when they reached Helms Deep. For he knew how much Gimli had suffered. In fact, Legolas had leant about the concept of suffering with Gimli when Gandalf had fallen into the black abyss.

If truth be told, all nine members of the fellowship had learnt about each other. Hobbits had learnt about men and elves, while men learnt about the ways of wizards and orcs.

Gimli and Legolas were now well on their way down the Gwathiá river. Their destination for stopping was a small bridge. There, they would disembark. For the river had carried them as far as needed to go.

It would be up to them to walk the rest of the distance. But, for now, the river would carry them. the two being only had about a day left until that point.

Diamond and Pippin were now eating dinner. Both had filled their plates with just about everything present on the table. Diamond's plateful was just a big as Pippin's. but she was eating considerably slower. Every so often, she would look up.

Many things were floating around in her mind.

"Maybe inviting him for dinner was not a good idea" she thought as she cut up a very roasted potato.

She smiled as she ate it. Gravy seeped down the outside, making the potato more flavoursome. Diamond noticed that the honeyed parsnips had gone down very well according to Pippin, for they were one of the first things to go.

As time clicked on, their plates emptied. Diamond took a deep breath as she placed her knife and fork down. she was not interested in eating any more.

She had to get what she needed to say out before Pippin was too full up and tired to listen.

"Pippin, I need to talk to you"

Pippin, looked up. he had a large mouthful of food which he quickly chewed and swallowed.

"Talk?" he asked.

"About what?"

Diamond took a deep breath.

"About us, Pippin" she said.

Pippin, who had been poking his fork into a few parsnips, stopped before he ate them. the fork slowly sank back to the plate.

"About us? why?"

Diamond gave him a look that summed it all up. Pippin hoped that she would have forgiven him by now, but that was not the case. In fact, it would take a lot of work to get back into Diamond's good books.

"Because we need to Pippin, this has gone on far too long and I'm very tired of it"

Pippin took a deep breath. He knew that he had been a bad husband. But he didn't mean to be. In fact, he had regretted leaving.

"I don't know what to say" he said, feeling his appetite leaving him.

A sound that broke the awkward silence echoed through the house. Diamond took a deep breath and looked over at the kitchen door. Without a word, Diamond rose from her seat and walked out.

Diamond's words were echoing through a very distracted Pippin.

"But what can I do?" he asked.

After a few minutes, he had come to a conclusion. At the same time, Diamond came back into the kitchen. She was carrying a very unsettled Faramir.

Pippin smiled as he spotted the bundle in her arms. Faramir had grown a considerable lot since Pippin had last seen him.

"I think someone is hungry" Pippin said.

Diamond smiled.

"He sure is" she answered.

She walked a few meters to the cellar and opened it. But, just before she was step into the colder, darker cellar, she stopped. Now was a perfect time for Pippin to get to know his son.

"Pippin?" Diamond asked, slowly turning around.

Pippin looked up, in his right hand was a silver spoon. Sitting on the table, a bowl full of cool roast potatoes.

"Would you hold Faramir for me?" she asked.

Pippin could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Me?" he asked.

Diamond smiled and nodded.

"I cant carry him and his bowl at once" she answered.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Alright" he answered, placing the spoon back in the bowl and moved it away.

A few seconds later, he was handed his very small son. Diamond smiled as she stood up.

"Watch his head" she said.

But she had jumped the gun. For Pippin knew how to hold his own son.

"I've got him, you just go and get this hungry feller his dinner" he said.

Diamond smiled and turned around again. this time, she was able to get Faramir's bowl of food and come out again without much trouble.

Faramir looked upon this new face. For some reason, deep down in his young soul, he knew that this person was meant to be here.

"Right" said Diamond placing bowl down.

"Lets get you fed"

But Pippin had other ideas.

"Umm, Diamond?" he asked, as she came closer.

"I was wondering if I could do it" he explained.

Diamond took a deep breath. Bt then again, Pippin was his father.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Pippin nodded.

"Well, I don't seem the harm in it" she said, placing the bowl down before Pippin.

Pippin still had a little bit of food on his plate. But, upon being asked, he said it was alright to throw away. This was the first and, probably, the only time when this would happen.

Pippin looked down at his son. Diamond smiled as she handed him a small silver spoon.

"Right" said Pip, carefully scooping out a small bit of orange mush.

"Open up" he said.

Diamond smiled, watching Pippin feed his son. She didn't say it, but Pippin seemed to be a natural at getting Faramir to eat. Probably because both father and son had similar personalities.

Diamond started to clear up the table. Unusually, there were a few parsnips left. Diamond secretly had these to herself as she carried the bowl over to the sink.

The sound of water then erupted from the sink as Diamond turned the tap on. A large window stood just above the sink. Diamond looked out of it. For some reason, Origo scurried into her mind.

She gave a small smile, wondering where he was now, wondering if he was alright, wondering if she would ever get to see him again.

But the puppy was safe and with a young looking girl. Night time had now captured them. Ivy was the only source of light as Mya made her way up a steep, slippery slope. Origo was cuddling up to the young girl.

Fortunately, Ivy had given them both a bubble of warmth. This made going much easier and quicker. Mya took a deep breath as she carefully ascended the stairs.

It took thirty minutes to reach the summit of Weathertop. The ascent was made harder due to the snow on the weathered steps.

Mya stopped as she saw a dark figure standing at the top. Origo yawned, all he wanted was to eat a nice bowl of Ivy's turkey and go to sleep.

"Almost there" Ivy said, fluttering near by.

Origo gave a small whimper and hid his nose under his paws. Mya tickled his ear as the stairs ended. Weathertop used to be a watchtower. But now, it had fallen silent. The elements seemed slowly destroy it.

Mya looked around. She could see weathered statues of the past. But that was not the only thing that she saw. As she walked and looked around, she heard and felt a metallic object just under the carpet of snow.

This was very strange. Mya's eyes were drawn to this object. Ivy was attracted to it as well. Origo seemed to be the only one not bothered by it.

Mya squatted down, keeping the sleepy pup clinging onto her shoulder. Mya slowly grabbed the blade. But she did not hold onto it for long as the blade quickly heated up.

"Ah!" she said, dropping it instantly.

Something was very strange about this handle. For some reason, she now felt like she was being watched.

Origo had now fallen to sleep. But soon woken again as Mya sneezed. He gave a small whimper, making Mya look down.

"I'm alright, pup" she said, kissing his very soft head.

Mya still had to find a spot where she and Origo could sleep. And that's exactly what she did as she descended a new flight of stairs.

Mya took a deep breath as she saw no snow here. Mya found that she had not been the only that had made camp here. A few cooking tools had been left here as well as what she could only describe as a fire.

Mya gave a small smile as she took her pack off.

"Right" she said, looking down at the exhausted pup she was holding.

"Are you hungry or sleepy?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper. He was both. So, Mya placed her pack down and sat on the floor.

"And what would this puppy like to eat?" she asked.

Origo gave another whimper. He hated having to repeat himself. His answer had a hint of annoyance in it.

"Doesn't she know what I like?" he asked himself.

Ivy smiled as she secretly fluttered towards the bag. Mya smiled as she placed the little puppy on her lap.

"Now" she said, opening the bag.

Magically, a large steaming plate of turkey appeared inside. Mya smiled as she felt the heat of the meat radiating into the cold air.

Origo's tiredness seemed to slowly slip away. The plate was placed just in front of Mya's crossed legs. Origo was gently placed on the floor.

Mya noticed that the tiredness had calmed him down quite a lot. For he was not his hyper little self. Instead, he ate the turkey and, this time, chewed it for a little longer.

Even so, it did not take long for him to finish up. Ivy smiled as she fluttered to him.

"Time for bed, puppy" she said.

Mya, forgetting that she was not meant to see or hear Ivy, spoke out as well.

"Yes, time for bed" she said.

Ivy quickly looked up at her, Origo did too.

"I mean, time for bed, puppy" she said, trying hard to correct herself.

Luckily, Origo was too tired to notice this fumble. The little puppy whimpered and yawned.

"Come on, pup" Mya said.

She brought out a large blanket from her bag and wrapped Origo up in it. Origo loved being cuddled. Mya and Origo settled down as Ivy fluttered around. Now that Origo was asleep, Mya and Ivy could talk.

"Well, I think we're half way, but I'm not sure" Mya whispered.

Mya rested her back against the wall of the cave. Origo had now closed his eyes and curled up into a fluffy ball.

"Radagast is still a long way away" she told the fluttering fairy, now bobbing at eye level.

Ivy took a deep breath. She was feeling guilty again. Not only had she taken Origo and Abira away from their owners, but she had left Diamond and Pimpernel in the dark.

It would be on the return of the two puppies that Ivy would realise what they meant they to their owners. But, for now, all she needed to was get Origo to Radagast.

Mya yawned as she cuddled the small puppy. It was her that suggested going Radagast in the first place.

"We've come too far to turn back" she kept telling herself.

Even if they did go back, Origo would not recognise his Diamond. That is what pushed both Mya and Ivy ever onwards. They knew that if they could just get Origo to Radagast, then there was hope.

But they still had a long way to go. For now, Mya had to forget about Radagast and get some sleep.

As always, Ivy would be their protector. She was very useful in these situations. Not only because she was magical, but she could scare away any curious creatures that came too close.

Mya smiled as she ate warm bread, straight from Ivy's magical doing. It was the most filling bread that Mya had ever eaten. But she couldn't help but wish for a few rashers of bacon to go with it.

Unlike Origo, Mya did not have to eat just bacon in her human form. It seemed that, when ever she turned into a puppy, the urge to eat bacon strengthened.

Mya ate the last small bit of breath that she had ripped off. She smiled as she got out a small glass bottle. It was full of amber liquid.

Whiskey.

Mya took the top off and had a swig. The small gulp seeped down, warming her as it went. Mya now felt like she was in the depths of summer. It was a very strange feeling. She knew that it was in the depths of winter, but the warmth was very welcoming.

All she needed was a good, lengthy sleep. And that is exactly what she did. A second blanket, which was much bigger then the one Origo had been wrapped in.

Mya smiled as she covered her feet. Her shoes were old and dirty. They stuck to her skin. Mya took a deep breath as rubbed her ankles. An idea then came into Mya's head.

"Ivy?" she whispered.

Ivy had been looking out on the cast land below. Trees were dotted around the land below. They stood like skeletons.

"Yes?" she asked, fluttering so that she was now inches from Mya.

"Well, the thing is, my feet are really painful" she said.

Ivy looked down. she could see the state of Mya's shoes.

"I was wondering, could you make me some new ones?" she asked.

Ivy smiled. Without a sound, a fresh pair of shoes, like the ones that Mya was wearing, appeared on the flood beside her.

Mya smiled. She placed the sleeping puppy on the floor after making sure that he was still snoozing and took her wet, dirty shoes off. The souls of her feet were very wrinkly. She smiled as she dried them with blanket that she would be sleeping under.

A few minutes later, the shoes were put on and the straps were buckled. Mya found them to be very comfortable indeed.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered before her.

"Get some sleep" Ivy said.

Mya nodded and laid back. Origo gave a small whimper, but did not wake. Mya smiled as she drew him closer. Ivy watched as the two of them snuggled up to each other.

It took Mya just a few minutes to fall as well. Her bag had been placed on the floor behind her. Her head rested on it as she lay there.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered to the floor.

"Nothing bad will happen" she told herself as she laid down.

Ivy then had an idea. She knew that Origo would be nice and warm. So, rising to her feet, she walked over to him. She smiled as his paws came into view. They would be the perfect blanket for her.

A few minutes later, without waking up the precious puppy, Ivy had made herself comfortable. She knew that Origo would not wake until morning, so she would have a nice, long sleep.

And that's exactly what she did.


	95. Day Forty Six, Part One

The sound of hooves rumbled along the road as dawn broke. A single horse galloped along a deserted road. The landscape around the rider and beast stretched for mile after mile.

Isengard had been left just a few days before. The mountain range that Isengard clung onto had now all but vanished over the horizon. Snow seemed to be scares here. There were many sharp outcrops of rock dotting the land.

The road, with ran from north to south, was very rugged and looked unused as the man travelled ever onwards. The hooves of the horse imprinted in the snow. In fact, it seemed that he had been the only one to use this road. For he had not seen another soul in twenty four hours. Fatigue had been setting in for a few hours. The coldness of the night did not help him.

Breath coming from the horse and man snaked away in the cold, still air. The horse slowly came to a stop.

"I think its time for a bite to eat, don't you?" he asked the horse.

The horse had large, brown, intelligent eyes. It knew that it was time to eat and it wasted no time in finding a lush clump of grass to nibble on.

The man took his pack off and opened it up. Inside, a few flasks of water, one was now empty. A few loaves of bread, one had been almost consumed. An a letter, unopened, but very important.

This was his mission. To deliver this piece of parchment to one Peregrin Took. The man smiled, now knowing why he had left Minas Tirith in the first place.

Twenty long minutes past before he was ready to set off again.

"I think an hours ride or two and then we'll stop for a longer rest" he told the horse, stroking it long face.

The horse gave him a small nudge. The man smiled, knowing that the large creature understood him. So, the man placed a foot into one of the stirrups and heaved himself up.

A few seconds later and the horse started moved again. It seemed to pick up speed quite quickly as a trot turned into a gallop and a gallop turned into a run.

Snow and mud flew up as the hooves of the horse hit the ground. The man, who had not washed in days, had a dirty face and equally dirty hands.

But this did not stop him from his mission. Miles continued to fall as the man continued ever onwards.

Meanwhile, Elanor Gamgee had woken up earlier then normal. But this was without purpose. She smiled as she picked up a book. It had been given to her to her by her father.

But the blank pages had not been left blank. Instead, words had been written on them. Elanor has started her own small story, a story that she had made up all by herself.

The young girl smiled as she sat on the edge of her bed, reading what she had already done. A single candle flickered in her room. The heath that had once been flickering with a healthy glow, was now but red and white embers, struggling to keep throwing out is light and warmth.

But, the light coming through from the small window, over her bed, was enough to what to write and what she was writing.

So, placing the book on her lap, she unscrewed the top that sealed the ink inside and placed it on the side. The quill was then picked up. Elanor seemed to know exactly what to write as she scanned over the last few sentences.

Elsewhere in the household, other hobbits were waking. Rosie Gamgee thought that she was the first to rise, not knowing that her oldest child had already risen from her sleep.

Little Pippin Gamgee, the youngest, was taken out of his cot.

"Shh, shh" she said, hearing his little whimpers as he was taken from his warm cot.

Rosie smiled as she quietly opened the door. She suddenly felt how warm the room that she had left had been. There was a noticeable difference in temperature as she walked to the kitchen. The kitchen was quiet, save for the ticking on the clock on the wall.

Rosie smiled as she carefully lit the candles. She was very good at lighting candles and making sure her child was safe at the same time.

A few minutes past before all candles were lit. Rosie now needed to stock the fire up to a healthy glow. But this would take a long time. So, little Pippin was now ready to be fed as a bowl of food was brought out of cool cellar.

The temperature in the kitchen slowly rose as Rosie placed the bowl down. Pippin had fallen back to sleep again, having snuggled up on his mothers shoulder for too long.

Rosie opened the draw and brought out a little spoon. She smiled as she looked down at her little sleeping son.

"Wakey wakey, sleepy head" she said, waking her youngest son.

Pippin woke up and instantly rubbing his eyes.

"Sleepy" he said.

It was one of the few words that this two year old knew.

"I know, sweetie" Rosie said a she sat him down in his wooden highchair.

Pippin gave a large yawn, showing of his small white teeth. Rosie smiled as she picked the bowl up and started to feed her son.

Elanor yawned as she continued to write. She had heard her mother get up. But the young girl did not go to see her. Elanor was busy writing the last few sentences of her story.

Elanor smiled as she wrote the last few words. For now, that was all that she would do. Elanor yawned as she screwed on the top of the ink pot on.

The young girl retired back to bed. The warm duvet was drawn over her as she slowly fell back to sleep. But the young girl did not sleep for long.

Samwise had came into her room to wake her up. But, before he did, Elanor's little book caught his eye. So, being a hobbit of a curious nature, Samwise picked it up. He slowly and quietly opened it. many sentences and words were seen on the first page.

Sam emerged himself in his daughter's book. he could see, in his mind, the adventure that Elanor had made up. The next second, Samwise quickly closed the book and put it back. For Elanor had just woken up.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her book in her father's hand.

"Daddy?" she asked, tiredness clinging to her voice.

Samwise smiled.

"It's time to get up, sweetie" he said.

Elanor smiled, giving a little yawn. Samwise turned and walked out of the room again. Next room he went into was he oldest son's room.

Frodo Gamgee had had a very uncomfortable night of sleep. For some reason, unknown to him, he just could not sleep. Sleep did not come to him that night until the very early hours of the morning.

Frodo felt like he had just fallen asleep when his father opened the door. The young boy did not have to be told to get up as he opened his eyes.

"Breakfast is ready soon" he said.

There were no answer. Sam took a deep breath as he walked out. There were a lot of questions circling Sam's head.

The sound of children, rising after a very warm and fulfilling nights sleep echoed down the hall way.

"How can they have so much energy?" he thought as he made his way to the kitchen.

Rosie smiled as she brought out pots and pans. Rosie's morning was about to get a lot more hectic as more of her children rose. But there was one little child that had not risen from his bed.

Frodo did not want to see anyone in his family today. Even though he was grounded, he planned to sneak out into the snowy world.

Rosie yawned as she stood at the sink. A few seconds later, the tap was turned off. Water had filled nearly all the way up to the top. But the pan was not filled all the way to the top.

Rosie walked back to the work top and placed the metal on the surface. She smiled as she placed a few eggs into pan. A few, to hobbits, was more then ten and less then twenty.

The pan was now very heavy as Rosie walked the short distance to the stove. There, the cold pan was placed on a hot hob. Slowly, the pan started to warm up.

This gave Rosie time to prepare other parts of breakfast. Sausages needed to be cooked along with mushrooms, bacon, more eggs, this time fried and crispy chips.

Smells started to radiate off of the food as they cooked or fried. Plates and bowls were dotted all along the worktop. Each had their own specific purpose.

It took another forty five minutes to get breakfast ready. But that time, all of the children were now seated at the table, ready to eat. All apart from one.

Frodo had refused to eat with his family. But it was not the first time this had happened. Rosie took a deep breath as she filled up a plate. But this was not for her. this was for Frodo.

Rosie hated to see her children hungry and she would do anything and everything in her power to see that they were fed and watered. Even if it meant that she would not get to eat, at least she would know that they were not hungry.

"Alright everyone, eat up" she said.

Samwise seemed to know exactly what she was doing. But he could stop her. For all hobbits in Middle-earth were welcome in this house hold.

Meanwhile, on a very cold, abandoned outpost, a small puppy had woken up. Origo gave a small yawn as he stood, shivering, waiting for some turkey.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered away. This confused him for a few seconds. Mya saw the confusion in the little puppies eyes. It was then that a plate of turkey magically appeared in her bag.

Ivy took a deep breath as she fluttered off again. Origo whimpered.

"I thought I saw a mouse" Ivy lied to him.

"I like chasing them" she answered.

But Ivy was interrupted by Mya.

"Puppy?" she asked, gently scooping him up.

Origo whimpered. He could already smell the fresh turkey, seeping through the bag.

"What is it?" she asked.

Origo whimpered, getting very excited and wriggly. Mya could barely hold onto him. She smiled as she opened her pack. She noticed that Origo wriggled even more as the bag was opened.

"There you go" Mya said, placing the puppy on the floor.

Even before she could placed the plate down, Origo started to eat. Mya carefully took her hand away, for she had seen Origo eat many times before.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered over to the human girl. Mya was the only girl in the whole of Middle-earth that could see the fairy.

"We need to get going soon" Ivy said, fluttered her wings quicker then any animal could see.

Origo was too busy eating to realise that Ivy and Mya were talking to each other.

"We still have along way to go" Mya whispered.

She looked out on a cold, white land. Small specks quickly moved across the horizon. They were birds, crows and pigeons, fluttering across the land.

There were also birds fluttering around Weathertop. They were attracted to the outpost due to shelter and, in the summer, a wide array of berries.

The little birds that fluttered around were just stopping for a little rest. Ivy smiled as she looked around. A very curious robin was voicing his opinions on the puppy.

"The breast will take over the world if he eats like that" the robin said to himself.

Ivy giggled, making Mya very curious.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Origo was close to finishing his turkey.

"That robin" Ivy said, looking over at his direction.

"Said that Origo would take over the world if he kept on eating"

Just then, Origo finished up his plate of turkey. His small tongue started to lick the plate. For this little puppy was very hungry. Even the smell and taste of turkey was enough to set him off into a feeding frenzy.

But his frenzy had now come to a slow stop as he looked around. Hunger was no longer present.

"You can understand what their saying?" asked Mya.

Origo's little eyes blinked twice. He slowly looked around. Without knowing it, Ivy and Mya were being watched.

"Of course" Ivy said, fluttering just a few inches from her face.

"I can understand…"

But Ivy suddenly stopped. She had spotted that Origo had finished had finished his turkey. Ivy felt worry rise in her.

"How much had he heard?" she asked herself.

Mya was looking at the puppy too. Luckily, she acted quickly.

"You finished boy?" she asked.

But Origo did not answer. He just blinked, his little puppy eyes darting between the fairy and the girl. there was a moment of silence before Ivy thought about a distraction.

She fluttered away, over the ground below. The small ledge that they were on had a sheer drop to the snowy ground. Mya slowly stood up, having only a few feet to work with.

She left the plate on the floor and got out her loaf of bread. Ivy fluttered and fluttered as high as she could. The distance that she could see was getting longer and longer. Clouds could be seen a few miles away.

Ivy had never fluttered this high before. She could see the full scale of the land below. The hills around seemed to snake off into the north. The peaks were capped with untouched snow.

Ivy looked up. There was nothing to block her from going any higher.

"Maybe just a little more" she told herself.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Origo and Mya were getting ready to go. Mya noticed that the pup was coming dangerously close to the edge as he searched for Ivy.

"Come here, puppy" Mya said, scooping him up.

Origo gave a small whimper.

"We have to get going" she said, kissing him on his fluffy head.

Mya picked up her pack and put it on her back. it took a few seconds to feed her arms through both straps. Origo rested his head on his paws.

"Ready?" Mya asked.

Origo gave a small whine. Mya smiled. She knew exactly what Origo was saying. So, carefully, Mya started to walk through a small gap in the rock.

There, the two of them were back in the crumbling stone courtyard. Mya could her own footprints from the night before. She took a deep breath as she walked over to a large, spiralling flight of stairs that led down to the bottom of Weathertop.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered. The wind was much stronger up here. It was much colder too. The small fairy could hear no sounds other wind.

"I best get back" she thought, looking down.

A single figure was now walking across the land. A smaller black dot was held in this figures arms. It was then, as Ivy fluttered downwards, that she had an idea.

A smile came over her as her wings stopped. Gravity was now in control as she started to plummet to earth. Her hair flapped in the wind as she rolled over. She laughed as rolled over.

The ground came upon her quite quickly. It was then that she had a very dangerous idea. One that could kill her. She smiled as she continued to fall. Only one hundred meters separated her from the cold ground.

Usually, Ivy would have just fluttered down. But today, she fancied something different. The meters fell as the fairy did. Fifty had already gone.

Origo, who was resting his head on Mya's shoulder, looked up. he could see Ivy falling to earth. A small whimper came from him as Mya blocked his view.

"Oh, puppy!" Mya said playfully.

Origo's paw tickled Mya's skin as he tried to get a better view of the falling fairy. Ivy was now just twenty meters from hitting the ground. It was then that she opened her wings.

She started to flutter them as quickly as she could. But it was not enough. She had started too late. Ivy knew that she had left it too late as she hit the floor.

Origo whimpered, struggling in Mya's arms again.

"Puppy, what is it?" she asked.

She could no longer hold the pup. So, she set him down. Origo instantly started to run to Ivy. Mya turned around. She knew exactly what was happening.

Origo arrived by Ivy a few seconds later.

"Ivy?" he whimpered, standing there.

There was concern in his little eyes and within his whimper. Ivy groaned, feeling Origo big cold nose touch her.

"Puppy?" she asked, looking up.

There was no sign that Ivy had even touched the floor. All that could be seen were the small paw prints of the puppy standing near by.

"Ori, I'll be alright" Ivy told him, sitting up.

Ivy took a deep breath and held her head. The impact had taken its toll on the little fairy. Mya walked over to the pup. She knew exactly what had happened. But, then again, she had to act like she did not know.

"Puppy, there's nothing there, we have to move" Mya said, picking him up again.

Origo whimpered as he was taken away from his fairy friend. Mya took a deep breath as she placed Origo onto her shoulder.

Ivy took a deep breath and got to her little feet.

"Well" she thought.

"I wont be doing that again" she said, straightening out her pretty green dress.

Ivy fluttered her wings, making sure they were all in working order. When she knew that she had not been hurt, she took off.

Ivy could flutter faster then Mya could walk. Origo's little tail started to wag as he saw the fairy flutter towards him. Mya smiled as she walked away from Weathertop, towards the road again.

The hills were steep and icy. Mya found it hard to follow the path that she had taken to get there. For her foot prints trailed off in the opposite way.

After what felt like hours, the ground started to level out. Ivy had been sitting on Mya's shoulder since she had started out on the descent.

"There's the road, pup" Mya said, stroking his little fluffy ears.

Origo's head turned. He, unlike Mya and Ivy, could not make it out. He shook his fluffy head and then went back to resting it on his fluffy paws.

Frodo Gamgee took a deep breath as he sat on his bed. He could hear no sounds apart from . Sam had taken Elanor, Rose and Merry outside in the snow. Pippin and Frodo were left in the house, along with Rosie.

Rosie took a deep breath as she sat in the lounge by herself. A large mug of tea was standing on the table in front of her. Her eyes scanned a book that held in her hand.

This was a rare treat for Rosie. The book she held had never been totally read. As her family grew, her time to relax shrank.

But her relaxation would soon be shattered as a door opened. Rosie tarred her eyes away from the book. There was only one other person in the house that it could be.

Frodo was coming.

Frodo took a deep breath as he walked into the kitchen, expecting his mother to be there. But she wasn't.

"Where is she?" he asked.

As he checked every room, a small part of him started to think that she had gone out with the others. But he would soon find out he was wrong.

Rosie looked up as the door clicked. Frodo popped his head around the door and saw the figure of her mother sitting there.

"Mummy?" Frodo asked.

Rosie noticed that he was not himself. He sounded more drawn back then usual.

"Yes?" Rosie asked, knowing that Frodo wanted to talk.

Frodo took a deep breath as he came into the room and closed the door. Rosie closed the book and placed it down on the table. Frodo hung his head as he stood there.

"I'm…" he said, struggling to say what he wanted.

Rosie shook her head.

"Come here" she said, begging him forward.

Frodo slowly walked to the couch and sat on it. Rosie hugged her son as he cuddled up with her.

"I'm sorry" Frodo finally said.

Once again, tears started to roll down his face. Rosie knew that Frodo understood what he had done wrong. But his apologies were to the wrong person.

"Frodo, I want you to apologize to you sister" she told him.

But Frodo did not want to.

"But, I didn't do anything to her!" Frodo said, breaking from the hug.

Rosie took a deep breath. All she wanted was for Frodo to say he was sorry and for why.

"Frodo, you can not act like this anymore. You need to start growing up. I thought you liked having brothers and sisters to play with" Rosie told him.

Frodo's eyes darted around for a second.

"But, I do. I do like them. It's just…"

Frodo stopped again, trying to find the words.

"It's just, I don't think she likes me anymore" he said.

It was then that Rosie knew what was going on in her son's head. It all clicked somehow. She knew exactly how to fix this.

"Well, why don't you talk to her, like we're talking right now?" she asked.

But this did not seem a good idea for the little boy.

"But, she wont listen to me" Frodo told his mother.

It was true. Elanor had had enough of Frodo. She would rather keep away from him now, due to all of the bullying that he had put her through.

But things were about to change.

"What if we make some muffins together?" Rosie asked.

"Just you, me and Elanor" she explained.

Frodo took a deep breath. He thought that his sister would never like him as much as she should.

"Just us three?" Frodo asked.

Rosie smiled and nodded.

"Just us three" she repeated.

Little Elanor Gamgee was in a nice warm room. her book lay on her lap.

"What'll happen next?" she asked another hobbit sitting by her.

Gloria thought for a moment.

"Well, we could have elves to help us" she suggested.

The girl's imagination seemed to fuel each others and Elanor wrote. True, her words could have sounded a bit better. For she was not on the same level of writing as her mother and father were.

The more Elanor would write now, the quicker she would become as good as her parents. Gloria, on the other hand, could not write. She could read, but had never been taught to write.

Gloria's life had been very strange. Her mother and father were old. Both had greying hair and wrinkles deep. For her parents had a deep secret that they did want her to know about.

Gloria was happy where she was. She was happy not knowing about her past and what happened to her real family.

Elanor took a deep breath. All this writing was making her hungry.

"I want to go home" Elanor said, yawning.

Lunch time was just an hour away now. The smell of cooking travelled throughout Gloria's house. This fuelled Elanor to go home.

The young girl smiled as she closed the book.

"Will you be out after lunch?" Gloria asked.

Elanor nodded.

"Of course" she answered.

Elanor picked up her quill and tapped the excess ink back into the pot. The lid was then screwed back on. Elanor made sure that it would not fall off during the journey home.

Elanor and Gloria made their way out of the room. Gloria's father smiled as he walked towards the kitchen. Gloria's room was the closed bedroom to it.

"You going home now, Elanor?" he asked.

Elanor smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I am" she answered.

The two the girls then continued on their way down the corridor.

"Could you hold these, please?" Elanor asked her friend.

Gloria nodded and took the three items. A few seconds later, Elanor started to button up her coat. Gloria handed the book, quill and ink pot back to Elanor.

"I'll see you later" Elanor said as Gloria opened the door.

The warmth was replaced by a sharp coldness. This was the part of going home Elanor hated.

"Bye" said Gloria.

Elanor looked back and smiled as she opened the gate. It took Elanor a few minutes to walk home, having to scale an icy hill.

Inside her home, Rosie was preparing a very large, filling lunch. Samwise, Rose and Merry had all come back in high sprits. For today was very strange for the whole family.

Samwise had hardly spent time with Merry and Rose. He had learnt more about them in the few hours outside then he had ever done.

Rosie had also found out more about her oldest son. She had found out why Frodo was being mean and hurtful towards his older sister.

Now that it was all out in the open, Rosie could work on both of them. Lunch would be the same as usual. A large roast lunch, just like the many days before.

Frodo had now retreated back to his room. his sprits had been lifted, just a tad, by talking to his mother. He could hear his younger brothers and sisters playing around the house.

Elanor was in her room, just down the corridor. She was doing a very different thing. The book that she had been writing was now on her lap. A quill was held in her hand. Word after word was written down.

The story she was writing was now in full swing. Everything seemed clear to the girl as she wrote. She continued to write right up until lunch was ready.

A knock at her bedroom door finally distracted her from her story. She smiled as the door opened.

"Elanor, lunch is ready" said Rosie.

Elanor nodded and placed the quill down. The book was then set down on her pillow. The two covers kept her story a secret.

It was then, when she was walking to the kitchen, hunger started to made itself known. Lunch couldn't have come any sooner as she took her place. Once again, Frodo had not come for lunch. He was still in his room, thinking things over.

Rosie was standing up, a plate in one hand and a spoon in the other. This plate was for Frodo. For she knew that he would not going to be seated at the table for lunch.

At the same time, Origo and Mya were near to stopping. Origo had fallen asleep just a few minutes after they had set off.

"I wish I could sleep like he does" Mya said.

Ivy was sitting on her shoulder. Origo was still snuggled up in a nice, warm blanket. Ivy smiled as she sat there.

"So would I, but I really don't need it" Ivy explained.

Mya looked down at her shoulder.

"Don't need it?" she asked, wondering what this meant.

"Uh huh" Ivy said.

"It's to pass the time really"

Mya was getting to know Ivy better and better as they walked. Mya loved having someone to talk to, even though she was not meant to talk to her or even know of her existence.

"So, how long have you known Origo?" Ivy asked.

Mya took a deep breath looking down at the small pup. There was a lot of history between them. the happenings of the past forty or so days was the tip of the iceberg.

"Years" Mya told her.

"Many years"

Ivy was intrigued. The more she found out about them, the more she wanted to know.

"How many?" she asked.

Mya did not know how many years. All she knew was that it had been a very long time.

"Thousands" she answered.

"Thousands of years"

Ivy was starting to understand that there was more to Origo and Mya then she first thought. Mya took a deep breath as she started to think about Pimpernel. It must of shown judging by Ivy's next question.

"You miss her, don't you?" she answered.

Mya gave a small smile.

"Of course" she answered.

It was time to tell a secret that had been hidden for longer then Mya could keep.

"Me and Origo" she started, looking down at the snoozing pup.

"We're the last two of our kind in Middle-earth"

As Ivy's appetite for more was fed, the more it needed feeding.

"The last two?" she asked, knowing exactly how that felt.

For Ivy was the last fairy in Middle-earth. Or that's what she thought.

"Just me and Origo" Mya told her.

"What happened to the rest of your species?" Ivy asked.

Mya smiled, knowing she would one day see her friends again.

"Many ages ago, our master created us. He created us for one purpose and one purpose only"

There was a slight pause.

"To protect who we though needed protecting"

Ivy was now very into the story that was being told. She needed to know more.

"And then what?" she asked.

The snow crunched under Mya's feet as she walked along the deserted road. Trees were dotted around in clumps or by themselves. The world was a mixture of white, grey and black.

"Our souls and the souls of our chosen being seemed to come one. My soul now belongs to Pimpernel and Origo's to Diamond. This is why they feel so lost without us" Mya explained.

Mya could see Pimpernel. She missed her dearly. Although many miles away from her Pimpernel, Mya could sense what Nelly was feeling.

For a few days now, Mya had been in a good mood. But it had been just a few hours before when her mood had changed. She did not know why, but she felt upset.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she drowned her sorrows in ale. She had had many pints. Hamson was too busy to notice her deterioration when he should have done.

For the last three meals, she had not been present. Hamson's aunt and Anson both noticed the lack of Pimpernel around the table.

Something had to be done.

"Hamson?" a voice asked as he walked out after a large lunch.

He looked around to see his aunt still sitting at the table.

"Yes?" he asked, wondering what she wanted.

"Come and sit down for a minute, I need to talk"

Hamson found this very strange. so, he slowly walked back to his seat and pulled it out.

"What about?" he asked, sitting on the chair.

The woman took a deep breath and looked at a spot on the table before her.

"Pimpernel" she answered.

Hamson took a deep breath. He knew that this talk would come sooner or later.

"Hamson, she needs you more then you know" the woman said.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she stood behind the kitchen door. She was listening to every word that they said. Neither of them knew she was there.

"I know she does, but I'm very busy at the moment" he said.

Pimpernel could see the figure of Hamson facing away from her. she wanted to see what his reaction was and if it was genuine.

"If you just spent a bit of time with her, maybe she'll feel a bit better"

But Hamson seemed not to take the hint.

"But, I have to get this rope done" he said.

Pimpernel started to get angry as she stood there.

"All he can think about if his job and not me!" she whispered angrily to herself.

"Hamson, do you know how Pimpernel is feeling right now?" asked the woman.

Hamson took a deep breath and looked down. He didn't have time to think what Pimpernel was feeling, until now. Guilt started to well up inside him. She had been pushed aside.

He could see it now.

"What should I do?" he asked, hoping for an answer.

In Hobbiton, Elanor was on her way to her friend's home. Gloria and Elanor had agreed that they would meet after lunch. Elanor's book had been left at home. She wanted to build snow hobbits and play with her friends for a while.

Elanor smiled as she reached the gate of her friends home. With a small click, it opened and she walked through. A few seconds later, she knocked on the door.

Inside, Gloria smiled as she heard the knocks echo down the hall way. She rushed out of her room, but was stopped by her father.

"Wait here, lass" he said.

Gloria smiled and watched her father go to the door. A few seconds after the door had opened, Gloria could feel the coldness from outside flooding in.

"Of course" said Gloria's father.

"Gloria, Elanor is here" her father told her.

Elanor crossed the threshold. The door was closed, keeping the cold at bay once more. A few moments later, Gloria walked up to her.

"Ready?" Elanor asked, not taking her coat off.

Gloria smiled, nodded and took her coat off of the hook. The young girl buttoned up all of the buttons. The two girls were ready to go out in the snow and play.

Origo had now woken up and was very hungry. But he was not the only one. Mya had missed lunch and was now planning on stopping. Ivy had slid into one of Mya's pockets. The small fairy could hear Origo whimper.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Mya asked, kissing the sleepy pup on his warm, fluffy face.

Origo gave a small whimper and stretched. Ivy knew that she was soon needed. Not only for Origo, but for Mya as well.

Ivy stood up in the pocket. She had been sitting down, waiting for her little Origo to wake up. now that he had, she could go and see if he was alright.

So, fluttering out of the pocket, Ivy was met with the sight of a darkening day. The sun was now sinking towards the western horizon, like it did every day.

Clouds had now gathered overhead, blocking out what little light that the sun gave off this time of year. The sun's heat seemed to be non-existent as the coldness grew.

Mya noticed that there were no tracks where she was walking. There was no evidence of any other beings travelling the same way as her.


	96. Day Forty Six, Part Two

Only a few different tracks could be seen. These were made by wild animals such as deer, rabbits and wolves. As Mya looked at the tracks, wondering where the creature came from and where it was heading, Origo gave a small whimper. It was enough to distract Mya from her imagination.

"Oh, I know your hungry" she said, shifting him up a little bit.

Origo was still wrapped in his warm blanket. Mya had found out that if she tried to take the blanket off, then Origo would not like it. The pup would growl if she tried to take it off of him.

What felt like an hour past before Mya decided to stop. It couldn't have come sooner enough for the pup.

"Right" Mya said, coming to a stop.

The girl had stopped in what she thought was a suitable place. Mya could see that there was no one coming down the road in either direction.

Ivy was now fluttering around. She smiled as she watched Origo get taken out of his warm blanket. Origo whimpered as he stood on the cold ground.

"Puppy, don't whimper like that" Mya said as she took her pack off.

She could read Origo's whimpers like a book. His little puppy eyes helped too.

"Come on, lets get some turkey" Mya said, finding a small snowless bit on the ground.

Mya crossed her legs. Origo continued to whimper as he hung his head. He was very cold and hungry. Ivy, like breakfast, produced a very large plate of warm turkey.

Origo's sprits lifted a little as Mya took out a plate of turkey from her bag. Mya found it funny that the pup did not notice that her bag did not have enough space to keep that much turkey each day.

Mya plate the plate down and watched Origo start to eat. As she watched, her mind wondered. It wondered so far that she was not even the same age that they were now.

Colour had been replaced by blackness. Peace changed into hatred. Forests turned into wastelands and the air became toxic.

The war of the ring was in full swing. Saruman had been defeated, but Sauron was only growing stronger. Mordor was home to hundreds of thousands of bloodthirsty orcs.

Mya was in a very dark cell, lit by a dying torch. The cell was cold as Mya sat there. She couldn't move, having her hands tied to cold shackles. Her feet were also bound with metal shackles.

The girl could hear echoes coming from the corridor. There were screams and shrieks. Mya had been here long enough to know that it was normal. A few times, she had been woken up by a passing creature, screaming its head off.

Mya had cuts and bruises all over her body, especially around her wrists and ankles. Every time she moved, the cuts would bleed, sending small lines of red down her arms.

A growl came from the door. The little light that was radiation off of the torches reflected on an orc. A clash of keys filled the cell. The cell door burst open like a clap of thunder.

Mya's heart rate rose as the large, war hardened orc walked towards her. the light that had once struggled to fill the small cell was now all but blocked out.

Mya's shackles were unbuckled. A few seconds after her feet had been freed, a large hand heaved her onto her feet. For a moment, the girl thought that her legs would buckle under the heavy hand of the beast that stood there. But they held strong.

Without a word, Mya was pushed out of the cold room. The opposite side was no better. It was just as cold and just as dark.

The orc continued to push the girl towards another room. Mya knew exactly what was coming next. But she did not expect a familiar figure to be walking the opposite way.

"Pilith!" she said, her voice ringing out in the corridor.

Pilith was very sore. Every muscle in his body was hurting. But he had come away without spilling any of his secrets. All he could do now was put his trust in Mya.

If Mya told them what they knew, then middle-earth would fall. Pilith did not answer Mya. He did not want to risk getting hurt anymore.

Mya tried to grab his attention, but he had gone. The orc continued to push Mya all the way to the torture chamber. There, cold metal machines would be used to extract what information they had.

Many years had past since that pain. But it was still as fresh in her memory then they goings on the day before. Mya snapped out of her day dream when she felt a small tug on her dirty white dress.

She looked down to see Origo standing there. He had finished his plate of turkey now. Mya smiled as she gently picked him up. She missed playing with Origo. They had such wonderful adventures.

And it was those adventures which drove her ever onwards, towards Radagast.

"You know, you can be very cute sometimes" she said, stroking Origo's ears.

Even though the pup had no memory of his past life, Mya knew that, deep down, he could remember it. Mya was sure of it the longer he looked into his little brown eyes.

"You still cold?" she asked.

Origo shook his head. In fact, now that she mentioned it, she was not feeling the coldness much. Ivy smiled and nodded, indicating that it was her doings.

Mya took a deep breath as she opened the pack again. Ivy watched as Mya pulled out a warm loaf of fresh bread. Ivy loved seeing Mya's reaction to her magic. But Mya was getting used to the fairy as she ripped a bit of crust off and started to eat.

Mya knew that she could not stay for long. They had to put as many miles behind then as possible. The coldness only grew as Mya sat there. But she could not feel it.

"Right" Mya said, taking one last bite.

Origo had been exploring the area around him. Smells were being carried many miles by the wind. Origo could smell rabbits, mice, rats and foxes. But they were nowhere near where he was. In fact, that were deep within the clumps of forests that dotted this part of the world.

"Puppy, we have to move" she said, slowly getting up.

A dull pain crossed Mya's back as she stood up. This could only be due to tree trunk that she had been leaning against.

Origo whimpered as he stood before the tall girl. Mya knew exactly what this meant.

"Come on then" she said, wrapping her hands around the pup and lifting him up.

Origo gave a small whimper as he was placed on her shoulder. What Origo did next was very surprising for Mya. His small tongue came out and licked her. Mya's smile widened. But then there was also guilt in her.

Origo hated Abira, but he did not know that he was in the care of that exact puppy. A few times, Mya just wanted to change into her puppy form. But she knew that she would get the same reaction.

This was another reason why she wanted to go to Radagast.

"Love you too, pup" she said, kissing his head.

Hamson took a deep breath as he sat on a chair around the. Pimpernel was sitting opposite him. Her eyes were red where she had been crying for most of the day.

"I cant, Pimpernel" he explained.

Tears were running down her face. Now that she had heard it from Hamson, she couldn't bare being here ant more.

"I have a job now, I'm happy where I am" he said.

Pimpernel felt sick as she sat there. Her eyes flashed hatred and regret. Hamson was meant to protect and love her. but instead, he was saying all of the things she had dreaded to hear since she met him.

"But, you were happy in Hobbiton, with me!" she argued.

Hamson took a deep breath. His mind and heart had changed. He needed a new life, away from Hobbiton.

"Pimpernel, times have changed, you have to move on" Hamson told her.

But to Pimpernel, it was not that easy. Her heart belonged to him. But he had now rejected it.

"Move on?" she asked, her heart rate rising along with the anger.

"How can I move on when I still love you?" she asked.

Hamson took a deep breath and looked down. It seemed that, ever since the fire, his love for Pimpernel had dwindled. He finally realised this when he saw Pimpernel in his uncles home.

"Pimpernel, I'm going to be honest with you…"

"Don't" said Pimpernel, knowing what was to come.

There was a few moments of silence between them before Pimpernel spoke.

"I already know what you are going to say" she told him.

"And that is why I'm leaving" she said, standing up.

She had barely been here two days and already, she was leaving.

"Leaving?" Hamson asked.

Pimpernel didn't say a word as she stood there. Her eyes said it as Hamson caught a glimpse of them. The next second, Pimpernel turned and walked out. Hamson was left to wallow in his pity.

"Maybe I should try and change her mind" he thought.

Pimpernel stormed into her room. Her clothes, which had been hanging in the wardrobe, were now thrown onto the bed. Her bag was then thrown on the bed as well.

Within minutes, all of her belongings were packed into the pack. She did it up by tying up a few pieces of string. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she stood at the bed.

Just then, the door behind her opened. Hamson's aunt stood there.

"Pimpernel, I'm sorry" she said.

Tears were still running down Pimpernels face. She wiped them away as she turned around.

"I'm leaving" she told the woman.

Pimpernel cold not bare to be where she was not loved.

"Leaving?" the woman asked.

"But, it's freezing out there, you'll catch a cold" she told her.

Pimpernel gave her a look which summed up how much she wanted to get away.

"I wish you would stay" the woman told her.

But deep down, she knew that she could not make Pimpernel stay.

"If you wait for a few minutes, I can get you some food ready" she told her.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"No, I'll be alright" she answered.

Pimpernel had no food what so ever. And that's how she would like it to stay.

"Pimpernel, you can not survive in this coldness without food or water" the woman explained.

This was what Pimpernel wanted.

Why should she care if no one cared about her?

Nelly placed her pack on and got the straps in a comfortable position. She gave a sad smile.

"Thank you" she said, hugging the woman.

"It was my pleasure, dear" she said.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and turned around. Her feet slapped on the tiled floor as she walked out. She looked left, back down the hall way. But there was no sign of Hamson.

Hamson was still sitting in the kitchen. He could hear the front door open. A few seconds later, it closed. He knew that he had missed his chance to say goodbye to her.

About a minute later, his auntie walked in.

"You're a very mean" she told him.

Hamson took a deep breath.

"Pimpernel has left. She's left without any food or water" she explained.

This was very worrying news for Hamson. He took a deep breath and rose from his seat.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

But she never received the answer. Hamson rushed down to the front door. He quickly put his coat on and did the buttons up.

The door opened, with a click, to the cold outside world. Hamson took a deep breath as he stepped out onto the snow. Hamson could barely make out Pimpernel's foot steps. Not only because it was dark, but because the snow was not soft any more.

He took a deep breath before he set off into the darkness. It was now all about catching Pimpernel up. it was not in Hamson's nature to let someone get hurt. Even though Pimpernel was hurt beyond what he knew.

Tears were running down her face as she walked through the darkness. She could hear nothing but the wind rushing over her ears.

Pimpernel walked aimlessly. She was putting more and more distance between Hamson and herself. Or that was what she thought. Just half a mile back down the path, Hamson was coming after her.

"Pimpernel?" he shouted, straining to see in the growing darkness.

But there was no sight of her. Not even foot prints. But this did not stop Hamson from venturing ever further away from the warmth of his uncles home.

The distance between the two hobbit lessened with every passing minute. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she looked back, hoping to see Hamson there, coming after her.

For that it what she truly wanted. But she could not see it happen. So, Pimpernel continued on walking. The coldness was not getting to her much anymore. But she noticed that her fingers had become very stiff. She looked down at them. A dull pain ran through her fingers as she tried to move them.

"You could always turn back" said a voice in her head.

But this was not a very welcoming idea.

"I cant" she told the small voice.

The snow was slippery as she walked. It threatened to knock her off of her feet a few times. But Pimpernel managed to save herself from falling just in time.

Time wore on as Hamson continued to walk.

"Pimpernel?" he shouted.

Like before, all that came back was his echo. He took a deep breath. The coldness seemed to battle the warmth that was hiding in his coat. His feet were unusually cold.

The bottom of his trousers took on a darker colour as more and more water got soaked into them. The curly hair on his feet held blades of grass picked up by his feet. Some of the blades of grass also stuck to his legs.

Meanwhile, in Hobbiton, Pearl was having another quiet dinner. But she was no alone. Pervinca was also with her. The reason that it was so quiet was because they had a banquet of food before them.

Roasted potatoes, honeyed parsnips, crispy chips, slices of the best chicken had been prepared for the meal. The lack of Pimpernel was screaming around the room. Her chair stood empty, almost as a reminder that she wasn't there.

Pervinca smiled as she put her fork down. A silver knife was held in her left hand as a mug was picked up with the opposite. The mug was full of golden ale, fresh out of the barrel.

Pearl took a deep breath as she ate the chicken. It was one of the last bits of her dinner that she would eat. The chicken was brushed around the plate, picking up the remaining puddles of gravy.

But Pearl was not finished yet. In fact, she was only on her first helping. Her plate started to fill with food again. Parsnips, potatoes, stuffing, chips, rasher of bacon, peas, beans and eggs. By the end of the second load of food, there was hardly any space was left for anything else.

It was the same as this in many households around Hobbiton. Diamond Took was having an exceptional dinner. One that she had not had in a very long time.

Time had been very tight for Diamond. Her son had been the focus of her life. Food would be eaten when ever she got the chance. But, now that Pippin had been invited around for dinner again, she could prepare a meal better then any she had had since Pippin had left.

Pippin was sitting in the lounge. His son, now sleeping, was held in his arms. Diamond was now in the last stages of preparing dinner. It was unusual to have dinner this late. But neither of them minded.

Bowls had lined the work top. Diamond held a very hot trey. The parsnips sizzled as they were scooped into the bowl. Potatoes were taken out of the oven.

A few minutes later, the bowls were placed on the table. Diamond placed the last bowl on the table. Now, only the knives, forks, spoons and drinks were left to get out.

Afterwards, Diamond could now get Pippin. She walked out of the warm, lovely smelling kitchen and down towards the lounge.

Diamond smiled as she saw Pippin holding onto the little bundle of Faramir.

"Dinner is ready" she whispered.

Pippin smiled as his son was taken from him. Diamond took a deep breath as she watched Pippin stand up. He was much taller then she was. It was common for the male hobbits to be taller then their female counterparts. But, in Pippin's case, he was taller then nearly all of the hobbits in Hobbiton. Except Merry Brandybuck. The reason why they were so tall was due water.

But not normal water, this was water from a spring that erupted deep in the heart of Fangorn forest. The water was used by Ents when they needed it.

But the water had a special property which normal water did not have. This water gave life to trees. Trees that would have once been stationary could now walk, talk and think.

Pippin loved to drink that water, one last time. But he knew that he would never see Treebeard again. At least, not in his life time.

Pippin walked into the kitchen alone, Diamond had gone to her room to place her son down in his cot. A minute or two later, she returned back to the kitchen.

Pippin had thought ahead and filled two large mugs with ale.

"Well" she said, sitting down.

"Tuck in" she told him.

At that, both of them started to fill there plates. As they started, Pearl and Pervinca had finished theirs. The two girls sat there, too tired to move.

"Well, that was a lovely meal" Pervinca said.

Pearl agreed. Neither of them could be bothered with eating anything more. But, the fact that there was a pudding to be had drove them on.

"I guess I have a little more" Pervinca said.

Pearl smiled. She too felt like her corners had not been properly looked after. So, she slowly rose from her seat. She took out two clean plates and placed them on the work top. A draw was opened and a knife taken from its resting place.

"How big do you want it?" Pearl asked, looking around.

Pervinca took a deep breath.

"Not too big" was all that she could say.

Her eyes were getting heavier by the second. A minute later, two pieces of cake had been cut. By hobbit standards, they were quite small. But if a human saw the pieces sitting on the plates, they would be amazed.

"Thank you, dear" Vinnie said as she picked up her spoon.

The two girls fell back into silence as they ate. The piece of cake on their plates slowly disappeared as they ate. Within a few minutes, all of it was gone. Even the crumbs were scooped up.

"Well, may I sat that was a lovely cake, Vinnie" Pearl said.

Vinnie smiled as she picked up her mug of ale. She took a deep gulp. The ale seemed to create more space in her stomach. Her mind was now troubled. Not about Pimpernel, but about having more cake.

"Are you alright?" Pearl asked.

Pervinca took a deep breath.

"Yes, I'm just wondering if I should have more cake"

Pearl was thinking the exact same thing. Now that she had had a drink, she did feel like she could consume one more piece of delicious chocolate cake.

So, agreeing to have just one more, Pearl rose from her seat again. She put two more slices and placed them on the same plates.

"Thank you" Vinnie said, picking up her spoon again.

Hamson had finally caught up with Pimpernel. But not entirely. Hamson was slowly following her. He struggled to watch her through the darkness.

"Should I go after her?" he asked, watching from behind a tree.

There were a lot of paths to take, but only one was correct and would get Pimpernel to come back. Hamson had to choose his words carefully.

So, building up his courage, he started to walk quickly after her. Pimpernel's tears had stopped. She was now focused on getting home as soon as possible. She would walk all night if she had to.

"Pimpernel?" asked a voice in the darkness.

Pimpernel stopped in her tracks. She knew that it was Hamson. But she did not turn around. The crunching sound stopped as she did. She did not want to look back. She couldn't look back at him. She did not know what to do.

To walk away would be best. But deep down, she still loved him.

"Pimpernel?" the voice asked again.

This time, it was much closer. Hamson waited for Pimpernel to turn around. As she did, the little light that was left glinted off of two trailed of water running down each rosy cheek.

Pimpernel gave Hamson a look that summed up the whole of her feelings towards him. Without words, the two of them stood there.

"Pimpernel, I'm…" but Hamson's words did not make it out.

There were thousands of things to apologize for. Hamson didn't know where to start.

"Leave me alone, Hamson" Pimpernel said.

But Hamson did not want to. He wanted to have her back. But he knew that he had pushed it too far this time. The bridge that Pimpernel had once built had now crumbled in a few hours. Now, what felt like a large chasm had come between them.

Pimpernel's love for Hamson had been trickling away since he had left. She had now realised that she had none left. It had all but gone. She knew that her heart had been playing tricks on her.

"Well, if he loved me, why did he leave?" she asked herself.

The two of them stood there, looking at each other.

"Nelly, I need to talk to you"

But Pimpernel had heard all that she needed to hear.

"No you don't" she said, annoyance rising in her voice.

"I've heard all I wanted to hear" she said.

Hamson took a deep breath.

"Pimpernel, place listen, you have to understand" he said.

But Nelly was not having any of it.

"I understand you perfectly. You've let me down, Hamson, you let me down"

Everything came into being for Hamson. Now that Pimpernel had said it, he knew that it was true. Nothing more could be said on this matter as they stood there.

"I'm sorry" he said.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"Maybe in the future, we can be friends again. for now, I just want to go back to Hobbiton" Pimpernel told him.

Hamson couldn't stop her any more. Not even his words could convince her that it was not a good idea.

"At least come back for some food" he said.

Pimpernel could do nothing but give a small laugh.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you" she said.

But Hamson could not leave her in the cold, without food. She would surely succumb to the coldness.

"It's took far back to Hobbiton without food, you'll…"

But he couldn't say it.

"I wont, I'm stronger then you think" she told him.

Hamson knew that she was stronger then he made her our to be.

"When will I see you again?" he asked, trying to build another bridge.

But it did not work.

"I don't know" Pimpernel answered, welling up again.

She needed to get away from this situation as soon as possible.

"I don't know when I'll see you"

Without warning, she turned on the spot and walked off.

Meanwhile, Pervinca was sitting on a very comfortable sofa. Her eyes were very heavy indeed. Her sister, Pearl, also sat there. The two girls had a large mug of warm tea each. Pearl took another sip. She could feel herself drifting off.

Pervinca was no more awake then she was. In fact, she had fallen asleep. The mug of tea was slowly slipping out of her grasp. A small wave spilled over the edge as she gave a small snore.

The fire continued to crackle as time wore on. Pervinca's snores grew louder and louder as she fell into a deeper sleep.

Pearl, however, was woken by these.

"Oh my" she said, looking at the time.

It was almost midnight. This had been the latest she had gone to bed.

"Vinnie?" she asked, slowly standing up.

Vinnie gave a little grunt before slowly opening her eyes. For a moment, she was disorientated. But her baring quickly came back to her.

"What time is it?" she asked, giving a large yawn.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"Nearly midnight" she answered.

Pervinca, who had completely forgotten that she was holding onto a mug full of tea, started to stretch. The tea instantly started to pour over the side of the mug and onto her lap. A little bit of it splashed onto the couch as well, soaking in almost right away.

"Oh no!" she said, stopping the mug from displacing its contents even more.

Pearl watched as Pervinca stopped the torrent of tea.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Vinnie said, standing up.

Pearl could think of nothing but more work.

"No, no, it was an accident" she said, seeing drips of tea fall to the floor.

"I can clean it up if you want" Vinnie said, trying to redeem herself.

But Pearl just smiled.

"Vinnie, it was an accident, I'll clean it up. You just get yourself home" she said.

Vinnie took a deep breath and handed the mug to her sister. The sisters made the short walk down to the front door. There, Pervinca put on her coat and did the buttons up.

"I'll see you tomorrow" she said, kissing her sister on the cheek.

"Of course" Pearl answered.

The door opened and a cold blast of air rushed in. A few seconds later, after their final farewells, the door was shut. Pearl now had a job to do. She had to get the stains out of the couch before she went to bed.

So, she walked to the kitchen. The rest of Vinnie's tea was tipped away. Hers was still cooling in the lounge. Pearl walked back down to the front door. There, a smaller door held buckets, mops and other cleaning equipment at bay.

Pearl yawned as she took a bucket out. An old cloth was taken out as well. that's all that was needed for now. The door clicked shut.

The bucket was taken to the kitchen. There, it was filled warm water. The cloth was placed into the water. Pearl heaved it out of the sink. She was too tired to do this work. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep.

But the fact that there was dirt in her house kept her from sleeping. A minute later, Pearl had reached the lounge. Grasped in her right hand was the bucket. In her left, a small box. Inside was dry soap, waiting to be used to get tea that had soaked into the couch.

The water sloshed around as the bucket was placed on the floor. The box of soap was placed on the table and opened. Inside, a very used looking soap.

Pearl picked it up and placed it in the water. Water dripped off as she started to rub it between her hands. Pearl looked down at the light brown stain and started to rub the soap on it. A soap broth started to seep into the couch. It battled the tea. The cloth was then taken out of the water. The sound of drips filled the room as Pearl squeezed the water out of it.

Pearl started to scrub the tea off. After a few seconds, she stopped. The stain was slowly, but surely, being rubbed away. But it would still take another thirty minutes before Pearl was happy with her work.

"Oh my" she said, standing up.

Her head was rushing, but it only lasted a few seconds. The cloth was placed in the bucket and the soap into its little box again.

"I'll put them away in the morning" she said, leaving the bucket and the box where they stood.

Tiredness continued to wave over her as she walked to the bathroom. She washed her face and hands before she retired to her room.

Pervinca had also retired back to her house. The walk home was very cold. The snow crunched under her feet. Small flickering spots of light could be seen in the side of hills. Vinnie felt strange as she walked to her home. The once colourful front doors were now dull.

Pervinca yawned as she reached her front door. Unlike humans, hobbits did not need locks.

"Nothing bad ever happens here" said the elders who have lived in peace nearly all of their lives.

But a few years before, there was a hiccup in proceedings. A few hobbits had been manipulated by servants of Sauron. But now, peace had been restored to the lands of the Shire.

Pervinca finally reached her home. The warmth that came next couldn't have been more welcome enough. The door closed behind her, shutting out the coldness for the night.

Her sister, Pimpernel, had been completely forgotten. The two girls would spend their nights very differently. One would spend it hungry and cold. The other would spend it tucked up in her warm bed.

Pervinca was so tired that, after taking her coat off, went straight to her room.

"It can wait 'til morning" she told herself, giving a large yawn.

Vinnie changed into night gown and got into bed. The large, soft duvet was drawn over her, keeping what coldness in the room at bay.

The gentle clicking of the clock mounted to the wall sent Pervinca into a deep sleep. She had never felt fuller or happier then she had been right now.

Pimpernel's situation was very different. There were no warm beds for miles. No heaths to keep the coldness at bay. Instead, she was out in the wild amongst skeletons of trees and a carpet of snow for her bed.

Pimpernel shivered as she sat on ground. Her eyes were not used to the level of darkness at night. Luckily, Pimpernel had found a snowless patch on the floor that she could sleep on.

Hunger was now battling with her stomach as she sat there. Every so often, her stomach would erupt in pain. The pain was so bad that she slowly curled up, hands pressed against her round belly.

She needed food and she needed it quickly. But her only chance of survival seemed to have passed. Hamson was now sitting in the kitchen. The rest of hobbits living in the household had all retired to bed a few hours before.

But Hamson continued to sit there. Only one thing was on his mind.

Pimpernel.

"How can I sleep when she's still out there?" he asked himself.

The clock on the wall ticked ever closer to the first complete hour of the new day.

"Then why are you just sitting here?" another voice asked.

Something about these words sparked a new path. A new path that might just save a very precious soul.

"Yes" he said, looking at the clock.

Of course he was tired, but he knew that he could sleep anytime that he wanted. There may not be a second chance to save Pimpernel and time was running out.

So, downing the last of his ale, Hamson stood up. He knew exactly what to bring. So, the hobbit quickly went back to his room. His heart was racing as he looked into his wardrobe. There, a large pack was sitting.

He took it and walked back to the kitchen. A few loaves of bread were packed as well as a bottle of whiskey and four flasks of cool water.

Hamson was now ready to go. But he impeded one more time. Another set of hobbit feet, slapping against the cold tiled floor.

Hamson looked over at the door as the sound of bare feet stopped. There, his auntie stood. She looked very tired as she watched him.

"You're going after her, aren't you?" she asked.

She already knew the answer, judging by the pack laying on the table.

"I'm the only chance she has" Hamson answered.

There was a very strange vibe coming off of her nephew. She knew that Hamson had to do it. But she wasn't sure that it was a good idea. The old woman took a few steps forward. Hamson, who was an inch or two taller, took a deep breath and looked away.

"You can not stop me" he said, thinking that was what she would do.

But he was wrong.

"I am not going to stop you, I just want you to be safe and get Pimpernel back" she said.

Hamson gave a small smile.

"I'll try to" he said.

Hamson's aunt threw her arms around him. This was very strange, for he had not felt her hug since he was a young hobbit, at his own birthday party.

"I'll be back soon" Hamson said, placing a strap one of his shoulder.

He was now ready to go. Without another word, Hamson walked past his aunt. He walked down towards the front door. There, he placed the pack on the floor and picked out his large coat.

After buttoning his coat up, he placed both straps of bag onto his shoulders. Hamson took a deep breath as he gripped the handle of the round door and opened it.

There was no turning back now.


	97. Day Forty Seven, Part One

Summer was fully upon the lands of Middle-earth. The trees had been sported out the greenest leaves for a thousand years. A stream trickled down towards an unknown sea from an unknown source.

Within the depths on an ancient forest stood a house. But it was not abandoned. Instead, two beings within its walls.

A young woman smiled as she walked out of her home. On her shoulder was a wicker basket. Her plan was to pick the ripest fruit that grew in her small orchard near by.

Goldberry was her name. she was blessed the looks of someone much younger then herself. Her hair was flowing down her shoulders like a stream of gold.

Her dress was as green as the grass. A belt of gold hugged her waist. Sprinkles of pale blue dotted the lily-shaped chain.

Birds sung their morning song as Goldberry walked over a thick, wild carpet of grass. Clusters if pale blue Chicory, groups of yellow Oxslip and small purple balls of Spear Thistle coloured ground.

Bees buzzed around, collecting honey and pollinating the other plants. Goldberry smiled as she reached the first tree.

"Hello, my beauties" she said, looking up at the many red apples hanging from the trees.

Goldberry had been growing nine of them in total. Her harvests were plentiful, knowing the exact time to pick them. for Goldberry was intone with nature. Trees could speak to her, as well as the birds and beasts that flew and crawled around her.

It took only thirty minutes to pick out the ripest of apples. Goldberry smiled as she checked the remaining apples. All was in order and she set on her way again. Her bag was considerably heavier as she made her way bag. Her feet hardly made a dent on the carpet of grass. As she walked back to her house, two figures caught her eye. They were not woodland creatures.

Goldberry stopped where she was. Her eyes watched the two of them come closer. A smile came over her as she saw two old friends.

Mya and Pilith were walking through the forest. Goldberry started to walk again.

"My friends, what a lovely surprise" she said.

But the two being standing before her did not see the same. They had had a very hard year. It showed in their tiredness.

"Come, Tom is waiting for you" she said.

No words were said as Mya and Pilith looked at each other as Goldberry walked away. Pilith was still recovering from his horrible ordeal.

The two beings laid eyes on Tom's house. It had not changed one bit. Its roof was made of dark grey thatch. Its walls were made of pale plaster. Its texture was smoother then a lake on a windless day.

The door had been left open, this being a very safe area of Middle-earth. Butterflies fluttered by, their wings painted with their unique colours.

Pilith and Mya followed Goldberry over the threshold. The inside of the house was much cooler. The heath had no fire burning in it. For the warmth of the sun was enough.

"Ah!" said a familiar voice from behind them.

Both Mya and Pilith instantly looked around to see Tom, standing in the door way that they had just come through.

"I see my good friends are back and I see that they have had a hard time"

Darkness slowly turned into light as a small puppy awoke from his slumber. The sounds that had once been silent were now all coming back to him. But a new sound came to him as well.

Talking.

"And that's what happened" said one of them.

Origo whimpered, feeling the cold. As he did, the talking stopped. Ivy looked down to see Origo giving a large yawn. His little furry ears flopped backwards as he yawned. A small whimper came from him as he stretched.

Mya smiled as she tickled his ear.

"Good morning, puppy" Mya said, lifting him up.

Origo felt the coldness of the wind blow through his thick coat. Mya felt the puppy try and curl up into a little ball again. Mya felt how cold little Origo was.

"You need a blanket, don't you" she said, opening up her bag.

Origo's large blanket had been bundled inside. A few seconds later, Origo was being wrapped up. His own warmth would warm him up.

Mya smiled as Ori's little paws poked out either side of fluffy face.

"You hungry, pup?" she asked, kissing him square between the eyes.

Even though Origo could not talk, Mya knew exactly what he meant by his little whimper. His beautiful brown eyes blinked twice as Mya reached over to her beg.

Like the days before, she produced a large plate of turkey for him. Ivy smiled as she fluttered nearby. But Origo did something very different. Instead of jumping straight into eating, Origo looked up at the fairy, fluttering a few feet away.

"Puppy?" she asked, swooping down.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Origo looked over at Mya, then back to the small green fairy now standing on the carpet of snow.

"I don't want her turkey anymore, I don't like it" he explained.

Ivy tried not to smile. But she did find this very cute. This just cemented the fact that Mya's and Ivy's lie was working.

"Puppy, its no different to mine" Ivy told him.

This was in fact the truth. Origo didn't know it, but it was actually Ivy's turkey that he was eating it.

"Yes it is" he whimpered.

Mya watched as the two of them spoke.

"Puppy, you going to eat up?" Mya asked.

Ori looked up at her. he watched as a large hand came down and picked up a few large chunks of warm turkey.

"Come on" she said, placing it right under Origo's cold, wet nose.

Origo tried ever so hard to resist the smell of turkey. He wanted Ivy to feed him. But he could take it no longer as he gobbled it up.

"Good boy" Mya said, getting another piece ready.

Ivy smiled as her wings started to flutter. Ivy was very adventurous the last few days. All she wanted to do was go as high as she could.

Her feet left the cold ground as she fluttered upwards. Origo, who had been eating, stopped. His little eyes darted and stopped on the ever distancing fairy.

Mya also looked up. She could see Ivy correcting her course every time a strong gust of wind blew. A small part of her wanted to egg Ivy onwards, but then, another part did not think that what Ivy was doing was a good idea.

Ivy could see further and further as she fluttered higher and higher. The trees seemed to melt into one mass of grey, dotted with silver streams and white patches of snow.

The path could easily be distinguished, winding its way towards Rivendell and beyond. To the West, Ivy could make out the white caps of Weather Hills. This was where Weathertop was situated.

But something happened that Ivy did not expect. A few black dots were flying towards her. The wind was trying to take Ivy with it.

Ivy spotted four or five black objects heading towards her. she could make out their flapping wings.

"Oh no" she said.

Without another second wasted, Ivy started to bomb down towards the ground. But she was not as fast as birds chasing her. The call of the crows grew louder as Ivy pelted down to earth.

Mya, who had been watching Origo, looked up. He could see a small speck being chased five large birds. He did not truly know what was going on, but he knew that it wasn't right.

"Ivy?" he whimpered, thinking she could hear him.

But she couldn't. Mya smiled, picking up a little bit of turkey for Ori.

"Puppy, eat up" she said.

The smell recaptured Origo's attention, knocking Ivy's troubles to the back on his mind. Mya smiled as Origo almost bit her finger.

"Careful" she said, smiling.

Origo then continued to eat, his energy rising with every mouthful. But the tiredness had not gone away as yells grew louder. The little fairy was battling creatures nearly twenty times the size and power of herself.

A few times, Ivy had concentrated long enough zap one of the crows. The bird called out and fluttered away. But this seemed to distract them for a few seconds before they started to fly at her again.

The leafless canopy came ever closer. Ivy could now try and find a safe place to hide from the large crows. The fairy skimmed past the first thin twigs.

The crows dodged them, but did not give up. Origo, who had now finished his turkey, wagged his tail as he saw Ivy being hunted down by the crows.

Ivy had one more choice to make. But this one would put Origo and Mya in danger. But she had to do it. so, diving down, further to the ground, Ivy fluttered into one of Mya's pockets.

But the fairy's plan did not go smoothly. The crows, who should have kept away from Mya, starting attacking her. Ivy curled up as Mya started to yell in fright. Five jet black crows started to swarm around the once peaceful girl. Origo was being attacked too. But only by one of the birds.

Mya screamed in both surprise and fight as she quickly stood up. She could feel the claws scratch her skin and the beating wings of the birds hit her face. After a few seconds, Mya started to run, leaving scared little Origo alone. As Mya ran, the crows started to fly away, up into the trees.

A full five minutes of running, Mya started to slow down. she doubled over as she took in as much oxygen as possible. As her mind and heart rate started calm, something was drawn to the front of her mind.

"Origo" she said, looked up the road.

There was no sign of the pup anywhere. Ivy took a deep breath. the attack was now over. So, carefully standing up, she fluttered out of her pocket.

"Ivy, are you alright?" Mya asked, spotting Ivy.

The fairy nodded.

"Yes, are you?" she asked.

Mya took a deep breath.

"We need to find Origo, he could be hurt" she told the fluttering fairy.

So, the two of them started to walk back down the road. The snow held Mya's foot prints. It was easy to trace her steps back to where she had come from.

A little black dot could be seen standing in the middle of the path. A lot of pressure had been taken off of Mya when she saw Origo standing there, unharmed.

Origo whimpered as he looked around. His eyes fell in a figure walking towards him. He knew that it was Mya. Mya smiled as the little puppy ran up to her.

"Oh, puppy" she said, scooping him up.

Origo was shivering. Not only due to fright, but because of the coldness.

"I'm sorry" she said, kissing his head.

Ori was now focused on the fairy. Ivy knew exactly what Origo needed just by the little glint in his eye.

"Alright, puppy" she said, fluttering to him.

She touched onto of Origo's large paws. A few seconds later, warmth started circulate his little body. Ivy secretly did it to Mya as well, knowing that she would need warmth as well.

"Shall we get going?" Mya asked the pup.

Origo gave a cute little whine in a agreement. Mya took a deep breath as she place Ori on the floor. She then picked up her pack and put it on. It was much lighter then normal. But she did not care. She knew that if Ivy was with them, then she and Origo would be alright.

"Right, come on pup" she said, smiling.

Origo gave a small bark and wagged his tail. He bounded after Mya, running a few paces onwards and them stopping. He looked back to make sure that she was following him.

Tom and Goldberry were sitting around a wooden table. Goldberry sat upright. Where as Tom rested against the back of the chair.

"You knew" Pilith said, looking at Tom.

The vibes radiating off of Tom had changed. He was not his happy, careless self. Instead, he was serious. The light around him seemed to be darker, even darkening Goldberry's light that radiated off of her hair.

"You knew what was going to happen and you did nothing about it"

Tom and Pilith looked deep into each others eyes. Tom could read Pilith like a book.

"It went according to plan, my dear" he answered.

"According to plan?" Mya asked.

Mya had not aged a day. Even after her many hundreds of years of living, she had not changed a single bit.

"And what plan was that?" she asked.

Tom smiled.

"To get you inside the walls of Mordor. To see what defences they have and how it is defended" he answered.

Neither Mya or Pilith knew what that meant.

"Defences?" asked Pilith, half to himself and half out loud.

"Are you telling me that we were meant to be spies?"

Tom took a deep breath.

"In a way" he said, pausing for a split second.

"Yes"

Mya could not believe what she was hearing.

"Tom, we were tortured for weeks and now, your saying that that was your plan all along?" she asked.

"You are lucky that we did not say anything that Gandalf told us!"

A smile came over Tom's face, hidden by his beard.

"It does not bother me one bit" he answered.

For he knew that he was more powerful then any army that could throw at him. Pilith had heard enough. He stood up.

"You have pushed me too far, Tom"

Mya looked up at Pilith. Tom's expression did not change one bit. His smile was still hiding behind his bushy beard.

"Good day and good bye" he said.

The next second, Pilith picked up his pack and walked out. Mya took a deep breath. She looked back at the two beings seated opposite her.

Without a word, Mya did the same. She picked up her pack, put a strap over each shoulder and followed Pilith. As she crossed the threshold into the warm sun. She spotted Pilith walking away.

"Pilith, wait for me" Mya said.

Pilith did not stop or even look around. He wanted to get as far away from Tom and Goldberry as possible. After a few more minutes, Mya had caught up.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked.

The present day was much colder. Neither Mya or Pilith had seen Tom for many years. Mya had forgotten that Tom and Goldberry even existed. For there were more pressing matters to deal with.

Origo barked as he chased a stick that had been thrown by Mya. He bounded through the snow and picked it up with his mouth. After attacking it for a few seconds, he bounded back to Mya.

Mya smiled as she picked it up.

"One more time" she said.

Origo was acting like a very normal puppy. There were no signs of Origo's past. Any passing being would just take Origo for a normal puppy. But his history had been forgotten.

Only Radagast could bring Origo back to his normal self. And that's where the three travellers were headed. Mya took a deep breath as picked up the stick.

Origo wagged his tail as stood there. Mya looked down, she could see the eager puppy waiting for her to throw it. Origo braced himself as tall figure of Mya drew her arm back. the next second, without looking up, Origo bolted off.

Mya smiled as she held onto the stick. She had never seen Origo do this before. It was like having a normal puppy again.

She increasingly missed playing like this. Ever day that past was becoming harder and harder to not change into a pup and just play with him. For that was one of the main reasons why she was heading to Radagast.

Ori looked back, there was a strange glint in his eyes. he knew that she had tricked him into running.

"Why didn't you throw it?" he whimpered, slowly walking back.

Mya smiled.

"You ready?" she asked.

This time, she was going to throw it as far as possible. Origo couldn't wait any longer. He started to bark.

"Calm down, puppy" said Mya.

A few seconds later, the stick was thrown. Origo watched it as it flew higher and higher. The next second, the puppy took off. The stick rotated a few times before being caught by gravity.

Mya smiled as the stick landed. Origo pounced on the stick and rolled over. Mya could do nothing but laugh. But she was not the only one. Ivy giggled and put her hand over her mouth.

Snow stuck to Origo's fur. He stood on all four paws and shook the snow off. The stick was held in his mouth as he looked back. Both Mya and Ivy were still coming towards him.

Origo placed the stick down on the ground and looked up at Mya. His little tail started as he stepped back.

"Puppy, we have to get walking" she told him.

Origo's little eyes changed. Normally, they would work. But this time they didn't.

"Don't give me that look" Mya said, scooping him up.

Ori whimpered as he squirmed in Mya arms. He whimpered as he looked down at his stick. Mya took a deep breath as she figured out what he wanted.

"There you are" she said, handing him the stick.

Origo settled down, stick in mouth. Mya could now focus on walking. And that's exactly what she did. The lands on either side seemed to change as she made her way down the path.

Rocky outcrops dotted the land. Unlike the small range of hills that she had just past, there was a lot more horizon to see. There were no settlements anywhere near here.

Pilith took a deep breath as he stood before Mya.

"Well" he said, thinking.

"We will have to wait until Diamond and Pimpernel are in need" he answered.

But it would be many years before this could happen. For the ring had yet to be destroyed. But the time was coming because Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam had already set out.

Mya and Pilith had seen them. They had crossed paths a few days before. But the two groups had not seen each other.

"So, where do we go now?" My asked.

Pilith already had a place in mind. It was a few days walk away, but they could stay there until the time was right.

"There is this one place that we could go" he started.

Mya was listening. She wanted to know more.

"Where?" she asked.

Pilith explained where they could stay.

"The White Downs?" asked Mya.

Pilith nodded.

"I stayed around there area for many years, its perfectly safe"

But Mya wasn't so sure. In the depths of her mind, the evil that she had witnessed and felt could be seen. It was shouting at her.

"But, what is Sauron comes back into power?" she asked.

The two of them knew that Sauron was a great threat to this world. But there was nothing more that they could do.

"Then we will have to fight when the time comes" he answered.

The two beings started to walk away from Tom Bombadil's home. The amount of trees between them and the house created an impenetrable wall. The house could no longer be seen.

For hours, the two of them walked.

"I want to go and visit Pimpernel" Mya said, stopping in her tracks.

But Pilith did not think this was a good idea.

"Don't you want to see Diamond again?" she asked.

Pilith knew that he would not get to see Diamond for a while. For she did not live in Hobbiton. She lived further north, with her mother and father.

"I do, but we have to get something to eat" Pilith said.

Mya smiled.

"Have you forgotten that we can change?" she asked, putting down her pack.

A few seconds later, the girl turned into a puppy. Pilith smiled. Mya wagged her tail. Once again, she changed form.

"So?" she asked, smiling.

"What do you say?"

Pilith gave a smile. He knew that Mya was right. It would be nice to relax in Hobbiton for a few days.

"Alright" he answered.

"I guess it'll be nice to see Pimpernel again" he said.

So, the two beings continued on walking. They were heading towards a road that ran near Hobbiton. The day grew brighter as they walked away.

The summer heat warmed them as they took regular breaks. The two of them had started to regret leaving Tom's house. They were now very low on food and water. The two of them yawned as they sat near a babbling stream.

"I could just" Pilith said, taking a yawn midsentence.

"I could just fall right to sleep"

Mya smiled. Her eyes were heavy.

"That is a very good idea" she agreed.

The next second, Mya changed into a small puppy. Pilith smiled and changed into his puppy form too. Their packs were left sitting on the grass near by.

Mya yawned again and curled up. Pilith gave a small whimper and cuddled up to him Mya. He placed his fluffy head his paws. Both puppies fell asleep.

The only evidence that they could change figure was the two packs sitting near by. The sun continued to beat down on them, making them hotter then normal. It was much harder to keep cool with all this fur. But they were used to it.

Hours past and there was still no sign of the two pups waking up. Pilith was having a very strange dream. It was darker then normal.

Pilith was in chains. Metal shackles wrapped around his bleeding ankles and wrists. A dull bang echoed from down the corridor. But Pilith thought nothing of this. He was used to dull bangs and blood curdling screams of other prisoners.

But he did not expect a familiar figure to pop up through the bars. It took him a few seconds to look up. when he did, he could believe his eyes.

"Mya?" he asked.

There were now hundreds of questions running through his head.

"Pilith!" Mya whispered.

The next second, the door creaked open.

"How…?" he asked.

In Mya's hands were keys. They jangled as she walked.

"How did you get them?" Pilith asked.

Mya did not say a word as she knelt down by him. She took one key and unlocked the shackles that were wrapped around his ankles. She took another key and unlocked the shackles that hung around wrists.

Pilith screwed his face up as both shackles fell off.

"Shush" Mya said.

She could hear someone coming. She quickly changed into her puppy form and scooted to one of the corners of the room.

An orc came into view. He turned his head and looked at Pilith.

"Hmm, what have we got here then?" it asked.

Pilith tried to back away, but his back was already against the wall.

"Your shackles" The orc said, noticing the chains and shackles laying on the cold floor.

"Who took them off?" it asked.

Pilith knew that orcs were not the brightest of creatures.

"One of the orcs" he answered.

The orc took a deep, annoyed breath.

"Which one?" he asked, his voice boomed around the cell.

Pilith rubbed his wrists. He did not know what to say.

"I can't remember" he answered.

Mya was hiding in the blackest corner. She was just feet away from Pilith and the orc. But she was still hidden out of view.

The orc huffed and turned. It was now time to escape. Mya watched the orc walk out. The little puppy quickly changed into the girl again.

"Come on, we have to move" she said.

Pilith slowly stood up. Every muscle in his body seemed to be on fire. But this chance only came once.

"Wouldn't it be better if we changed?" he asked, giving her a hint.

Mya did not think of this. But, now that it was mentioned, it was a better ideas then what she had. So, a few seconds later, the room did not have two beings in it anymore. Instead, it had two little puppies. Pilith looked back at Mya. His eyes said it all.

So, the two of them carefully made their way out. Mya gave a small whimper. The orc was coming back. Pilith and Mya sneaked into the shadows. Pilith's heart rose as the orcs feet slammed on the ground. The two of them were just inches away from the orc now.

The orc stopped in his tracks. It took a few moments for the orc to realise that the prisoner had escaped. Pilith jumped as the orc roared.

Mya looked around. She gave a small whine, ordering Pilith to follow her. So, without being noticed, the two of them scooted through the shadows. The yells and bangs echoed down from the cold passage way that they had just left.

The stairs were slippery and wet. The coldness seemed to be left down in the depth of the dark prison. The puppies continued to make their way out.

But, as they reached the top, a few orcs were walking their way. But, due to their small stature, the pups were not seen.

Mya looked around. She knew that there was a way out, it was just a matter of not being seen. So far, they had not been seen. But there were a lot more orcs around.

"Find them!" a voice echoed from the path down towards the chambers.

Pilith looked back. Roars seemed to grow louder as a horde ascended the shallow stairs to the top.

"Hurry!" Mya whimpered.

Pilith and Mya ran off towards the left. The air around them had a strange smell. The walls were ladened with strange objects. Rusted shackles with rotten wrists hung every so often.

Rusted sword and maces were laying on metal fixtures. Some were stained with the blood of past victims. Both Mya and Pilith knew that they were close to getting out.

The coldness seemed to change into warmth. It was then that Mya saw a hint of sky.

"This way" her eyes said, looking back at the other pup.

After what seemed like hours, the two of them reached a door to the outside. Pilith stopped Mya as she started to walk out.

It was luck that he did. For a horde of fighting orcs ran past. Pilith jumped as an object bounced along the ground and landed just inches from him.

It was an orcs head. The picture instantly vanished as Origo opened his eyes. Mya's large hands were still wrapped around him, making sure he did not fall.

Mya looked down at the puppy whimpered.

"Puppy?" Mya asked, looking down.

Origo's eyes had changed. They had a hint of fright about them.

"Oh, did you have a bad dream?" she asked.

She smiled as she kissed the pup on the top of his head. Mya would never knew what had scared Origo. For Ori yawned and cuddled up again. though he had just woken, tiredness slowly crept back.

Mya watched as Origo yawned. His little eyes started to close again, sending him back to sleep. It only took a few minutes for the pup to fall back to sleep.

Ivy and Mya could continue their conversation.

"So, where were we?" Mya asked.

Ivy, who had been fluttering while Origo had woken, was now sitting on Mya's shoulder again.

"We were talking about the birds" Ivy reminded her.

Mya smiled.

"Ah yes" she said.

"I was just wondering, why did the crows attack you?" she asked.

Ivy had wanted to tell her story for a while now. And now was her chance.

"It all started many years ago" she started.

"Saruman is the cause of all this mess. The crows had been captured and tamed by him. He had taught them all of his evil. He taught them to hate men, elves and anything that tried to stand up for themselves" she explained.

Mya knew of the wrath of Saruman. She knew that he had been manipulated by the dark lord Sauron.

"Every day was a risk. Being the only fairy was hard. I used to be attack numerous times a day. Sometimes, I would go days without coming out of my little nest" she said.

Ivy's life seemed to be worse then hers.

"After the fire, I thought things could not get any worse"

Ivy took a deep breath, she missed her friends very much.

"What about you?" Ivy asked.

Mya was now in the spot light. Her fingers had slowly been stroking Origo's fluffy ears as she walked.

"I've had my fair share of evil" she answered.

Pilith yawned as he woke up. Birds were still singing and the sun was still beating. Pilith looked around as his eyes tried to drag him back to the world of dreams.

A babbling stream trickled past him. Pilith shook his head, his little fluffy ears flopped from side to side. Little Mya was still snoozing, her chest rose and fell as she slept.

Pilith was very hungry indeed. He quickly changed from a puppy to a being, standing on two legs.

"Maybe we should go back" he thought.

Pilith took a deep breath as he looked down at his fluffy friend. Mya was sleeping peacefully, so peacefully in fact that Pilith didn't dare wake her.

Pilith took a deep breath as he looked over at the little stream that trickled past. Pilith slowly knelt down, his wounds still gave off a dull pain.

He smiled as he dipped his hands into the cool, refreshing water. He cupped his hands and scooped some water up. He took a sip as the water level fell. Pilith did this a few more times before he had his fill. By that time, Mya had awoken.

"That was what I needed" she said.

Pilith smiled as he turned around.

"All we need is food" he said.

But there was none. The only food that they knew they could eat was back at Tom Bombadil's home. But neither of them wanted to go back.

"Maybe we could go back to Tom, it's the only way to get food" Mya said.

She was still sitting on the soft grass that made up the ground. Pilith knew that they would only be there for a few moments. But, all the same, he could not bare to see or be around Tom any longer.

But their conversation had been over heard. A little bird fluttered away, beating its wings. It took a few minutes of nonstop flying before Tom's house came into view.

The bird weaved past the trees. The figure of Tom Bombadil stood there. The bird slowed down and landed on his finger.

The bird sang it song. To normal ears, it would be song. But to Tom's ears, the bird told him all that he needed to know.

"Thank you" he said.

The bird hopped around and fluttered away, back to spy on the two beings. Tom smiled as he turned and retreated back into his home.

"We may yet see our two little friends again" he said to Goldberry.

She was sitting on a large, soft armchair. She smiled as she moved her hair to the back of her shoulders.

"I guess they will want food and water for their journey" she pointed out.

Tom nodded. Goldberry rose from her seat. No effort seemed to have been used in doing so. Goldberry walked out of the small room and into the kitchen.

Everything was bright and cool in here. The cupboards were made of polished wood. A small cellar had been built into the house. It housed fresh food that would be used by them.

Goldberry picked out two fresh loaves of bread. She had made them herself. They were taken out into the kitchen and placed on the table.

Meanwhile, Pilith and Mya had agreed to go back. the small bird was tracking their progress. It would take a few hours to walk back to Tom's home. But neither Pilith or Mya knew that they were actually going to bump into Tom sooner then they thought.

After an hour of walking, a figure was seen through the trees.

"Look!" said Mya, being the first to spot it.

Pilith stopped, he had been looking at the ground. His eyes darted up at to Mya, then the direction she was pointing.

To his eyes, there was nothing but trees and green patches of grass.

"What?" he asked, wondering what on earth she could have seen.

But, like Pilith, she could see nothing. The creature had vanished.

"There's something out there" she said.

Pilith took a deep breath and scanned the forest again. But still, there was nothing but trees.

"Come on, lets get moving" Pilith said, walking off again.

Mya took a deep breath and continued on walking. Her eyes did not stop scanning the forest in front of her. As they walked, the figure that was seen was slowly knocked out of her mind. Hunger was now screaming.

Tom Bombadil smiled as he silently followed his friends just a few meters behind them. His feet were unnaturally light and silent.

Mya yawned as she looked around. The next second, she and Pilith jumped in unison as a voice came from behind them.

"Tom!" Mya said, spinning around.

Tom had a smile on his face.

"What…?" Mya asked, still surprised that he had ended up behind them.

"How did…?"

Tom's eyes darted from Mya to Pilith. The next second, he took two packs off of his back.

"These are for you" he said, handing one to each of them.

Pilith took his. He still did not like Tom very much.

"They will have all you need, you are always welcome in our abode when ever you feel like visiting" he said.

Pilith and Mya both looked inside their packs. A loaf of bread lay at the bottom as well as some of Goldberry's creamy cheese and a bottle of water.

"Thank…" Pilith said, looking up.

But he stopped. For Tom was not there anymore. Pilith felt a bit guilty. He wanted to say sorry to him, but he did not have the chance.


	98. Day Forty Seven, Part Two

"How do you think he knew?" Mya asked.

Pilith smiled as he took out the loaf of bread.

"Lets eat" he said.

Mya nodded and sat down. Pilith remained standing as he ripped a piece of fresh bread. He took a bite of the loaf. As he swallowed, his hunger seemed to magically disappear. Mya was feeling exactly the same. Her hunger disappeared in just one mouthful. But this did not put her off as she took a second.

Pilith's hunger was tamed. He also took a second bite.

"That's enough for me" he told himself.

Thirst was now shouting at him. His tongue was dry, but this would all be sorted out as he took out the flask of water. He smiled as he undid the cap. The water sloshed around as he raised it to his lips. He took a few gulps.

Pilith instantly felt better. The water trickled down, settling in his stomach. The water refreshed his vision. Mya smiled as she looked around. She loved this part of the forest.

Logs scattered the ground. Moss covered the rotting logs. They housed many a beast and creepy crawly. The trees that stood around them bloomed with the greenest leaves.

Pilith smiled as he screwed the cap back on and placed it back in his pack. His eyes darted around. A small part of him wanted to go back to Tom and Goldberry's home. It was much safer and much nearer to Hobbiton then where they planned to go.

"I've been thinking" Pilith started.

Mya looked up.

"Thinking about what?" she asked.

Pilith took a deep breath.

"Tom's house would be much safer then any other place that we could stay" he said.

Mya took a deep breath. They had been walking for a few hours. And now, Pilith wanted to turn back and go the way they had came.

"But, you said you didn't want to see him again" Mya pointed out.

Pilith could not deny that he had said that. But he knew that Tom and Goldberry had been very good hosts over the years.

"I have something I want to say to him"

So, after a few minutes, Mya agreed to go back. The bird that had warned Tom of their whereabouts now had more important news.

"Excellent" he said.

To Mya and Pilith, he was just a normal bird. But secretly, the bird was a messenger. He and Tom were tracking their movements.

The bird fluttered past trees, only inches away from their thick trunks. The bird looked around as it fluttered past families of birds. Two parents and a rabble of offspring in their nests.

"Now, be a good boy, you need to learn to fly" said their mother.

There was only one chick left. The boy had been was the smaller of the five chicks that had been born and raised in this small next.

His two brothers and two sisters were already flying around. They seemed to be more confident in the air then their younger brother.

"I'm not ready" he said.

His mother was not taking any of them.

"You'll have to learn one day" she answered.

The little bird looked down. It was a very long way down.

"Maybe I could do it tomorrow" he told her, hopping along the branch to the nest.

Its mother was not pleased. But she couldn't force him. After all, he was the youngest. The little birdie hopped over the edged and hunkered down.

Meanwhile, his brothers and sisters were chasing one another.

"Cant catch me!" said the eldest chick.

He was the biggest of the bunch. He had been since he hatched. He was the first to do so. He was very confident in flying as he zoomed inches from the twigs. His two sisters and brother were chasing after him.

"Got you!" said one of the girls.

She almost knocked him out of the air. He regained his control quite quickly, dropping only a few feet.

"Oh no you didn't!" he said.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Mya and Pilith were walking. The two of them could heard lots of commotion. Pilith smiled as the little birds fluttered over head.

"What are they?" asked of the girl birds.

She fluttered and landed on a branch, high above the two beings.

"They look funny" she said.

Her younger sister fluttered and landed next to her.

"Their not flying" she pointed out.

Pilith smiled as he continued to walk. Mya yawned as she continued to walk. Neither of them had any idea that Tom knew they were coming back.

Tom was sitting by the dead heath, watching the door. For hour after hour, he stared. His eyes seemed not to blink once. A small bird was perched on top of his hat. It too was waiting for the two of them.

Pilith smiled as the house came into the view. He could see that the door was full open. The windows were open too. The windows were fully open too. The blinds were blowing in the cool wind that ran through out the house.

Tom smiled as the two beings came into view. Pilith took a deep breath as he walked to the threshold.

"I see your mind has been changed" said a voice coming out of the dark room.

Pilith knew that Tom had been waiting for them.

"Not to worry, I was told that you would" he said.

Mya was the first to notice a little sparrow perched on top of his hat. This looked strange, but she said nothing about it.

As Tom stood up, the sparrow took flight. Tom did not even bat an eyelid as the sparrow called out to the world.

"Goldberry will have food ready in a short while" he said.

His eyes glinted, knowing that Pilith and Mya wanted to say something. He, of course, already knew what they were say.

"My dear friends, you do not need to say you are sorry. There is nothing to be sorry about"

This was very disturbing. Pilith did not like Tom's ability to read his mind.

"Come, you will need strength"

Goldberry entered the room. she was carrying bowls of fresh vegetables, roasted potatoes, nearly everything for a good meal.

Mya smiled as she placed her pack down. Pilith did the same. He could smell the chicken, waiting to be brought out. It was then that his hunger started screaming.

Goldberry turned and walked back into the kitchen. She did this a few more times. By the time that she had laid the table, both Pilith and Mya had started to fill their plates with just about everything on the table.

Tom smiled as he sat at one end of the table. Goldberry smiled as she placed a large mug full of water before each place.

She was the last one to sit down and eat. Pilith and Mya ate quickly. They seemed not to eat fast enough. Tom and Goldberry did not eat much. In fact, they had finished.

Pilith scooped more roasted potatoes onto his plate. Goldberry had made the nicest food that they had ever had. For it had been a few years since they had had a good meal. In fact, they had been captured in the year three thousand and seventeen.

Both Mya and Pilith had been in Gondor at the time. An old figure stood in the darkness.

"That must be him" said Mya.

The two beings had reached the layered city of Minas Tirith. It was late and the sun had already gone down. The air was cold as they walked through the deserted streets.

"What is you business?" asked the old man.

"He sent us" said Mya.

Pilith did not like this idea. He would have rather saw this figure in day light instead of the dullest of candle light.

"He?" it asked.

Mya took a deep breath.

"Tom" she answered.

The figure's eyes glinted, darting between Mya and Pilith.

"Follow me, it's about to rain" he said.

Without another word, he turned and started to walk into the darkness. Mya was much more confident in this dark, grey cloaked figure then Pilith was.

Pilith slowly walked on after them. As he did, a large drop of rain hit him square in the forehead. He raised his muddy hand and wiped the drip away.

More and more droplets of water started to fall to the ground. The figure led them towards a small alleyway. He took out a small key and opened a wooden door.

"Hurry" he said.

Mya and Pilith both walked in. The door held a single room. An old looking bed could be seen in the corner. The man took one last look outside before shutting the door. Pilith and Mya looked around. Dust seemed to have settled on nearly every surface that it could.

The being they had just met had a grey beard, a grey pointed hat and a wooden staff almost as tall as himself.

This was Gandalf.

"Sit" he said, sounding tired.

In fact, he was very tired. For the past few days, he had been searching through documents for any information that would help him.

"Now" he said, slowly sitting down on the bed.

Mya and Pilith watched as Gandalf took his hat off.

"I have a mission for you" he said.

Pilith did not like the sound of this.

"A mission?" Mya asked.

The silence roared at them as the rain outside came down harder and harder. The sound seemed to make everything more tense as Gandalf talked.

Pilith could barely hear him over the roar of the rain. A flash of lightning flickered through the windowless door. For a split second, it lit up Gandalf's old face. Pilith saw wrinkles from his old age. His eyes were wise and accident.

"No" said Pilith after hearing his plan.

Everything rested on them.

"We will not do it" he said.

Gandalf took a deep breath.

"There is no choice, Pilith" Gandalf said.

"If there was another way, then I would not have called upon you" he explained.

Mya looked over at Pilith as a second flash of lightning lit up the surrounding room. Pilith was in deep thought.

"You are the only ones that I know of that can change" Gandalf told them.

Their ability to change would surely come in handy. Gandalf knew that they could get closer to the enemy then anyone else.

"What do you think?" Pilith asked, looking over at Mya.

Mya took a deep breath.

"I'll go where ever you do" she answered.

This did not go down well with Pilith. Not only did he have his life to worry about, but Mya's life was now in his hands too.

"What do you want us to do?" Pilith asked, dreading the answer.

The storm outside grew worse as more and more lightning strikes hit earth. The waves of thunder echoed around the city as the storm continued to blow over them.

Nearly everyone was asleep now. Pilith and Mya were especially tired.

"So, do you agree?" Gandalf asked.

Pilith took a deep breath and looked over at Mya. He knew that it could be done. It was just, the prospect of carrying the task in hand.

Mya and Pilith stared into each others eyes. No words were said, but they had come to a conclusion.

"Yes" Pilith said, taking a deep breath.

"We will do what we have to do if it saves this world"

Origo yawned as he stood on the cold floor, covered in snow. Mya, who had not aged a day in her life, was sitting with her back to a tree.

A small green fairy was also fluttering around, making sure her two friends were safe. The small puppy, standing just feet away, gave a little whimper.

Hunger groaned in his little stomach. He had not had his turkey since lunch. For he had been asleep for most of that time.

"Puppy, I have something for you" Mya said.

Origo looked up. He watched as her hand dived into her bag and brought out a large plate of turkey. Origo's little tail started to wag. The smell of turkey radiated out and tickled Origo's little wet nose.

Mya smiled as she placed the plate down. Origo did not have to be asked twice to start eating. But he was not the only hungry one in the group.

Mya looked up at Ivy and gave her a certain look. Ivy smiled, nodded and fluttered towards the bag. Mya watched as a lump started to appear inside her bag. It grew for a second or two, the stopped.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered away.

"Thank you" Mya mouthed.

Mya smiled as she opened her bag up and took out the very warm loaf of crusty bread. Ivy smiled as she watched Origo eat. Piece after piece was consumed.

Mya took a deep breath as she ripped a bit of bread off and started to eat. But it would take more then one bite to tame her. instead, after thirty big mouthfuls, her stomach started to thank her.

Origo had finished by this time. He was looking around. Something was different. But he didn't know what it was. Ivy fluttered over to him. Her green glow was getting brighter as the sun sank lower and lower.

The coldness was now effecting both Mya and Origo. Ivy knew this by Origo's little whimpers and the look in his eyes.

"Cold?" Ivy asked, fluttering towards the soft puppy standing there.

Origo gave a small whimper and a nod. Ivy smiled as she touched just above his wet nose. Origo retracted a bit, wiping his fluffy paw over his nose. Ivy smiled as Origo shook his head.

Warmth ran around the little puppy like he had just be wrapped in a very warm blanket. Origo's tail wagged his tail as the empty plate vanished. Ivy knew that Mya would not rest just yet. Midday had come and gone a few hours before.

A few minutes later, after half of the loaf had been eaten, Mya could eat no more. She smiled as she took out her flask of water, produced by Ivy a few days before. She undid the cap and took a few swigs.

Another few minutes past before Mya was ready to move off again. But one little creature was not ready to move on. Origo was looking around.

"Where's my stick?" he whimpered, looking up at Mya.

She could see a flicker in his eyes. Mya needed to change the subject and not be too forward.

"Do you want to walk or should I carry you?" she asked.

Origo tilted his head and gave a small bark. It was obvious that the pup wanted to be carried. So, Mya stood up. But, before she picked up the warm, furry pup, she put her bag on. The two straps were placed over each shoulder.

"Right" she said, placing two hands around the pup and lifting him off of the floor.

"Lets get going" she said.

She kissed Origo on his little forehead and started to walk. Ivy sat on Mya's opposite shoulder. Ivy looked over and saw little Origo slowly falling asleep. The combination of a full tummy and a bubble of warm wore him out.

Origo gave a little yawn as he rested his head on his paws. Mya looked down at him and tickled his little ear. His brown puppy eyes were now small slits as sleep continued to take him.

Mya continued to walk as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky. The coldness grew just as deep as time wore on.

Five hours had past since midday. In Hobbiton, Diamond was now making dinner. Her son, Faramir, was snoozing happily in his cot. Diamond was now in the house alone. Pippin had gone back to his mother and father's house.

Diamond smiled as she took the pan off of the heat. Her sprits that soared over the last few days. She had rediscovered why she had fallen in love with him.

And Faramir was benefiting too. Diamond had left Pippin to bond with his son. That had gone better then expected. A few times, especially at night, Faramir had fallen asleep in Pippin's arms. Diamond would hide behind the large door and listen to what Pippin talked about.

A few times, she would find out his secrets. Secrets that he did not want anyone knowing about. On the other hand, she would find out how much he truly loved her.

"Your mother" he said, taking a deep breath.

"She'll never really understand how precious she is to me and how sorry I am for what I did" he said.

Diamond's heart melted. She wanted to burst in there and just tell him how much she loved him.

But she couldn't.

The house was much quieter now. Diamond smiled as she took the spatula and flipped the rashers of bacon that were sizzling on the hot pan.

Diamond placed the spatula down and went back to buttering the many slices of bread that lay on the worktop. Half of the eight slices of bread had been buttered. Diamond picked up the knife again and scrapped up some butter.

A few seconds later, Diamond started to butter one of the slices. But she was soon distracted again as she looked into the pan. The bacon was now ready and getting very crispy indeed.

Diamond left the bacon in as long as she would dare. So, placing the knife down, she picked up the wooden spatula. She shuffled the spatula underneath the rasher and picked it up. A few droplets of oil fell back into the pan. Diamond placed the rasher on the buttered slice of bread.

Each sandwich would have three or four rashers on each. Only one sandwich had been made as the second slice was placed over the first.

Diamond smiled as she pealed apart more uncooked rashers and dropped them into the pan. The sound of sizzling instantly erupted from the pan again.

As Diamond continued to prepare her dinner, her eyes fell on a little bowl down by the cellar. For a few seconds, all she could do was look at it.

"Origo" she thought, taking a deep breath.

She missed him dearly. Diamond started to blame herself. But she did not know the real reason why Origo had left.

Six chimes echoed around the house.

Diamond had now, after thirty minutes, her dinner was ready. A plate had been taken out and the sandwiches placed on it.

But Diamond did not start eating right away. Instead, she walked towards the cupboards. She opened it and grabbed a mug. She closed the cupboard door and walked to the cellar.

After a few minutes, she walked out again. The mug had been filled to the brim with golden ale. She smiled as she placed the mug on the table and sat down.

The minute hand on the clock continued to make its way round. The hour hand was much slower, only moving a twelfth of the distance that the minute hand did.

To Pimpernel, time was nonexistent as she lay in a nice warm bedroom. Her eyes were closed and the duvet had been drawn over her.

But it was not Pimpernel's doing. A figure was sitting on a wooden chair near by. The fire in the heath flickered, sending even more warmth her way.

Hamson took a deep breath. this time, he knew it was his fault. The door to the room creaked open. A figure came in, holding a warm mug of tea.

Pearl smiled as she closed the door behind her.

"I made this for you" she whispered.

Only the ticking of the clock broke the screaming silence.

"Thank you" Hamson answered.

His nose was red and he sneezed from time to time. Pearl looked over at her sister.

"She's been asleep all day" she said.

Hamson looked down, he could hear the sadness in her voice.

"I just want her to get better and forget about this whole thing"

Hamson looked up. There was a strange glint in Pearl's eyes as she looked back. No more words were said between them as Pearl turned and walked out.

Hamson was left alone again. There was no sign of Pimpernel waking up. For hour after hour, Hamson sat there. The window was like black glass. It reflected everything in the room. The flickering candles reflected off of its surface.

There were only four hours until the start of a new day. But a lot was still to come. The coldness deepened as a party of two beings sat around a lit fire.

Legolas and Gimli were only two days from Tharbad, the bridge that would mark the end of the first bit of their journey.

Gimli muttered continuously.

"Need a good pint of ale to warm my sorrow bones" he said.

"And a joint of the best beef in the land wouldn't go a miss either"

But Gimli had none of these things. Instead, Gimli would have to settle for tasteless, dry Lembas bread. Legolas smiled as he handed his fellow traveller a chunk of this bread.

Gimli huffed and took it.

"Thank you, elf" he said.

The sound of water lapping against the shore was one of the many sounds that they could hear. Gimli was getting tired as he ate. Legolas was looked over a dark land. His senses were sharper at night then they had been when the sun was in the sky.

The fire created a small circle of light over the ground. Patches of snow could be seen covering the cold pebbles. Gimli looked around too. But he could not see like the elf could. In his young years, he could make out logs that floated by. But now, he could not even make out the tree line against a cloudy night.

"You better get some sleep" Legolas said, breaking the silence.

Gimli's stomach was now full, but it wouldn't be for long.

"I suppose you're right" he agreed.

So, opening his pack, Gimli brought out a blanket. He knew that this would not be enough to keep the coldness out. But there were no other options. Gimli just had to grit his teeth and try and get some sleep.

Their little boat had been dragged ashore so that it would not float away. Legolas smiled as he watched Gimli settle down. The dwarf placed his bag behind him and laid down.

Legolas did not need to do this. For tiredness never effected elves like it did other beings. Curiosity grew inside Legolas welled up inside of him.

He had never even tried sleeping. He did not know what it took. So, Legolas laid back on the cold ground and looked up.

"Now what?" he asked, his eyes darting around.

A few minutes later, Legolas sat up. His eyes slid over to the sleeping figure of Gimli. The dwarf was already asleep, be it only for a few minutes.

"I wonder what I'm doing wrong" he said.

Sleeping seemed to be the hardest task he would undertake. Legolas noticed something strange about the little dwarf on the other side of the fire.

Legolas gave a small smile, realising his mistake. So, the elf laid down for a second time. This time, he closed his eyes. The darkness became even darker as the elf lay there.

But, unlike the dwarf, Legolas' mind continued to tick over.

"How do I know that I am asleep?" he asked himself.

Hobbiton lay many miles from where the elf did. A building stood by a cold stream and an icy bridge. Candles stood on mounts in the still air inside the building.

But the inside of the building was not lifeless. Small four legged creatures scurried under the forest of chair and tables legs. Miniscule scraps of food were picked up and eaten.

Small squeaks came from the mice as they scurried around. When the tavern was open, they would retreat back to the safety of their little homes, deep within the walls of the building.

Generations of mice had made their home in this building. Come winter or summer, they would scurry out and grab any food that had been left on the floor.

Hobbiton was mostly made of hills that circled a frozen lake. The only evidence that there were beings living there were the odd chimney stacks and the large, round, colourful doors that likes the winding roads.

There were small spots of light flickering next to each door. These, like the ones in the Green Dragon, were candles.

Nearly all of the hobbits that resided in Hobbiton were asleep. Only one was left awake. Hamson was his name. Normally, he would not stay up this late, but something important had yet to happen.

Every so often, he would doze off, only to catch himself and wake up again. Hamson sat on a hard wooden chair in the corner of the room.

Yes, there was a bed. But it had been taken up by another hobbit.

Pimpernel.

Pimpernel was in a bad state. She had not woken or eaten all day. In fact, it had been nearly twenty four house since her last bite to eat.

But that was soon to change as her head rolled. The girl slowly started to wake. But her eyes yet opened. A small groan came from her as she lifted on hand out from the warm duvet.

Ever sensation seemed to been magnified as she laid there. The crackling of the fire and the ticking of the clock echoed around her empty head.

"Where am I?" her thoughts asked.

Her eyes then crept open, reviling the roof of the room and the glow of a dying heath. Her hands rubbed over her face as she tried to figure out where she was. Her eyes then rolled over to a figure that was sitting in the corner of the room.

Pimpernel instantly recognised who this was. She gave a small smile as Hamson slept. So, placing her hands on the bed, she propped herself up.

Hamson had started to snore as he sat there. His arms were hanging over each side of the chair and his legs were crossed. His head was resting on the back of the chair.

Pimpernel gave a small smile as she sat there, her legs still under the comfy duvet. For a full minute, Pimpernel made no sound as she watched him.

She raised her hand, covered her mouth and coughed. This did the trick as Hamson gave a small grunt and lifted his head. For a few seconds, Hamson did not know why he woke.

It was upon looking around the room that Hamson noticed that his precious Pimpernel was sitting up. the two of them looked at each other for a few seconds.

Hamson gave her a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Hamson asked.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"I'm fine, I guess" she answered.

Hamson took a deep breath and stood up. Pimpernel watched him as he walked over. He smiled as he sat on the side of the bed.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked.

Pimpernel had known since the moment her senses had returned.

"Of course, I'm back in Hobbiton"

Hamson gave a smile.

"I've been worried about you, Pearl has too"

Pimpernel's eyes darted away. She hated people worrying about her.

Couldn't they see she was just fine?

In fact, Pimpernel was not fine at all. Darkness had surrounded Pimpernel as she trundled through the snowy ground. Behind her, the figure of Hamson.

Hamson was just about turn when he saw the fragile figure of Pimpernel fall to the ground.

"Pimpernel" he said to himself before rushing over to her.

Pimpernel lay on the floor, motionless. But she was not unconscious.

"Nelly, come on, I have to get you into the warmth" Hamson said.

Hamson didn't know what to do. Just then, a rumbling came from the road that he had just come from. A twinkling lantern swayed as the animal bore down on them.

But the creature did not pass them. instead, it slowed down. Hamson found this very strange.

"Hamson?" asked a voice.

Hamson knew who it was right away. It was his cousin, Anson. Anson got off of the small pony and walked towards him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hamson, his face lit up by the flickering lantern.

"Andwise told me to find you, said you might need a pony" he answered.

Hamson smiled. It was exactly what he wanted.

"Thank you" Hamson said.

A moment later, Pimpernel was picked up and walked over to the pony. A saddle had already been fitted. Pimpernel was placed on top and held in place as Hamson mounted the pony.

"I'll see you soon" Hamson said, taking the lantern.

"Ride safe" Anson said.

Hamson gave a single nod. A few seconds later, the stationary pony jumped into life. Anson watched the lantern float away. The sound of its hooves died down too, leaving him in the dark.

After a minute, Anson took a deep breath and turned around.

He had a long, cold journey home. He had no pack on his shoulders, so hunger and thirst would have to wait until he was home.

Hamson was still getting used to riding a pony. For he had not ridden one in a very long time. His father had taught him how to ride.

"It'll come in handy one of these days, you mark my words!" he told him.

Hamson was grateful for the lessons that his father gave him. Pimpernel was in a very bad way. Her head swung as the pony continued to gallop.

Tiredness was now grabbing Hamson as he sat there. One of his cold hands was wrapped around reigns to steer the pony, the other was wrapped around Pimpernel, keeping her from slipping off.

Hamson was getting very hungry indeed. But he could not stop. The clouds over head slowly sailed past. A few times, Hamson looked up. Between the carpet of cloud, he could areas of sky. A few times, he could see stars flickering like they always did.

Hamson continued to ride for hour after hour. He did not truly know how long he had been riding for. In fact, it had been a few hours.

The night seemed not to give to day as Hamson reached a different path. This one was much bigger, but just as less used.

Hamson and his pony came to a stop.

"The Great East Road" he said, smiling.

A few seconds later, Hamson directed the pony east, away from a range of hills called the White Downs. Hobbiton was now just three hours ride away.

"Hang in there, Nelly" Hamson said.

An hour past, but it felt a lot longer for Hamson. As he rode onwards, hobbits were slowly getting ready for bed. Pearl smiled as she walked out of the bathroom.

Her hands, face and feet had been washed. Her house was very warm. But it was not so warm that, when she got into bed, she could not sleep.

In fact, sleep came in abundance as Pearl's eyes slowly closed. But her sleep did not last long as a noise woke her up. her eyes slowly opened as she lay there.

There were defiantly sounds coming from down the hall way. She then had a sickening thought.

Someone was in her house.

So, being as quiet as she could, she rose from her bed. Tiredness had been scared away and replaced by adrenalin and fright.

Pearl's heart could be heard thumping in her chest as she slowly walked towards the door. She carefully and silently picked up the candle, mounted to a small holder which had a handle big enough for only one of her fingers to fit through.

With her left hand, she slowly opened the door. The hall way was much cooler then her room, due to fire in her room keeping it warmer.

Pearl took a deep breath as she peered around the threshold. Now that it came to it, Pearl did not feel like knowing who or what it was.

"Maybe I should just go back to bed"

But she didn't. Something was dragging her towards the noises coming from the room down the hall way. Pearl was now a few meters away from the door.

She found it strange that, who ever it was, would go into an empty room. Pearl's heart rate rose as she stood on the other side of the door. She could see and hear a creature in the room.

Something strange then happened. Her arm extended and her hand lay flat against the door. A few seconds later, the door creaked open.

Hamson had placed Pimpernel in the bed and drew over the over her. Hamson smiled as he stood to his ful height again.

Pearl continued to watch as Hamson looked around the room.

"Hamson?" she asked, still holding the flickering candle.

"What happened?"


	99. Day Forty Eight, Part One

The day started off clear. The clouds were either nonexistent or sailing on the far horizon. The blackness that hugged the land all night was now slowly changing. More colours could be seen as the light of the sun started to spill over the land.

A crispness clung to the air. Chimneys had been throwing their smoke out into the world. The day was still warming up as birdsong started to echo around the quiet world.

Creatures were rising from where ever they nested for the freezing night. But for some creatures, the night had been present and comfortable.

Hobbiton was slowly, but surely, rising from its deep slumber. Dug into the hill was a whole house. It was hidden by a grassy roof that laid on top. Only the smoking chimneys broke up the outline of the hills.

Inside the hobbit holes, the hobbits were safe from the coldness. As the sun rose, they did too. Pimpernel, who had woken up just a few hours before, had woken up again.

Tiredness did not seemed to effect her as she woke up in her room. For a few moments, she laid there, wondering where she was. It was when she looked over at the empty chair that she remembered.

She took a deep breath and drew back the duvet. The air make the hair on her large feet tingle. Pimpernel sat up and dangled her feet over the edge of the bed.

Pimpernel yawned as she rubbed her eyes. The window showed the first light through the condensation. The clock ticked, showing the time to be just after six in the morning.

Pimpernel smiled as she stood up. Her head quickly began to spin as she stood there. But it quickly settled down after a few moments of waiting.

Hunger was getting to Pimpernel again. of course, she ate just a few hours ago. But, then again, she was a hobbit. So, opened the door, Pimpernel made her way down towards the kitchen.

But she was not the only one that was awake. Pearl took a deep breath as she arose. She knew that Pimpernel would need some food.

So, Pearl got out of her bed and put her dressing gown on. She smiled as her body warmed itself up. Her door opened and she made her way down towards the kitchen.

There, as she entered, Pimpernel was already sitting down. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she looked up at her sister.

"Are you alright?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel had not had a wash in a few days and it was showing. Her hair had a dirty glint to it. Pearl didn't receive an answer.

Pimpernel did not even look at her. Pearl took a deep breath.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked.

Yet again, she did not receive and answer. So, Pearl walked over to cupboard door and opened it. a few seconds later, two mugs were taken out and placed on the work top.

Pearl looked around at her sister, who was sitting like a stone statue. Pearl took a deep breath and continued on preparing the tea.

A glass jar of honey and a glass jar of white sugar were grabbed from the cellar. She smiled as she picked up a wooden box, half filled with dried tea leaves.

Milk was also brought out. Pearl had to make another trip to get this. Pearl did not speak a word as she got the tea ready. Two spoons were taken out of the draws. They were set beside each empty mug.

A kettle had been filled with cool water and was now hanging on a rusted hook. Pearl took a deep breath as she placed a few leaves in each mug.

A few minutes later, Pearl took her hand cloth and took the scolding kettle off of the hook. The hot water was then poured into both mugs. Pearl placed a spoon in each and picked them up.

She turned around and walked towards the table.

"There you are" she said, placing one mug before Pimpernel and the other at her place.

The jars of sugar and honey, plus the small vase of milk were placed on the table. Pearl could now sit down and properly talk to her sister.

Meanwhile, many miles away, Origo was eating his breakfast. It had become a daily ritual for both Mya and Ivy to stop. The three of them were now descending on a bridge, apply named the Last Bridge.

After that, the road ran beside a small forest named Trollshaws. Rivendell was still a few days away. Mya knew that she could stay there for a few days. For she knew a few of the elves that lived there.

"Right" Mya said, seeing that the little pup had finished.

"Should we get moving then?" she asked.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered. Her part in the morning ritual had come and gone. Mya and Origo were now ready to get moving again.

Ivy fluttered around, over the puppy. Origo looked up, his puppy eyes following her every movement.

"Puppy, come on!" Ivy said, fluttering away.

But Origo did not chase her. instead, he waited until Mya had put her pack on. Mya looked down to see the gorgeous puppy standing there, seemingly waiting for her.

"Come on then" she said, walking past.

Origo wagged his tail and followed her. Mya smiled, looking down every so often to see if Origo was still there.

"We'll stop in a few hours pup, then we'll have lunch"

Origo gave a small whine and looked up. Mya took a deep breath. She knew exactly what the little puppy wanted. Origo whined happily as two large, warm hands wrapped around his little body.

All four of his paws left the ground as Mya picked him up. Origo gave a small whimper as he was placed on her shoulder.

"Good boy" she said, kissing his fluffy head.

Origo yawned and settled down. The sound of crunching snow and bird song were the only sounds that could be heard. The puppy yawned as he rested his head on his fluffy paws. The large plate of Mya's turkey had made the puppy very sleepy.

His little eyes started to slowly fall as sleep gripped him. Mya smile as she looked down. She could now talk to Ivy, knowing that Ori wouldn't wake up.

"Is he asleep?" asked Ivy, fluttering near by.

Mya smiled and nodded.

"How long until we reach Radagast?" Ivy asked.

Origo was sleeping peacefully, having no idea of the conversation that was going on around him.

"I do not know, all I know is that he lives in Mirkwood" she answered.

Ivy knew exactly where Mirkwood was. For she had lived there many hundreds of years ago.

"I used to live in Mirkwood" Ivy told her.

This surprised Mya.

"Did you?" she asked.

Ivy nodded.

"Why did you move?" Mya asked.

Ivy took a deep breath. it was still, after this many years, very hard to talk about it.

"Well, it's a long story" the fairy answered.

Mya smiled.

"I don't think the puppy is going to be awake for a few hours" Mya answered.

Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that there was no escape now.

"Alright" Ivy said.

Ivy dug into the depths of her memory until she came across the time where her friends were still alive. But it was not a time of peace. In fact, it was a time of terror.

"The last leaf is about to fall" said another fairy.

Ivy took a deep breath as she stood on the branch. A single leaf flickered in the cold wind. Any second now, another clan would come into their territory.

The light was fading quickly. As Ivy continued to look up at the leaf. A few seconds later, a large, powerful gust rolled over the forest.

It was then that all hell broke loose. The leaf danced in wind for a few seconds before finally letting go if its mother tree.

As soon as the leaf started to flutter away, small dots of light weaved behind the trees. Rosa, who was standing near by, looked around. She could see the small points of light coming from every angle.

"Ivy" she said, worry was ripe in her voice.

Three more flickers of light flashed in the distance. They were more prominent then the small flickering torches held by the darker, colourless fairies.

"Ivy!" shouted Luna, the silver fairy.

She was the most bubbly of the five. Luna was the most confident of the group, but now, she needed Ivy's help.

"What shall we do?" she asked.

Ivy did not want to answer. All she could do was wish. Wish that she would make it through this ordeal.

"We have to stand up to them" she answered.

"We have to, we just have to"

A sound like rustling leaves in a cool summer's breeze. The light from the flickering flames grew as the fairies descended on the tree.

A smaller group fluttered down towards the five standing on a large branch. The leader of the large clan was big. Bigger then any fairy Ivy had seen before. He had been in many fights. But he did not weld a scar of any sort.

For fairies were self healing. Any cut that would break their skin would be mended within a few seconds.

"Ah" said the leader, landing on the branch.

Ivy stood where she was. The four other colourful fairies cowered behind her.

"My good friends" he said coldly.

The light around this leafless tree grew as more and more fairies settled on its branches. Luna, Rosa, Petal and Leila were all just as scared as she was.

"How are we this fine autumn night?" he asked.

Ivy scowled at him. But all she received back was an evil smile.

"I trust that you have done as we agreed" he said.

Ivy did not say a word. But she did not have to. She took a deep breath and fluttered off. The leader watched her as she zoomed towards a different tree.

"Stay here" he said to the other fairies.

"Make sure they don't move" he said, looking towards the four remaining dots of light.

Luna was now the nearest one to the small group of fairies standing on the same branch. Petal, the purple fairy, looked up. She could see a few of flames dart towards Ivy and the leader of the rival clan.

Petal wondered if Ivy was going to be safe by herself.

"Ivy, my dear" said the larger fairy, settling down on the branch.

"How have you been?" he asked.

Ivy hated him. She hated him even more for trying to be nice.

"I have done what you have asked of us" she said.

"Take you food and go"

But this was not going to happen as quickly as she hoped.

"My dear, we will go when we want to" he told her.

"Maybe we like this part of the forest, maybe we want to stay" he said.

"No!" Ivy shouted.

She couldn't take it any more. All she wanted to do was live in peace like she had done. But it seemed unlikely.

"I will not have to ruin our beautiful forest!"

Ivy was digging herself into a hole that she could not get out of. And she knew it.

"Ruin your beautiful forest?" the evil fairy asked, taking a few steps towards her.

Ivy backed away a few inches, scared of what this fairy could and would do to her.

"How is it your forest?"

Ivy's heart rate had shot up.

"Please, don't hurt me" she answered.

The fairy, standing before her, was taller and stronger then she was. He could easily kill her. But he did not.

"Now, why would I kill you?" he asked.

Ivy was taken aback by this.

"That's… that's what you do. You kill innocent fairies for fun" she answered.

The taller, strong fairy took a deep breath.

"Yes, I do. But you can save yourself and your friends" he said, looking over at the four others surrounded by his troops.

"You understand that you have two options" he said.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Yes" she answered.

"You know that you will survive if you comply to our rules"

Ivy took a deep breath and looked down.

"Now, on a happier note" he said, bringing out his dark wings.

"Lets see what food we have" he said.

A rush of wind blew Ivy's hair as she watched them take off. She took a deep breath and looked over at her friends. She could still make out the four different colours still standing there.

Ivy started to flutter her wings and followed the leader of the clan down. The chief of the clan knew exactly where the food was sorted. For he had sent spices to watch them.

"Ah ha!" he said, landing on a different branch.

The tree's girth was much larger here. Ivy landed a few seconds later. The chief walked down towards the hole and went in.

A large chamber had been carved inside of tree. There, Ivy and her friends had been gathering food for the past few months. It had been very hard work. They had been working nearly every day since their last meeting.

Luna and Petal had been appointed the job of keeping the berries fresh for the months that followed. Leafs had been collected and wrapped around bunches of red berries.

But, upon closer inspection, it had not worked. The leaves had rotted, spoiling the berries that had been wrapped inside of them.

"Oh dear, oh dear" he said, shaking his head.

He picked up a brown berry and looked over at Ivy. Ivy now felt sick again.

"What happened here, Ivy?" he asked.

His voice was cold and calm. This scared Ivy to the point that she started to feel sick.

"We had an agreement" he said.

"I… I…"

But words could not come to the little fairy as she stood there. All she could think about now was what would happen to her and her friends.

"Do you know what will happen now?" she was asked.

Diamond yawned as she stood before the hot stove. Pippin sat in his usual place, holding his son. He grasped a silver spoon in his free hand.

"Open up" he said, placing a spoon full into his son's mouth.

Diamond had noticed a significant change in both Pippin and Faramir. Pippin had matured even more. Diamond had a lot of time on her hands now. Perfect for cleaning.

"One more" Pippin said, scooping up the rest of food from the bowl.

Faramir was so close to finishing when he face changed. Diamond gave a small smile as she heard her son start to cry.

"I think someone wants his mummy" she said.

Pippin took a deep breath as he handed Diamond. Faramir continued to cry for a few seconds before starting to calm down.

"Would you finish cooking, please?" Diamond asked as she cradled her son.

Pippin smiled and rose from his seat. All Pippin needed to do was place the many rashers on the plate. Pip smiled as he saw the mountain of food on the plates that Diamond had prepared.

Diamond smiled as she talked to her son. Faramir seemed to have calmed down as the sound of sizzling stopped. Pip held the spatula in his right hand and the handle of the pan in the other. A large pile of rashers had been cooked and had already been placed on the plate.

Pippin placed the last rasher on the plate. Everything was now ready for them to eat. Faramir gave a little yawn as Diamond thought about putting him back in his cot.

"I'll be back in a minute" Diamond explained.

Pippin nodded and smiled. He started to placed the plates on the table. Two more plates were taken out and placed before each place.

Diamond smiled as she walked back into the warm kitchen. She noticed that Pippin had basically set the table. The knives and forks were in their right place, empty plates had been set in front of her chair and in front of his.

All that was left was to fill two large mugs with water. But water was not what Pippin would have liked to fill them with. He smiled as he took out two mugs and started to walk towards the cellar.

"Pippin?" Diamond asked, standing by the sink.

Pippin turned around.

"Yes?" he asked in return.

"I thought we were having water" Diamond said, hinting to Pippin.

Pippin took the hint right away. With a deep breath, Pippin turned around and walked back over to the sink. Diamond smiled, knowing that Pippin would do what ever she wanted him to do.

Plans started to form in her head. But there was another reason for doing it. Diamond still needed to make sure that Pippin was not going to lie to her again. She would do this by a number of secret tests.

"Thank you" she said, walking to her seat.

The sound of rushing water came a few seconds later. Water filled the two mugs. Pippin placed one down and turned off the torrent of water.

He turned around and saw Diamond already sitting down. He gave a small smile and placed the mug of water down. There was literally no more space on the table as Diamond started to pick up the plates. She placed the plate dangerously near the edge. But she knew that it would not fall.

Diamond placed five sausages on her plate. At the same time, Pippin was putting the warm, crisp rashers of bacon onto his. He smiled as he placed the plate back where it belonged.

Only a few bowls had been place out. These were for the mushrooms, beans and yellow sweet corn. Pippin scooped out a spoonful of each and placed them on his plate. Space was now becoming very short as more and more food was piled on his plate.

Pippin smiled as he placed a few slices of brown toast on a separate, smaller plate on his left. He picked up his silver knife and started to spread butter on his toast.

Diamond smiled as she cut a bit off of her sausage. She looked up at Pippin. He was concentrating hard on spreading a mountain of butter to notice he was being watched.

A loud crunch came from across the table as Pippin started to eat. And Pippin could eat. In fact, Pippin could eat more then anyone else in the Shire, save for Fredegar Bolger.

The clock ticked as the two of them continued to eat their breakfast. In comparison to the Gamgee household, their was very calm.

Rosie took a deep breath as she dished out breakfast.

"Could I have some more, please?" Elanor asked.

Rosie looked down at her, then to her plate.

"You have enough on your plate, dear" she answered.

Elanor took a deep breath and looked back at her plate. It was true, she had far more then she usually had. Rosie smiled as she moved down one side of the table.

By the time that she had dished everything up, there was hardly anything left. But Rosie had thought ahead. As she walked around the table, she piled food onto her plate and Sam's plate too.

Rosie looked at each one of her children. They all seemed happy enough as she sat down. Little Pippin, who was growing up fast, still needed some help. So, before Rosie started eating, she chopped up Pippin's breakfast so that he could eat it himself.

Rosie smiled as she picked up her own knife and fork before started to eat. For a couple of minutes, there was silence in the household. It was usual for even the biggest families to fall deathly silent when eating.

Both Samwise and Rosie treasured these moments of calmness. For, a few minutes after the children had permission to leave the table, the madness would start again.

Rosie knew that her family were getting a good breakfast. For her hunger was now being tamed and fought back into submission.

Elanor was the first to finish. She left her sausage 'til last. She smiled as she cut the last bit into two. She placed the bit of warm sausage in her mouth and started to chew.

Meanwhile, Diamond and Pippin were finishing up their breakfast. Pippin and Diamond finished up their first serving of breakfast.

As soon as his plate was clean, Pippin started to fill up his plate again. Diamond started to fill up her plate as well. But Diamond would not have as much as Pippin.

Pippin finished filling his plate up for a second time. Before he ate, he picked up his mug of water. It had hardly been touched during his meal. But now, Pippin was very thirsty. So thirsty that the level of water in the mug quickly lowered.

Diamond watched as Pippin drank without stopping. Pippin had gone crossed eyed as the water tricked downwards. Pippin took a deep breath as he finished his water.

Diamond had watched him for too long. A confused look came over Pippin as he saw Diamond's eyes looking directly at him.

"Diamond?" he asked.

Diamond seemed to snap out of her gaze. She was very embarrassed. Her eyes darted away and her cheeks went rosy red.

Pippin took a deep breath and cast the look off. Pippin smiled as he looked back down at his plate. He then picked up his knife and fork for the second time and started to eat.

The gaze that Diamond gave him slowly trickled back to him. There was something strange about the way she looked at him. Something familiar about the way she looked at him.

Pippin looked up at Diamond, sitting opposite him. Unlike a few minutes before, Diamond was not looking at him.

"That's strange" he told himself.

But Pippin was not the only one secretly talking to himself.

"I wonder if he noticed" Diamond said.

Her voice could only be heard by herself. Pippin was talking to himself as well.

"Why did she look at my like that?" he asked himself.

Both Diamond and Pippin could feel a tension between them. Words needed to be said, but instead were kept quiet.

"Maybe she still likes you, Pip" said yet another voice in his head.

Pippin continued to eat. His eyes darting up to the woman sitting opposite him. A few time, their eyes would meet. But only for a split second.

"Maybe she wants you back" said the voice in Pippin head.

"Want me back?" Pippin asked himself, looking over at the woman sitting opposite her.

"She might"

The voices in his head stopped as he finished up the remainder of his second helping. Pippin placed his knife and fork down as Diamond got up. a small burp came from Pippin had he sat back in his chair.

"That was marvellous" Pippin said, giving Diamond a smile.

Diamond gave a smile back as she started to clear away the table. Pippin continued sit there for a while. Diamond picked up bowl after bowl. But, as she started her third trip to the table, she stopped in her tracks.

The tall figure of Pippin stood there. He was holding two mugs in one hand and a set of plate in the other. Diamond looked up at him. A small smile came over her. Pippin had never helped her with clearing the table.

"Maybe this is a sign" she said.

Diamond had an imaginary list. A tick could be put next to one more thing on her list.

"Thank you, Pippin" she said, walking around him to the table again.

Meanwhile, very far away from the safety of Hobbiton and the Shire, Mya was still walking. Ivy had retreated to the safety of one of Mya's pockets. For there were lots of crows around.

Ivy liked being on her own sometimes. It was then that she could do the most thinking. Her memory stretched back before the time of any man, hobbit or dwarf. There were only a few creatures as old as she was.

Ivy's life had been very peaceful at times. Other times had been very hard on her.

"Do you know what will happen now?" she was asked.

Ivy was very scared. The fairy standing before her was twice as big as she was. Ivy's four friends were watching from afar.

"No" Ivy said, shaking her head.

The chief of the larger, more powerful clan grinned coldly at her. But he said not a word. This made Ivy all the more scared and frightened about what would happen.

The small flickering torches of the many clan members started to fly away. Ivy was left on her own. But not for long. Four different colours were zooming her way.

"Ivy?" asked one of them.

Ivy's breath had not become any easier. Her four friends landed close by. From what they saw, everything went well. But things had not gone well.

In fact, the five of them were in more trouble. Ivy stood there, her mind was buzzing with answerless questions. All she wanted to do now was go curl up and forget that this was happening.

Ivy jumped as Petal tried to ask what was going on. Ivy took a quick look at her friends, then started to flutter away. She made a bee-line straight for her tree.

Time seemed to slow down as her tree came into view. Her friends watched her green glow grow smaller and smaller. After a minute of flying, which felt like hours for Ivy, she arrived.

Ivy did not land on the branch like she normally did. Instead, she dived straight into her nest and hit the floor. Ivy instantly curled up.

Everything in her world had taken yet another turn for the worse. Ivy wished that everything could just be erased and forgotten.

Ivy felt at home in this great forest. She was in love with anything that grew. In the summer months, everything bloomed. All of the creatures were more active at this time. Winter in the forest had its own beauty as well.

The forest would shed its leaves a few months before the first flurry of snow. The coldness became deeper and harsher. A few of the animals that were present in the warm, summer months had now gone into hibernation.

But there were still animals roaming around as the weather grew colder. Robins kept singing their song as the snow fell.

It had now been a few months since Ivy's last meeting with the larger, more dangerous gang. Life was getting more bearable. But Ivy was still very weary about flying around.

Ivy's day dream had been torn away from her as a familiar sound met her. Origo was now away. Ivy smiled as she fluttered out of the large pocket.

Mya, who had been walking for almost an hour, was getting cold again. Ivy's magic did not work for long. But, when it did work, it was welcomed by both Mya and the puppy she was holding.

Origo yawned and rested his head on his paws.

"Did you have a good sleep, pup?" Mya asked.

Her hand tickled the sleepy pups right ear. Origo gave a little whimper, his small eyes darting around. Ivy popped up over the back of Mya's shoulder. Origo's brown eyes glinted in the light.

As Mya walked, the trees on either side could be seen running towards the centre of his eyes. Ivy smiled. She could see her green glow reflecting in his eyes.

"Did you have a good sleep, puppy-cakes?" she asked, bobbing around.

Origo replied with a small whimper. Another yawn came across his. Ivy giggled at his cuteness.

"We'll stop in a few hours, pup" said Mya.

She knew exactly what Origo was saying. Once again, he was hungry. But Mya could not stop. She had to put the miles behind her before she stopped for lunch.

Mile after mile crumbled behind her feet. The warmth that Ivy had put on her just two hours before was starting to seep out and be replaced by coldness.

Mya's feet were the first to feel the true coldness. Her toes had started to stiffen as she walked. But she continued on regardless. For she could not talk to Ivy now that Origo was awake.

Mya looked down at the puppy. Origo was taking in the new surroundings. Everything had changed yet again. The snow still covered the ground. A set of foot prints could be seen trailing behind them.

Mya took a deep breath as she felt the little puppy squirm.

"Oh, puppy!" Mya said, almost dropping him.

Origo was placed on the ground a few seconds later. His every movement was watched by the small green fairy hovering in the air.

Mya stopped and watched him as well. She smiled as the pup sniffed the ground. Ivy wondered what he was up to as well. So, she fluttered down to the ground and stopped a foot away from the curious puppy.

"Puppy?" she asked, hovering just centimetres from the snowy ground.

Origo looked up. A confused look came over him. As Mya came back, still printing her feet into the snow. A few patches of ground were snowless, but still damp. Drips were falling to earth, landing on rotting leaves that lay on the floor.

"Puppy?" Mya asked, standing there.

She wondered what Origo was sniffing at. Origo raised his head from the ground and looked up. For a few seconds, the two of them look at each other. Origo's tail started to wag. A second later, he bound towards her.

Mya smiled. She resisted the urge to change into a puppy and play with her Origo. Instead, Mya had to pick him up.

"Oh!" she said, surprised at all licking she was getting.

"Puppy" she said, holding him away.

Something different about the little pup. Origo was now very awake. Mya found this to be an advantage. She placed the puppy down again and looked around.

She knew that she needed another stick for Origo to nor on. Origo watched as Mya walked away. Ivy fluttered close by to the pup to reassure him that Mya was not leaving him.

A small whimper came from the curios pup.

"She's going to be back in a minute, Ori" Ivy told him.

Origo looked around at her and tilted his head. He blinked twice, then looked back at Mya. A minute later, after picking up a slimy stick, Mya came back.

"Look what I have, puppy" she said, twiddling a stick between her fingers.

Origo wagged his tail. Mya stopped as the little puppy bound towards her. Mya smiled as she teased Origo with the stick. She smiled, taking it just out of reach.

The next second, Origo gave little bark and ran off. His little paws made prints in the thinning carpet of snow. Mya smiled as she watched the little pup come to a stop.

Ori turned around and barked.

"Throw it!" he said, his little eagerness made him all the more cuter.

Mya took a deep breath and raised her hand. Origo watched as the stick flew up into the air. His brown eyes tracked it as he ran along.

After a few seconds, the stick started to fall to earth. Mya watched as Origo tried to catch it. But he didn't catch it. Instead, as Origo tried to catch it, it fell a few inches away. Origo skidded on the snow and stopped. Mya watched as Origo picked the stick up and wrestled with it.

The pup wrestled with it too long. For the next second, it snapped in two. Origo instantly stood up at the sound of the break. Mya thought this was very cute as she walked over.

"Puppy?" she asked.

Confusion reigned over the pup as he looked at it. His eyes darted from the stick to Mya.

"What happened?" she asked.

Origo gave a little whimper and looked up. Mya took a deep breath, knowing that Origo wouldn't go anywhere if he wasn't happy.

Bree was now very busy. The local pub and inn, named the Prancing Pony, was full of locals and travellers alike. A young girl smiled as she placed two plates in front of two very tired looking people.

"There you are" she said, smiling.

The two young men were muddy, tired and hungry.


	100. Day Forty Eight, Part Two

"Thank you" they said as food was placed before them.

Smiles spread over their faces as they each picked up a knife and fork.

"I'll be back with a pint for you both" she said.

No words were exchanged as she turned and walked away. The resident cat strolled by her, its tail brushed up against her leg.

The girl looked down. She smiled as she saw the jet black cat look back. Its tail gave a swish as it stared at her. The girl felt a strange vibe coming from the feline. It was disapproval.

The young girl had many things to worry about as she entered the kitchen. Inside, three other men were working. Smells hit her every time that she entered the kitchen. The kitchen was very warm and inviting. The sounds of sizzling bacon and eggs met her as she walked by a stove. The Prancing Pony had its own cellar. Barrels of the finest ale and beer in Middle-earth were stored here.

Many of the travellers that came to Bree were there only due to the beer and ale that the inn provided.

"Best ale anywhere" they said.

"None can beat it"

A few minutes later, she entered the kitchen again. In each hand was a mug full of golden ale. She entered the busy lobby and made her way over to the two gentlemen that were sitting.

"Here you go" the girl said.

The men thanked her and continued on eating. The girl smiled as she made her way towards the bar. There, a tired looking Barliman stood.

"Hello there" he said.

The girl smiled. She had never been treated so nicely in all her life. Barliman had been so nice and fatherly that she now had a name. A very pretty and suitable name for her.

Jorga.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Barliman asked.

Jorga shook her head.

"Well, you go have some food" Barliman told her, giving her a wink.

Jorga smiled, but she did not walk away. She was unsure about going to lunch.

"Are you sure, I could have lunch when its all a bit quieter" she explained.

Barliman gave a deep breath. He knew that the girl had worked more then what he expected.

"You just grab your lunch" he said.

At this, the girl walked away, feeling no guilt in leaving him to do the work. In fact, the flurry of people coming into the inn had died down.

The girl pushed opened the swinging to the kitchen. Yet again, the rich smell of cooked food hit her. Jorga smiled as she picked up a plate. No questions were asked as she piled food onto her plate. She left the plate on the side as she went to get some water.

A few moments later, Jorga came back. She was holding a large mug of water as she picked up her plate. A few seconds, Jorga walked out into the lobby and found herself an empty table in the corner. She placed the mug down first and then the plate. she drew out the chair and was just about to sit down when she noticed something was missing.

"Oh no" she said, taking a deep breath.

She had forgotten her knife and fork. So, walking to the kitchen, she grabbed the knife and fork and them walked out again. she saw Barliman talking to two men. She smiled as she walked back to her place.

She could finally start eating. Jorga had gained a lot of weight since she had been with Barliman. For she was getting three square meals a day.

Jorga looked cleaner as well. For, unlike the pub she was working in a few weeks before, she had not been allowed to wash. In fact, she had forgotten everything that had been done to her.

For now, she had everything she ever wanted. She had a warm place to stay. A fire was always flickering in her room, sending out the warmth that she needed most.

There was a never ending supply of food and work. The girl loved being here. The people were friendly and talkative.

After a few minutes, the girl was feeling much better. Strength returned to her as she ate everything on her plate. She smiled as she placed the knife and fork down. Jorga then picked up her untouched mug of water and drank the lot.

She was feeling much happier and more awake. Jorga picked up her plate and started to walk away. As she did, something caught her eye. There were more empty plates waiting to be taken back into the kitchen.

So, Jorga made a bee-line for the table.

"Are you finished?" Jorga asked them.

A man was sitting on the right hand side and an old woman sitting on the left.

"Oh, yes dear" the man said.

He had a big bushy beard that was greying, so was his hair. Jorga smiled as she picked up the two knives and the two forks. Jorga smiled as she finished up gathering the plates.

Jorga opened the door and walked back into the kitchen. Down one side of the room were a few old cupboards. They were full of bowls, plates, saucers, pots, pans and unused caldrons. There were even more cupboards standing on the floor, against the wall.

Jorga placed the three dishes into the sink. They would be done later. Jorga smiled as she looked around. She stood there for a few moments before she made her way out again.

Meanwhile, a little boat was sailing down a fast section of the river. Legolas, the elf, was paddling his way down towards Tharbad. There, along with Gimli, the dwarf, was sitting in the boat as well.

The two of them had one more day, twenty four hours, of travelling to go before they reached the bridge. Legolas could make out that the terrain had changed. A few hours before, it had been made from solid rock. But the rocky outcrops had subsided in shape. Instead, as the river flowed ever onwards, the terrain became floored and waterlogged.

The river ran right through a vase marshland. The shallow streams had been frozen by the cold temperature of night.

Gimli continued his inaudible muttering as the small vessel continued on its journey. Tiredness, hunger and coldness all annoyed him further. He longed for the warmth of a fire and the taste of meat off of the bone.

But they still had a long way to go. Gimli's was falling asleep again. The coldness was taking every ounce of his strength.

Legolas glanced down at the dwarf that was facing away from him. He could not see the wrinkled face of Gimli, but he knew that the dwarf was very tired.

"You should sleep" the elf said.

The dwarf jumped as the elf suddenly talked. Gimli snorted and gave a small look back.

"I'm not tired" he said behind his bushy beard.

Gimli was getting old now. But, even so, he still had a lot of life in him. His beard showed the first signs that his time would come to and end.

"We will be in Tharbad soon" Legolas told him.

Gimli huffed.

"Soon is not soon enough" he told the elf.

The dwarf was very cold. The prospect of having another night without food or fire did not go down well. The dwarf knew that Legolas could not feel the coldness that he could.

The hours wore on as the two of them continued on their journey. The river was getting faster and faster as it flowed. Its path had not changed for a thousand years. And it will not change for many thousands more.

Legolas could remember when the mountains had formed. Many were extinct volcanoes that had not erupted in many hundreds of years.

Gimli, how ever, was not at all old compared to his pointy-eared friend. Legolas, who had been across Middle-earth many times, could see changes in every little detail. He could remember the route of rivers and the borderline between grassland and ancient forest.

For Legolas, the hours slipped by like the water that flowed down the river. The sunlight that had once kept the day light was now slipping away too. The sun continued on sailing towards the western horizon.

There was an even small creature for who time slipped by. It was neither elf, dwarf, hobbit or human. Instead, it was a puppy. A sleeping puppy at that.

The sleeping puppy was flaked out as the sun from above warmed him up. It was this warmth, combined with a full stomach, that made him sleepy.

Birds sung as the sun wrapped the green land in warmth and light. The trees around the little pup were swaying gently in the cool wind.

But the puppy did not stay asleep for long. For a buzzing bumblebee flew too close to him. The pup whined as the bee woke him up from his slumber.

The puppies little brown eyes opened to see the bee hover for a few seconds, then buzzed away. The pup whimpered. He needed to sleep more. His eyes were still heavy as he curled up into a little ball.

The sounds of the surrounding forest were now very loud for the sleepy pup. His eyes closed. But, no matter how long he kept them shut, sleep would not come back to him.

A tall figure blocked out the sun. She looked down at him. The girl had shoulder length hair, glistening in the sun. her eyes were just as brown and inquisitive as the puppy that lay on the grass.

Her name was Mya. She was a good friend of the pup that was flaked out before her. In fact, her appearance had not changed at all over her life.

A smile came over the girl as her distinct shadow shortened. Mya was now standing on four paws. Her whole figure had changed entirely.

Mya tilted her head and gave a small whimper. Once again, Origo was woken up. Sleep had now been taken away from him for the second time. And he was not happy about it.

Pilith lifted his fluffy head and looked over at Mya standing there. Pilith noticed that she was wagging her tail.

"Sleepy" he whimpered.

Mya trotted up to his side.

"But, you've had enough sleep" she whimpered.

Pilith rolled over. He rolled over and closed his eyes again. Mya felt a bit upset. She wanted to play and explore the surrounding forest. But Pilith did not want to.

Mya felt disappointed as she hung her head.

"Maybe I should explore the forest by myself" she thought.

Pilith heard Mya slowly walk away. He gave a little look back to see her heading off into the forest. For a moment, Pilith wanted to follow her. But he didn't.

Mya walked away, pasting trees on either side. She got a good distance away before stopping and looking back. To her disappointment, she saw the black bundle of Origo exactly where she had left him.

Mya turned around and continued to head deeper into the forest. Mya loved being a puppy. She had so much freedom, she could do what ever she wanted.

"Maybe a little run" she told herself.

Birds and beasts of all kinds fluttered or crawled around. Rotting logs, coated in moss, housed many a creepy crawly.

Mya stopped. In her human form, she could not see the bugs and critters that roamed under her feet. But now, she could expect them closer.

Mya pawed and sniffed at the log. It did not take long before the log started to break. Ants and caterpillars scurried away in fright. Mya's eyes darted around. She had never seen so many small, but beautiful creatures.

Even in the smallest creatures hid in the smallest crevasses. But their beauty was nothing compared to what Mya saw next. A butterfly handed on the opposite end of log.

Pilith had risen from his comfortable spot on the grass. The puppy looked around. There was no sign of his Mya around.

"Maybe I should go and find her" he thought.

So, the puppy yawned as he stood up. His ears flopped as he shook his head. A few seconds later, Pilith placed his cold, wet nose to the ground.

It did not take long to find Mya's smell, still clinging to the blades of grass that she had brushed over. Pilith started to walk that way. He could track Mya's movements as though she was there.

It did not take long to find the other puppy. Pilith stopped behind a tree. He wasn't sure that she would want him there. Mya was too busy with looking at the butterfly to notice him coming. Pilith crept up behind her. he was only feet away now. But still, Mya had not noticed him.

As Mya looked at the butterfly. She noticed a large amount of orange on its small, fragile wings. Dots of white and bands of black had been splashed across the surface.

Mya was transfixed at the little butterfly. The more she looked at it, the more she could see familiar features. She could see two black dots near the top of the butterflies body. These were its eyes.

Mya wondered what the world looked like from those small eyes. Mya watched as the butterfly took flight. A few seconds later, out of nowhere, Pilith pounced at the flying butterfly.

Mya moved back, surprised that Pilith was there. Pilith landed on the grass, looking up at the butterfly. It fluttered just out of reach. But that did not seem to bother him.

"Pilith!" barked Mya.

Pilith looked around. Mya did not look happy. Her once wagging tail had now stopped.

"Why did you scare him away?" she asked, half barking and half growling.

Pilith could not understand what she was talking about. All he could see was a small red dot that quickly vanished.

"Scare who?" he asked, tilting his fluffy head.

"The butterfly, I was looking at him"

Pilith looked over at the direction that the colourful butterfly had flown. An idea then popped into Pilith's little head.

"I'll get him back for you!"

Before Mya had a chance to stop him, Pilith jumped over the log and scooted away. Mya watched him as she stood there. The figure of Pilith stopped for a few seconds. His eyes darted around.

After another few seconds, the pup started to run again. Mya looked down. Pilith always scared away any animal that she got close too. Pilith could see what he had done wrong, but if Mya was happy, then so was he.

After a few moments of running, Pilith spotted what he wanted. The butterfly was perched on a sapling. There were many saplings dotted about in sunlit patches that met the ground.

"Hey!" Pilith barked.

He wanted to talk to the little butterfly on one of the leaves. But it did not work. In fact, the butterfly flew off again. Pilith watched it.

"Hey, come back!" he barked.

Mya, who had slowly followed on behind. She already knew that Pilith's attempts to conjure the butterfly would fail to succeed.

Mya stopped and stood there. The butterfly was now too far out of Pilith's reach. Even if he did change into his being form, the butterfly would still be too far out of reach.

In reality, the puppy was just as playful. His little tail wagged as he walked along. But this did not mean that he was getting very far. In fact, Mya had to pick him up and place him back on the road again.

Ivy smiled as the curiosity of Origo took hold again. Mya was getting very tired of telling the pup what to do.

"Puppy, come here" she said for the umpteenth time.

Origo had been slowly walking off of the path when he stopped. The pup looked back to see a floating ball of green light and a taller figure standing to the left.

"Puppy" ordered Mya.

Ori gave a quick look back. He wanted to explore what lay beyond the road. Mya took a deep breath as she started to walk towards him. But, as soon as she neared him, Origo ran off.

Mya was getting very annoyed. She knew that Origo was just a puppy. But her train of thought had yet to change. She could still see Pilith in the little pup.

It seemed that Ivy was the only one who could control him. So, she fluttered past Mya towards the pup.

"Puppy-cakes?" Ivy asked.

Ori had known Ivy the longest. The fairy had worked long and hard to get Origo to trust her. Origo gave a small whine and looked around.

"Puppy, we have to get going" Ivy told him, gently tickling his ears.

Origo gave a small whimper and looked over at the being standing there.

"But, I thought you liked her"

"Puppy, please come here" Mya said.

Ivy knew exactly what would get Origo to like Mya again.

"Maybe if we stopped for lunch" Ivy proposed.

Mya, who could hear and see Ivy, agreed with that plan.

"I have something for you, pup" she said.

Origo was now curious. His little head tilted.

"Come here" she said, slapping the front of her legs.

Ori gave a small glance over at his fairy friend. Ivy looked over at Mya.

"What are you waiting for, puppy?" she asked.

A few seconds later, Origo slowly made his way over to the girl. Mya smiled as Origo came into reach. Without warning, she grabbed him before he could run away again.

"Origo, stop!" Ivy told him.

Origo squirmed and wriggled, trying to get away. Mya stood up. She had had enough trouble from the pup today.

"Puppy, if you don't behave, you wont get your turkey!" she said.

This seemed to calm Origo down a bit. But the puppy still whimpered.

"What is wrong with you, puppy?" Mya asked.

There was just one thing bothering the little bundle of fur. Origo looked over at the fluttering fairy. Ivy took a deep breath.

"Of course!" she thought.

Origo gave a small whimper, one that Ivy could understand.

"Why didn't you say something, puppy-cakes?" Ivy asked, fluttering close to Mya.

Mya smiled and kissed the pup on the head at the same time that warmth started to trickle throughout his little body. Mya noticed that Ori had calmed down a bit.

But Origo still wanted something else. His stomach was very empty. Mya looked down into Origo's little eyes.

"Hungry" the puppy whimpered, blinking twice.

Mya took a deep breath. She was behind where she wanted to be. But then, she needed Origo to be happy and cooperative.

"Puppy, if we stop now, will you be a good boy and walk properly?" Mya asked.

She could see Origo's little mind working. A few seconds later, the pup gave a small nod. Mya smiled, trusting the little pup.

"Good boy" Mya said, kissing him on the top of his head.

A few moments later, Mya walked over to the edge of the road and sat down. she too was getting cold again. But, unlike Origo, she could take it better.

Mya placed the pup down on the cold ground. Origo gave a small whimper, thinking that Mya would not give him his food.

"I know, puppy" she said, taking her pack off.

Ivy zoomed around, waiting for her time to shine. Origo watched as the pack fell to the ground. Mya did not need many things on this journey. For, if she had Ivy with her, then she would be alright.

But it would only be a matter of time before Ivy would no longer be with them. For now, at least, she would not be called to action.

Origo watched as Mya sat down on the cold ground. A few seconds later, the pup was scooped up. Origo felt very warm and fluffy. Ori gave a small whimper as he was placed on Mya's lap.

"Right" she said, opening up her bag.

"Lets see what we have here"

Hours past and still, Gimli lay in the boat, snoring away. But he would soon be rudely awoken. Legolas gave a small smile as he saw, out of the darkness, a bridge.

Without waking the sleeping dwarf, Legolas moored the boat. The river trickled by towards the sea. But it still had many miles to go. Legolas smiled as he gently shook the dwarf so that he would wake. But his friend did not wake.

Instead, Gimli grunted, yet did not wake. Legolas then had an idea on how to wake him up.

The elf looked over the edge of the boat. The water that trickled past was icy cold. Legolas, of course, could not feel the coldness. He cupped his hand and scooped out a bit of freezing water.

Legolas smiled as a few drips fell on face of the sleeping dwarf.

"Argh!" Gimli said, insanity waking up.

Legolas found this very strange as the boat rocked as it sat in the small dock. It took a few seconds for Gimli to realise that he was now awake.

"Elf?" he asked, looking around.

Legolas gave a small nod.

"We're here" he said.

Gimli looked around. His eyes were not as good as the elf's eyes.

"Where?" Gimli asked, tiredness still trying to grab him.

"Tharbad" the elf replied.

On either side of the boat were wooden planks. They were there so that the occupants of the any boat that stopped there could disembark.

Legolas stood up, making the boat wobble dangerously. Gimli held onto the side as he sat up. He really did not like being on boats.

A few minutes later, both the dwarf and elf got out of the boat. Legolas held out his hand to that Gimli could get out easier. But Gimli insisted that he did not need the elves help.

Legolas watched as the cold, stiff legs of the dwarf hit the wood on the other side of the boat. The vessel rocked dangerously as Gimli finally made it to dry land.

The bridge that crossed the river was only a few meters away. The water in the small, rarely used dock was calm. Bobbles sailed down the river, into the night. Rocks lay on the silt covered bed of the river.

Gimli huffed as the wood creaked under his weight. Legolas walked over the same short plank and did not make a sound. In fact, Legolas, in whole, seemed to make no noise as he walked off of the small pier and onto solid ground.

"Come" said Legolas, spotting a good place to camp for the night.

Gimli muttered something under his big red beard, but quickly followed suit. The two of them did not have to walk for long before they stopped.

Gimli grunted, disliking the ground that he had to rest on. He would have been more comfortable and drier in the boat. Legolas sat down and crossed his legs. Gimli stood there, getting out a blanket for sleeping on and another for sleeping under.

Legolas watched as he too got something out of his pack. But it was not a blanket or even a pillow. It was a small Elvish box. It was placed on the smooth pebbles before his crossed legs.

Without warning, the elf stood up and walked away. Gimli's eyes wondered over to the dark outline of the elf.

"Where are you off to now?" he asked.

But the elf did not answer. After a few moments, the dwarf continued on setting up his camp. Gimli yawned as he slowly sat down. All of his joints were stiff from the hours of coldness that they had endured.

Legolas was gone for so long that Gimli was able to get comfortable. His eyes had started to eel heavy again. the sound of the water running quickened Gimli's trip into the land of sleep.

But, just as the first snore came from the dwarf, he was woken up. Legolas had come back. He had been carrying as many dry sticks that he could find.

Legolas felt that the number he had would not make a good fire. Gimli watched as the elf walked away for the second time.

Gimli was not getting any happier as sleep had been taken from him once more. But, for the third time that night, he was woken up.

"I'll never get any sleep at this rate!" he thought.

Legolas once again sat down. But Gimli's annoyance rose again as Legolas started to make a fire. Legolas snapped branches and twigs. He set them in an orderly fashion.

After ten minutes of snapping and piling, Legolas had built a healthy pile of twigs to burn. Legolas then opened the small box. Gimli watched as Legolas took out two small jet black stones.

Gimli saw sparks fly towards dry twigs. A small section of one of the twigs had been peeled. The wood was wafer thin here and caught the sparks easily.

After many clicks, the fire started to catch. The elf made sure that the flames grew. And grow they did. Gimli smile as the crackling and popping of the fire calmed down. The light grew, making shadows dance.

Gimli felt the heat of the fire slowly warm his bones. Gimli could finally get some sleep. The elf would look out for any trouble that may come their way.

But Gimli was not the only one having to find good spot to sleep. Mya too was getting very tired. The little puppy that was held in her on her shoulder was shivering. Ivy had been hiding in Mya's pocket for a few hours. The wind here was strange and harsh. Mya could now feel it dig into her very soul.

"I think it's time to find a warm place to stay" Mya told the shivering puppy.

Origo gave an agreeing whimper. He did not like this coldness any more. A green light then appeared out of her pocket. This was Ivy. She had been listening to anything and everything that Mya said.

Origo rested his head on his paws. Mya could not have stopped quickly enough. For the past hour, Origo had been whimpering. Mya knew that Origo could and would complain until she found a place to rest.

After a few minutes, Mya found a small wooded area. She looked around, but did not see much.

"This will have to do" she thought.

The trees were large and well-built here. Their trunks were thick and suitable enough to hide behind. For Mya did not want to seen. She could not risk people being curious and follow her.

So, after walking for a few minutes, Mya found that she was a suitable distance away from the road. Origo was held with one hand while Mya took her pack off.

"Oh, sorry puppy" she said as the second strap fell off.

The bag fell to the cold ground. A dull ache ran through both of her tired feet. Ivy was fluttering just feet away. The little fairy could read Mya like a book. Ivy zoomed out of sight.

A few seconds later, warmth started to build up in her frozen leg. The warmth seemed to spill over and trickle down her left leg. Ivy re-emerged a few seconds later, a big smile had been drawn across her face.

Warmth continued to fill Mya as she slowly sat down. Ivy had also warmed the little puppy up as well. Origo yawned, becoming sleepier by the moment. But he was still hungry.

Mya smiled as she looked down at the sleepy looking pup. Ivy fluttered just near by, looking around. Mya gave a small cough. This did the trick as Ivy snapped out her small wave of curiosity.

Origo would not be awake for much longer. Mya knew that if Origo did not get his turkey now, then she would be woken up in the middle of the night.

Ivy fluttered towards Mya's bag while Mya kept Origo distracted.

"Puppy?" she asked, tickling his little ear.

Origo's eyes glinted in Ivy's green light. Mya smiled.

"Would you like some turkey?"

Origo gave small whimper. Mya smiled and took her hand away. But, as soon as she did, Origo whimpered even louder.

"What is it?" she asked.

Origo's eyes slid over towards her hand, then back up at her. Mya found this very strange. Mya continued on looking in her bag. The next second, Origo's head rose off of his fluffy paws.

Something had caught his little wet nose and he was very interested. Ivy smiled as she saw the once sleepy pup become very wriggly.

Origo's eyes were now fixed on the steaming plate of turkey. Mya continued to hold the warm pup as she placed the plate on the cold ground. Origo was placed on the ground a few seconds later.

The pup did not have to be told twice to start eating. Mya watched as chunk after chunk was devoured. Ivy green light then caught her eye. A lump had grown in Mya's bag again. Mya knew that there was fresh loaf of bread inside.

Mya liked having Ivy about. It made her life much easier, especially with a little misbehaving puppy. Mya smiled as she opened the bag. The new loaf of bread was warm to the touch.

Mya did not take long before starting to eat. The inside of the loaf was white and steaming. Mya felt her hunger slowly trickle away. Ivy had also produced a flask full of the coolest water she could.

After a few minutes, Origo had finished his delicious turkey. Ivy giggled as she fluttered down to him.

"Did you like it?" she asked.

Origo gave a small nod and looked up at Mya. Origo saw that she was busy eating. A little yawn came over the warm pup.

Ivy tickled his ear, making Ori's head tilt to the side. Ivy giggles as she rubbed her hands through his very soft fur. Origo was now ready for a sleep. It showed in his little eyes.

Mya had had her fill of both water and bread. She took was feeling sleepy.

"Alright, pup" she said, picking him up.

Ivy fluttered off and watched what they were doing. Mya held Origo in one hand while she brought of a large, thick blanket due to Ivy's doing.

Origo whimper as Mya made herself comfortable. Mya pulled the blanket over and made sure her legs and feet were covered up. The duvet then swept over the little puppy. A few seconds later, Origo poked his head out of the blanket.

Mya smiled, feeling more comfortable.

"Go to sleep now, puppy" Mya said, kissing him on the face.

Mya smiled as Origo yawned. Origo fell to sleep quiet quickly, being wrapped in a warm blanket and a coat of fur.

"I wish I could sleep like him" Mya whispered.

Ivy gave a smile and fluttered a few feet closer. She smiled as Mya lay with her back against the tree.

"Has he always been a deep sleeper?" Ivy asked.

Mya smiled, remembering back to the summer months where she was very active and the other puppy was not so. Pilith would eat and sleep.

"Sadly, he is" Mya said.

She sighed, sounding tired. Ivy took a deep breath.

"Well, maybe this is a good thing" Ivy said, a plan forming in her head.

"A good thing?" Mya whispered.

Ivy smiled.

"Maybe if we could get Ori to sleep for most of the day, you could carry him. It might speed up our pace and we could get to Radagast faster" Ivy explained.

Mya's eyes darted away. She needed to see what Ivy was saying in her own head. After a few moments, her eyes darted back to the fairy.

"It's a good idea" she answered, seeing no flaw in Ivy's plan.

Ivy smiled, knowing that now, they could made real progress.

"I best get some sleep" Mya said, sounding and looking very tired.

Ivy gave a small smile.

"Good night" she said.

Mya smile and rested her head against the hard wood of the tree trunk. Ivy's green light dulled as the little fairy fluttered away. Ivy was off to find a nest of her own. One that she could sleep in.

A few moments later, Ivy found an abandoned woodpecker's nest. Ivy stopped just as she entered. Her green light shone inside of the nest.

The little fairy smiled as she looked back. She could see her two friends sitting down by the base of a near by tree.

"They'll be safe for now" she told herself.

A few moments later, she ducked and fluttered inside. The inside seemed to keep out the coldness. But, every so often, a blast of cold air would flood the little chamber, high in the tree.

Ivy took a deep breath as she hunkered down on the chamber floor. Feathers, straw and twigs lined the floor. Ivy curled up.

Sleep came easily for Ivy. For she could either stay awake all night, which was long, slow and cold. Or, sleep. In situations like this, sleep was the quickest way to ward off the coldness. Ivy found that it was easier to sleep when it was cold. For time past quicker.

So, taking a deep breath, Ivy closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


	101. Day Forty Nine, Part One

Legolas remained awake, like he had done for many thousands of years. His eyes darted around as objects flew nearby. Legolas' eyes were hundreds of times better then human eyes. Legolas had been brought up by elves. He had learnt many things over the many years that he had roamed these lands. The elf could feel the ground rumble. His eyes darted in front of him.

Gimli, the red haired dwarf, remained sleeping. Legolas silently rose to his feet. A figure, mounted on a horse. Legolas watched as horseman approached. The elf's hand wrapped around a small blade.

Even now, there was a sense of danger in the air. But Legolas knew that it was just an innocent passer by. The elf's ears were could pick out even the slightest of sound.

The sound of hooves impacting the hard ground echoed around him. The elf and dwarf were hidden away from the being on the horse.

Legolas, who was more knowledgeable then most, could not think of a reason why this man was travelling in such a hour of the night.

The answer lay in his bag. A small letter, addressed to a friend of the King of Gondor. The horse and the man on top had been travelling for many, many days.

In fact, the horse and rider were just about to stop for the night. The servant of the king had come all the way from Minas Tirith, some seven hundred miles behind.

Since the man left, sleep had not been his main priority. The King was waiting for an answer. And an answer was what he needed.

Sleep depravation started to act in strange ways. Voices started to surface in the depths of his mind.

"They hate you" it said.

Memories from his childhood started to flood back to him. The man had grown up in Minas Tirith. Its walls surrounded the citizens, keeping them somewhat safe.

Roars and anger then started to flood his mind. Ugly, blood thirsty orcs with rusted blades surrounded him. But, somehow, he survived.

"That's it!" a voice said again.

Plans started forming in his head. The man smiled as he decided to take a rest. So, the horse slowed down to a gentle gallop and, a few moments later, a stop.

The man took a deep, cold breath and jumped off of his stead. The ground was muddy and waterlogged. His feet sunk into the soft, liquid mud.

"I guess it'll have to do" he told himself.

The man smiled as he took off his pack. The small of his back seemed to be the patch where there was no mud. In his pack, only one loaf of bread was left.

"This isn't enough" he thought, looking up.

There was still a long way to Hobbiton.

"Maybe if I go to Bree" he thought.

This sounded like a good idea. There, he could rest for a few days to recover his strength. But it would take a while to get there.

The hours past as a little fairy slept. The stars sailed across the endless sky. There were clouds in the sky, but not enough to block out the thousands of distant stars.

The sun slowly rose over the eastern horizon. The dark ink that covered three hundred and sixty degrees was now slowly being pushed back. The first of the stars were hidden behind the blanket of light now sweeping over the land.

But still, Ivy did not wake. The light of the sun became more powerful. Songs started to fill the air as the sun peeked over the horizon.

Origo was the first of the wake. His hunger had driven sleep away. Origo's little eyes opened. For a few seconds, the pup did not know where he was. But, upon looking up, he knew that Mya must have stopped.

Mya's eyes were closed as she continued to sleep. But her sleep would soon be cut short. Mya had been dreaming of a warm room. A warm room many miles away.

Mya was not alone in this large room. instead, a girl was laying under a warm, soft duvet. Mya was not in her human form, but in her puppy form instead.

Her eyes were open as she lay there, surrounded by duvet. Mya, who had been named Abira, had awoken earlier then her owner. The puppy could make out the sun light seeping through the duvet.

Abira started to make her way up towards the top of the duvet. The duvet was very heavy as she popped her head popped out. Abira gave a small whimper as she saw Pimpernel sleeping peacefully.

"Pimpernel?" Abira whimpered, looking at the sleeping girl.

But she did not wake. Abira looked around. Pimpernel's large hand was laying on the pillow to her right.

"Maybe this will wake her up" Abira thought.

Sleep slowly slipped away from Pimpernel as she felt a strange feeling on her hand. It was cold, unusual for her warm room.

Upon opening her eyes, she discovered what was tickling her fingers. A large smile came over Pimpernel as the puppy looked over at her.

"Good morning" she said.

Two large hands scooped the puppy up. Pimpernel hugged her puppy.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Pimpernel asked.

Abira rested her fluffy head on her Pimpernel. Pimpernel smiled as she tickled her puppies ear. The gentleness of Pimpernel was replaced with a stinging sensation.

The picture slowly changed into a darter, more dangerous world. Mya was not under the safety of her Pimpernel, instead, she was hundreds of miles from the Shire.

But she was still not alone. Another little puppy was bounding after her. The sky was dark and a strange smell hung in the air. Every so often, a loud rumble would roll over them.

This was neither fireworks or thunder, but a volcano. Mount Doom stood like a cist on the black lands of Gorgoroth.

Pilith and Mya had just escaped from the very heart of Mordor. Pilith still did not believe that he had escaped from the most guarded cells in the dark lands.

The two of them now had to cross a unforgiving wasteland. In the distance, a black mountain range that stretched for hundreds of miles.

This was one of the reasons why Sauron had set up camp in Mordor. The mountains acted like an impassable barrier, slowing down or keeping out any attack that the men of middle-earth might have planned.

The only weak spot that could lead to an attack on Mordor was heavily guarded. There was a small opening between the two mountain ranges.

The Black Gates.

The gates were thick, heavy and impenetrable. Not even a thousand men could break through its think wall. the gate opened, not by the power of orcs, but by the strength of trolls. They had been captured and chained, forced to work.

Mya and Pilith looked over the vast wasteland that lay before them.

"We have to go for it" whimpered Mya.

Pilith was not so sure about what they had to do. But a roar behind them quickly erupted. Neither Mya nor Pilith had to ask what it was.

Without another second, the two puppies ran off. For a bloodthirsty gang of orcs was hot on their trail.

"There they are!" growled an orc.

His skin was dry and cracking. He had deep cuts all long the length of his arms, legs and face. His wrists, that were wrapped around a rusty sword, had metal sunk into his very body.

The posse that were with them were all trained fighters. Two had arrows with metal tips. They loaded the arrows up on their bows and waited for an order to fire.

Mya looked back just in time. For the arrows were now flying high in sky. It would only be a few seconds before it landed. Mya knew exactly where it was going to land.

Pilith, who had not been concentrating on looking back, was barged out of the way. The arrow was only a second away. Its target was getting bigger and bigger. But, it was also moving away.

Time seemed to slow down for Mya as she felt Pilith's paws leave the ground. The next second, Mya and Pilith tumbled down at small rocky cliff.

The arrow landed where Pilith could have been running. The other one landed far enough away that Mya did not worry about it.

Mya landed onto the bottom small cliff. Pilith gave a small whimper as he lay there. Mya was the first to rise to her feet.

"Oh no!" she whimpered.

Pilith tried to move, but his senses had been knocked.

"Pilith, are you alright?" Mya asked, nudging him worryingly.

Pilith gave a small whimper and stumbled again. Another roar from the group of orcs echoed around them. Mya had to think of a place that the two of them could hide.

The orcs started to make their way over the terrain. Mya's eyes darted around. It was then that she saw a small cave. She knew that they would be safe in there for the time being.

Just as Mya was about to help Pilith to his feet again, the picture melted away. A few seconds later, her eyes suddenly opened.

For a few moments, her eyes did not take in what she was seeing. Then, everything came back to her. The sound of wind, birds and of a little whimper puppy came to her.

Mya looked down. The little puppy she had been holding was looking right back up at her. Origo was shivering. Ivy's warmth had worn off and the blanket that Origo had been hiding under had now slipped off of him.

"Oh, sorry puppy" Mya sleepily said.

Only her hands had been keeping the puppy warm. But now, they were cold and numb. When Mya tried to place the blanket over him, she could not pick it up. The coldness felt like it had sunk into her very soul.

A dull pain rang through each of her fingers as she gripped the blanket. Origo continued to shiver as the soft light of the sun was once again blocked out.

Mya smiled and took a deep breath. The air was cold and sharp. Her breath could be seen sailing away in the slow breeze. A mist lay over the land, restricting the distance that Mya could see. The clouds above were gathering as Origo's hunger grew. Ivy was nowhere to be seen and she was needed. The fairy was still asleep in the little nest she had found.

But she would not be asleep for long as a small red-breasted robin landed on the branch just outside. His song echoed through the surrounding area.

Ivy did not take long to way up from his song. The fairy, who had curled up, now woke. Ivy could think of nothing better then to be woken up by this little bird.

The day, from what Ivy could see, was bright. It was a few seconds before Ivy realised that Origo and Mya were still in the coldness.

"I hope their alright" she said, getting up.

The fairy made sure her wings were in order before setting off. Ivy ducked as she entered the outside world. The robin could still be heard. He was perched on the branch just above where she was.

As she started to flutter her wings, the robin fluttered off to a different tree. Ivy took a deep breath as she looked around.

"No crows" she told herself.

It was safe to fly around for a little bit. And that's exactly what she did. High above the cold forest floor, zooming past branches by inches.

Mya, who was now awake, saw the green glow of Ivy zooming around. Mya gave a smile, knowing that the coldness that she was feeling would not last much longer.

Ivy fluttered down after nearly scaring herself as she fluttered. Her heart rate quickened as she landed just a few feet from Mya.

Origo gave a small whimper. Sleep had now ran away from the little pup. Hunger and coldness had quickly made themselves known. Mya felt the puppy wriggle.

"Calm down, pup" she said putting him on the cold floor.

Ivy smiled as the large pup came towards her. Mya watched as Origo and Ivy talked. The next second, Ivy fluttered up. Origo turned around on the spot and looked over at Mya.

"Hungry" he whimpered.

The coldness had now been taken away from him and replaced with warmth. Mya tilted her head.

"You hungry?" she asked, acting like she did not understand him.

Origo nodded his little head and gave another small whimper.

Meanwhile, in Hobbiton, Peregrin Took had risen early. Breakfast had already been eaten. Pippin had a plan on what he could do until lunch time.

He would go over the bridge and look for an old friend. Eglantine walked down the hall way and saw her son putting on his coat.

"Where are you off to now?" she asked.

Pippin looked up. He had a small pack with him as well. Inside, a pipe and a pouch of tobacco.

"Just to see an old friend" Pippin answered, not giving away his true reason for going out in the coldness.

Eglantine took a deep breath. She did not trust her son, but then she could not prove that her son was up to no good.

"Well, you just behave yourself"

Pippin gave a small smile as he did up the last button. Eglantine watched as her youngest and only son walk out of the house.

Pip felt the morning coldness hit his face. His cheeks tingled as he walked to the gate. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets as he put distance between him and the warm house.

Pippin took a deep breath as the path he was on wound down to the small stream. The snow that had settled on the floor was now very hard and very slippery.

It had been made that way by the many times it had been walked on. Pippin walked past the Green Dragon, resisting the urge to go and have a warming pint before setting off again.

But the urge was fought back as he walked past. Other hobbits were up equally as early. But none would venture far from warm like Pippin was doing.

Eglantine could see the small figure of her son walk over the bridge.

"He's up to something" Eglantine said.

Paladin was sitting at the table behind her. He had a pile of parchment before him. An ink pot and a quill lay near by.

"Like what, dear?" he asked.

Eglantine had no idea what, but she could tell that not many people knew of his business over the bridge.

"Maybe I should follow him" she told her husband.

Paladin did not like the sound of this.

"Ah, leave him be, Eglantine. He's probably having a morning stroll" he answered.

But Pippin was not on a morning stroll around the outskirts of Hobbiton. Pip was heading for a small patch of wood a few hills away. There, he would wait for Fimbrethil.

Back in Hobbiton, Diamond had woken up. The house was quiet, save for the whimpering of her baby. Faramir had grown a lot since his birth, forty days before.

Diamond took a deep breath as she walked into the warm kitchen. The heath was now on its last legs. Only a few embers were left to fuel the remaining bits of wood.

Diamond made sure that Faramir would not come to harm as she stocked the fire again. The fames that had once been restricted to the ashes now fought back. Diamond watched as the flames latched onto the wood.

After a few minutes, the small flames had grown. Diamond knew that the fire would burn for a few more hours. Diamond gave a small smile as she walked away from the heath.

As time past, more and more chimneys started to produce black smoke. The cold air brushed the smoke to the west. Bird song echoed around Hobbiton as the sun continued to shake off the night.

The trees that Pippin was now surrounded by had long, slinky shadows. Only the sound of wing, birdsong and the sound of snow crunching underfoot was all that could be heard.

Pippin liked being out in the countryside by himself. It gave him time to think. Pippin took a deep breath as he took out his pipe. A small bag of tobacco was opened. A pinch was taken out and stuffed into the bowl at the end of the long pipe.

Pippin brought out his trusted fire stones, for lighting the tobacco with. Pippin found it hard to create a spark. For the longer his hands were out of his pockets, the more the coldness burrowed into his skin.

A few clicks later and the tobacco was alight. Pippin took a large drag of his pipe and let the silver smoke enter his lungs.

A few seconds past as Pippin kept it in his lungs. A large exhale dispersed all of the smoke into the cold air. Pippin smiled as an idea came into his head.

Another, even large draw was taken. Pippin took the tip of the pipe out of his mouth. A few seconds later, large smoke rings were launched into the cold air.

It was as Pippin took a third draw, a low rumble echoed around him. Pippin stopped for a moment, listening in. Again, the loud rumble echoed.

Each time it came, it was getting louder and louder. Pippin watched as a large figure crashed through the forest. The hobbit smiled, this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Fimbrethil took large strides. Pippin thought that he would get stamped on. But the tree saw him.

"Good day" the tree said.

Pippin's words escaped him as he looked up.

"And, who may you be?" the tree asked.

Its voice echoed around the forest. But no one else was there to listen in. Even the birds were not present at their meeting.

"P-P-Pippin" he answered.

Smoke was still rising from the bowl at the end of his pipe.

"Pippin, ah?" the old Ent asked.

Even though Pippin had been around Ents more then anyone else in Middle-earth. But this did not mean he was used to their size.

"We met, just a few days ago" Pippin told her.

The pipe was completely forgotten about. The hobbit could see the Ents brain working, trying to draw up her memory. Pippin continued looking up for what felt like ten minutes.

"Ah ha!" Fimbrethil said.

"Yes, I remember now"

Pippin smiled.

"And what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" she asked.

It took Fimbrethil a while to get this out.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, maybe you wanted some of to talk to" Pippin answered.

A smile came over the Ent's face.

"I have not talked to anyone in a long while"

Pippin gave a small smile.

"It must be hard being the only one here" he pointed out.

But, to Pippin's surprise, Fimbrethil said something he did not expect.

"Oh, I'm not the only one here" she told him.

Pippin's eyebrows raised.

"There are more of you?" he asked.

"How many?"

This took Fimbrethil by surprise.

"So curious for such a small creature" she said.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"Well, let me see" Fimbrethil said, thinking once again.

Meanwhile, Diamond got her large breakfast ready. Faramir's cot had been moved to the kitchen so that he was not on his own. The little baby giggled and babbled as he lay there.

Diamond opened the cellar and walked inside. Breakfast would have to be simple today. For Pippin was not here to help.

"I wonder what he's doing" she thought.

A picture of Pippin, still sleeping, crossed her eyes. A small smile came over her as she found what she was looking for. A packet of bacon rashers.

This, to Diamond, would be the perfect start to the day, along with a big mug of tea. Diamond smiled as she checked on her son, reassuring him that she had not left him alone.

A pan was taken out. It looked old and fire beaten. But Diamond did not mind as she placed it on the hob. A sizable vase was then picked off of the floor. This contained golden cooking oil, used in most of her dishes.

The pan slowly heated up as the fire tickled it from underneath. Diamond ripped open the packet of raw bacon. A few seconds later, after pealing away the first rasher, the sound of sizzling erupted. The bacon sizzled as the redness of the meat slowly turned white. The rasher, as a whole, shrunk.

Diamond placed another two in along with the first. A spatula had been placed on the work top for when the rashers were ready.

Diamond now had a few minutes to prepare the slices of bread that the bacon would sit on. Diamond walked back into the cellar. She, like the time before, had picked up a flickering candle. It gave off just enough light so that she could see where she was going and see what she was picking up.

A few moments later, after locating the bread, she walked out. Little Faramir gave a whimper. He needed attention. Diamond's eyes glinted as the candle was placed back on its little mount.

"Mummy's here, darling" she said.

Like Pippin and the Tooks, Diamond had an accent as well. It was similar to Pippin's, but much softer. In fact, both Diamond and Pippin came from the same family line.

Diamond smile as she picked up her son.

"Your getting mighty big" she said, giving him a smile.

Faramir was turning out just like to be his father. His hair was exactly the same as Pippin's was. But Faramir's little eyes were the same as his mother's.

The bacon took a few minutes to brown and crisp. Diamond took the spatula in one hand. Faramir giggled as his mother's hair ticked his face.

The sound of sizzling grew as the rashers were flipped over. Diamond felt happy. Happier then she had been in a long time. Which was more then could be said for Diamond's sister-in-law, Pimpernel.

Pimpernel had been sitting in her room ever since she had returned home. There were a few rare occasions, Pimpernel would come out of her room.

Nelly would only come out when she was going to the bathroom or to going to the kitchen. Pearl took a deep breath as she sat in her lounge, all alone.

A click echoed down the corridor. Pearl looked up. She could hear the slapping on the cold tiled floors. Pearl took a deep breath. she had left some breakfast for her sister.

"I hope that was enough" Pearl said to herself.

Pimpernel saw the plate, full of food that Pearl had cooked, near the fiery heath. Pimpernel did not bother to heat it up. She knew what happened last time.

Nelly placed the plate on the table. A knife and fork had already been placed on either side of her table mat. Pimpernel drew her seat back and sat in it.

Her plate was ladened with lots of delicious food. Pimpernel picked up her knife in her right hand and the fork in the opposite.

The sausages, seven in all, were all eaten first. It was as Pimpernel finished her last sausage, she realized that she had not made herself a drink.

So, placing her knife and fork down, Pimpernel rose from her seat and walked over to the row of cupboards. Nelly took a deep breath as she took out a mug. A few seconds later, the cupboard door was closed. Pimpernel walked towards cellar.

She picked up a dying candle and walked in. The flame danced as Pimpernel made her way to the back of the cellar. There, Pimpernel placed the mug and the candle on the floor.

Pearl entered the kitchen. Pimpernel was now where to be seen as Pearl placed her empty mug near the sink. Pimpernel emerged from the cellar to see her sister standing there.

"Good morning" Pearl said.

Pimpernel gave a small, awkward smile, but did not return the greetings. Nelly placed her mug down and sat again. Pearl took a deep breath, thinking of nothing more to say. Pimpernel continued to eat.

At the same time, Origo and Mya were now on the road again. the little pup, now being carried again, rested his fluffy head on his brown fluffy paws.

Ivy was sitting just near by, holding onto a few strands of hair that lay on Mya's shoulders. Ivy smiled as she watched Origo's large brown puppy eyes dart around.

Trees slid past, getting bigger as they came closer, then getting smaller as they moved away. Mya tickled Origo's floppy ear as he cuddled up to her shoulder.

The first sign of the temperature getting colder was a small speck that flew by Mya's line of sight. At first, she did not register the flakes falling from the sky.

But, as Mya continued to walk, the flakes became more numerous. Snowflakes started to hit Mya's perfect skin. But they were not felt. Normally, the flakes would sting for a split second, then vanish.

Mya smiled as she saw little Origo give a big yawn. Ivy was watching Ori's eyes slowly close together. Origo never failed to melt the fairies little heart.

Ivy had known many gentle creatures in her life time. From rabbits, to deer and little robins. But she had never known anyone like Origo.

Ivy smiled as she took flight. Mya's eyes darted over to the sudden green object that fluttered before her.

"He's sleeping again" Ivy told her.

Mya wished that she could go back to sleep that easily. but they had to keep moving. By the end of the day, Mya, Origo and Ivy would get a pleasant surprise.

Rivendell was covered in ice and snow. Only two beings were left in this once great and important settlement. Elladan and Elrohir were having their own breakfast.

Like Origo and Mya, they could not feel the coldness. But they did not have a little fairy fluttering around them. Instead, they naturally did not feel coldness.

None of the many building that made up Rivendell needed any glass. This did not bother those of Elvish descent, but to any other being, the coldness would be too much at night.

Candles were not lit due to the strength of the wind. The spray from the many waterfalls covered the stoned pathways in a slippery dew.

The sun above created a mist that covered the valley. Skeletons of trees stood like echoes of the past. There were a few trees that grown on a very precarious part of the valley.

A few times, the trees would loosen the rocks. The rocks would give way, making both the rock and tree fall to the depths of the valley.

The brothers sat in the great hall. The seats they sat on had very tall backrests to them. In fact, they were taller then the elves when they stood. The wood had been carved so that it looked like two elves, standing proud.

They were, in fact, two of the most powerful beings that had walked Middle-earth. One was a male, he had a band around large forehead.

This was Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir's father.

It had a been a few years since they had seen him. For Elrond had left, along with Galadriel, Celeborn, Frodo and Bilbo.

The second elf was a woman. Her face was timeless and young. But, in her wooden eyes, there was a lot of history. History and pain that no one could understand or even imagine.

Celebrían was her name.

Her life had not been an easy one. As beautiful as she was, she had been tormented and tortured by orcs. Her sorrows drove her to leave the very lands and the ones she loved.

For many years, the two brothers had been disusing weather or not to leave Middle-earth.

"Yet" said Elrohir, sitting on the other side of the table.

"I believe that we have more work to do, our tasks are not over"

Elladan did not change his expression.

"I see no more work that we can do" Elladan pointed out.

"I think it best if we leave for the Undying Lands"

There was a strange silence between the brothers. They had never had a different opinion on a important matter before.

There were no words between the two elves. The wind continued to blow. The hair on both Elladan and Elrohir's head danced as the wind blew past it.

The flakes around Mya grew larger and more numerous as time wore on. The distance she could see was slowly shrank as she continued to walk.

Origo was getting hungry again. His dream had been a strange one, yet it was familiar. The winter time had changed into a cool summer's afternoon. Birds were singing their songs, bees and wasps buzzed around, gathering nectar from colourful plants. The snow had all gone, being replaced with the greenest, softest grass. Pilith's little brown eyes darted around.

"Where is she?" he whimpered.

Pilith's little brown eyes scanned the forest before him. Birds continued to sing. But, as he stood there, alarm calls from birds echoed around him. This made the little puppy very curious.

"Why did they do that?" he asked himself.

The little puppy then marched off towards the alarm calls. There, little Mya was hiding. She had found a tree with a hole in its trunk, just big enough for her to fit into.

Birds continued to fly around, calling and questioning her motives. Mya knew that Pilith would investigate why the birds were so aggravated.

Sure enough, the small figure of Pilith came into view. But he had not seen his little friend hiding in the tree. Mya's little black tail wagged, knowing that she was so close to being found.

Pilith whimpered. He wanted to play something different. In fact, he wanted to go back to sleep again. Mya watched as her friend hung his little head.

A bark then echoed around the forest. Another alarm call echoed around after his little bark. But his little puppy friend did not answer.

Pilith looked around once more, but still couldn't see anything. Mya watched as Origo turned around and walked away. Mya wondered if this was a trick, so she stayed where she was.

Pilith had made it all the way back to Tom Bombadil's home before Mya even thought of going after him.

"Ah, I see you have come back for some food" Tom said, smiling at the being standing there.

Pilith had changed from his adorable puppy form to his being form on the way back.

"And I might have a little nap as well" Pilith added.

Tom gave a warm smile as Goldberry walked through from the kitchen. Two large plates, full of food, were being carried. Goldberry placed them the table and turned again.

Mya, still in her puppy form, reached the threshold of the house. There, she saw Pilith sitting in one of the wooden seats.

"Why didn't you come and find me?" Mya asked, now in her human for and standing on two feet.

Pilith took a deep breath.

"I tried, I couldn't see you anywhere" he answered.

Mya was very disappointed and upset that Pilith was not bothered to play with her. but the sight of food quickly made her change her mind about playing as she too sat down.

It took a few more minutes of preparation before lunch was reach. Goldberry was the last to sit, having placed mugs full of cool, refreshing water in front of each place.

"Thank you" said Mya, smiling.

Goldberry glided away to her seat without a word. Birds continued to sing as they piled their plates with food. Rolls of the finest bread had been made. Mya used a sharp cutting knife to revile the white, fluffy heart of the bread roll.

A stick of soft, creamy butter sat at the other end of the table.

"Could you pass the butter down, please?" she asked, giving a small smile.

Pilith, who had already filled his plate, picked it up and handed it to Mya.

"Thank you" she said.

Tom's eyes darted around the table. Pilith seemed to have a full plate of glorious food. A fillet of fish had been placed on each plate. Goldberry had gone down to a nearby brook and caught them.


	102. Day Forty Nine, Part Two

The fish were unharmed in their capture. Goldberry had lured them to her by the her power over nature. She simple picked them out of the water and placed them in a bag.

The rest of the food had been grown lands in the old forest. Goldberry had a small orchard near by. She had vines full of the purple grapes. The trees, now in full bloom, had apples of red and green hanging from nearly every branch.

A few had fallen off of the tree and onto the ground. Birds took advantage of this. They came from the surrounding areas to feed on the rotting apples.

Goldberry was elegant in every way possible. Her golden hair was shining in the sunlight pouring through the window. Her face was void of imperfection. Her dress flowed down her figure like a small stream over a smooth rock. A golden belt lay around her waist.

Pilith and Mya ate to their fill. A few jars of sweet jam, made by Goldberry herself, had gone down very well with the two guests.

Tom had finished eating long before Pilith or Mya had finished. Mya smiled as she took a gulp of water. This settled her stomach.

Pilith also took a drink. He was feeling very tired as he sat there. His eyes had been getting heavier since the start of his meal. The combination of the a cool summer's breeze and a full stomach seemed more like a catalyst for sleep.

Pilith rose from his seat. As he walked towards the threshold, his shadow changed. A small puppy was now walk out of the house, into the outside world.

Pilith had a favourite spot where he would go to. It was a very warm and comfortable stop. The grass was long here and it was always in sunlight.

Mya wondered what her little friend was up to. So, giving Tom and Goldberry a smile, she too got up, walked away and changed into her puppy form too.

As Mya reached the doorstep, Pilith could no longer be seen. So, used her little wet nose, Mya soon picked up his scent.

The little puppy continued sniffing the ground, following her friend's smell. A minute past before she spotted her friend.

Pilith was now curled up in a long, sunny patch of grass.

"Pilith?" she whined, tilted her head.

Pilith looked very comfortable indeed. His little ears flopped over his head, his eyes were almost closed. Mya knew that Pilith got more worn out then she did.

But, this time, instead of arguing with him, Mya cuddled up to him. The two puppy lay in the long grass, their coats of fur making each of them warm and sleepy.

It was not long before Pilith's eyes shut altogether. It was the end of Origo's dream as the hunger he was feeling became too much for him.

Sounds of the real world flooded his little ears. As he opened his eyes, the world had changed around him. All the little puppy could see was a white abyss stretching before him.

The snow was now so thick that Mya could only see a few hundred meters in front of her. Her hair was now wet and sticking to her face. Her hands had been getting colder for a few hours.

A small whimper caught her attention. She gave a small smile as she looked down to see Origo's little eyes darting about. He had never seen so many things falling from the darkening sky.

Mya took a deep breath, she started to feel the coldness now. Hunger was rumbling in her stomach as she continued to walk. But she wasn't the only one.

Little Origo too was very hungry. Turkey was all that he was thinking about. In fact, its all that he ever thought about. Mya smiled as the little pup began to whimper.

"I know, puppy" she said, kissing him on his wet head.

Mya could feel Origo shaking with the coldness. Ivy was nowhere to be seen, but Mya seemed to know exactly where the little fairy would be.

So, her cold hand slipped into her pocket. Inside, Ivy had curled herself up and fell asleep. But the large hand scared her into waking.

She gasped and placed her hand on her mouth. It took her a few seconds to realise that she was inside Mya's pocket. Ivy's heart rate started to calm again as she calmed.

Mya smiled as the little fairy immerged from her pocket. Origo, who was still clinging onto Mya's shoulder, gave small whimper.

Ivy fluttered over to him and landed on Mya's shoulder.

"Hello, puppy-cakes" she said.

Origo's eyes told her everything she needed to know about how he was doing. There was a small glint in his eye that said more then his little whimpers could.

Ivy's magic worked on Origo again. The coldness he was feeling slowly changed yet again. warmth, like the many times before, seeped through every muscle in the puppy's body.

Everything could have been much different if the three of them were back in Hobbiton. Both Mya and Origo had families in the same township.

Hobbits lived in luxury. Food was in abundance, as well as ale, beer and whiskey. Hobbits lived under hills of green grass. Chimney, made from bricks, puffed out black smoke into the snowy air.

Only a few hobbits adventured out in the blizzard. But they were not out in it for long. Footprints that had once been imprinted in the fresh snow were now gone. They had been covered up by the snow still falling on the ground.

The Green Dragon's chimneys were also puffing out black smoke that was blown away in strong wind.

"Bit cold out there" said one of the elders.

He and his friends had been sitting in the Dragon for the best part of the day.

"Wouldn't like to be out in it, I tells you" said his friend.

Food was served when ever they wanted it. Delicious meals were served whenever they were asked for. There was an endless supply of ale.

Most of tables in the Green Dragon were empty. For many hobbits decided that it was better to eat and drink at home.

Diamond Took was smiling down at her son in her arms. Faramir looked up at his mother. The baby was still constricted to babbles and giggles. Faramir would not speak properly for another few years.

Diamond could not wait until Faramir was old enough to understand what she was saying. A little part of her knew that her son could understand her.

Faramir reminded her a lot of Origo. There was the same glint in his eyes and the same will to discover knew things. In fact, the difference between Ori and Faramir were only few.

Both were now the same size, from what Diamond could remember, the same age and both were very precious to her.

Only Origo had the ability to roam around the house. But he was not roaming around the house, discovering new things and generally getting up to no good.

In fact, Diamond had not see Origo for nearly four weeks. Four long weeks of worry. Four long weeks wondering if he would ever come back.

Meanwhile, in another household near by, a little girl sat in her room. She smiled as she dipped a quill into a sea of ink. Elanor read the last few words that she had written.

Her adventure had been taking shape for the past few days. Pictures flashed across her eyes as she wrote. But she would soon have to stop. For Samwise, her father, was rounding up the children.

Lunch was ready, Elanor could already smell it. A knock at the door was followed by a click. Samwise smiled as his daughter looked over at him.

"Come on, lunch is ready" he said.

Elanor smile.

"I'll be there in a minute, daddy" she answered.

The door was left open as Elanor closed the book, put the quill down and screwed the top back onto the ink pot. Elanor slid off of the bed and scampered out of the room.

The smell of breakfast was even more prominent then when she was in her room. the noise of her younger siblings grew as she entered the room.

The table had been set, six places in total. Little pippin had how own chair near to his mother. He had already been seated, but this did not mean he was happy.

Elanor took her place, as usual, facing her younger brother, Frodo. Sam sat at the head of the table. He smiled as he looked at his children, sitting down, talking to each other.

"How lucky am I?" he asked himself.

This was not the only time he had asked himself this. He was still amazed that he had married this wonderful hobbit. Rosie looked like she was getting more and more beautiful as the years past.

But there were signs that her growing family was taking its toll. Rosie was tired. Very tired. Even though she had Samwise helping her, she did most of the work.

Samwise would help with keeping the children happy. He would help where he could, but Rosie did most of the housework.

Rosie, as always, was the last one to sit down. Her watchful eye made sure everyone around the table had enough to eat.

Elanor loved her mother's cooking. A few times, she asked if she could help, hoping to learn more about what he mother did. But, each time, Elanor was set on helping set the table.

"Not until you're older, sweetie" her mother told her.

But Elanor was too into her story to ask her mother if she could help. Elanor was thinking about what she should write next. Normally, she would have Gloria to help her write, being of similar imaginations. But, today, little Elanor was not allowed to leave the house, not even to play.

"If it stops later, then you'll be allowed out" Samwise told her.

Elanor hated being stuck indoors. Her soul belonged outdoors. She loved being outside in the fresh air, be it the depths of winter or the height of summer.

But, at least Elanor had something to do. Gloria was sitting in her room. Today, her room felt more like a prison then a place she loved.

The light coming through small window seemed to make her room even more glum. The little girl took a deep breath as she sat on her bed. A small wooden figure, a horse, was held in her hands.

Gloria had been told that she would not be allowed out yet. Being an only child was very boring. She needed her friends, especially Elanor, to cure her boredom.

But at least she was out of the coldness. In Bree, the snow was coming down harder then it ever had been. Barliman and Jorga noticed that there were less people in the inn. There was a rare moment where both Barliman and Jorga had nothing to do.

"I guess we could change the barrels" Barliman told her.

In fact, now that they thought about it, they had a lot to do. Barliman took a deep breath as he walked towards the kitchen. The barrels had been placed outside. The snow that was falling fell on the barrels too. Barliman opened the back door. The coldness instantly hit him. His cheeks and hands could be felt being tickled by the harsh coldness.

The barrels were heavy. In his old age, the barrels were even heavier. They were also wet and slippery. Barliman used all of his strength to move the barrel. But, after what seemed like hours, Barliman could close the door again. Barliman smiled as he rubbed his hands together. Cold water droplets started to hit the floor.

Jorga smiled as she cam into the kitchen.

"Umm, Barliman?" Jorga asked, grabbing his attention.

Barliman looked around and smiled.

"Yes, dear?" he asked.

Jorga's eyes darted. She could feel herself blushing.

"Well, I was thinking" she started.

"Could I have some lunch?" she asked.

Barliman was surprised.

"Well, of course you can" he answered.

Jorga smiled and walked away. Barliman smiled as he walked back into the main lobby. A few more people had come, but a few more had also gone.

Pippin sat in deep thought. He had had a very deep and revealing conversation with a tree. But not any old tree. This one could talk back.

"And, did he mention me?" asked the tree.

Pippin smiled.

"I think he did, yes" he answered.

Come to think of it, Treebeard had asked them, Pippin being with Merry, if they had they had seen the Ent wives.

"And did you tell him where we were?" Fimbrethil asked.

Pippin had completely forgotten about the pipe in his hand.

"Well, no" he answered.

The tree gave a small grumble.

"Why not?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Because I did not know you were here. I mean, I would have done if I had known before hand"

Fimbrethil gave a humph.

"Well, I guess you could go and tell him again, I will wait here for you" she said.

Pippin was surprise. Fangorn was many hundreds of miles away from where they were.

"Well, I…" Pippin started.

There was no reaction from the tree. Fimbrethil's amber eyes were now hidden behind wooded eye lids. Pippin continued to stare up at her face. For a moment, Pippin felt strange.

He knew that if anyone saw him, they would think he was crazy.

"Standing there, talking to a tree!"

Pippin took a deep breath as he waited for any sign that Fimbrethil would speak again. But, for minute after minute, the tree did not move.

"I guess the only thing to do is go home" he said to himself after what seemed like an hour.

With a deep breath, Pippin started to walk back to Hobbiton. The air around him was getting colder as the cloud started to gather.

Pippin struggled up the steep, snowy and wet hill to the top. The cosy settlement came into view again. Pippin smiled, knowing that lunch would soon be ready.

In fact, judging by the many pillars of thick black smoke, lunch was already being prepared. Pippin had been out in the snow for a few hours.

Eglantine smiled as she prepared lunch. A few times, she looked out of the window. She instantly stopped what she was doing. For a small figure had emerged from over the bridge.

"Pippin" she said.

So, whipping her hands on her apron, she went and prepared a warm cup of tea. A few minutes later, after Pippin had made his way up to the house, the door opened.

Eglantine made her way to the front door. There, she saw Pippin, shivering as he took his coat off.

"You're a very silly young man" Eglantine told him.

On the way to her son, she had picked up a large blanket. Pippin gave a smile, his figures and toes were tingling.

"I have some tea ready for you, lunch will be ready soon"

Pippin was lucky to have a warm home to go back to. Gimli was not so lucky to have that luxury. In fact, he would not have the luxury of warmth for a few more weeks as he trundled along a snowy path.

The snow was getting thicker by the hour as he and the elf, Legolas, made their way towards Helms Deep. But first, they had a long walk ahead of them.

For hour after hour, Legolas and Gimli walked along. Only Gimli felt tired and cold. His beard had changed from its deep reddish colour to a greyish colour. But this was not due to old age, for Gimli still had a lot of life left in him.

This was due to the snow sticking to the strands of hair hanging down from his chin. His head was also covered in snow. Cold drips of water ran down Gimli's nose, onto the floor.

Legolas was coping much better then the dwarf. Snow did not stick to Legolas' blond hair. Snow melted almost the instant it touched the elf.

Tiredness did not effect Legolas like it did Gimli. The darkness of night started to wrap around the lands. The sky seemed colourless as the night fought away the day.

Birds that once roamed this sunny and pleasant land were now huddled together in their own nests. Their feathers kept them warm. But they could use more heat as they sat there.

"I hope this weather doesn't stay for too long" said a little robin.

There was no point singing. The wind would drown out anything that sang about. So, because of that, the forests fell eerily quiet.

Unlike rain, snow fell like small feathers floating through the sky. In fact, the flakes had grown to be the size of small feathers.

The ground was continuously covered in fresh snow. The carpet was thinking by the hour. Hobbiton looked very different. The hills looked like large marshmallows with little round buttons imbedded onto them.

Mya continued to walk, having stopped just a few moments before. Her hunger had been tamed by the little fairy that had been tagging along with her since Bree.

Mya continued to hold Origo, it was too dangerous for him to walk. A large blanket, courtesy of Ivy, had been wrapped around the warm puppy.

Snow had been gathering on Origo's once dry and soft fur. It was now making him cold to the point of shivering. But Ivy was there to save him from any more discomfort.

She had magically produced the warmest blanket she could for him. But Ivy made it as though Mya had given the blanket to him. Mya smiled as she took it out of her bag.

Origo stood there, a sorry look in his eyes. But, as soon Mya wrapped the little pup up, Origo looked much happier. The snow was now only hitting the blanket, keeping his warm and dry.

Mya and Origo had both benefited from Ivy's ability to create warmth and food for them. Ivy was only too happy to help.

Like before, the food and warmth had taken its toll on the pup again. Mya knew that she could now walk in peace again. For Origo's little eyes closed.

No matter how many times she saw Origo fall asleep, she still found it adorable.

Hours past as Origo slept. Lunch had come and gone. Pippin had now warmed up and was in his room. Diamond was in the lounge, boredom was getting to her.

"Maybe I should see Marigold and Daisy" she thought.

The clock showed Diamond that she had enough time to get there without them starting dinner. Diamond took a deep breath as she downed the last of her tea.

Diamond took a deep breath and sat there for a few minutes. She hated leaving the comfort of her home. But then, she had not seen her friends in a while. It would be nice to see them.

Elanor Gamgee was back in her room. her book was open on her pillow and the quill was back in her hand. The young girl continued to write down her story.

Her adventure with Gloria was getting ever more dangerous. A large mountain stood in their path. A mountain that the two of them had come across once before.

But they were not the only ones on the quest. The enemy had sent a spy and an assassin behind them. this spy dangerous then anything that could ever follow them.

A wolf.

This wolf had been trained and tormented into killing the two hobbit girls. Its nose could pick up even the slightest hint of where they were.

Like reality, snow was falling. But neither Elanor or Gloria were remotely close to home. In fact, they were many hundreds of miles away from home.

Elanor smiled as everything started to come back to her. The coldness, the hunger, the willingness to save one of her friends. But first, they had to escape the wrath of the wolf.

The battle against the beast echoed in her head. She smiled as she looked over at the clock. Writing had taken up most of her time. So much so that it was now dark outside. The clock chimed softly, eight times.

Dinner was almost ready. Elanor knew that she had been writing for most of the day. Although she had been doing little all day, she was just as tired as if she had been playing out.

Rosie had started preparing dinner about an hour ago. Bowls lined the worktop as pots and pans lay over heated hobs.

Rosie was in her element. She never lost track of time, even looking after her many children. A large chicken had been browning in the oven for past few hours.

Rosie smiled as she opened the oven door. A blast of heat hit her in the face. The smell of chicken grew as the trey was taken out. The trey was placed on worktop to cool down.

As Rosie started to drain the hot water into sink, her oldest daughter walked into the kitchen.

"Hello" Elanor said, giving her mother a smile.

Both Rosie and Elanor shared a similar smile.

"Hello, sweetie" Rosie said, placing the cloth on the back of the chair again.

There was a vibe coming off of her daughter that Rosie could feel. She knew exactly what her daughter wanted. Elanor took a deep breath, knowing the answer to her unasked question.

"Would you like to help me?" Rosie asked.

Elanor gave a smile.

"Yes, mummy" she answered.

For the first time, Rosie would let Elanor help with the hot pans.

"Do you see that cloth on the back of the chair there?" Rosie asked, nodding to it.

Elanor looked around.

"Yes" Elanor asked, still unsure in what her mother had in store.

"Do you see the pan on the stove?" Rosie asked.

Elanor's eyes slid over to the stove. There, a hot pan with browning sausages stood.

"Take the cloth and pick up the handle of the pan" Rosie explained to Elanor.

"And placed it down here, mummy will do the rest"

Elanor smiled as she walked over to the chair. Finally, her mother had let her help, even if was just carrying something to somewhere else.

Rosie watched as Elanor as her daughter wrapped the cloth around her hand. But she did not do it properly. Rosie smiled as she stopped cutting the chicken. Elanor carefully placed the cloth over her hand again. She was now ready to pick the hot pan.

"Like this?" Elanor asked, needing some reassurance.

Rosie looked around and nodded.

"Pick it up" Rosie asked, placing down the large knife and turning fork.

Elanor carefully walked over to the worktop and placed the edge of worktop. Rosie resisted the urge to help, seeing how far her daughter could go.

Surprisingly, Elanor managed to place the hot pan on worktop.

"Well done" Rosie said, smiling.

Elanor smiled back. She loved helping her mother. But her appetite for helping her mother had only been partially tamed.

Meanwhile, Diamond had left the comfort of her own home and walked the short distance to another. Diamond was now sitting down on a large, soft sofa. Two girls were sitting in the room too.

One was holding a bundle in her arms. This was Diamond's baby, Faramir. May smiled as looked down. She did not have any children of her own yet, but she did have many nieces and nephews to keep her happy.

A few times, she and Daisy would take turns in looking after them for a few days. They knew how hard Rosie worked to keep them happy.

A few times, she would burn out and call upon them to help her. Even Marigold had her share of the children. She would take Elanor and Frodo for a night or two.

"I have to go and check up on dinner" May said.

Faramir giggled as he was handed back to his mother. May smiled as she walked out the room. Hunger was getting to all four of the hobbits.

Faramir's food was already made. Diamond had brought a small bowl for her son so that she could feed him there. May hummed as she took the browning chicken out of the oven to cool.

Thirty minutes past before the many bowls had been filled with food. May smiled as she set the table. The chicken had been carved and dished up between the three of them.

May smiled as she walked out of the room. Daisy was now holding Faramir, the first time she had all night. May walked into the room.

"Dinner is ready" she said.

Dinner couldn't have come soon enough for Diamond as she stood up. Daisy wanted to hold Faramir for the rest of the night, but she knew she had to hand him back.

Diamond smiled as the baby slipped back into her arms. Faramir now had a familiar face to look at. The three girls then made their way into the kitchen.

Diamond took her seat and moved the chair in a bit. It was then that a problem rose. She needed two hands to have dinner, but she only had one. Daisy Gamgee saw this problem too.

"I have some sheets in my room, would you like me to get them for you?" she asked.

Diamond gave a small smile.

"That would be better" Diamond agreed.

So, Daisy walked out of the kitchen, down the corridor, to her room. a minute or two past before she found the sheets and walked back.

Diamond smiled as she stood up. A little nest had been made for him just by his mother. Diamond smiled as she careful put her precious son on the warm, soft blanket.

The Gamgee household had already finished their dinner. Pudding was still to come, but a distracted Merry and Rose were nowhere to be seen.

"Where have they scampered off to now?" Samwise asked, getting up from the table.

Somehow, Rosie had found the time to make a delicious chocolate cake during the day. Elanor and Frodo both sat there, looking longingly at the cake.

Rosie knew that everyone would want a good share. So, she cut it up into seven very large slices. Plates stood one on top of the other. The first plate was past over to Samwise.

"Thank you, dear" he said.

Spoons had been laid out, but Samwise did not start eating yet. Elanor was next to receive her piece. This made Frodo jealous. But, a few moments later, Frodo gave a smile. For his piece had arrived.

Frodo surveyed his piece, then looked over at Elanor's.

"Her piece is bigger!" Frodo said, his eyes darting between his and his sister's peace.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"Their exactly the same, Frodo"

Frodo slowly accepted that their pieces were the same. A few minutes past before the cake had been dished out. By that time, both Frodo and Elanor had already finished half of their large piece.

Rosie was the last one to start. She loved her own cooking. She also loved the fact that she knew her family was happy as well.

Elanor and Frodo were the first to finish. The sound of spoons impacting on porcelain plates echoed around the kitchen. Elanor waited patiently for her parents to finish before asking to leave the table.

But Frodo was not as patient as his older sister.

"Just wait a few minutes" Rosie said, having only eaten half of her piece.

Frodo sat back, a glumness came over his face. He hated waiting for his parents to finish, they were never quite fast enough.

Pilith and Mya had awoken from very refreshing nap. Pilith yawned as he looked around. The sun was now low in the sky. Birds were still tweeting and singing as the day cooled.

Hunger was ripe in the little pup as he laid there.

Mya gave a yawn, sensing that her fellow puppy was awake.

"Pilith?" she whimpered, her eyes still half open.

Pilith gave her a little reassuring nudge.

"I'm hungry" Mya told him.

Pilith slowly stood to his paws. The little puppy gave a big yawn as he stretched the last of the tiredness off. He shook his whole body. His ears flopped as he looked around.

His little pink tongue licked his nose, making it cold and wet again. For that was another reason why it was good to be a puppy.

Smells seemed to become more prominent when their little black noses were wet. And today, it was put to the test. As Mya stretched and shook off tiredness, a strange smell met her.

"Do you smell that?" Mya asked, tilted her head.

Pilith looked around, he had not been listening to Mya, having been distracted by a bumblebee.

"Smell what?" he asked, giving a small whimper.

It was then that he could smell what Mya was smelling. Goldberry had been standing over a stove. A pan had been set over a hot stove. Two plates had been set out.

A silver spatula was held in her hand as she watched the food slowly brown. Two large stakes were sizzling in the oil that she had poured in.

A few more minutes past before they were ready. Something small caught the corner of her eye. Goldberry looked over to see two little puppies standing outside.

Goldberry gave a smile as the two pups walked forward.

"I know you would smell it" Goldberry said.

The two puppies had now change back to their human form. Goldberry was unnaturally used to this. Any other being, save from elves, would be shocked that a innocent looking puppy could change into a two legged being.

Mya smiled, looking at the big steak.

"That looks lovely" Mya said, taking a deep intake.

Goldberry smiled as she slid the spatula under one of the steaks. She then lifted it off of the plates. Goldberry did the same with the second steak.

Soon, the plates and bowls were laid on the table. Dinner could not have come sooner for Mya and Pilith. The heat of day seemed to drain their energy. Mya sat in her seat facing Pilith. Goldberry smile as she placed the last of the bowls on the table mats.

"Enjoy" she said, giving a warm smile.

Pilith and Mya seemed to jump at the chance to fill their plates with delicious food. For, just a few weeks previous, they were on the verge of death.

An old wizard had assigned them with an immensely difficult task. Both Mya and Pilith would have to walk into the heart of most dangerous place in Middle-earth.

Mordor.

"You must leave right away" said Gandalf.

Both Pilith and Mya were very hungry and very tired.

"Can we not leave in the morning?" said a tired looking Mya.

But Gandalf had already stood up.

"Time is something we do not have" Gandalf said, placing his crooked hat back on his balding head.

Mya and Pilith had walked many hundreds, maybe even thousands, of miles to get here. And now, after thinking about a few days rest, they would have to leave right away.

"But, we have walked many miles to get here" Mya told him.

"We need rest" she said.

Gandalf had picked up his staff and was just about to leave. Pilith could see the wizard's mind slowly working.

"Stay here" he said.

"Just for one night. In the morning, you must leave" he said.

Without another word, Gandalf opened the door. The rain was still coming down. The rumbles of thunder had become quieter, but one or two were still rumbles that were louder then normal.

Mya took a deep breath. Her hair was still wet from the rain that they had been through.

"Mordor" she said, accepting the task ahead.

Pilith shook his head.

"This isn't right" he said.

A lot was now resting on their shoulders. There was no way of getting out of what they had gotten themselves into.

"Why does it have to be us?" Pilith asked.

But Mya had a different view on things.

"Maybe it was meant to be" she asked.

Pilith gave a look like she was mad. But Mya was not finished yet.

"Maybe this is what we were created for, to help in times of need"

"But we're going to get killed!" Pilith told her.

Mya knew that they could get killed. But then, she knew that they were not.

"Pilith, I think that we have to do this. I believe that what ever paths we take will end up with the same out come"

Pilith knew that they had two paths to take.

One was not to go to Mordor. But then, how would Gandalf know how to reach the mountain of doom.

The other option was to help. Help in any way possible. And that meant walking right into the heart of evil.

"Do you think we can do it?" Pilith asked, taking both options into account.

Mya took a very deep breath. Her mind slipped back to the greenness the Shire. Pimpernel's happy face could be seen. Mya longed to see her face again.

That is what they were fighting for. That was why both Pilith and Mya would risk everything to walk into Mordor.

"We should get some sleep" Pilith told her.

The room had only one bed in it, but plenty of floor space. Pilith took a deep breath as he opened his pack. A large blanket was then taken out. It had dried spots of mud imbedded into the very fabric it was made out of.

The mud told stories of their travels. Pilith smiled as Mya sat on the bed. The candles were blown out, sending the room into darkness.

The storm had moved north. But the rain had not eased up. Mya smiled as she laid on the bed. Pilith had to made do with the cold tiled floor. The bag that he had brought would have to do for a pillow.

The lightning flickered from the sky, lighting up the small room that they were in. Pilith took a deep breath as he lay there.

His thought deepened as he tired to sleep. His thought turned to the Shire. All he wanted to do was to see his Diamond again. But it would be many years until he would do so.


	103. Day Fifty, Part One

Diamond woke to a chiming clock. The light of the sun had grown and the day was calm. The snow storm had laid a fresh carpet of white powder on the surrounding lands for as far as the eye.

Birds had come out of their nests to a changed world. The skeletons of trees broke up the white abyss. Diamond could not see the beauty of the land that lay just outside of the window. The window pane had misted over during the night.

Diamond did not want to get up. But a little whimper from her sleepy son made sure that she could not fall back to sleep.

"I guess I should get up" she told herself.

The duvet, which had gathered up a nice bundle of heat, was drawn back. Like butterflies out of a glass jar, the heat escaped. The curly hair on her big feet curled even more as they touched the cold tiles.

Faramir's whimpers had now turned into whines.

"I'm coming, dear" she said, rubbing her eyes.

Diamond could not help but smile as she laid eyes on her son. Only Faramir's little face could be seen. The rest of his little body had been wrapped under a warm blanket.

Two big hands wrapped around him. Diamond smiled as she lifted him up.

"How was your sleep, darling?" she asked.

Faramir had calmed down a little bit. But he still whimpered. Diamond smiled as she walked out of the room. Her bare feet, now used to the coldness of the tiles, slapped on the floor as she walked to the kitchen.

Diamond took a deep breath. The heath had used nearly all of the wood that she had put in as she went to bed. No matter how hard she tried, the fire would eat every ounce of wood that she fed it.

More shards of wood were placed in the dying heath. It would take the best part of an hour before the flames were big enough to boil water.

The stove was also cold. Diamond knew that it would be another thirty minutes, on top of the hour it took for the fire, before she could start to cook.

The Gamgee household was working much more smoothly. Rosie had, as usual, risen earlier then the rest of her family.

The house was very quiet, except for the snores from the room nearest the kitchen. Rosie smiled, knowing that her oldest son, Frodo Gamgee, named after Frodo Baggins, was fast asleep.

Rosie took a deep breath as, like Diamond, she stocked up the fire. The stove was much bigger in the Gamgee household. Samwise was the one to thank for this.

"One stove just isn't enough" Rosie said, having struggled with just one.

Samwise knew exactly how to keep his wife happy. But it took a few days for the new stove to be made.

"I have a surprise for you" Samwise said.

Their youngest child, Rose Gamgee, was only a few months old. Rosie smiled as she stood up. Little Rose whimpered as she was placed in her cot.

"What is it?" Rosie asked, smiling.

All of the Gamgee children were younger and less podgy. Samwise smiled.

"Close you eyes and hold my hand" he said.

Rosie was a bit confused.

"What has he got in store for me now?" she asked herself.

Samwise smiled as he led his wife to the kitchen.

"Stand here" he said.

Rosie's eyes remained shut until told to open them.

"Now" Sam said, stepping aside.

Rosie opened her eyes. There, a brand new stove. Rosie was lost for words.

"Oh, Sam!" she said.

Rosie instantly hugged her husband. Her loved for Samwise deepened.

"Do you like it?" asked Samwise.

Rosie smiled.

"Oh, Sam, I love it!"

Many years had past since Samwise had given her the new stove. Rosie's family had grown yet again. And, in a few months, it would grow again.

Rosie smiled as she made sure all three fires were stocked up and burning nicely. But, before any food would be made, a nice mug of tea would be prepared.

Rosie opened the cellar door. As she walked inside, candle in hand, she could feel the different in temperature. A jar of sugar and a small wooden box were taken out on the first trip. Rosie had to take a second trip to get a vase of milk out.

The flames in the heath were large enough and hot enough to boil water. The kettle was take off of the hook and carried over to the sink.

The sound of water broke the sound of silence. After thirty seconds, the sound of water stopped. Rosie smiled as she heaved the kettle out of the sink. The water sloshed around as Rosie picked up the cloth.

The kettle was placed on the hook. It swayed as Rosie took her hand away. The flames licked kettle, slowly heating up the water inside.

Rosie yawned as she, for the second time that day, entered the cellar. This time, it was for food. Rosie picked up many packets. Many more would have to be left for other meals during the week.

Rosie smiled as she started to placed armfuls of packets on the work top. This was where the work truly began. Pots and pans were taken out of cupboards. Some looked in better condition then others. But all would be used.

The two stoves had a large number of hobs between them. Eight in all. Each would be used to cook the food.

A vase of oil, now half empty, was picked up. The liquid was poured into the pan that was slowly being heated.

Rosie knew that she would have to start getting her children up soon.

But there was one little creature that did not share the luxury of having a bed and a large meal. Origo was shivering in a cold, wet blanket.

He had not had a wink of sleep all night. The coldness did not let him sleep. But the little puppy was not alone. Large hands were wrapped around the blanket that Origo had been buried in.

Mya was shivering as well. Her eyes were closed, but she was not sleeping. The cold wind combined with the melting snow made her even more colder.

Her fingers were turning blue and numb. Worry was ripe in her heart. For one of her friends, a very small fluttering fairy, had not been seen since the night before.

During the night, the wind had battered the lands. The snow created drifts against trees, walls and cliffs. But now, the weather had calmed.

"Where is she?" Mya asked herself, opening her eyes and scanning the woods.

A small whimper from Origo as Mya looked around. There was still no sign of a green flickering the white abyss.

"Good morning, pup" Mya said, looking and sound tired.

Origo gave a small whimper.

"I know, it snowed during the night"

Origo gave two little blinks.

"Where is the fairy?" he whimpered again.

But his question was not answered.

"We should get moving soon, pup"

This did not go down well with Origo. But he was too hungry to complain. His little eyes scanned the area they were in. but there was no sign of a fairy.

Origo gave another little whimper up to Mya.

"I know pup" she said, wrapping the pup up some more.

In fact, Ivy was still fluttering around. Her heart was racing. For hour upon hour she had been fluttering.

"Mya?" she called.

"Origo?"

But no answer came. Birds were still fluttering around. But, every time Ivy went to approach one, they would flutter off in fright.

"Please help me" Ivy said with depression and worry ripe in heart.

A large crow spied on the fairy as she darted past trees. More and more crows were approaching. Their calls could be heard echoing through the forest.

Ivy knew that she needed to find a safe place to stay. But the snow had covered the hollow logs disguising their entrances.

The little fairy knew that rabbits would be a abundant in these woods. All she had to do was find the entrance of the burrows.

But it was too late.

A large call signalled the start of the chase. Ivy knew that she had seconds to act. A crow flew towards her. Ivy was so scared that all she could do was flutter straight upwards. The crow missed by inches.

Ivy's little wings were no match for the large ones that the crow had. But Ivy had magic on her side. Ivy had had enough of being attacked by crows. She could not take any more.

So, a plan formed in her head.

Ivy gave a smile as she stopped. The crows now circling below the fairy. But that soon changed as, one by one, they flew upwards.

Ivy darted out of the way just in time, making the crow fly past. Ivy fluttered away again, trying to hide. But the crows were not so easily tricked.

Ivy saw one of the big, black birds out of the corner of her eye. It was then that her plan would be tested. Ivy closed her eyes for a few seconds.

Feet separated the crow and fairy. The bird swooped in, but did not catch her. Something strange happened to the crow as it zoomed past. It did not flat its wings.

Instead of flapping its wings, it simply fell to the ground. Ivy watched it as bird hit the snowy ground. There was a few moments of silence before the frenzy ensued.

Eight crows were now attacking the fairy. They were relentless on hurting the little fairy. But, as the minutes past, more birds lay on the snowy floor.

Three more vicious birds were still attacking her. Ivy only had one more option. As Ivy had been fighting, she had also been hunting a spot to hide.

She had finally found what she had been looking for. A small hole in the tree just twenty meters away was perfect for her.

But there was just a matter of three beaks and six sets of claws to get through. Ivy's little wings fluttered, moving just out of range.

Mya and Origo were now on the move again. Both were cold, hungry and looking for Ivy. Mya's eyes darted around as she looked for that tell-tail sign that might lead to the finding of Ivy.

Origo's barks echoed as he looked around. The blanket had been placed back into the bag. This did not go down very well with the little pup.

"Stop squirming, puppy" Mya said.

Ori had nearly slipped out of her grasp a few times.

"What's the matter?" Mya asked, heaving the pup onto her shoulder again.

Origo was very distressed. He was with a being that he did not know or like much. Ivy was the only one he trusted.

"Ivy?" he barked.

Mya took a deep breath as she continued to walk.

"This would have been much easier if Ivy hadn't of caused this accident" Mya thought.

But then, Ivy had helped Origo more then Mya could ever help him. Mya still had a deep love for Pilith. A love that nothing could break.

Or that's what Mya thought.

Her love for Pilith had been pushed to the limit. She hated that the pup did not trust her.

"But then, he has lost his memory, he doesn't know anything" a voice in her head would say.

All Mya could do was to help Origo reach Radagast.

Meanwhile, Rosie had woken nearly all of her children. The smell of sausages and bacon trickled into the different rooms.

Elanor and Frodo were the last ones to rise. Frodo whined and quickly turned over. Samwise smiled and walked out. His next destination was just down corridor.

Elanor little eyes opened. A large figure came into view. It was her father.

"Good morning" Sam said, kissing her on the forehead like he did with all of his children.

Elanor gave a little smile.

"Good morning, daddy" she said, tiredness clung to her voice.

Samwise smiled and turned. Elanor yawned as her father's foot steps echoed away. The light pouring through the single window showed there to be patches of misty blueness showing between the clouds.

Elanor could not help but smile. She, like the rest of the children in the Gamgee household, had been stuck in. not because they were naughty, the Gamgee children hardly ever were, but because of the onslaught of snow that rained down on them.

The snow was still fresh due to the tiredness of hobbits. A few paths led all over the surrounding village. Past large round door snaking all the way down past the green dragon.

These prints belong to foxes, which had now retired back to their dark burrows. Birds, who had started singing at the first signs of dawn, were now hopping around, singing to each other.

Hobbits and other beings, such as dwarves and men, could not understand what they were saying. But spirits of nature, such as Elves, wizards and fairies, could understand every like it was common tongue.

Origo could understand what they were saying. To him, everything talked. Especially birds. But Origo did not want anyone else apart from Ivy.

Not even diamond crossed his mind. Hobbits were none-existent in Origo's world. The small settlement of Hobbiton was equally none-existent.

Ivy seemed to be Origo's guardian. Origo needed Ivy as much as Ivy needed Origo. But now, they had parted. Origo's barks continued to echo back to him. But there was still no sign of his Ivy.

Pilith was laying on the cold floor of a single roomed house. His eyes were open, he was thinking things over. For, at first light, he and Mya would start their most dangerous journey yet.

Mya had found a little pocket of sleep. Her eyes were closed and her worries were forgotten for the moment. The rain was still pouring down, splashing out the stone floor outside.

The lightning strikes has ceased. All was silent now. Pilith's tiredness slowly sank into him. His eyes slowly shut as sleep invited him in.

Hours past like seconds for Pilith. The door to the room opened suddenly. In came an old figure. He had a long grey beard, a pointed hat and a wooden staff.

"Wake up!" said a voice, stealing what sleep Pilith had.

Mya woke slower then Pilith. There, Gandalf stood.

"I have these for you" the wizard said, placing two heavy looking packs down on the ground.

Pilith took a deep breath as he slowly stood up. Mya sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Is it time to leave?" she asked.

Gandalf took a deep breath.

"I am afraid so, in fact, you are an hour late" he told them.

Pilith, who had now stood up, looking inside his pack.

"We need more food, this is not enough"

Gandalf took a deep breath.

"You have everything you need in your packs" he told them.

Pilith's idea of enough food was not what he had in his pack.

"Come" Gandalf said.

But Mya refused.

"We need breakfast" she told him.

Gandalf stopped as the door opened. There was a little glint in his eyes. He was figuring out weather it would be a good idea to do that.

After a few more seconds, Gandalf gave in.

"Wait here, I will be back in a short while" he told them.

Pilith took a deep breath as the door clicked shut. The rain was still coming down like it the night before. Pilith was still did not know weather going into the heart of Mordor was a good idea.

Minutes past.

Gandalf returned with a few packets of food.

"Here you are, eat up" he said, handing a packet to each of them.

Pilith smiled and sat down on the bed. Mya took a deep breath as she started to eat. Gandalf had found a packet of chicken, cooked, but cold. Neither Pilith or Mya minded. For their hunger was slowly being beaten down.

Gandalf had one more packet for Pilith and Mya to share. It was bigger then the rest. He had brought them a loaf of bread.

Pilith was the first to finish his portion of chicken. Gandalf handed him the second, much larger packet. Neither Pilith nor Mya needed to ask what this was.

Mya finished as Pilith ripped the loaf of bread in half. But it was not truly in half, Mya smiled as she received a bigger piece then Pilith had.

"Thank you" she said.

Gandalf was very unsettled. His eyes were darting around. He looked around as a group of people walked past. Hoods had been drawn, saving their hair from getting wet. a small stream of water was rushing down the streets.

But the water was not flowing in any random direction. A small groove had been built in the road. The hill made the water flow faster and faster as it travelled downwards.

All of the grooves led into a larger one. there, the water was carried out of the city and into the near by land. By this time, the water had lost all of its energy. A small lake had been made. The water was now muddy, making it very hard to determine how deep it was.

Pilith smiled as he finished up the last of his bread. He was raring to go. The rain did not matter any more. As long as he and Mya had food, then they would be alright.

Gandalf still had more to give them. But it was not food, but a weapon.

"Take these" he said, handing a sword to them.

But Mya shook her head.

"We do not fight, Gandalf, we do not believe in killing any creature that walks this land"

A different sparkle crossed the old wizard's eyes.

"You are going into the very heart of Mordor, trust me, you will need them"

Mya placed her sword on the bed. Pilith, on the other hand, knew that they would need them.

"But we cant, I cant!" Mya told him.

But she was out numbered.

"We have to, it's the only way to survive in Mordor"

Minas Tirith was now in a time of peace. The white city was made even whiter by the layer of snow that covered it.

Birds sang as a very important person walked out into a courtyard of stone. A tree stood in the foreground, surrounded by black mountains in the far distance.

The snow was untouched, save from a few prints that birds had left behind. The dark haired figure stopped at the edge of the wall. his eyes surveyed the vast plains below.

This was the King.

A pipe was drawn out from the inside pocket of his coat. A pouch was taken from the same pocket and opened up. Aragorn's hands were cold, but there was enough warmth left in them to do what was needed.

King Elessar had a rare moment where he was on his own. His pipe was filled and lit. Silver smoke was drawn up the small tube, into his mouth.

The mountain range, Ephel Dúath, ran just a few miles away. Aragorn could see a glow in the sky beyond the mountain range.

A small smile came over his lips as smoke fluttered away into the darkness. The image of Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam came back to him.

Aragorn longed to see his friends again. It was small consolation that he had a letter heading to them. All he needed to do now was to wait for a reply.

The messenger that he had sent out was now making a detour. His detour was to stop off a Bree for more food and water. Not only that, but his bones had not felt the warmth of a fire since he had been assigned his mission.

The clothes he was wearing were wet and dirty. A smell lingered on his clothes as he rode. Food was running out as, just fifty miles away, the path forked.

One would lead him to the White Downs, miles away from Bree. The other, less used road, would take hi directly to Bree.

This was the path that he would take. This would be the quickest way of Bree and then to Hobbiton. But first, the man would need to stop.

Food was in order, for both him and his trusty steed. But grass was hard to come by on the plains of Minhiriath. For it, like most of Middle-earth, was covered in snow. But it was not a thick as it was in Hobbiton.

Breakfast had come and gone. Elanor smiled as she put on her coat.

"Don't be home late" Rosie said, buttoning up her daughter's coat.

"I wont" Elanor said.

Excitement ran through the little girl as she gave her mother a large hug. Gloria, Elanor's friend, was also excited. Every now and again, she would look out of the window.

Elanor smiled as she closed the gate behind her. Her younger brother, Frodo was already out and playing in the fields that surrounded the village.

Frodo had managed to gain the trust of his mother and father enough to let him go out unattended. Snowballs were being thrown between the friends.

Frodo and two of his friends were on one side while three more of his friends were facing them. Frodo laughed as one of his snowballs hit his friend on the shoulder.

Hobbiton was now a lively place again. Laughter echoed around its many hills. Groups of hobbit children were running around, having the time of their life.

Elanor smiled as she opened another gate. This one led to another home. Smaller, but no more comfortable and warm then her own home.

Elanor did not even have to knock as the door opened. There, Gloria stood, with a large smile on her face.

"Ready?" Elanor asked.

But Gloria was not.

"I just have to put my coat on" she said.

Gloria left her friend standing in the coldness. The door was left open, letting all of the heat out. Gloria slid her arms into the sleeves and proceeded with to button it up.

The coldness started to attract some attention.

"Gloria dear, don't stand with the door open" her father said.

Gloria gave a little smile.

"Sorry daddy, I wasn't going to be long"

Gloria struggled with the top button. She craned her neck and crossed her eyes. After three attempts, the button finally slid into the opposite slit.

The young girl smiled as she said goodbye to her mother and father, then walked out. Elanor's hands were stuffed in her pockets. She gave a small smile as the door closed.

"So, what are we doing today?" asked Gloria.

Two sticks, one for Elanor and one for Gloria, had been standing against the wall since the last time they had used it. The two girls picked up their own sticks, they never swapped, and walked towards the hills.

This was where Elanor and Gloria liked to play the most. Here, they could stretch their imagination to the limits. Adventures were ripe in their little minds. For Elanor, it was not only about having fun, she felt more at home in her own world.

The two girls slowly made their way up to the hills that they always played on. After a few minutes of struggling, stumbling and slipping, the two girls reached their playing spot.

Their foot prints weaved all the way back to their starting point.

"Orcs!" Elanor said, watching the brow of the hill.

Neither of the girls had seen orcs, but they had a pretty good idea of what one looked like. Orcs, to Elanor's eyes, were filthy, tall creatures. They were had armour imprinted into their very being.

To Gloria, they were small, but no more less scary then what Elanor could see. Orcs were hunched, but still stood on two leg. Gloria's vision of orcs were more like goblins.

Elanor swung her stick, it had changed into a metal blade. Heavy armour had been wrapped around her chest, legs and arms. A metal helmet had been slid over her head.

A rabble of twenty large orcs in black amour stood facing them.

"Elanor" whimpered Gloria.

Both girls were scared. But, Elanor had the confidence that the two of them could take on the orcs. A loud roar echoed around them.

"Elanor" squealed Gloria, walking a few steps back.

The orcs ascended on the two young girls. Elanor swung her sword. There was a loud crash of metal as her sword hit the orcs sword.

Gloria was now in trouble too. Two large creatures were coming for her. Her sword was taken out scabbard. Like Elanor, Gloria started to fight.

After a few minutes, Gloria was the first to kill one of the orcs. She squealed as she felt the long blade slice through the neck of the orc. Black blood spurted out onto the white snow.

Gloria was very frightened as the lifeless body fell to the ground. The second orc watched as his fellow bloodthirsty orc. A grumble erupted from the orc.

The next second, a large rusting blade was swung towards the little girl. Gloria had only seconds to react. And react she did. The blade was stopped just inches away from her.

Hours past as the two girls defeated the rabble of orcs. Elanor and Gloria had made their way to another hill.

"Hurry!" Elanor said, her blade had changed to a bow and arrow.

Gloria stood behind Elanor as she took aim. Elanor's heart was racing as she waited for the right moment. An orc came over the brow of the hill.

It was then that the right moment had come. The arrow was released from the bow. It spun as it flew through the air.

The arrow imbedded itself in the head of the orc. It had so much power that it was driven right through its skull. The orc dropped down dead.

Mya was getting more and more weak as the day wore on. She, and the little puppy she was holding, had not eaten since the night before.

Origo's whimpers had ceased. He did not have the energy to complain anymore. His shivering had stopped, he was now as cold as the air around him.

Mya's feet crunched as she stepped on the carpet of snow. Her toes felt like they had fallen off long ago. Mya, like Origo, was not shivering any more.

Little Ivy was now alone again. the attack of the crows had left all nine crows lifeless on the snow covered forest floor. But the attack was only the start of what Ivy would go through.

The little fairy was travailing through the forest, trying to find the road. If she could find the road, then she could find Origo and Mya.

Her little wings fluttered, propelling her through the cold air. The little fairy looked around. But there was still no sign of the road.

Bree was busy again. Laughter rang as snowballs were thrown. The muddy ground had hardened due to the deep coldness.

Footprints criss-crossed down nearly every ally way. Only the snow on the roves of the houses seemed untouched. Brick chimneys funnelled black smoke into the air. The wind carried the smoke away.

A young girl smiled as she put on an old coat.

"There" said an old man with grey sideburns.

"Told you it would fit"

Jorga smiled as she looked down. She could not remember the last time she had been given a piece of clothing.

"Thank you" she said, looking up at Barliman.

Barliman smiled down at her.

"Think nothing of it, you just go and have fun"

Jorga had never been out in snow before. She, of course, had seen snow. But the people she worked for, just weeks before, had never her let her out. Jorga would sit on her windowsill at night and watch the snow come down.

But now, she would experience snow for the first time. She and Barliman made their way down the stairs.

"Are you sure that I am allowed, I could help you if you like" Jorga said, offering her help one last time.

But Barliman had it all under control.

"I'll be fine, you just go and make some friends" he said.

Jorga smiled as she made her way to the large door that led out onto the street. She pulled it open. A blast of cold air hit her first. It made her cheeks tingle.

The candles flickered as the wind blew through the in. Jorga smiled as she stood there. The door gave a gentle bang, shutting out the coldness from entering the warm building.

Jorga smiled as she saw groups of children running around. Snowballs were being thrown, some missed their targets while others missed.

Jorga knew very little about snowballs. In fact, she had no clue in how to do it.

"Watch out!" said a voice.

Jorga looked up. A split second later, a hard piece of ice hit her square in the face. Pain instantly erupted in her face. Her hands instantly held her face.

The young boy gasped and quickly walked over to her.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked.

The two of them were about the same age. But Jorga was much smaller. Her hand remained on her eye as she smiled.

"Yes, yes I'm fine" she lied.

With her good eye, she could see that the boy was much bigger then she was.

"I'm sorry about that, it was not meant for you" he said, giving a little smile.

"It's quite alright" Jorga told him.

There was an awkward silence as Jorga took her hand away from her face.

"It doesn't look too bad" the boy said, giving a smile.

Jorga smiled.

"So" said the boy, trying to make up some conversation.

"Do you live in Bree?" he asked.

Jorga smiled and nodded.

"Yes, in fact, I live in the Prancing Pony"

The boy's eye brows raised.

"Don't you have a house here?" he asked, finding it quite strange.

There was a lot of history behind the girl's path here. She did not want to and did not have to explain it all.

"I live with Barliman now"

The boy gave a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" Jorga asked.

The boy looked around at his friends.

"He's cracked" the boy answered.

Jorga did not like where this conversation was going.

"Talks to himself and does strange things"

Anger rose in Jorga's veins.

"Well, I don't know who or where you have heard this, but Barliman is the nicest man you could ever meet"

The boy smiled.

"Just watch yourself" he said.

Without another word, he turned and walked away. Jorga watched him as he and his friends walked down an ally and out of sight.

Jorga now had something to think about. Not know weather to believe the boy or not. The snow seemed less interesting then it had been a few moments before.

Jorga took a deep breath and walked back to the Pony. The large door opened in on a noisy lobby. Jorga smiled as she smelt the smell of cooking chicken tickle her nose.

The door was shut, keeping out the harsh coldness. Groups of men and women were sitting around tables. Barliman could be seen standing near a table. He was listening in to what they had to say. He nod and gave a smile. The next second, he walked away.

"Ah, Jorga!" he said.

This was just the person that was needed.

"It looks busy now" Jorga said, looking around.

Sweat was running down Barliman's forehead. Barliman gave a smile.

"I need you to tend to the people that come in" Barliman told her.

The order of food was still going around his head. But, it would soon be pushed out as a fight erupted between two groups of men. Barliman and Jorga both looked over.

Tables had been pushed out of the way and chairs had been tipped over. Mugs of ale were thrown and plates smashed.

This once peaceful inn was now a scene of fist punching and profanity. Jorga watched as Barliman bravely stepped between the two groups of brawly men.

Some of the men had anger in their eyes and clenched fists. A few good punches had been thrown, injuring some. Jorga wondered if they were going to be alright.

But her gaze was distracted as something brushed against her leg. It was the cat. It looked straight up the girl. The girls looked right back at the feline.

A few seconds past. The cat gracefully walked away towards the heath. It did not seem bothered by the commotion the two groups of men caused.


	104. Day Fifty, Part Two

Jorga took a deep breath, knowing that there would no be a lot of cleaning to do. Barliman was still arguing with the men.

"I do not care who started what, I want you all out!" he said.

The two groups of men were no match for Barliman. When Barliman said it was time to go, nobody could argue with him.

A few minutes past before all of the men had been evicted. The cat had curled up by the fire, taking no notice of the destruction that lay around it.

Barliman took a deep breath as he slammed the door. Jorga slowly walked over to him. Sweat was pouring down Barliman's face even more.

"They always do that" he said, looking very tired.

The tables and chairs were already being put back by the people that had once been seated. Jorga took a deep breath. Going outside had to wait for now.

But the words of the boy she had met still rang in her ears.

"Just watch yourself"

Jorga needed to forget those words, even if it were just for a moment. Barliman had gone to help with the clean up. Plates, candles, mugs and chairs had been strewn across the floor. Blood stains were drying on the dirty floor.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Jorga asked.

Barliman took a deep breath as he looked at the floor.

"Well, the floor needs a good clean" he said.

Jorga smiled and walked over to the little storage room. Inside, buckets, mops and lots more cleaning equipment. Jorga took out a bucket and a mop. Both liked they had been made long before she was around.

Barliman smiled as he watched the girl walked towards the kitchens. A few seconds later, she vanished behind the door.

Hunger was going in little Elanor.

"It must be time for lunch soon" she thought as she stood by a stile.

Gloria and Elanor had played so much, that they did not want to anymore. Luckily, neither of the girls had to admit that they wanted to go in.

Samwise Gamgee, dressed in a warm coat, walked up the hill. Elanor smiled as she rushed to her father. Samwise smiled as the little girl gave him a big hug.

"Lunch is ready now" Samwise said, ruffling Elanor hair.

Elanor moaned, but agreed it was time to warm up.

"I'll be out after lunch" Elanor told her friend.

Gloria smiled.

"See you later" she said before walking the opposite direction.

Samwise smiled, walking back with his daughter. Frodo Gamgee had already arrived back home. His hunger was stronger then others.

The smell of chicken hit Frodo as his mother opened the door. Rosie smiled, seeing her red nosed son standing there.

"Come on, Frodo, you letting all of the heat out" Rosie said, giving a smile.

Frodo stumbled in, the door closed with a click behind him. Rosie helped her son to take off his coat. Frodo smiled as he hugged his mother out of the blue.

Rosie smiled, Frodo hardly ever did this.

"When is lunch ready?" Frodo asked, looking up.

Rosie took a deep breath.

"In about thirty minutes" she answered.

Thirty minutes was a long time for a young lad. In fact, thirty minutes felt like forever in normal circumstances. Rosie walked back to the kitchen, followed closely by her oldest son.

"Could I have something to eat now?" asked a hopeful Frodo.

But his hopes were dashed at his mother's answer.

"Not now, Frodo, lunch will be ready in thirty minutes, you can wait like the rest of us"

Frodo was now in a sulky mood as he retired back to his room.

"Wait like the rest of us" he muttered as he shut the door.

Rosie smiled and hummed as she continued on preparing a feast for her family. Just a few minutes after Frodo had arrived, the door opened again.

Samwise smiled as he followed his oldest daughter into the house. Elanor smiled as she unbuttoned her coat. She found it much easier then doing them up.

A few minutes later, Elanor arrived at her room. Her hands and large feet were numb due to the coldness. But they quickly warmed up as she sat on her bed.

"What did you get up to?" asked a voice.

It was the wooden horse. It jumped the small distance between the bedside table and the bed itself. Elanor smiled as it galloped the small distance to where she was sitting.

"Me and Gloria fought off some orcs" she said, smiling.

The horse was shocked.

"Orcs?" it asked.

"In Hobbiton?"

Elanor smiled.

"Not real ones!" she pointed out.

The horse galloped around as Elanor watched.

"So, what are we doing today?" the figure asked, trotting on the bed.

Elanor took a deep breath.

"Well, I have to have my lunch soon, then I'm going back out" she told him.

The horse slowly hung its head. Elanor had not spent time with her little toy horse in a few days.

"What's the matter?" she asked, placing him on her lap.

"I wanted to spend some time with you today, just you and me"

Elanor took a deep breath. She could jot leave her friend, Gloria, waiting for her.

"I have an idea" Elanor said, looking down and smiling.

Elanor went onto explain what she had just thought. The horse listened.

"That's a fantastic idea!" he said.

Frodo Gamgee sat on his bed. His stomach was empty and grumbling. Only ten minutes had past since he had come back in from the coldness.

Those ten minutes felt like thirty for the young boy.

"Its got to be ready by now!" thought a hungry Frodo.

He slipped off of his bed and walked towards the closed door. With a click, it swung open. The smell of cooking chicken hit the little boy as he walked towards the kitchen. The smell made Frodo even more hungry.

Rosie was humming as she placed rashers of bacon on the plate. Frodo instantly spotted the chicken, cooling on the side.

Rosie looked around to see her oldest son standing there.

"It'll be ready soon" she said, guessing his question.

Frodo did not like his mother guessing his question before he asked it. the little boy had no reason to stand where he was.

Frodo had to wait twenty more minutes. By that time, lunch was ready. Rosie smiled as she walked towards the kitchen door.

"Lunch is ready!" she shouted.

Frodo smiled as he jumped off of his bed and walked over to the door. The young lad wanted to be first inline when it came having food. But, in the Gamgee household, it was usual for Frodo to be the first to the table.

Frodo and Rosie smiled at each other as the last bowl was place. Elanor was the second one to enter the kitchen. Her seat was on the opposite Frodo's. Rosie remained standing. After a few minutes, Merry, Rose and Samwise had entered the kitchen. All three took their places.

Rosie smiled as she placed seven sausages, a few rashers of bacon, roasted potatoes, a mountain of fried eggs and a pile of mushrooms on each plate.

A rack of toast lay within the mugs and bowls in the middle of the table. Rosie had barely put the mushroom on Frodo's plate before he started shovelling them in.

"Slow down, Frodo, you'll make yourself sick" Rosie told him.

Rosie had now finished sharing the food between the six of them. All of them had an equal share so that there were no arguments.

The weight was taken off of her feet as she sat down. Her chair creaked as she made herself comfortable. The sound of silver wear hitting porcelain echoed around the room.

Silence rang out as food became more important. Rosie took a deep breath as, sausage after sausage, her hunger slowly slipped away. But it would take a lot more food to feel comfortable.

Frodo had finished his rashers of bacon. He loved bacon. He loved the way it crunched as he chewed on it. Frodo soon finished his mushroom, after chasing them around the plate. His sausages were cut and eaten too.

Samwise smiled as he reached over and took a few slices of toast. The butter sat in the middle of the table. A knife had been dug into the butter. Samwise smiled as the toast crunched as he spread the creamy butter onto his cold piece of toast.

The this did not bother Samwise as he did the same to the other piece. The bacon had been left as Samwise buttered the second piece of toast.

A minute later, he started to arrange the rashers on one of the slices of toast. Five pieces of bacon were onto the buttered slice of crunchy bread.

The Gamgee household were having a much warmer and more peaceful time then a little green fairy, far away from where was meant to be.

Ivy had now found the road. But she had yet to find her friends. The little fairy fluttered her wings. Paranoia ran through her as she fluttered. She needed to find Mya before more crows attacked her.

But it would take longer then expected for Ivy to find her friends again. For she was heading the wrong way.

"Maybe if I go higher" she thought.

Going higher meant the risk of attack grew. There was no other choice that Ivy could think of. She needed to see further down the road.

So, fluttering in mid-air for just a second before shooting upwards. The less time she spent away from the safety of the trees, the less time the crows had to attack.

Ivy could see the road snaking away to the east and to the west. On the western horizon, the horizon was littered with hills. Ivy could just about make out Weathertop at the end.

"That means I've been going the wrong way" she said.

She now knew that it would taken even longer for her to reach Origo. Every second that pasted made the distance Ivy had to travel longer and longer.

Elanor was now ready to go out again. She smiled as she put her coat on again. A few drips of cold water fell to the floor.

"Oh!" she said, suddenly remembering something.

In her bed room, the horse was standing on the bedside table.

"She's forgotten me" he said, hanging his head.

But, just a few seconds later, the door opened. There, Elanor rushed in.

"Come on, Elanor!" Samwise said.

Merry, Rose and Frodo were waiting for their big sister to come. Samwise smiled as he saw his daughter scurry towards them.

"Ready?" he asked.

Elanor smiled and nodded. The large, round front door clicked open. All five of them felt the cold air of winter hit them.

Rose and Merry were the first ones out of the door. They, like all of the children, became excited at even the smallest sign of snow.

Rosie smiled as she watched the door close. Every time even the youngest child went out, worry would strengthen in her heart.

"You just have to trust them" she told herself.

Little Pippin whimpered as he was put back into his cot.

"I'll be back in a minute" she said, kissing his forehead.

Pippin's whimpers turning into crying as his mother left the room. Rosie did not like to see any of her children unhappy. It was her gaol to make them all feel loved and to keep them happy.

Rosie entered the kitchen while her son continued to cry. The kettle was quickly taken off of the hook that it hung on. Rosie quickly filled it up with water and placed it back.

Rosie smiled as she walked into the cellar. A small box, which contained tea leaves, was picked out. Sugar and milk were taken out also. They were placed down so that a mug could be taken out of the cupboard.

Pippin still cried as the water slowly started to boil. A little slither of steam snaked up from spout. The sound of bubbling grew louder and louder as the minutes past.

By that time, pippin had calmed down a bit. Rosie hummed as she place a few brittle tealeaves in her mug. The water was now hot enough to pour.

She took the cloth again and picked up the scolding hot handle. The water filled up the mug. Rosie stopped pouring as the water got high enough for her liking.

The tea leaves dances as a silver spoon made the water spin. The once clear water was now becoming darker and darker as the tea dissolved into the hot water.

A few minutes later, the tealeaves were taken out and placed in the wicker bin. Rosie used the same spoon to scoop sugar into her tea.

One, two, three, four, five scoops in total.

Rosie stirred once more before adding the milk. The milk looked like a cloud as it mixed with darkness of tea. Rosie smiled as she placed the mug on the table.

Little Pippin was brought out, his crying had stopped as Rosie entered the kitchen again. she smiled as she sat down.

Rosie's oldest daughter had walked all the way to her friend's home. Gloria smiled as she saw Elanor again.

"You brought horsey?" Gloria asked.

The two girls had decided to play indoors. It was getting too cold for them.

"I thought we could play together" she said.

Gloria found this to be a wonderful idea. Her room would now be their playground. So, after Elanor had taken her coat off and hung it on the hook, the two of them went off to play.

Samwise shivered as he stood in the coldness. He smiled.

"I did not think it would snow again, well, not this much anyhow" he said.

Marigold Gamgee smiled.

"Well, judging by the clouds there, we haven't seen the last of this" she answered.

Marigold had golden hair that reached past her shoulders. She was the youngest of Samwise's siblings.

"I think you maybe right" said a glum Sam.

"Although I'm sure it'll welcomed by some" he said, looking over at his children.

Many more hobbits were out in the coldness. Hobbits could be seen wondering on nearly every field. Newly married couples held hands as they walked this white wonderland.

Other couples were watching their children or playing with them. Snowballs and snow hobbits were made. Children's laughter echoed around.

Marigold parted ways and headed towards the Green Dragon. There, she would meet her two sisters, Daisy and May.

Marigold's curly hair waved in the slow moving harsh wind. It was then she stopped. She had seen a familiar face walking up the hill.

But it not Pimpernel, nor was it Daisy. In fact, this was not a female hobbit walking up, it was a male hobbit that went by the name of Tom. He was the brother of Rosie Cotton, her brother's wife.

Butterflies started to fluttering inside of her. He was a very attractive hobbit. So much so that a small group of hobbit lasses would follow him, for a distance mind. They would giggle and whisper.

Tom was only three years older then Marigold. Yet, where as Marigold was the youngest, Tom was the oldest. He had a younger sister, Rosie and three younger brothers.

Carl, who had acquired the nickname Nibs. Bowman, also known by another name, Nick. Then there was Jolly, who's real name was Wilcome.

Tom caught Marigold's eye and gave a smile.

"Good morning" he said, giving a small nod.

Marigold did not answer. She couldn't answer. Words had been taken away from her. after a few paces, Tom looked back to see marigold standing there. Deep down, he liked marigold. But he was scared to tell her. For, as liked as he was, he was not the most confident of hobbits.

Tom continued to look back. He saw that Marigold had started to walk again. Tom sniffed as he gave a smile. The group of giggling girls walked past Marigold.

"Where do you think he's going?" whispered one of them.

Marigold looked back. They were her main fear. If Tom chose one of them over her. It was not worth thinking about.

"Just give it time, Mari" she told herself.

The door to the green dragon opened. As usual, the strong smell of tobacco smoke hit her. The elders seemed to have their own table along the back of the drinking house.

Marigold smiled as she shut the door again. laughter rang out as group of drunken hobbits sat near a large misted window.

Marigold looked around and saw her friends sitting at the table.

"Afternoon" she said.

Daisy and May smiled as they sat there.

"What took you so long?" Daisy asked.

"Oh, I had to do the dishes, you know how much I like to cook" she answered.

May smiled.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think another pint is in order" she said.

A few seconds later, May stood up. She walked towards the wooden bar and ordered three large pints of ale. Daisy smiled. A strange vibe radiated off of Marigold as she sat there.

Daisy noticed that her friend was a little bit distracted as May returned. Three pints were placed on the table.

"Thank you" said Marigold.

Hobbit pints were different to dwarven or human pints. In fact, to humans, hobbit pints were half pints. But a half pint was enough for a hobbit. After a few hobbit sized pints, they would become very drunk.

Gloria and Elanor were now in their own world. The two of them, although there was nothing in their hands, were carrying silver blades with golden handle.

They were nearing their destination.

Mordor.

Mordor, in their minds, still existed. Elanor knew little of what happened to her father all those years ago. Although she had been told stories of what had happened. She was still to young to fully understand what happened.

Samwise's young children did not even know about the red book. Not even Frodo, the boy who was named after the Ring Bearer, knew what really happened.

One day, Elanor hopped to see the book again and read it all, from front to back. Little did she know that she would actually get to read it. but not any time soon.

"Hurry!" said Elanor, jumping off of the bed.

Gloria smiled as she jumped from the bed. the two girls had reached a large dangerous forest.

"Shh" Elanor said.

The forest was dark, old and very cold. The mountain range that they had come through was now behind them, rising up into the sky.

Birds with new songs flew around them. The sunlight failed to penetrate the forest floor. The forest floor was dark and damp. Drips of moister fell from the full developed canopy above.

Twigs snapped as the two girls continued to walk through the never ending forest. Strange noises echoed through the wild forest. Even though it was the height of summer, the forest was cold. Warmth did not seem to build up under the carpet of leaves.

"What's that?" asked Gloria in surprise.

A shadow figure move in the forest just a hundred meters away. But its outline was broken up by the many branches and massive trunks of the trees. Elanor watched as the figure moved on a small way and stopped.

Her breathing had quickened just a tad as she placed a foot out. As her foot touched the moss covered forest floor, a twig broke.

The figure instantly darted away. Elanor and Gloria were both as scared as each other. But their imagination was quickly taken away from as the door opened.

Gloria looked over to see her old mother came in. Gloria smiled as noticed the trey that she was holding.

"Thought you may like some of these" she said, placing the trey on the bed.

Two mugs of cold milk and a dozen warm muffins had been placed on the trey.

"Thank you, mummy" Gloria said, hugging her.

Elanor gave Gloria's mother a smile. Gloria picked up her mug and took a few large gulps. Elanor picked up one of the muffins. The muffin had little melt bits of chocolate imbedded into it.

Elanor pealed back the paper that surround the bottom half of the muffin and placed it on the trey. She smiled as she took a large bite.

A minute later, Gloria did the same. Elanor and Gloria finished their first muffin quite quickly. But, being a hobbit, it would take many more muffins to fill them up.

Ten minutes past.

The two girls only had two muffins left to eat, having eaten four each. Elanor picked up her mug of milk and drank 'til she did not feel so full. It was then that she could eat the last two.

Consuming the last two muffins took another few minutes. Elanor was ready to play again, but she had to wait. For Gloria had yet to finish her last muffin. She took picked up her mug again and drank a large amount milk.

Elanor smiled as she looked around. Her imagination was on fire again as she picked up her little toy.

"I know what!" she said, suddenly getting an idea.

Gloria smiled, wondering what her friend had to say.

"We could go outside to play, we could rescue them for Mor… Mor…"

Elanor had a hard time pronouncing the name that her father had told her.

"Evil place Mordor was. It had ash filled skies and poisonous gasses erupting just feet away from where you were walking" he told her.

Elanor sat on her father's lap. Samwise wished that his son, Frodo, had the same curiosity for his stories that his daughter hand.

Sam remembered the conversation he had with Frodo Baggins.

"I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tale" Samwise queered.

Frodo looked around.

"What?" he asked, a confused look upon his face.

"I wonder if people will ever say, 'Lets hear about Frodo and the ring', and they'll say 'Yes! That's one of my favourite stories', 'Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, dad?"

The two hobbits continued to walk through a forest, on their way to the very heart of Mordor. The ring of power was getting ever closer to the Mountain of Doom.

"Yes, my boy" continued Sam.

"The most famousest of Hobbits. And that's saying a lot"

Frodo gave a little laugh.

"You've left out one of the chief character" Frodo told him.

"Samwise the Brave, I want to hear more about Sam"

Samwise gave a small smile and stopped. Frodo had stopped as well.

"Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam"

To this day, Samwise had been proud to be just a small part of the quest. In fact, he was a very big part of the quest, having been at Frodo's side all the way to the plains of Gorgoroth.

But now, the days of peace reigned over the lands of Middle-earth. Some still did not know of the peril that they faced. Yet some did.

A boy smiled as he stood in the snow. He took a deep breath looking out on the white plain that surrounded the outcrop of rock.

A large hall was seated perilously close to a large cliff. In face, the whole town was situated on a hillside. To the East of Edoras lay Minas Tirith and Gondor, to the West lay Isengard and Fangorn.

Éothain stood before just outside of his door. He had a large, but old, coat on. It had many holes where it, but not enough to throw away.

Éothain looked around.

"Where is she?" he asked himself, knocking on the door again.

A few seconds later, the door opened. A woman stood on the opposite side. She smiled.

"Oh, there you are" she said.

The young lad walked in. Morwen smiled as she closed the door behind him. Éothain smiled as he walked to the basic kitchen. He placed a small basket down on the old table.

His mother had followed him in. She did not say a word. Packets of food were placed in a very small cellar. It was not like the cellars that hobbits had built. These were small compared to them. In fact, they were so small that there was no room to walk into it.

A few moments later, all of the packets of food were placed into the small cellar. Morwen smiled as she closed the cellar. Éothain had retired back to his room. The whole house was freezing cold. A whistling sound ran through the whole house. The winds around Edoras were greater then any in Middle-earth. A few times, a wall of a house would give way, crashing down on its occupants and killing them.

But Morwen's main troubles were the thatched roof that kept the rain out, the troubles of her children, both Freda and Éothain, and the fact that they had a minimal amount of money.

This were even more difficult since Morwen was widowed. Her husband had been killed by a group of orcs and Wildmen.

"Go, quickly" he said.

Morwen did not want this to happen. She could hear the screams and sheer terror of the villagers outside.

"Get the children out" he said.

A large sword was then taken out of its scabbard. It glinted in the light of the sun pouring through the wind.

"Please" Morwen said, tears running down her face.

But there was anger in her husbands eyes.

"I will not let Rohan fall, not if we have strength left" he said.

But his efforts were dashed as he and the group of men, thirty in all, were all killed. Morwen had made sure her children had got away from the sight of terror before she too left.

Houses burned to the ground as the Westfold fell into the ever tightening grip of Saruman. Men, women and children were all killed as a dark wave of terror spread over the lands.

The sun continued on its never ending path over the free lands of Middle-earth. The darkening sky was a sign that night was approaching. Most people would take this as a sign to make their way indoors and sit in front of a flicking heath.

But this was what Mya could not do. In fact, she was many miles away from a warm heath and a good meal. In fact, she and the small bundle of sleeping puppy needed it more then ever. For neither of them had felt warmth and the fullness of a stomach all day.

Something that Mya did not expect came into view in the darken surrounding. The flat land seemed to fall away for a few meters, then reappear again.

A river ran from left to right. A bridge made out of cold stone made sure that who ever crossed it did not have to wade through the freezing water.

Origo's little eyes were closed. They had been for most of the day. Mya's feet crushed as she walked over the snow. The sound of water grew as she reached the edge of the bridge.

For a few minutes, Mya stood there, looking at the water rushing past. The girl took a deep breath and looked down at the pup.

"Just hang in there, pup" she said, kissing him on the top of his head.

Mya was relived when Origo gave a little whimper. The girl gave a small as she started to walk again. But Mya was not the only one heading towards Rivendell. A fluttering fairy was getting ever closer and closer to the girl.

Ivy was now a mile away from the bridge. The snow was helping Ivy track the girl. For no one, apart from Mya, had walked the path to the Elven settlement.

Mya's green glow helped light up Mya's foot prints.

"Almost there" Ivy told herself.

The fact that Origo was still heading to Radagast drove her ever onwards. The distance continued to shorten as Ivy continued to fly.

Another hour past and the sun had fully set. Mya now needed a place to rest, having walked for most of the day. Mya made her way off of the path. The trees were creating silhouettes against the sky. The cloud cover made it easier to find the perfect tree.

Ivy had reached the bridge. The water reflected her green light as she fluttered over it. Mya's footsteps were still visible. But this was soon was to change. Ivy's concentration had been taken from her.

It was a few minutes before she realised that the foot prints in the snow had stopped. So, ivy stopped.

"Where have they gone?" she asked herself, checking every square inch of the road.

After a few minutes, Ivy knew that Mya had turned off.

"But where?" she asked herself.

So, Ivy had to backtrack. Her eyes were still scanning every inch of the road. Ivy stopped yet again as the prints in the snow came back into the view.

Ivy stopped and followed the footsteps as they went into the forest. Ivy's wings propelled her through the air. A large smile came over her as she saw a pair of legs by a tree.

She had finally found Mya and Origo.

Mya, who had been staring into a distant spot, suddenly saw something out of the corner of her eye. Mya could not believe what she was seeing.

"Ivy?" Mya asked.

Ivy fluttered close to Mya.

"What happened?" she whispered.

The little fairy hung her head.

"Last night" Ivy started.

The rest was explained in detail.

"Well, I'm glad your back" Mya whispered.

Ivy smiled. The coldness was slowly replaced by warmth. Warmth that Mya needed. Ivy then fluttered to little Origo. Ivy smiled as she touched Origo just above the nose. The puppy whimpered and opened his eyes.

He blinked a few times before realising that it was Ivy. Mya smiled as little Origo started to squirm.

"Oh, puppy!" she said.

Origo was released from his fluffy blanket. Mya watched as Origo bounded towards the greenness. Ivy and Origo played for a few minutes, both happy to see each other.

"Puppy" said Ivy, being wrestled to the cold ground.

"Puppy, your tickling me" Ivy said, trying to fend him off.

Origo's little tail wagged. Even though it was getting late, tiredness seemed to been scared away as the little puppy stood there.

"Alright, pup" Mya said, scooping him up.

"Do you want some food?" she asked.

Origo gave a little whimper. Ivy had vanished again.

"Ivy?" Origo whimpered, looking around.

The pup's eyes darted around for a few seconds. The green light of Ivy erupted from behind Mya's back.

"Right" said Mya, dragging the now heavy bag towards her.

Origo suddenly started whimpering and squirming. He had caught the scent of the fresh chicken that Ivy had magically produced.

"Calm down, pup" Mya said, trying not to make Origo attack her bag.

Origo whimpered as he was held away from the lovely smell of cooked, honey roasted turkey. Mya smiled as she took out the plate. On it was a mountain of turkey, just for Origo.

What seemed like minutes past for the small pup as Mya placed it on the floor. Origo finally slipped out of Mya grasp. Within seconds, Ori started to eat.

Mya smiled as another lump appeared in her bag. This was Ivy's doing too. A fresh, warm loaf of bread was taken out of her bag. Mya smiled as ripped the loaf and started to eat.

It was as she took the first mouthful that her hunger really kicked in. This was the first lot of food that she had eaten since Ivy had come back.

Origo chomped away, the amount of turkey slowly lessened. But one plate would not be enough for little Origo as he finished the last piece.

The fairy giggled as Origo licked the plate clean.

"Puppy, would you like some more?" asked Mya.

Ori looked up at the girl. Mya smiled as she reached into the bag. Yet another plate of delicious turkey was steaming as Mya placed it down.

Ivy was amazed that this small puppy could eat so much. But his rate of eating had slowed due to feeling very full. Mya looked down to see Origo eating very slowly now. He had only had half of his second plate of turkey.

"You done?" Ivy finished, fluttering by him.

Origo gave a little whimper and a small nod. Ivy smiled as the two plates disappeared. Origo was now ready for a good nights sleep. So was Mya as she took a sip of the cool water that Ivy had also magically produced.

Origo yawned as he stood there. His little eyes started to close as sleep came back to him.

"I think it's time for bed" Mya said, screwing the cap on and placing it back in her bag.

A new, dry blanket had been given to little Origo. Mya smiled as she picked him up and wrapped him. This was the catalyst that sent Origo into a deep sleep.

Mya smiled as she too started to fall asleep. The little fairy fluttered and settled in Mya's pocket. The night would be more bearable now that the little green fairy had returned.


	105. Day Fifty One, Part One

Eothain lay in a freezing room. The wind and coldness had kept him up for most of the night. But, just as the first signs of a new day poured through the cracked window, sleep finally won.

A very old blanket was been spread out across the bed. But this did not stop the coldness from being fought away. In fact, Eothain's feet and hands were very cold.

Morwen, his mother, who was now getting very old, slept in the second room of the house. She, unlike Eothain, had a heath flickering in her room. But she did not have much wood.

The realms of Rohan and Gondor were still recovering from the war between good and evil. Scars of war still echoed throughout the land.

The wall of Helms deep had been repaired. But there was still a noticeable different in the colours of the stone. Helms deep would never be resorted to its former glory, for so many people had died for what they believed in.

Many of the men and lads that had fought in the Battle of the Hornburg still remembered the wrath of the Uruk-hai.

Isengard suffered the most damage. Trees had been cut down for firewood. Smoke rose into the air as furnaces melted metal. Swords and plated armour were stacked up, waiting for a bloodthirsty orc to take.

Morwen still have vivid dreams about the creams and panic that she had encountered. Even the bravest of men cowered and hid. Houses started to burn as the wave of men and orcs swept over the villages of Rohan.

But now, all was now peaceful.

Things were especially peaceful in the Shire. The small village of Hobbiton, which just hours before was cloaked darkness, was now waking up to a crisp new day.

Diamond Took slept peacefully in her warm bed. Her large, stunning blue eyes were closed. The rest of her small torso was covered by a large warm blanket.

All hobbits of Hobbiton were asleep. From the elders to the littluns. The night was quiet. The bird song had died down only to be replaced by a constant snore from the bigger built Halflings.

As the hours past, the sun rose. But its warmth did not. A fine mist lay over the lands. Small black dots started to spring out of distance forests.

The sound of bird song started to echo around the village of hills and paths. Foxes still reigned over the cold lands, searching for that last morsel of food before retiring to their small dens.

Rabbits were the perfect snack. They were more elusive then hobbits around these parts, having grown to expect danger where ever and when ever they were.

A sly fox lay low to the ground. Its red coat was a disadvantage, but it had stealth on its side. The fox was now meters away from its tasty treat.

But something happened that made the little rabbit scamper. Another fox had been tracking the same rabbit.

"Oh no you don't" said the fox.

Two hungry creatures were now running after the poor rabbit. The bunny dodged around trees. But she could not shake off the two creatures.

Her burrow was just a few meters away. But the foxes were bearing down on her and quickly. But her luck would soon change as one of the foxes changed his plans.

The rabbit dived into her burrow just in time as the two foxes started to fight against each other. The bigger of the two foxes would not give up his meal that easily.

The little bunny was shaking with fright. She could hear the two foxes fighting just inches above her. But she knew she was safe.

The sound of fighting echoed through the chambers.

"What is that?" asked another bunny.

The first bunny looked around. Her ears twitched with ever shriek from the foxes above.

"Nothing" said the older and larger rabbit.

The two foxes continued to fight. Their teeth sinking into its opponents flesh. Their sharp claws were also used. Bits of red hair landed on the floor.

The larger fox had a must harder hit and stronger jaws. The smaller one fox felt a sharp pain in its shoulder. The weight of the fox on top of him forced him to the ground. No matter how hard he tried to fight his enemy off, the more it hurt.

After a few minutes, he was let go.

"The rabbits are mine!" he growled.

The younger fox backed away, knowing not to fight with the larger one.

"Back away" it growled, ready to fight again.

Inside, everything had gone quiet. A large family of rabbits sat in the pitch blackness. A few of the younger bunnies were asleep, having slept through the sound of the foxes above.

Some were curios, coming out of their own chambers and looking around. But only one was brave enough to see if the coast was clear.

"Be careful" said one of the little ones.

All of the rabbits had long ears, which made it better for listening. They had little twitching noses and a brown coat.

The brave bunny hopped only inches towards opening. The misty sky came into view. But there was no fox as of yet. Another few inches would bring it to one of the entrances to the burrow.

The rabbits fluffy head poked out of the entrance. He surveyed his area for a few seconds. But he had been seen. The large fox had been quietly waiting for a rabbit to appear.

Now was its chance.

Large jaws encased the rabbits head, its teeth dug into its very skull. The rabbits squealed for a split second before being taken from his burrow.

The fox growled as the lifeless body of the rabbit was put down on the snow. For a few seconds, the fox just looked at the rabbit. He growled and picked it up again, knowing that it was truly dead.

Diamond had awoken at her usual time. Nine chimes had pulled her from her deep sleep. Her eyes instantly slid over to the window.

A new days had started, but Diamond did not rise from her bed.

"I need more sleep" she told herself, closing her eyes again.

But, the sound of whimpers made sure that she would not sleep until bedtime that night. Faramir had woken up as well, like he had done for most of the night.

Diamond took a deep breath as she finally got out of bed. Faramir had woken up every few hours. Diamond, being the a good mother, attended to him quite quickly.

"Hello" she said, lifting him out.

Faramir had wriggled out of his warm blanket and was now cold. Diamond as she picked him and his blanket up.

"You've wriggled out of your blanket sweetie" she said, rewrapping the baby.

Faramir cries died down a bit, but started up again just a few minutes after. This time, for a different reason. Even though Faramir could only babble, whine and giggle, Diamond had a pretty good idea of what her son needed and wanted.

"I think so too" she said.

Diamond knew that she could not make Faramir's breakfast without putting him down first. She needed two hands to prepare his meal. But there was not a second pair of hands to hold her son.

"I'm sorry, baby, I need to put you back in your cot"

She hoped that Faramir would understand, but he did not. His crying become louder as he was placed back.

"I know sweetheart, mummy will be right back" she said.

It hurt Diamond to leave her little son like this, but she had to do it. Diamond walked into her kitchen for a few minutes, the walked out again.

She smiled as she picked up her whimpering son.

"Right, Mister" she said, picking him up.

"Lets get some breakfast, then we can relax"

Rosie Gamgee had risen as well. Her breakfast would much more different. But it would take more effort. For she did not have just herself to feed, by five other hungry hobbits to feed as well.

An hour past before she was ready to serve up. My that time, Samwise, Pippin, Merry, Rose, Elanor and Frodo were all up. The calmness and silence that Rosie had for a brief moment had now changed to commotion and noise.

Rosie finally sat down to breakfast, an hour after starting. The heath sent black smoke to the cold outside world. Another day of playing was on was the agenda for both Frodo and Elanor.

But first, they had to eat. And eat they did. Frodo was on his second helping of sausages and bacon. Elanor was also on her second helping.

Rosie smiled as her children started finish their second, and last, helping. Elanor and Frodo were the first to leave the table, closely followed by Rose and Merry. Rosie and Samwise were left sitting there.

The sound of her children playing echoed through the house. But the sound of playing changed. Samwise took a deep breath as he heard Rose started to cry.

His chair scrapped along the tilted floor as he stood up. He took a deep breath as walked out of the kitchen. Merry scurried towards the kitchen.

"Daddy, Rose is hurted!" he said, looking quite worry.

"I'll see to her, son" Samwise told him.

Rose was sitting on the floor, tears pouring down her face. Her hands were wrapped around her knee.

"What happened here?" asked Samwise, squatting down.

His daughter's eyes glinted like little marbles glinting in the flickering candle light.

"Hurt my knee" she whimpered.

Samwise smiled.

"Well, this wont do" he said, picking her up.

"Lets go and see what we can do about it" he said.

Rose rested her head on her father's shoulder. Rosie was still trying to feed a very disobedient Pippin. She took a deep breath and looked up to see Sam walking back in.

"Sit yourself down there" Samwise said, placing her down.

Rosie loved how caring her Samwise was. Samwise walked to cupboard and took out a small bowl. He filled it was cold water and walked back to his daughter.

"This may hurt" he said.

Rose gave a small in take of breath as Samwise dabbed the cloth on her graze. Rosa gave a small whimper, but after a while, the pain started to disappear.

"It should be fine for now, princess" Samwise told her.

Rose's cries had now dried up, she was feeling much better.

"I'm thirsty" Rose squeaked.

Samwise smiled as he took the bowl and tipped the water into the sink. A few seconds later, he turned around. The bowl and cloth had been set beside the sink.

"And what would my little princess like to drink?" he asked, picking her up.

Rose thought for a moment.

"Hot chocolate" she said, smiling.

Samwise smiled. He placed his daughter down and walked towards the cellar. Rose smiled as she waited for her father to come back.

Pippin was sitting in his high chair, looking at his big sister. Rose loved playing with the baby. Pippin always giggled as little Rose made faces and tickled him.

"Now Rose, little Pippin needs his breakfast" Rosie told her.

This was a polite way of telling her daughter to leave them be for a few minutes. Rose took a deep breath and stopped. It felt like she hardly ever got time to play with her little brother.

Samwise smiled as she emptied the kettle of water. The sink drained it away. Samwise then filled it up with a few mugs worth of milk.

Like the water that had just been before, the milk started to heat up. Samwise got out a mug and placed it on the worktop. Rose had sat back down in her seat. Pippin was still interested in what she was up to.

Rosie took a deep breath as Sam appeared out of the cellar.

"Are you eating like a good boy?" Samwise asked, seeing that Pippin had started a little tantrum.

No matter how hard Rosie tried, Pippin was not going to eat. After a few minutes, Rosie knew that she could not and would not win.

Samwise brought out a small silver spoon and started scoop a chocolaty powder into the mug. A few more minutes past before the milk was hot enough.

Rose smiled as she heard the sound of her father stirring the milk echoed around the kitchen. Rosie smiled as she stood up and placed the bowl by the sink. There were mountains of used bowls, plates, knives and forks to wash up.

Rose smiled as her father carefully placed the full mug of hot chocolate before her.

"Careful now, its very hot" he warned.

But little rose knew exactly what to do as the sound of quick footsteps echoed from the corridor. Elanor stood there. She was finally ready to go out and play. In fact, she had already put her coat on.

"Could I go and see Gloria?" Elanor asked, giving her mother a bit smile.

Rosie smiled.

"Of course" she answered.

Elanor was excited, she always was when it was time to go out and play. But, before she could run off, she was stopped.

"What is it?" she asked.

Rosie smiled as she beckoned her daughter forward. Elanor received a large hug from her mother.

"What are the two things you have remember when you go outside?" she asked.

Elanor thought for a moment.

"Do not go over the bridge" she started.

"And be back in time for lunch"

Rosie smiled.

"Good girl"

The two of them hugged and kissed. Little Elanor smiled as she scurried out. Not three minutes later, Frodo came walking in.

He smiled.

"Can I go out yet?" he asked.

Rosie, who had started to fill the sink up with water, turned around.

"Yes, dear" she said.

But, like little Elanor, Frodo was stopped.

"But, why?" he asked.

Rosie beckoned him forward. Frodo took a deep breath and slowly walked back to his mother.

"What are the two things you have to remember when you go outside?" she asked.

Frodo already knew what they were.

"I know what they are!" Frodo said, looking away.

But Rosie wanted to hear it from him. Frodo sighed.

"To pick on Elanor and to throw snowballs at her" he said.

Frodo gave a small smile, but stopped when he saw the seriousness on his mother's face.

"To not go over the bridge and be back for lunch" he said.

Rosie gave a smile.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" she asked.

Frodo and Rosie hugged before the little boy scampered off. Rosie took a deep breath as she stood back to full height. Little Rose smiled at her mother as she walked by.

Rosie attended to Pippin as he sat in his highchair. The sound of the front door closing echoed down to the kitchen. Rose and Merry were the next ones to ask to go out. But they were too young to go out by themselves.

Meanwhile, Mya and Origo were moving ever closer to Rivendell and to Radagast. But the Mya and Origo were not alone. A little fairy had taken her seat on Mya's shoulder. Ivy was holding onto a few strands of Mya's hair as she sat there.

Origo was now wide awake. His little brown eyes darted around as the amount of trees grew. The three of them were now entering troll territory. But trolls had not been seen in more then sixty years.

Three stone trolls sat in the forest, echoes of the adventures of one Bilbo Baggins. Echoes of what happened that night still around the forest.

A small robin sat on a large arm, suspended over the cold ground. Drips fell to the snowy ground. The plants of summer were now hidden, waiting for the snow to thaw and the weather to warm.

"Mutton yesterday, mutton today and blimey, if it don't look like mutton tomorrow" said one of them.

"Never a blinking bit of manflesh have we had for long enough"

The trolls started to argue amongst themselves for a while. They were so busy with arguing that a small creature had crept up to see what they were up to.

Bilbo was now in a very difficult and dangerous situation. The trolls could easily squash the poor hobbit immense fingers.

Thorin expected great things from the little hobbit. After all, it had been Gandalf that he chosen Bilbo to come along.

So, Bilbo had only one choice to make. The flickering flames of the large fire the three dopey trolls had made, lit up by a dancing fire made from large logs. A massive pan, capable of fitting Bombur in whole.

Bilbo held his breath as saw something bulging out of one of the troll's pockets. Bilbo inched forward. His hand wrapped around part of the leather purse.

But, just as Bilbo was pull it out, he was caught. His feet were swept cleanly off of the ground as one of the trolls, William to be exact, picked him up.

"Blimey, Bert, look what I've copped!" he said.

"What is it?" the other two asked, spotting a squirming creature in his grasp.

"Lumme, if I knows!" Will answered.

Bilbo could smell the harsh breath of the troll.

"What are you?" he asked.

Bilbo had lost his voice.

"Bilbo Baggins" the hobbit answered.

"A bur… A hobbit"

Bilbo was shaking with fright, trying to figure out how to make the owl noises before he was killed. But something happened that Bilbo did not want.

The three trolls, Bert, William and Tom, all started to fight. The noise of fighting trolls echoed around the forest. Thorin and the twelve other dwarves were worried for poor Bilbo.

"We need to save him" said Kili.

Thorin thought for a moment.

"Where is Gandalf?" he asked.

But none of the thirteen knew what to do. Balin, who was dressed in a red coat and had a flowing white beard, volunteered to go first.

A small bit of nervousness grew in his head as he slowly took his sword of out his scabbard. He could see the outline of three monstrous trolls. But the little figure of Bilbo could not be seen.

"Bilbo?" he asked, his voice was deep and had a hit of Scottish entwined within it.

Balin had strayed too far. Like Bilbo, a sack had been thrust over his very head. His shouts had been muffled out.

"There's more to come yet!" said Tom, holding the squirming bag.

"Or I'm mighty mistook. Lots and none at all, it is. No burrahobbits, but lots of these here dwarves. That's about the shape of it"

Bert, William and Tom all slid out of the light and waited. Soon, after each dwarf had investigated why the one before it did not return, all of them had been sacked.

Bifur and Bombur were one of the last to get caught. Both Bifur and the large silhouette of Bombur had given the trolls a run for their money. But both succumbed to the power of the trolls.

Only one dwarf was left. Thorin knew what was happening.

"What's all this trouble? Who has been knocking my people about?" he asked.

Bilbo had escaped.

"It's trolls!" he said, from behind the tree.

Thorin could see fright in the little hobbit's eyes.

"They're hiding in the bushes with sacks"

The three trolls had captured all of the dwarves that they thought were out in the forest. They now had a painstakingly long decision about how too cook them.

An argument broke out between them as the sun rose. But the sun did not out of its own accord. Gandalf was the culprit of the sunlight rising quickly.

As soon as the sunlight touched the trolls, they turned to stone.

"Excellent!" said a familiar voice.

Gandalf stepped out from behind a tree. The light of the sun was now peaking over the eastern horizon, showing paths, rivers and valleys that had been hidden under a cloak of darkness.

Mya smiled as she continued her journey. But soon, she would have to stop. Origo gave a small whimper and looked up at her. Both shared the same brown eyes, a small hint of what Mya really was.

Mya looked down and smiled.

"Hungry?" she asked, already knowing what the puppy would say.

Sure enough, Origo nodded. Ivy smiled as she fluttered into the air. A few minutes later, Mya stopped. She was hungry as well. She and the little pup had not eaten since the night before. Breakfast was defiantly needed.

After a few more minutes, Mya finally stopped. The warmth that Ivy had given her night before had now gone. Mya had woken up earlier then normal that day. She knew that she needed to cover as much ground as possible.

"Are you not having breakfast?" Ivy asked.

But Origo had still been asleep as Mya shook her head.

"I'll have it when the puppy has it" she whispered.

But, it had been a full hour of walking before Origo showed any signs of waking up. But, now that he was awake, Mya could have something to eat.

The girl smiled as she sat down on a less snow covered patch of the forest. Origo was still bundled up in his little blanket. But, as Mya sat down, he started to whimper and struggled out of his blanket.

"Puppy, calm down" she said.

But she could not win against the squirming pup. A few seconds later, Origo slipped out of the warm blanket. Ivy fluttered just over head.

Origo sniffed the floor. There were strange tracks on the forest floor. Prints of birds, foxes and coated wolves lead in different directions, weaving around trees and logs.

Ivy had secretly produced yet another plate of steaming turkey for the pup. Mya smiled as she reached into her bag. Origo's little tail wagged as he tried to scoff the turkey down before Mya had even got it out of the bag.

"Calm down, pup" Mya said, pushing Origo's fluffy face away.

The puppy whimpered, but did not have to wait long as the plate was placed down. Mya smiled as the whimpering pup stood there.

"Go on then" she said.

Origo instantly darted forward. Ivy giggled as she watched the little pup. At the moment, Origo was not bothered about being cold. But, if someone distracted him from his turkey eating duties, then he would not be a happy puppy.

Mya was the first to feel Ivy's warmth. It was as the warmth trickled around her body that she noticed how cold she actually was. And she did not know how hungry she was until she smelt the faint smell fresh bread that hunger showed itself.

Ivy fluttered around, watching him eat. Patches of white plate could be seen through the pieces of turkey. Soon, the whole plate was cleared of any turkey that had once been there.

Mya had started to eat just as Ori had finished. She smiled as she watched the puppy lick the plate clean, even after any visible signs of the turkey had gone.

The plate vanished as Ivy fluttered around. A little whimper came from the pup as he looked at the ground. But today, it did not seem to bother the pup much.

Ori was now interested in chasing after his little fairy friend.

"Origo, stop!" Ivy said, fluttering out of reached with just inches to spare.

Mya gave a small smile. She had seen Origo do this many times before. But Origo had not been on his own when he had done it.

Mya and Pilith were walking through a warm and bright forest. The sun still grew in the sky. The wind cooled the little pup down at the explored the forest.

Pilith stopped as he ran around the forest. Mya was walking calmly behind him. Pilith could see something on the floor. He did not know what it was, this was where his curiosity stepped in.

"Don't you want to see what it is?" asked a voice in his head.

The pup turned his head and looked over at Mya. She stopped and tilted her head. Her ears flowed over her fluffy head. Her brown eyes glinted with a questioning look.

Pilith wagged his tail and bounded off towards the hole in the ground. Mya followed a few seconds later, bouncing less then her fellow pup.

Pilith reached the edge of the hole in the ground. There was a strange smell about the air. One that made Pilith think.

"Now" he thought, reaching into the back of his memory.

His newest memories consisted of a dark land, riddled with flames, lava and ash. But, Pilith's mind continued to slip ever further back in time.

"Pilith?" Mya whimpered, now standing on his left hand side.

Pilith snapped out of his little day dream and looked at his friend. Mya blinked twice and gave him a little nudge.

"What's down there?" Pilith whined, looking down at the hole.

Mya looked at it too. She could smell what Pilith was smelling too.

"I think its bunny rabbits" she answered, thinking.

Pilith had not seen rabbits in a while. Now was the time to see one. But his plan would not go as he wanted it to go.

"I want to see one" he told Mya.

But, before she could advise him not to do so, Pilith had ducked his head and walked in. Mya knew that Pilith would get into trouble, it was only a matter of time.

Pilith could not see any light where he was. The small corridors between chambers were barely big enough for him to crawl through. His fur was now muddy. It seemed to stick to a few strands of his fur.

Just then, something moved up ahead, making the puppy stop. He could not see what it was, but he could feel its presents as it hopped away.

The bunny was just as big as he was and just as fluffy and soft. Pilith sniffed around again. It was then, as he sniffed the side of little burrow, that he felt something touch him.

Have gave a little whimper. But it did not answer. He could not see it, but he could hear small thuds as the bunny backed away.

Mya had waited long enough.

"Pilith?" she barked into the hole.

Her bark echoed down the small burrow. The burrow had a lot of entrances and exits. But Pilith could not find any of them. in fact, he was lost.

"Mya?" he barked back.

But there was no reply. The little puppy whimpered. He wanted to get out now. He needed his Mya with him.

"Mya?" he barked a bit louder.

This was the start of a very scary reaction for Pilith. The ground started to thud where he stood. But it was no hungry wolf or ravenous fox. Instead, it was a horde of bunnies, woken up by the barking puppy.

Before Pilith knew what was happening, he was knocked off of his paws by the first of many a rabbit. Mya was surprised at all of the little bunny rabbits exiting the burrow.

But there was still no sign of Pilith. The rabbits scattered into wild as quickly as they could hop. A few moments after the rabbits had scampered away, Pilith popped out.

Mya bound towards him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, giving him a gentle nudge.

Pilith was whimpering. He never wanted to see another rabbit again.

"I'm hungry" Pilith whimpered.

Mya felt the same. She, like her friend, was also tired. A few seconds past before the two puppies, now very warm, moved off.

Goldberry and Tom lived just a few hundred meters from where they were. But their house could not be seen through the pillars of trees.

The canopy above them made shadows dance around the grassy ground. As the two pups walked along, birds sang and fluttered over head.

In Tom's house, a little bird had fluttered in. Tom was sitting on one of his large, comfortable chairs. The bird landed on the arm rest to the left had side.

A song came out of his the little robin's beak. Tom gave a small smile and nodded. The bird perched there for a few more seconds before he flew off.

Pilith and Mya had now reached the threshold of the house. They had changed back into their human form. They had decided that the fur that surrounded them when they were puppies were making them too hot.

"Ah, my friends" said Tom in his usual cheery self.

"It is good to have you back and just into for lunch" he said.

The two puppies had now changed back to their human forms. Mya smiled as she walked over the threshold and into the cool room. Tom remained seated as Pilith and Mya stood.

The light in the room seemed to grow as Goldberry entered. She was carrying two bowls full of food. She smiled at Pilith as she placed the bowls on the table.

After a few minutes, Goldberry had set the table for lunch. Pilith smiled as he took his seat next to Mya. Tom got up from his chair with what looked like no effort at all.

The table was set in just a few minutes. Mugs of cool, clear water were place out. Four in total, one for each of the beings that would be seated at the table.

A fresh loaf of bread, made by Goldberry, had been cut and placed out for them. A large chunk of butter had been made by Goldberry as well.

Meanwhile, Mya was in a totally different situation. A little puppy was scampering around her feet, creating prints around her larger ones. Mya gave a little smile as Ivy nearly got caught by him.

"Almost" she said, fluttering around him.

A little bark echoed around the thickening forest. Mya was approaching a very special sight, one that she had only heard about from Gandalf.

The three trolls of Trollshaws.

Origo jumped just a few inches off of the ground, trying to get the fairy. But he missed.

"You can do better then that!" Ivy told him.

Origo gave a little growl and jumped. This time, Ivy was in range. She felt Origo's big paw hit her. Ivy was thrust onto the ground, pinned down by the pup.

Ivy struggled as Origo's weight pinned her down.

"Ori" she whimpered, struggling for breath.

She could see Origo's brown eyes staring down at her. Mya smiled as she picked up the puppy just in time, saving Ivy from an accidental squashing.

"Come on, we need to get going" she said.

Origo gave a small whimper, but did not fight. Ivy sat up. her legs were covered in snow, but there were no signs of her little legs ever digging into the snow in the first place.

Mya continued on walking, waiting for the fairy to catch up. And catch up she did. Ivy took a deep breath as she held onto a few strands of Mya's hair and sat down on her shoulder.

"Why did you do that, puppy?" Ivy asked.

Her head was still spinning as she sat there. Origo tilted his head and gave a small whimper.

"Puppy, you cant be hungry already" Mya said.

Ivy shook her head.

"But not like that, I was only playing"

Origo gave another small whimper. Once again, both Mya and Ivy answered.

"In another hour, pup" Mya answered.

"Just be more careful next time, you much bigger then I am" she told him.

In Hobbiton, lunch was being made. Smells trickled through households as chicken, beef or turkey cooked. Black smoke rose into the clear air above.

Elanor was still not at home. She was still roaming about on the hills that made up Hobbiton. Gloria was with her as well.

"I think we should go home now" Gloria said.

Her little button nose had turned pinkish. But Elanor did not want to go home just yet. She and Gloria had ventured further then they had ever been. The lake that Hobbiton surrounded could not be seen any more.

In fact, it was very quiet where they were. The snow here was untouched, not even birds or foxes had crossed the fresh snow.

Elanor smiled as she looked into the distance. Gloria had stopped. Her stomach was rumbling more then ever.

"Elanor, please, we need to go back" Gloria pleaded.

But Elanor was not at all hungry. In fact, the only hunger she had was to explore.

"If you want to go back, you can do it by yourself" Elanor told her friend.

Gloria only had one problem, she did not know the way.

"Elanor, my mummy will be worrying about me" she whimpered.

Elanor took a deep breath as she stopped. Gloria sniffed as she stood there. Elanor did not want her friend to be unhappy. But she also did not want to go home just yet.

A small part of her wanted to head on for as long as the sun remained in the sky. But then another part knew that she would get into trouble for doing so.

"Fine" she said, turning around.

So, the two girls walked home. But the two of them were now very late for lunch. In fact, Samwise had already done up his coat. His lunch had to wait as he opened the door and walked outside.

Samwise took a deep breath as he walked down to the gate. It creaked open. Samwise sniffed as he walked down towards Gloria's home.

Rosie was struggling to keep all of her children in check. Frodo had seen an opportunity to take advantage of this crisis. With an eye fixed on his mother, Frodo reached out. The mushrooms were still hot, but not hot enough to burn him.

With a quick hand, the cooked mushrooms had made it to his plate. Frodo wiped his hand on his breeches. Frodo then picked up his fork again.


	106. Day Fifty One, Part Two

Meanwhile, Elanor and Gloria were decreasing the distance between them and their homes.

"Oh no" Elanor said, stopping.

Gloria, who had been concentrating on the ground so that she would not slip, looked over at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

The large round figure of her father appeared over the brow of the hill. Gloria saw him as well. She took a deep breath and looked back at her friend.

"I told you we should have gone home sooner" she said.

Elanor took a deep breath as her father approached. She gave a smile as Samwise walked the last few meters between them.

"You're late, young lady" Samwise said, not looking impressed.

Elanor's smile disappeared quicker then it came.

"I'm sorry" she said, hanging her head.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"We best get you home, Gloria" Samwise told her.

Gloria nodded, feeling a bit intimidated by him.

"I can walk you home" Elanor told her friend.

But Samwise had different ideas.

"You'll do no such thing" he told her.

"I will walk her home, you can make your own way back" he said.

At that, he turned and walked away. Elanor and Gloria walked slowly behind. A few minutes past before the three of them reached the road.

"You just head home now, Elanor" Samwise said.

Gloria took a deep breath.

"See you later" Gloria said.

Elanor pealed off and walked towards her home. Samwise and Gloria went one way. After a few minutes, the two of them reached her home.

Three knocks echoed down the warm corridor. a minute later, the door clicked open.

"Ah, Sam, how may I help you?" asked the old man.

Samwise smiled and looked down at Gloria.

"I'm just here to bring Gloria back" he said.

Gloria looked up at her father. He gave a small smile.

"I wondered where she had wondered off to" he told him.

A few minutes past as the two of them talked. Gloria had walked inside and taken her coat off by the time the two of them had finished talking.

The door closed on the cold world. Gloria's father was not at all happy with her.

"And what time were you meant to be in?" he asked Gloria.

She and her two patents were sitting at the table. Little Gloria did not say a word. Her mouth was full of food. Gloria took a deep breath as she continued to eat.

It took Samwise a few minutes to walk back to his home. By that time, Elanor had had already gone through half of her lunch. Her mother, Rosie, was not impressed.

"I've been busy for the last few hours" Rosie told her daughter.

Elanor was not in the slightest interested at this moment in time. Like all hobbits, food was main priority for them.

"I did not cook it just so you could let it go cold"

Just then, the large round front door opened again. This time, it was Samwise. Samwise took a deep breath as he took coat off.

He could hear his wife talking in the kitchen. Now was the time to get back to his lunch. So, he walked down to the kitchen. Elanor and Rosie looked up at him as he walked in.

Elanor's eyes darted between her mother and her father.

"I think you have something to say to your father" Rosie told her.

It was more of an order then a reminder. The chair that Samwise sat on creaked. Samwise took a deep breath as he looked down at his meal. A boat of the richest gravy sat near by.

Samwise picked it up and poured it all over his lunch. Just as he started, his oldest daughter had finished. But little Elanor had not had enough.

Her eyes darted around the table. She smiled as she saw a sizable pile of parsnips in one of the porcelain trey. But, before she could start filling her plate up again, she was stopped.

"Elanor?" Rosie asked, gaining her attention.

Rosie did not have to say any more to her daughter to make her understand what needed to be done. Elanor took a deep breath and looked around to her father.

"Daddy?" Elanor asked, getting his attention.

"Yes?" he asked between mouthfuls of food.

"I'm… I'm sorry for being late" she said.

Samwise took a deep breath.

"And why were you late?" he asked.

Elanor took a deep breath and looked down.

"I wanted to explore" she answered.

Samwise stopped chewing and stared at his daughter. He knew that the day would come when Elanor would become curious about the boundaries of Hobbiton. But he did not think it would be this quickly.

Yes, he had brushed off Frodo's little adventure as a mistake. But, now that Elanor had said she wanted to explore, Samwise had to change his mind.

"Well, you can explore if you like. I am not saying you cant. All I want is you to be at the table with the rest of the family, understood?" he asked her.

Elanor gave a little smile and nodded.

"Yes, daddy" she answered.

The forest of Trollshaws was now flooded with light. Yet the fire still burned, giving off heat. Thirteen sacks full of dwarf were laying perilously close to the flames.

But a wizard, Gandalf, was there to help cut them free. Soon, all thirteen were surveying the stone statues of the trolls. But soon, all of them wanted answers from Bilbo to why he had not warned them.

After telling and retellings the dwarves what had happened, Bilbo had finally convinced them that he was telling the truth.

"Silly time to go practising pinching and pocket-pinching" Bombur said, shaking his head.

"When what we wanted was fire and food!"

"And that's just what you wouldn't have got off of those fellows, without a struggled in any case" Gandalf told them.

An idea was then placed into their head, Gandalf had figured out that the three trolls would need a cave or place to stay in.

Soon enough, Gandalf had found a place to stay. But, blocking the entrance was a large door. Bilbo watched at Gandalf tried to open it. a large key sat in the hobbit's pocket.

"Would this do?" Bilbo asked, finally taking the key out of his pocket.

"Why on earth did you not mention this before?" they cried.

Gandalf muttered as he took the key from Bilbo. There was a small keyhole embedded within the rock door itself. Gandalf slid the key into the lock and twisted it to the left.

Sure enough, the key worked. Gandalf smiled as he took the key out. The door swung open to reveal a cold, dark cave behind. Bilbo, the thirteen dwarves and Gandalf each walked in. The cave was dark, perfect for trolls to hide from the sun light.

Above them, a colony of bats hanging upside down. They let off little squeaks, almost inaudible to the ears of the dwarves and hobbit that stood below.

"Hmmm, more creatures" squeaked one of the bats.

The floor of the cave was littered with guano, bones and rotting food from the feasts that the trolls had had. But in the waste were dotted gems and gold coins to name but a few.

Clothing that belonged to unlucky victims that had strayed too close to the trolls. But there were far more precious items on the floor of the cave.

Gandalf took a deep breath as his old body bent so that he could pick up one of the many swords that lay on the ground. Thorin did the same, but it was much easier for him to look at.

The dwarf slid the sword of its dirty scabbard.

"These look like good blades" Gandalf said, sliding one out of its scabbard.

"They were not made by any troll, nor by any smith among men in these parts and days, but when we can read the runes on them, we shall know more about them"

Minutes past.

"Let's get out of this horrible smell" said Fili.

The other dwarves, including the hobbit, agreed. So, the dwarves carried pots coins, which were to be divided up at a later date, what food that they sought fit to eat and ale, which would be saved for harder times.

After finding a nice place to sit down. The night before had been disturbed, none of the company had had a wink of sleep.

Hours past as the thirteen dwarves slept. Bilbo found it hard to sleep in daylight. The birds were still singing their song as the dwarves, now littering the forest floor, lay with their back against the large trunks of trees.

Bombur had a tree all to himself. He was also the first to start snoring, followed closely by Balin and Bofur. Bofur's woollen hat sat on the end of his large, heavy mattock.

Bilbo finally fell asleep as he lay there, hands behind his head. The sounds and the light of day seeped away, to be replaced by darkness and silence.

Images of fire slipped over his eyes. Large roars and screams of terrified men, woman and children echoed around the fire lit valley. Building and people alike were burning.

Figures of hobbits ran into the surrounding fields. The flames from a large dragon arched into the air. Its giant wings flapped like thunderclaps as it took flight.

Bilbo was standing on a loan hill, watching the destruction of his beloved Hobbiton lay in ruins. Death and destruction reigned over the lands of the Shire.

A large hand woke Bilbo from his nightmare. His eyes opened to see an even scarier sight.

Dwalin.

He huffed and walked away, his armour jangled as he walked back to his seat. Bilbo sat up. For a few seconds, the little hobbit did not know where he was. But, as the sounds, smells and feeling came back, he understood that he was far from the safety of his wonderful homeland.

The large figure of Bombur was slaving over a large cauldron. Ori, one of the young dwarves, was busy slaving over a book. His hood had been drawn back from his head.

A quill was held in his right hand. Every so often, he would dip the pointed end of the quill into an ink pot that was nestled in the grass near to where he sat.

Bombur smiled as he dipped one of his large fingers into the mixture. Bilbo noticed a large smile slip across the large dwarf's face.

The next seconds, there was a lot of movement. The twelve other dwarves all broke from what they were doing. Bilbo was the last to take to his feet.

Bombur had started to dish out the food. As Bilbo got closer to the rabble of dwarves, he could smell what Bombur had been preparing.

It was a beef strew, it was the last of the beef.

"Ah, Bilbo" Bombur said, dipping his large ladle into the mixture that was left in the caldron.

Bilbo smiled, this amount of food not been seen since he left his home. A few loaves of very stale bread were past around. Bilbo knew that he could not refuse the offer of having more food.

Soon, all of the bread was gone, as well as the stew that Bombur had made. Bilbo surprisingly full for the amount he had had. Back home, Bilbo would have had at least four times the amount of food to feel this full. But, now days, food was in short supply and it was welcomed more then ever.

"We should get these pots of gold in the ground, hide them until a later date" Thorin said to Gandalf as they stood there.

Gandalf lent on his staff. He gave a small nod.

"I have a few spells that I could use" he told him.

A few minutes later, the rabble of dwarves started to move. Bilbo watched large pots of gold were moved from the cave, out into the warm air.

Soon, all of the barrels had been taken out into the May sun.

"We need to dig a large hole to put this all in, we can not lug this around with us"

So, the thirteen dwarves started to dig a large whole. Large enough to fit the six pots of gold inside. Soon, a large pile of mud and grass lay beside the hole.

"That'll do" Gandalf said, surveying the hole.

Nori's eyes slid around to his fellow dwarf. His hand slipped into one of the pots. A large handful of coins was then taken out. Nori gave a small smile as he placed his hand into pocket.

The coins jangled as he walked away. Dwalin was the only one that could lift the pots of gold by himself. Oin and Gloin were standing inside the large, deep hole.

The pots were arranged so that they were all upright and could not fall over. A few minutes later, all of them were now nestled safely in the hole.

The dwarves, not including the honourable Thorin, filled the hole back over. The soil slowly inched up and around pots. Finally, it covered their lids.

Bofur, Bifur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin and Nori were all very thirsty by the end of their small bit of work. It was now Gandalf's turn to help hide it.

The wizard ordered the dwarves not to bother him for a few moments. By the time he had finished, the pots of gold were very much hidden.

Mya smiled as she sat with her back to the tree. Just a few miles away, deep in the forest of Trollshaws, were the three stone trolls in Bilbo's tales.

Origo and Mya were very hungry. But their hunger would soon disappear as Ivy produced a large plate of warm, delicious turkey for the puppy and a large, warm loaf of bread of Mya.

Origo wagged his tail as he stood there. He was itching to start eating. Mya smiled as she opened up the bad. She, unlike Origo, could not smell it right away. But, as she took the plate out of her bag, the smell hit her.

Origo's tail wagged faster as Mya put the plate down. The puppy instantly started to eat. Mya left the little pup to eat as she took out her food as well.

Mya smiled as she held the loaf, it was still warm. Ivy and Mya looked at each other and smiled. A small bit of the loaf was ripped off and eaten. Inside, a fluffy whiteness ran throughout. The crust was like a shell keeping it at bay.

Before long, both Origo and Mya had had their fill. Origo had stopped licking his plate, due to the fact that ivy had made is vanish.

Mya broke up the rest of the bread and threw it on the ground before her. Birds, that had perched high in the trees, watched as the party packed up and moved off.

Now was their chance. The first curious bird fluttered down from the rafters of the forest. Soon, as Origo and Mya walked away, lots of birds were feasting on the bread that had been left behind.

A large, jet black crow landed on the floor. The little robins and sparrows, colourful bullfinches that looked like something a hobbit would have thought up and coloured in with pastels.

Mya was now carrying Origo. He was too curious for his own good. Every few yards, something new would take his scenes. At first, Origo whimpered and struggled. But, after about thirty minutes, he had calmed down.

Mya smiled as she looked down at the fluffy pup. Origo's little brown eyes were darting around, following the nearest tree as it glided past.

As the hours past, Origo slowly fell asleep. Mya stopped as Origo snoozed. A large blanket was taken out of her bag. It was very warm and fluffy, perfect for Origo to snuggle up in.

The puppy gave a small whimper as he was wrapped inside of it. Both Mya and Ivy found this adorable. Like the many times that Ori had fallen asleep, his paws poked out either side of his fluffy head. His little ears flopped over his paws.

"I cant wait to start playing with him again" Mya whispered.

Ivy was standing on her shoulder, holding on a few strands of hair flowing from her head.

"You will, it's just a matter of time" Ivy told her.

Ivy and Mya talked until the sun went down. Mya took a deep breath as she listened to Ivy.

"And that's went things started to go from bad to worse" Ivy said.

Ivy had lived fear ever since the last leaf had fallen. For many years, nothing happened. There was no sign of other group of fairies. Her fear of another attack had slowly seeped away.

Now, she was happy to live in the forest again. she and her four friends fluttered around, discovering new and exciting things.

The weather had changed. For the last few days, it had been very sunny. Birds had been fluttering around all day. The five colourful fairies had been feasting on all the berries that they could eat.

But, as the sun rose, the rain started to fall. Ivy took a deep breath as she looked out of her little next, high in the trees. The sound of rain echoed through the forest.

Ivy took a deep breath. Her friends lived in the surrounding area. Ivy's little nest was very comfortable. Feathers, fallen off birds, had been piled in a small bed. That was where the little fairy slept.

Other then that, there was nothing else in her nest. For she did not need anything else. A blanket, weaved out of dried grass, sat near the bed. This was to keep the coldness out in the colder months.

Towards the south lay a small mountain range, surrounded by trees as far as the eye could see. Sometimes, Ivy would flutter up to the tallest part of her tree. The little fairy would sit there, sometimes all day and all night, just looking at the large mountain range in the distance.

As the day wore on, the rain slowly ceased. The clouds slowly inched their way north. Pale blue sky could be seen poking out through the thinning cloud.

The forest floor was now moist. Even though the rain had now stopped, drips of water still fell to the forest floor. Ivy smiled as the sun started to bake the land below.

She felt very strange as she stepped onto the branch just outside her nest. The air seemed clear and the wind was calm. Ivy smiled as she took a deep breath in. Smells of flowers seemed to have intensify.

All of the fragile creatures that had taken shelter had now come out. Ivy started to flutter her wings. Food was in order. But she was not the only one to have the same idea.

A yellow spot could be seen as Ivy circled closer to the forest floor.

"Good morning" she said, gently fluttering down.

Leila looked over. She smiled as she bit into a huge berry.

"Oh, morning, Ivy" Leila answered.

For a few seconds, Ivy struggled to rip the berry off of the bush. Ivy smiled as the berry finally came off.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Leila asked.

Ivy took a deep breath as she ripped of a small bit of skin.

"Well, I was just going stay around here, maybe explore a bit more" she answered.

Leila gave a little laugh.

"Exploring?" she asked.

"But, you've lived here for thousands of years, what else do you want to see?" Leila asked.

Ivy gave a small smile, there was something about her look that told Leila everything she needed to know.

"No, Ivy, no" she said.

"The mountains are too far away and too dangerous!"

This did not matter to Ivy. When she wanted to do something, she would do it.

"You could come with me if you want" Ivy said.

Leila took a deep breath. The drips from the canopy continued on hitting the brown, rotting leaves.

"How long do you think it'll take to get there?" she asked.

Ivy did not know, but it would take more then a full cycle of the sun to get there.

"What about the others?"

Ivy smiled.

"They can come too, it can be an adventure"

Thirty minutes past before the five of them had been rounded up.

"Ready?" Ivy asked.

Luna, the sparking silver fairy, smiled as she fluttered just inches from the ground. Petal and Rosa were standing there too. Unlike other groups of travellers, the fairies did not need water or packs of food. Nor did they need weapons. For weapons were fronded upon within their little group.

Ivy smiled as her four friends gathered around her.

"Ready?" she asked.

Her friends nodded. A few seconds later, the five of them fluttered off. But their journey would not go smoothly. For just a minute after taking flight, Ivy spotted something coming out of the canopy.

It was one of the fairies from the Decessus tribe.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked.

This was one of Broin's spies.

"What so you want?" asked Ivy, stopping in midair.

The spy gave a small laugh.

"Careful, my friend, you do not want Thorry to tell you off" he said, smirking.

Petal, Luna, Leila and Rosa were all fluttering behind Ivy. Luna noticed some more fairies fluttering near the roof of the forest.

"You can say what ever you want" Ivy said, making things worse.

Her friends just wanted to go back to the safety of their part of the forest. But Ivy would not let the others walk all over her.

Her wings propelled her through the air. But, she was stopped in her tracks again. The spy gave a cold smile as he fluttered in front of her.

For the second time, Ivy moved, fluttering around him. But, like the first time, she was stopped.

"You are not allowed out of your little area of forest" he told her.

Ivy was very angry now.

"Make me" she said.

The next second, the green fairy zoomed away. It took just a second for the large, evil fairy to know what had happened. But he was not the only one who saw.

Ivy was now being chased by five other fairies, all intent on catching her. But, as the four colourful fairies watched the green dot zoom around, weaving in and out of sight, Luna, who had not been watching behind her, was grabbed around the neck.

She squealed as the large arm pulled her back. The three other fairies were now concentrating on Luna.

"Leave her alone!" Rosa shouted.

Ivy stopped fluttering and looked over at her friends. She could see the silver glow of Luna being held by another fairy.

"You can not win, Ivy" said a voice behind her.

Ivy slowly turned around.

"What do you want from us?" she asked.

"We do not want to fight you, we are no threat!" she told him.

The evil fairy simply smiled at her.

"And that is how it will remain, under our rule" he told her.

Ivy knew that they could not win against them, but she did not want to be ruled.

"What do you say?" he asked, giving Ivy a second chance.

"You can stay here, in peace and quiet for the rest of time" he said.

"Or, you can run away and be hunted and, most possibly, killed"

Ivy looked down. Her mind was working over time.

"There must be some other way" she said to herself.

But she could see none.

Gandalf, Bilbo and thirteen dwarves were slowly making their way east, towards Rivendell. They were just days from the Elven settlement. But it would be many days before they would reach it.

For day after day, they walked. Not a song nor story was told in those hours. Food was scares, but welcomed when ever the time came.

Bombur was now struggling to provide hot meals. His knowledge of the land seemed rusty. Bilbo had noticed, since the they had taken on the trolls, their food had worsened.

The party had a very mediocre lunch compared to their steeds. The ponies that they were travailing on seemed to have an endless supply of grass.

"At least they'll have a good supper" Bilbo thought, watching his pony eat.

"Here it is at last!" Gandalf said, stopped.

His pony stopped, so did the other fourteen ponies. The sound of rushing water came from deep below them. the group slithered down the path.

Bilbo's nose started to tickle. A new smell came to him. The smell of pine trees started to make the little hobbit drowsy as he trotted between Balin and Nori.

The broken spirits were slowly building up as they descended the valley. Bilbo tiredness had returned to him as he descended towards the rushing water below.

"Hmmm" he said, looking around.

"It smells like Elves!" he said.

Laughter, mainly at wiggling beards of the dwarves, rang out around them. Singing then rang out, mainly aimed at the dwarves. Bilbo's tiredness seemed to have slipped away. But it still, it lingered in his eyes, just waiting for a moment to strike.

"Well, well!" said a voice, echoing around them.

"Bilbo the hobbit on a pony, isn't it delicious?"

The elves burst into another song, just as silly and ridiculous as the last. Soon, a tall elf appeared out of the trees. Gandalf stopped his steed, the only one to sit upon a horse.

The elf bowed to Thorin and Gandalf.

"Welcome to my valley" he said.

"Thank you" croaked Thorin, looking away.

Gandalf had already dismounted and started to mingle with the elves like old friends.

Hours past as Mya walked. The three travellers continued on through the forest. Mya felt safer if she had placed to hide.

But Mya came across something that she did not expect. as the trees past, three large silhouettes came into view. Mya's eyes were still getting used to the deepening darkness.

Mya's breath was taken away as she came closer to the figures. The figures were in a seated position. Mya stopped, wondering if she had been spotted.

Ivy, who had been cuddled up in Mya's pocket, noticed that Mya had stopped walking. Luckily, Origo the puppy was still asleep. Mya looked down as the sleeping pup and tickled his ear.

A green light then came into being.

"Why have we stopped?" Ivy asked.

Mya gave a little nod towards the large figures. Ivy turned around. Her eyes slipped over to the three large figures.

"What are they?" Ivy whispered.

Origo's little nose glinted in the green light. Mya shrugged as she watched the little fairy fluttered closer.

"Maybe their friendly" Mya whispered.

But Ivy knew that trolls did not have the ability to be nice. Ivy then had an idea.

"Wait here" she said.

The next second, her wings started to propel her through the air, straight towards the trolls. Mya did not have a good feeling about this. But Ivy was most suited for this type of mission.

Ivy's heart raced as she slowly made her way towards the three figures. Mya could see Ivy rush from tree to tree, slowly getting closer and closer.

Snow had settled on the large monsters. Ivy poked her head around the tree. Mya watched as the little fairy inched towards the trolls.

Ivy took a deep breath, still not seeing the creatures move. Ivy looked around, she could see Mya hiding behind a tree. This did not raise her confidence.

A few minutes past before Ivy had gathered enough confidence to flutter towards them. As she did, she saw something strange covering one of its thick legs.

"Is that…" Ivy started.

As Ivy moved closer, she could see a carpet of moss. In fact, upon closer inspection, Ivy found that these creatures were made of stone.

"Stone?" she asked herself.

The little fairy looked up at the weathered statues. A few minutes later, the fairy fluttered back to Mya.

"What are they?" Mya asked, still holding Origo.

Origo gave a small whimper as he woke up. the warmth that Ivy had given him had now worn off.

"Trolls" Ivy whispered, knowing that Origo could now hear them.

Mya looked over at them.

"We should get moving" Mya whispered.

But Ivy had yet to tell Mya that they could not actually move. Mya took a deep breath, relived that she did not have to run away.

"Maybe they have a cave or something, I've seen trolls before, I know they do"

Mya took a deep breath.

"I guess we could go and find their cave" Mya said.

Origo whimpered louder. His little brown eyes opened. Hunger and coldness had returned.

"You awake, pup?" Mya asked, kissing his warm, soft face.

Ori gave a small whimper. A whimper that both Ivy and Mya knew only too well.

"We'll stop for food in a minute" Mya said.

She needed to trust Ivy's memory. Mya smiled as she gave the fairy a certain look.

"Lets find the cave" it said.

Ivy smiled and fluttered off. Mya continued to walk, the snow under her feet crunched as she took a step. Origo was now shivering.

"Not long, pup, I'm just finding a place to stay for the night"

Ivy fluttered on ahead, looking around. There were no large trees in the forest. There was no sign of any beings in this small forest.

Origo's little brown eyes picked out the massive trolls. Mya smiled as a little whimper came from her puppy.

"Don't worry, pup, they wont hurt you"

The night wore on as the three of them continued to search for a place to stay. Hunger was now getting to Mya too. Finally, after forty five minutes, Ivy and Mya had found the cave.

The cave was blacker then anything Mya had seen before. She took a deep breath as Origo turned his little head. Another small whimper came from him.

"Oh, it's just darkness puppy, it wont hurt you" Mya said.

Mya was just as scared as Origo as she reached the entrance. Ivy fluttered near by. Her light shone on just a small percentage of the cave.

A strange smell hit Mya as she walked in. Origo must have smelt it too due to his little whimper. Ivy fluttered around, her light casted strange shadows of the rocks that lay on the floor.

Mya took a deep breath.

"I guess this'll have to do for tonight" she thought.

Mya placed her pack, now very light, on the floor. She looked down at the floor. But she could not see much, just a black abyss.

Ivy smiled as she fluttered around, waiting for Mya to sit down. Origo gave a small yawn and a small whimper.

"You're right, I think we should have something to eat"

Ivy smiled, now it was her time to help. The little fairy fluttered around and swooped down towards Origo.

"Hungry" the puppy whimpered, following the path of the fluttering fairy.

Mya's bag, which was empty just a few seconds before, was now full. Mya smiled as she took out a large plate of warm turkey. But this was not to share. This was for Origo and Origo only. If Mya tried to steal even a small piece, Origo would whimper and whine.

"There you go" Mya said, unravelling the puppy.

Origo's little boy shook all over, his ears flopped over his head. The sound of the puppy eating echoed around the cave. The little puppy now had nothing to complain about. Ivy had fluttered close by, as Origo started eating.

Her magic had secretly worked on the poor pup, warming him up. But Ivy's magic did not only work on little Ori.

Mya felt like she had slid into the warmest bed in the whole of Middle-earth. The coldness that she had felt had gone.

Ivy had one more trick to perform. This was to produce a warm, crisp loaf of bread. Mya smiled as she watched the puppy.

"And now for my dinner" she told herself.

Mya started on her loaf. Her hunger slowly vanished as she ate. Origo had finished long before Mya did. A large yawn came over the pup. Ivy's green glow lit up the blanket laying on the cave floor.

Mya watched as the little pup made his way over to his blanket. A few seconds later, Origo snuggled up into a little warm ball.

Ivy found this incredibly cute. Origo rested his head on his fluffy paws. Before long, Ori had fallen into a deep sleep. His little chest rose and fell with every breath.

Mya was now ready for bed too, having consumed all of her bread. Ivy fluttered just a few feet away.

"See you in the morning, Ivy" Mya whispered.

Even though Mya was whispering, her voice still echoed around the cave. Ivy smiled.

"Have a good sleep" she answered.

Mya watched as the fairy swooped down to the floor. A smile came over Mya as a large pillow and folded blanket appeared out of thin air. Ivy fluttered upwards again.

"Thank you" Mya said, feeling the softness of the blanket.

Tonight, Mya would have the best nights sleep she had had in a very long time.


	107. Day Fifty Two, Part One

Jorga woke the next morning. The first rays of sunlight had risen over the frozen horizon. Bree was waking up to a very cold morning. The horses in the stables had had a very rough night. The wind was harsh, blowing constantly all night.

Fragile icicles had formed, dangling down from the rooves of the buildings. Birds were still singing their songs, despite the coldness.

Jorga yawned as she drew the duvet back. It was then she felt the coldness of her room. Barliman had given Jorga her own room. The heath had been stocked during the night. The black smoke made its way up the chimney and out into the cold world.

A strange mist hung over Bree. Birds sang as people emerged from their warm homes. Candles flickered behind frosted sheets of glass.

An hour past before Jorga was ready to start serving customers. Barliman was already up. He stood behind the bar, serving the first few customers.

"Ah, Jorga" Barliman said, a smile spreading over his face.

Jorga smiled as she walked towards him.

"I need the floor mopping before things gat busy, are you able to do that for me?" Barliman asked.

Jorga nodded and made her way to the small cupboard. Now that it came to it, the floor did look dirty. Jorga took out an empty bucket and a dry mop.

Minutes later, the bucket had been filled with clean water. The water rippled as it was placed on the cold tiled floor.

The sound of dripping water echoed around the lobby. Every so often, the door to the Prancing Pony opened. A cold blast of air ran through the whole lobby. The candles, which had been lit by Barliman, danced as the wind past them.

Jorga started to sweep the floor. As more and more people came and sat down, Barliman became very busy. Now was the time that Jorga was called to help. She abandoned her mopping duties and took up her serving duties instead.

Meanwhile, breakfast was being served elsewhere. Origo and Mya were now up. The cave was lighter then it had been when the two of them had first entered.

Origo's little tail wagged as Mya yawned.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked, yawning.

Origo had been the one to wake her up. Not by barking or licking her cold cheek, but by pulling the blanket she had been laying under off of her.

Ivy, the little green fairy, had been up all night. She had been exploring the cave. The light that radiated off of her little body was just enough to show her what she needed to see.

But the cave was rather empty, save from a few squeaking bats. Ivy returned just an hour later. By that time, both of her friends were asleep.

Ivy fluttered and landed just a few inches away from the sleeping puppy. Origo's eyes were closed, his head resting on his paws. There were little brown markings above each eye. His paws just as brown and just as soft.

A large plate of turkey, just for the puppy, had been produced by the fairy. But it was Mya who would take all of the credit for feeding him.

But Origo could not help thinking that Mya and Ivy were working together. It was only a matter of time before he would find out.

Mya also had her own food to eat. Ivy smiled as she fluttered over Origo, who was oblivious to the fairy. Mya, on the hand, could see the little fluttering fairy.

Mya looked around the cave. It was very big and seemed to go back into an abyss. The light of day poured in. Bird song echoed into the cave.

The cave had changed over the years. Once, it had three, large, smelly trolls living in it. Tom, William and Bert retreated to the cave to escape the sunlight.

The doors slammed shut as the sun rose. Bert grumbled as he picked up a large log from the massive pile that they had gathered. But that was not the only things they had gathered during the night.

A few figures coward at the back of the cave.

They were people.

People who had been taken from their homes and brought back. A little child was whimpering, his whimpers echoed around the cave.

"Ah, stop your blabbing, you!" said Tom.

The little boy, who's name and age were unknown, knew his fait. The others, twelve of them in all, all stood there. The fire grew and grew.

The trolls were getting ready to feast on their catch.

"How long you going' to be?" asked Bert to William.

William huffed.

"Mind your own business" he answered, half growling.

Tom was not helping on bit. Instead, he was eyeing the delicious looking beings standing against the wall. He had already made up his mind on which one was to go first.

"That one looks like he's the pick of the bunch" he said, picking up the young boy.

The troll gave him a sniff.

"Prime bit of meat" he said.

William grumbled, looking over at Tom.

"Ah, leave him alone you great bully!" he said.

Tom huffed, he placed the little boy down. the little boy fell into a heap. But not for long. He scampered away and hide behind the group of people standing there.

Soon, the trolls were ready to eat. And eat they would.

"What shall we do to them?" Tom asked.

He still wanted the young boy all to himself. But the other two trolls did not like his plan.

"You'll share, just like the rest of us or you will get nothing" Bert told him.

A large cauldron had been placed over the fire. Flames licked the side of the vessel. William stood up, his large feet shook the ground as he walked over to a large sack.

But this was no normal sack. In fact, it was full of water. The only sign that it had any water in was the sound it made.

"Hurry up, Bill!" Tom said, his voice echoing around the came.

"I'm starving"

Soon, the cap that kept the water in had been taken off. William poured the water into the cauldron. Soon, the cauldron was full of water.

William smiled the water slowly started to boil.

"Not long now" he growled, looking over at the humans that they had captured.

For the trolls, the water, which was now bubbling, it seemed to take forever. They were looking for a good meal tonight, having ventured to a near by village.

For the humans, the water that been poured in bubbled too quickly.

"Right!" said Bert, rubbing his large hands together and looking at the prisoners.

"I think we boil the larger ones first" he said.

But Tom had different ideas.

"Well, you can boil your own" he said.

"But I wouldn't mind the ones I caught for myself" he said.

Bert grumbled, but could do nothing about it. The three of them came to the agreement that there were enough to go round. So, tom picked out the seven beings that he had collected during the night.

The day had now come, but the trolls could not go out it. darkness was where their hearts lay. Darkness was the only thing that they could live in. The three trolls had never seen the light of sun before. For it would turn them into stone.

Tom gave a small smile, looking at his catch. The young boy would be the first to go. He was picked out by two large fingers. The little boy struggled as he was picked up by his collar.

The troll gave an evil smile as he watched the boy struggle to get free. The other beings watched as the boy was moved closer to the troll's large and, quite disgusting, mouth.

The boy could see his reflection in the large eyes of Tom. The troll gave him and evil grin. Tom's teeth were large, his jaw was very powerful.

A few seconds past before Tom's large hand moved towards his mouth. The boy knew his fate.

"No, no…!" he said, struggling even more.

But it was no use. The next second, the little boy was dropped into Tom's large mouth. The sound of bones being broken echoed with every bite he took.

The other beings, which were struggling to get out of his grasp. But it was hopeless.

In the present time, some many years later, Mya and Origo were in the exact same place. But they were not there for the same reason.

"Ready?" Mya asked the little pup.

Origo gave a small nod, but there was something else that the pup wanted. Only Mya could provide it for him. Mya took a deep breath and picked him and his blanket up.

"Better?" she asked, wrapping the blanket around the little pup.

Origo gave a little whine, telling her he was alright. Mya smiled as she picked up her back, making sure Ori was still glued to her shoulder.

A few minutes later, after careful putting her pack on, they were ready to get on with their journey. Mya took a deep breath and walked out of the cave.

Ivy fluttered on along side, making sure that not only Origo was safe, but Mya was too. The day was bright and sunny, but the coldness did not lift.

But the coldness did not completely stop the wild life that lived in forest. Birds continued to perch on the branches, sing their songs and foraging for any food that they could find.

They rarely saw humans or any beings for that matter. As Mya walked through forest, birds sang their thoughts as she walked past.

Only Ivy could hear what they were truly thinking. Some of the things that they were very mean. Ivy took a deep breath as she looked over at a small robin perched high in the trees.

The birds had pushed Ivy over the edge. The fairy fluttered right over to one of the birds.

"I'll let you know that Mya is a very nice person" Ivy told them.

The little robin eyed her. Her green glow glinting off of his little black eye.

"Well, she was is not welcome in this forest, a lot of strange things has been going on these woods"

Ivy took a deep breath.

"Well, she wont be around for much longer, she is leaving for Radagast" Ivy told him.

The robin hopped around.

"Radagast?" he asked.

Ivy found his question very strange.

"Do you know him?" she asked.

"Of course" it answered.

Ivy smiled.

"Could you do something for me?" she asked.

Mya was still walking through the endless forest. For hour after hour, Mya walked. Walking seemed to have calmed the puppy down. for Origo was now asleep again.

"I wish I could sleep like that" said a voice.

Mya smiled as she looked over at the little fairy standing on her shoulder.

"I don't know how he does it" Mya whispered.

The two of them whispered to each other as they travelled towards the road.

"I can see the road!" Ivy whispered.

Sure enough, the road came into view as Mya walked. Mya smiled. They were finally back on the right road. Rivendell was just a few days walking away. But those cold days would be made easier by the little fairy.

"So, Radagast will know that we're coming?" Mya asked.

Ivy nodded.

"If he doesn't know already, he'll expect us"

Mya smiled, that was another hurdle that was removed. But the biggest hurdle was yet to come. It took its form as a large mountain range.

The Misty Mountains.

The mountain range snakes its way from north to south. There was no other way around them apart from the Gap of Rohan. But that would make Mya's journey months longer then she wanted it to be.

She could not go under the mountain, for Moria had blocked off. The ancient door, that was used by many dwarves and the Fellowship, had collapsed.

Even if Mya could get into Moria, then she would have to battle goblins and trolls. But there was one more hurdle that she could not over come.

The only bridge, named Khazad-Dum, had collapsed under the weight of the Balrog, many years ago. The gap was too far for her to jump.

Mya would have to go over the mountain. Up its cold paths and freezing valleys. But first, she would rest in Rivendell.

Diamond Took smiled as she wrapped her son up in a blanket. Both Faramir and herself had already had breakfast. Faramir was slowly falling asleep as Diamond held him.

Little Faramir had eyes exactly the same as his mother's. But that's where the similarities stopped. Faramir was getting bigger by the day. His hair that grow from his head was curly and exactly the same colour as his father's hair.

Diamond took a deep breath as she took a little sip of her tea. Just then, as she moved the mug away from her lips, a knock came from the front door.

Diamond took a deep breath as she looked up.

"Now, who could this be?" she asked herself.

The mug was placed down. Diamond made sure that she did not wake her little Faramir up. Diamond then stood up and walked out of the room.

Outside, Pippin was standing in the snow. His hands and feet were getting colder and colder by the second. Just then, the large round door clicked open.

A smile came over his rosy face as he saw Diamond. But she did not have the same expression.

"Pippin?" she asked, feeling the coldness replace the warmth.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to see you and Faramir, that's all"

Diamond's eyes darted away from Pip. She was thinking.

"Well" she said slowly.

"I need to put Faramir down, but I have some tea and cakes if you want some" Diamond told him.

Pippin smiled, he never past the chance for more food. So, Diamond opened the door a little bit more so that Pippin could come in.

The door closed shut behind him. Pippin took his coat off, sliding his arms out of the sleeves. Diamond had walked away, towards the kitchen.

Pippin followed her into the kitchen. He smiled, noticing that nothing had changed. A metal kettle hung over a large heath.

"Sorry about the mess" Diamond said, looking a little embarrassed.

Pippin found this strange, for the house was always spotless. Diamond got out a mug and placed it on the work top. She had yet to put the tea leave and sugar away.

"Pippin, would you hold Faramir please?" Diamond asked.

Pippin smiled and stood up. A few moments later, Faramir was placed in his arm.

"Watch his head" Diamond said.

But she soon realised that Pippin was not going to drop him. A rosiness then came across her cheeks. Pippin gave a little smile as diamond turned.

Peregrin slowly sat down, looking at his sleeping son. He smiled as Faramir moved his little hand out of the blanket. Pippin saw how small and fragile his little hand was.

He still could not believe that he had a son. A son that would carry on his name for the rest of time. A few minutes later, Diamond had finished making Pippin some tea.

The sound of a small metal spoon hitting the side of the mug echoed around the kitchen. Diamond tapped the spoon on the mug and then placed it down.

Did smiled as she lifted the mug up. The level of tea nearly spilled over the side as Diamond walked over to the table.

"Thank you" Pippin said as his mug of tea was placed down.

Diamond did not sit down until she had visited the cellar. It was second nature for her to get a bit of food out. When Diamond got out a bit of food, it could had fed a human family for that day.

Plate after plate of food was brought out.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Diamond asked.

Pippin smiled.

"If you don't mind" Pippin answered.

"Not at all" Diamond told him, giving him a smile.

Diamond loved cooking, even if was just for herself. The more hobbits she had to cook for, the more pressure she felt to get it done.

The food that had already been brought out was enough for a good lunch. But Diamond knew that Pippin would want more.

So, Diamond went to the cellar once more. She smiled, knowing that she could have a proper lunch today. Normally, she would have to put Faramir back in his cot before she could get something to eat herself. Faramir never liked being away from his mother for long.

But, today, it was different. Diamond wished Pippin would come around more often. It was much easier on both of them if he did.

A large package was placed on the work top. A chicken, plucked and waiting to be smothered with honey and herbs. But the chicken would only be a small part of their lunch.

Potatoes, parsnips, sausages, bacon, carrots, small green sprouts and, of course, mushrooms. All were going to be prepared by Diamond.

Meanwhile, a man had risen from his sleep. He gave a smile, feeling the warmth of a fire tickle his face. A large sheet had been drawn over him.

A bag lay on the floor, still with spots of mud clinging onto it. The hour was late, breakfast had past, but lunch was now fast approaching. The man had arrived at Bree in the small hours of the morning.

Echoes of people chatting and laughing in the lobby could be heard through the floor and the closed door. The man took a deep breath and drew the duvet from him.

It was then that he felt the true coldness of the room. But his body quickly got used to coldness. His dirty clothes had been taken and cleaned during the time he had been asleep. They had been brought back and folded.

The man smiled, as he got changed. He opened the door into a dirty looking corridor. Unlike the corridors of elves or hobbits, it was very square. Other doors led into more rooms.

The windows were frosted. The man placed his hand to it and wiped some of the condensation away. The window over looked a few roofs. On those roofs were carpets of snow.

Chimneys blew out smoke into the air. A few trees could be seen beyond the roofs. In summer, they would be full of green leaves, blowing in the wind.

But, at the moment, they were leafless. Black dots, birds, rode the horizon. A few birds perched on the roofs of Bree. Their songs were muffled by the pane of glass, but they were not muffled out completely.

The stairs creaked as the messenger from Gondor descended the stairs. The door opened onto the lobby. A smell of tobacco smoke and cooked food met him.

People had taken their seats. Some had two people sitting at the table, others had a party of four sitting there. The messenger could see a young girl, carrying four plates, walking towards a group.

The man looked around and spotted a table by the flickering heath. The man took his seat and looked around. Every so often, the door to the inn would open. The bartender looked very busy, talking to five different people and serving drinks at the same time.

It was not long before the young girl, who he had seen serving other people, came over to him.

"Afternoon" she said.

The man smiled.

"Afternoon"

The young girl gave him a warm smile.

"And what may I get you?" she asked.

"There's soup, rolls of bread, cheese and a special Bree breakfast"

The man found the last option very appetizing.

"Oh, well I'll have to go for the breakfast" he told her.

Jorga nodded, smiled and turned away, walking back towards the kitchen. The man watched Jorga walk towards the kitchen.

The minutes past slowly as Jorga prepared his meal. As Jorga prepared the man's meal, more and more people had entered the inn.

Jorga smiled as she walked back into the lobby. She smiled as she walked, with a full plate of food, over to the man.

"There you are" she said, placing it down.

"I'll be back with your ale in a minute" she told him.

The messenger nodded and started to eat. A mound of mushrooms, a bed of rashers and a few sausages were to name but a few things that had put on his plate.

Jorga came back quicker then last time. This time, she had a mug of ale. The man continued to eat as Jorga went on to serve other people.

Diamond smiled as she placed the uncooked chicken in the oven. Pippin was still sitting down, holding little Faramir. His mug was empty. Diamond seemed to have noticed that he was not drinking any more.

"More tea?" she asked.

Pippin smiled as he took a large bite from his muffin. He smiled.

"Oh, yes please" he said.

Pippin was now on his fifth muffin. Diamond smiled as she picked up Pippin's mug and turned around. The kettle was taken off of the hook and the steaming water poured into the mug.

Once again, the sound of a spoon hitting the side of the mug. A few minutes had past. Diamond smiled as she picked up the mug and placed it down before Pippin.

Pippin was now on his seventh seedcake and sixth muffin. Normally, one would get worried that he would not eat his lunch. But not Diamond. Diamond knew that Pippin could battle through even portions that hobbit would find big.

Pots and pans were taken out of the cupboards. Some were filled with water. The packets of vegetables were opened and prepared, then left on the chopping board.

But that was where Diamond's work stopped, for now. Diamond took a deep breath as she walked towards the cellar. She needed one more little thing and then she could rest, waiting for the chicken to brown a bit more.

Diamond came back out of the cellar with a large vessel, full of golden oil. A trey, made out of metal, was sitting near the massive piles of vegetables.

Diamond heaved the large vessel of oil on the work top. She took a deep breath before she turned around. Faramir was still asleep, but he would soon wake up. For Pippin had not been concentrating on. Faramir's blanket had slipped off of him.

The first signs that Faramir came across something that he did not like was a small whimper. Soon, it turned into a louder whimper and then crying.

"Oh" Pippin said, looking down at his son.

"Oh dear" he said, wrapping his son up again.

Pippin thought that this was going to put an end to Faramir's cries. But it was not. Faramir's cries grew louder. There was only one thing he wanted.

Diamond took a deep breath, knowing that this meant one thing. Pippin handed his son over to Diamond. Diamond smiled as she tickled little Faramir.

Meanwhile, Mya and Origo had found the road. Origo was still sleeping. But Mya had noticed a considerable amount of moving and whimpering. She, like the little pup, was getting hungry and cold.

"I think we should stop" she said, looking down at the pup.

Ori's little brown eyes were now open. He gave a small whine, agreeing with Mya. Ivy had been perched on Mya's shoulder all day. The two had talking nearly all day.

Origo yawned as he blinked. The world around him had changed again. But the face that looked down at him hadn't.

"Hungry" he whimpered, looking up.

Mya felt her heart melt as the puppy's eyes darted around.

"Come on, pup, lets find a place to sit"

Mya walked into forest again. Unlike the part of the forest that she had been in a few hours before, this part had less trees.

Ivy was now fluttering along, having sat on Mya's shoulder all morning. Mya smiled as she found the largest tree around. Her empty pack had been taken off and placed in the snowy ground.

Mya smiled as she sat down and rested her back on the trunk of a tree. Ivy waited for a moment, to see if Origo would moan more.

And he did.

Mya gave a small nod to Ivy, signalling to her that it was time for her magic to get involved. Mya tickled Ori's ear. After a few seconds, she started to talk.

"Hungry?" she asked.

Origo gave a small nod. He could already smell the turkey in her bag. Mya smiled as she reached over and opened it with one hand.

"Look what I have" Mya smiled, taking out the hot plate of turkey.

This was when Origo was at his most active. He gave a little whimper as he was placed on the snowy floor. As soon as Origo started to eat, a loaf of bread rose inside of Mya's bag as Origo's attention fixed on eating.

Mya slid her hand back into her bag and pulled out the large loaf of bread. Ivy watched as Origo continued to eat his second plate of turkey that day.

Mya's hunger lessened with every passing bite. She could feel her stomach rumble less and less as she took on more food.

Bree was quiet. Too quiet for the time of day. Its inhabitants had hunkered down due to the coldness of the air outside. The windows of the Prancing Pony had grabbed the moister from the air and had clouded up the windows.

A hand came up and removed some of the mist away. The man took a deep breath, knowing that, in the morning, he would have to continue his journey.

"Would you like any more ale?" a voice said.

The man looked around to see a young girl standing there.

"Well, I could do with another, yes" he said, giving a smile.

Jorga smiled as she nod and turned on the spot. A few minutes past before she came back. the mug she was holding seemed to be very full. She carefully placed it down and smiled.

"Thank you" said the man.

The door to the inn opened again, replacing some of the warmth with blistering coldness. But the coldness did not last long as the door closed.

A man sniff and looked around. He had a large coat on. His chin was hidden by bushy beard. A smile came over his face as he walked towards the bar.

"Ah!" he said spotting Barliman at the bar.

"How are you doing today?" he asked.

Barliman gave a smile as well. For the man was known to him. In fact, the two had been friends since childhood.

"Irvin, my friend!" Barliman said, walking over to him.

A lot of people were talking now. Irvin looked around to see some familiar faces and some that he did not know. A young girl then caught his attention.

"She's a bit young to be in here" Irvin said, surveying the youth.

Barliman looked over at Jorga.

"Ah!" he said.

"She's one of my new helpers" Barliman answered.

Irvin gave a small huff and took his mug. For Barliman had filled it while they had been talking.

"Thank you" Irvin said, picking it up.

The lobby was full. Only a few tables had a seat around them. Irvin spotted a table with a single person sitting at it. Irvin had no other choice apart from sitting at the same table.

"Excuse me" a voice, distracting the messenger from looking out of the window.

He looked around to see a bearded gentleman standing there.

"Is this seat taken?" Irvin asked.

"Not at all" the messenger answered.

A strange look came over Irvin's old face as he sat down.

"You're not from this neck of the woods"

Irvin surveyed the man sitting on the other side of the table.

"I hale from Gondor, I am on important business" he answered.

Irvin wanted to know more.

"May I ask what that is?" Irvin asked.

The messenger took a deep breath and lent forward.

"I am a messenger from Gondor. My name is Elnan. I have been travailing for many days now with a letter for a hobbit"

Irvin new knew what hobbits were.

"You best want to stay away from these hobbits" Irvin said, picking up his mug and took a large gulp.

Elnan wanted to know more.

"Why?" he asked.

Other sounds seemed to fade away as he listened to Irvin's story.

"Many years ago, four hobbits ascended on this very inn. It was very unusual for four Halflings to enter this inn that late at night. It was even more unusual that they were out of the shire. There was something not right with them, that's for sure" Irvin told him.

Elnan wanted to know more.

"What happened?" he asked.

Irvin went to explain the strange happenings that had occurred that night.

"Disappeared he did, right from out very sight. To this very day, no one knew where he went. I mean, he couldn't have hidden, for he was there nowhere to hide" Irvin said.

He picked up his mug for a second time and drank.

"And then, later that night"

Irvin's voice was now down to a whisper.

"According to Barliman, four dark creatures slid their way into the inn. No one knows what happened that night. But, in the morning, the room that the hobbits had been staying in had been destroyed. No one knows what happened to the man that they had met, nor to their being. Some say that they were kidnapped, others say the dark men took them" Irvin said.

For some reason, Elnan wanted to know more about the stranger.

"This man that you speak of, what did you know of him?" he asked.

Irvin took a deep breath.

"He was a man of the west, his real name was not known. Well, not to me anyway. But the locals had a name for him"

There was a split second of silence before Irvin continued.

"They called him Strider" he said.

But there was one small part of the puzzle still to be relieved.

"Strider, apparently, was an heir of Isildur"

Irvin gave a small nod. But this was news to Elnan. For many years, he had worked for the very person that Irvin had just told him about.

Elnan's plan of rebellion started to rise again. Irvin had fallen quiet, just like Elnan. Elnan was now nervous about visiting hobbits.

What terrible things would await him?

Would he ever make it home?

Irvin had ordered some food. Without knowing it, a plate of food had been ordered for Elnan as well. His deep thought distracted him as Jorga placed the plate on the table just in front of him.

"Thank you" Elnan said.

A knife and fork were placed on the table a few seconds after. Irvin had already started to eat. But elnan was slow on starting.

"Something wrong?" Irvin asked, spotting his glazed look.

Elnan took a deep breath.

"I know a man, back in Gondor, who is believed to be an hair of Isildur"

Irvin's brows rose a little.

"And who would that be?" he asked.

"King Elessar" Elnan answered.

"Aragorn"

Irvin took a deep breath.

"Aragorn" he said.

It was now his Irvin's turn to look confused.

"Aragorn?" he asked, half to himself.

His memory dug back.

"That sounds very familiar" Irvin told him.

Meanwhile, lunch had been eaten by little Origo. The plate of turkey had been licked clean. Ivy was fluttering over head, waiting for Mya to eat her lunch too. Origo gave a little yawn and looked around.

His eyes darted from tree to tree. Birds were singing in its leafless canopy. Mya smiled as watched Origo wonder off a bit.

A few seconds later, Origo looked around to the human. The green glow of ivy could be seen sitting on Mya's shoulder. His little tail wagged as he bounded towards the girl.

Mya's heart melted. But there was a little bit of Mya that wanted to join him.

"You ready to get going again, pup?" Mya asked.

Origo gave a small nod. But there was something else hidden within his little brown eyes. One that Mya easily picked up.

"You want a carry as well?" she asked.

Origo's ears flopped as he nodded. The remaining bread was scattered around the ground for the bird to have. Minutes past as Mya got ready. A large blanket was taken out of her bag, one that Ivy had given them a few days before.

Origo was scooped up and wrapped inside. Only his two front paws and his adorable face poked out.

"Ready?" she asked, holding Origo on her shoulder.

This time, the little puppy did not whimper. In his brown eyes, Ivy could be seen reflecting from her shoulder. Mya smiled, coming up with an idea to ask Ivy for warmth without directly asking her.

"You nice and warm, puppy?" she asked.

She gave a small smile, her eyes darting to the side for just a slit second. Ivy took hint right away. Within seconds of fluttering, Mya could feel the warmth surround her. Origo could feel the warmth too as Ivy came into view.

"You ready to go, puppy?" Ivy asked, touching his face.

Origo, like Mya, could feel Ivy's warmth spread out from where she touched him. A few seconds later, every part of Origo's fluffy body was warm.


	108. Day Fifty Two, Part Two

"Ready?" Mya asked, she had now placed her pack on.

Origo gave a small whimper. Mya smiled as she set off, the ground crunching underfoot. The forest of Trollshaws thinned as Mya walked along.

It was now only a matter of miles until she would have enter the realm of the elves. But first, she would have to negotiate a river. The river was higher then normal, for all the melt water had risen the height that Mya needed to wade through.

But first, there were hours of walking ahead. Mya had seen no one else on the road. No carts, no horses with riders, no little boys and girls playing together.

As Mya walked along, Origo grew more and more tired. Mya noticed that Origo's eyes were getting heavier and heaver. The comfortableness that Origo was feeling and the full stomach that he had seemed to make him sleepier then normal.

The ford that stood between them and Rivendell came ever closer.

Elnan knew that he must get on with his journey. Irvin had bid his farewells and good lucks before Elnan returned to his room for the last time.

It took thirty minutes more to get ready for the outside world. All that Elnan needed to do now was to make his departure known to Barliman.

The stairs creaked as he made his way down.

"Oh, excuse me" he said as a woman carrying a young child.

The woman smiled. Her hair was dirty. It gave a strange shine as she walked past the flickering candle. This was due to her poorness and lack of being able to wash was the result.

Elnan took a deep breath as he continued on walking down the stairs. The lobby door opened onto a sound of talking, laughing and general merrymaking. The smell of tobacco and cooked food flooded his nostrils.

Barliman was standing behind the bar, looking extremely tired. The young girl that Elnan had seen earlier was carrying a very large pile of plates. She walked past and went to the kitchen. Jorga was just as tired as Barliman was.

"You all ready to leave?" Barliman asked, spotting Elnan.

Elnan smiled.

"Yes, the room is free now" he answered.

Barliman nodded and thanked him. After one more pint of Bree's best ale, Elnan set off on the last leg of his journey.

The coldness tickled his face as he opened the door. A little bit of him wanted to forget about the letter and just stay in Bree. But the King of Gondor was waiting on an answer.

The stables came into view. The stable door was open, the heads of horses poked out of their pen. Elnan spotted his steed poking his head out.

The air was so cold that even the horse's breath was visible. Elnan smiled as he approached his horse.

"Hello, my boy" he said, placing a hand on the long face of his steed.

The horse gave a neigh and shook his head.

"You ready to get going again?" he asked.

The horse seemed to give an agreeing neigh. Elnan smiled as he unlocked the gate and led the horse out. His hands were numb and did not work as well as he would have liked.

Elnan smiled as he placed his left foot in the left stirrup. He flung his right leg over and placed it in the other stirrup. The cold reigns were taken in hand. A few seconds later, the horse was steered to the right and down the road.

Elnan gave one last look back at the inn. He knew that it would be another few days before he would get back to Bree. Elnan and his horse trotted past homes with a flickering candle shining through the window and a silver crush clinging to the thatched roofs.

The ground, which had once been muddy and slippery, was now a hard and difficult to walk on. The gate that led in and out of the town came into view.

A small house, no bigger then a room, sat nearby. Old Harry, now well into his eighties, sat inside. The door that lead into Harry's house was open just a crack.

Inside, Harry was huddled near a fire. But he would soon leave it as he heard a horse come near by. Harry's wrinkles had deepened, making his face looked a lot like the surface deep valleys. The light did not catch all of his face.

"Going at this hour?" Harry asked.

Elnan gave him a smile as the gate. It was both heavy and rusted. Harry seemed to struggle to open it. but, eventually, he managed to.

"You be careful out there" Harry said as Elnan trotted past.

Elnan gave Harry an appreciated nod, but knew that he would be safe. Elnan turned left. The horse gathered speed. The coldness made Elnan's face tingle. Trees soared past. Bird song echoed around the forest, only to be drowned out by a low rumble.

The path that Elnan was on started to turn north. This was due to a small hilly area called the Barrow Downs. A few miles further West and an old forest grew.

Deep within its heart, a curious old man lived. He went by the name of Tom Bombadil. Tom and his wife, Goldberry, had lived in harmony for many summers.

In fact, Tom and Goldberry knew of nearly everything that had happened, whether it be in their forest or in the depths of Mirkwood.

Tom smiled as he sat in his arm chair. It was exactly the same one that he had always sat on. The arm rests were now completely warn out. The cushion that Tom sat on was now thin and very warn.

"I believe" said Tom, standing up.

He turned and looked down at his arm chair. The comfortableness had all but disappeared.

"I believe I need a new armchair" he said.

Goldberry smiled.

"The time is not right, the sheep are not ready to be sheered" she told him.

Tom took a deep breath. he knew that, in the winter months, essentials that were needed could not be found. But there was no shortage of wool to make ropes.

Hamson Gamgee was walking a very long room. Noise echoed down from one end of the room. A large machine was slowly making it way from one end to the other.

Miles of rope were strung out between the two ends of the building. As the rope was thinner at one end then the other.

Lunch time had come and gone. But that did not mean Hamson was any less hungry. The sun had sunk lower in the sky. Darkness was now ascending on the cold lands. The darkness would make the temperature sink even lower.

The sky was crystal clear. The moon had been very full and very bright for the last few nights. The moon played a vital role in the customs of hobbits, men and elves alike.

The length of the months had been discovered by the hobbits who looked up at the skies. They noticed strange shapes in the stars. Some now had names.

In the olden days, hobbits would use these stars to navigate, like men of the sea did. There were many pictures in the sky to help them.

Hobbits were not into studying the stars above them. They led very sheltered lives and anything far away was deemed too far away.

But there were some Halflings that would break this rule. The Took family were very adventurous. Some say that one of the Took clan married into a fairy clan. But this was absurd for fairies were no more then two inches in high and invisible to hobbits, men and dwarves. Only Elves and wizards could see the fluttering creatures.

The only not Elvish or non-wizard folk that could see fairies were Changelings. Changelings were a rare breed now days. Only two still existed.

And those two were on their way to their creature.

Radagast was put in charge in nature and the most precious of creatures. Radagast lived on the edge of Mirkwood. His house looked over a distant mountain range.

Birds sang as he sat in a large chair. He gave a small smile as a large wolf sat on the tiled floor before him. The wolf had amazing blue eyes, wise, but with but a hint of inquisitiveness.

"I am sure there is an alternate outcome" Radagast said.

The wolf did not say a word. It did not have to. For Radagast was so in touch with nature that he did not need to talk.

"They have been against us for too long, me and my clan have had enough. If you do not talk to them, then we have no choice then to eradicate their existence"

Radagast was now at a fork in his decision making. The wolf could hear what he was thinking. For the first time, Radagast did not know how to over come this.

"I will send word to the other clan, maybe we could meet and try to reach some sort of agreement"

But, once again, the wolf did not like his idea.

"As I have just told you, we will eradicate them"

Radagast knew that the wolf will not easily be convinced. The two talked for most of the remaining day. The candles had let to be lit.

But that did not bother Radagast much. For he was a wizard. The darkness was now too deep for he to see. The wolf, on the other hand, had no problem seeing in the darkness. For his eyes were much better then Radagast's.

The candles flickered into life. But the wolf did not like the idea of all of them being lit.

"Not too many, my dear Radagast. There could spies about" he snarled.

Radagast knew that he was vulnerable. Not all creatures that he reigned over had the power to resist a fight. So, all but a few candles went out. Radagast could now the jet black silhouette of the wolf sitting before him.

The alpha male's ears were much better at hearing distance sounds then Radagast's was. Even though the wolf had a door between him and the outside world, he still picked up on any animal that came near.

A rival clan of wolves approached from deep within the forest of Mirkwood. Their paws were light on the ground. But that did not stop twigs being accidently being stepped on. The alpha male in Radagast's company suddenly stop up and span around.

A small growl gave from him.

"Their here, are they not?" the wizard asked.

The wolf looked back. The flickering candles glinted in his blue eyes.

"Open the door" he growled softly.

But Radagast remained seated.

"Open the door" the wolf snarled.

"I will not have bloodshed tonight"

But the wolf had other ideas.

"Blood will be shed whether you stop it or not" the alpha male told him.

Radagast knew that he was the only one to stop it. But something pulled his attention again. A small tapping came from the window. The low level of light made it hard to see what it was.

After a few seconds, Radagast stood up. He gave a small smile and walked to the window. The window opened and the little bird fluttered in.

The window swung open and the little robin made his way inside. The little robin had been flying for most of the freezing day. He was very far from home.

"You are not a creature of Mirkwood" Radagast said as the robin fluttered past him.

The window closed. The wolf was still standing by the door. The sound of wolves grew louder as he listened.

"Let me out" he growled, looking back at Radagast.

Radagast looked back at the wolf. But did not say anything. The small robin had perched on the back of Radagast's large arm chair.

"And what must I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance?" Radagast asked.

The wolf could hear the others outside. Sniffing filled the air.

"We're trapped, they know I am in here" the alpha male said.

Radagast looked back for a split second.

"They have plans, plans to kill anything that gets in their way"

Radagast had not said a word. The little robin watched with a curious eye. A long wooden stick was then picked up by the wizard. But this was no ordinary stick in the slightest.

In fact, it was his staff.

"Move out of the way" Radagast said.

But the wolf, who was ready for anything, did not.

"They are too strong, they have caught my scent" he said.

But Radagast's expression did not change.

"They will harm neither me nor you" the wizard told the wolf.

"Now, stand aside"

The wolf and wizard stood at a stale mate for a few more seconds before the wolf moved out of the way. The wolf watched as Radagast opened the door.

The night made it harder to see. But that did not mean he did not know what was out there. A jet black figure seemed to glide its way towards him, stopping every so often.

The wolf's eyes glinted in the small bit of light coming from Radagast's home.

"You will leave and leave quickly if you value your life" he told them.

The wolf inside his house was listening to every word.

"Move over" growled the alpha male.

Radagast and his house were surrounded by a pack on fifteen wolves, all of them watching talk.

"You will leave and leave quickly" Radagast repeated.

But the large wolf did not move.

"We know that he is around here, you must know the customs of our clans by now"

Meanwhile, dinner was nearing completion in the Gamgee household. Eight hobs, each with a boiling pot or a sizzling pan upon them.

A large, brown chicken stood on the work top. The sound of cutting echoed around. Rosie smiled as she took a bubbling pan of water off of the heat. A massive pile of carrots was transferred into the scolding water.

Little Elanor was standing near by. She was watching her mother as the pan was placed back on the heat.

"Can I help you, mummy?" Elanor asked.

Elanor was getting bigger by the day. Rosie had noticed that Elanor needed new clothes.

"Well, everything's quite hot dear" Rosie answered.

Elanor gave small sigh. She wanted to help her mother. Every time dinner rolled around, Elanor would rush into the kitchen. But her mother rarely let her help.

Elanor knew that she could not get her own way.

"So, how long until dinner is ready?" the girl asked.

Rosie was very busy, she had no time for questions. Elanor hung her head as she did not receive an answer. The young girl sighed and slowly walked out of the kitchen.

Frodo Gamgee was in his room. he, like Elanor, had been inside since the sunlight had retreated over the western horizon. The temperature outside had plummeted.

Anyone that travelled in it would have to wrap up warm. Luckily, for most, they did not have to go far. Pippin Took was one of those. He had been drinking in the local pub, the Green Dragon. But he had not been drinking alone. Merry Brandybuck and Estella Bolger were there as well.

"So, you mean to say that there are more trees like that here?" Estella asked.

Estella could not get to grips with what they were saying.

"Yes, there are some in this very part of the shire" Merry told her.

Estella seemed very interested in what they had been up to on their adventure. Pippin had fallen quiet. He was thinking back to the roads that he had taken in his life.

"Why didn't I just stay at home?" he asked himself.

Merry was feeling the same. But merry had a different view to things.

"But, how did you meet these trees?" Estella asked.

The story was too long to explain in one night.

"It all happened when we were ambushed in Amon Hen"

Estella listen to Merry's account on the goings on that day.

"They were after Frodo?" she asked.

Her eyes darted between the two of them.

"Yes, the battle at Amon Hen was the last time we saw the rest of the Fellowship. From then on, until the fall of Isengard, we did not see any of our friends"

Now, both Merry and Pippin were quiet. Pippin, who was sitting by the window, looked out. The warmth of the Dragon could be seen as condensation gathered on the window.

The heaths were housing flames which let out their heat into the lobby while the black smoke rose up a chimney. The black smoke ascended to the coldness outside.

The three of them were now the only ones left.

"I think we should all get going" Estella said.

There was a clock on the wall chimed nine times. The three of them knew that dinner would have already been made for them when they returned home.

Pippin finished his mug of ale. Merry and Estella had more to finish off then Pippin did. But Pippin had had much more then they did.

Estella watched as Pippin struggled to button up his large coat. Estella and Merry did not have this trouble. Estella slid her chair under the table. Merry and Pippin did not do the same.

Estella smiled at Merry as she took the three mugs to the small bar.

"Thank you, love" said the old barmaid.

Merry, Pippin and Estella left through the round door. The warmness turned to a harsh coldness. Estella instantly started to shiver as she and the two lads walked back home.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow" Pippin said, half shivering.

Merry smiled and nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Pip" Estella called after him.

Pippin looked back and smiled. Merry and Estella walked a different way to Pippin. Pippin would have to spend more time outside in this coldness as he lived further away then the others.

Five more minutes past before Pippin entered his mother and father's garden. Pip's hands were very cold and numb. He struggled to clench his fist. Three knocks echoed down the quiet hall way. Paladin, Pippin's father, huffed as he looked around.

He placed his quill down and rose from his seat. Eglantine was in the kitchen. She heard the front door open and, a few seconds later, a click told her that the door was now closed.

Her hands were emerged deep with the bowl of water. There was a pile of dirty plates to her right and a wet pile of clean plates to her left.

A minute later, her youngest child, and only son, Peregrin, walked in.

"You must be hungry" Eglantine said, taking her hands out of the water and picking up a towel.

She dried her hands towel and put it back.

"I'll do you some bacon" she said.

Pippin smiled, still shivering a bit. The warmth of the air slowly sank into every cold muscle that he had. Eglantine smiled as she walked to the cellar.

Pippin took a seat and waited for his mother to make him his sandwiches. Before long, Pip's hunger deepened as the smell of cooking bacon tickled his nose.

A few minutes more and the crisp bacon were placed onto thick, soft pieces of sliced bread. Creamy butter had been spread over both sliced of bread that made up the sandwich.

Eglantine had not made one sandwich, but five. All of them had multiple rashers snuggled within. The butter had started to melt as Pippin took the first bite.

The bacon crunched as Pippin continued on eating. By the time he had finished, Eglantine had finished cleaning up. All the pots, pans, bowls and plates had been put away until the morning where she would get them all out again.

Pippin had reached his last sandwich. Eglantine had brought out a large mug of tea for Pippin. Pippin smiled as he placed the half eaten sandwich down. The tea was now cool. Pippin smiled as he tasted the sugar that had his mother had put in.

Pippin was now very tied and very ready for bed. This was more then what could be said for Diamond. For she was holding a very unhappy baby.

"Faramir, what's up?" she asked, looking down.

Her blue eyes could be seen looking right back up at her. For Faramir had inherited them.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, continuing to pace around the room.

Faramir gave no hint to what he wanted. Tiredness seemed to grow as Diamond stood there.

"Come on, lets get you some milk" she said.

Diamond smiled as she opened the door and walked into the quiet corridor that wound through the hill. The kitchen was dark, but had a welcoming warmth and glow.

The heath was still flicking with the dying flames. More wood was needed. Diamond smiled as, with her free hand, she started to feed wood into the flames.

Before long, thick black smoke was fluttering up the chimney to the dark, cold outside world. The flames slowly grew higher and more intense as the wood started to burn.

Diamond now had a problem. The next part needed two hands. Which ever way Diamond looked at it, she did not have another free hand.

"Looks like I'm going to have to put you back in your cot, sweetie"

Diamond hated having to walk back. she needed and wanted her son to stop crying. But, for the moment, he would just have to cry.

"I'll be back in a minute, my precious baby" she said.

Faramir seemed to cry even harder as Diamond walked away. The few minutes that past felting like hours for the baby. His crying echoed down the corridor as Diamond warmed up some milk.

"I'm coming Fara-moo" she said, walking back down to her room.

Warm milk had now been poured into his glass bottle. A wooden top had been screwed on. It had two small hole at the top.

The bottle was placed on the bed side table. Faramir was carefully picked up, his little hands had managed to find a way out of the warm blanket. But that was easily fixed as diamond tucked them in again.

The lounge was warm and stuff. Perfect for getting little Faramir back to sleep. The sound of a ticking clock and crackles of the fire were the only things that Diamond could hear.

Diamond slowly and carefully sat down. Her son still whimpered, but he had calmed down a lot. Faramir suckled on the bottle. Diamond knew that he would finish every last drop of milk.

"Good boy" she said, smiling down at him.

Faramir's tantrum had subsided. His eyes started to become heavy, mainly due to the warmth of the blanket around him and the large drink of milk he had just drank.

Diamond watched as his little eyes shut. A few minutes later, Diamond rose from her seat. Faramir remained asleep on the small journey back to the room.

Diamond kissed her baby, now noticeably growing by the day, on the forehead. Faramir did not wake up as he was lowered into his cot.

His mother stood there, looking down at him.

"Good night, my precious baby" she said.

The door was left ajar so that Diamond could here his cries if he was to wake. Diamond smiled as she walked to the kitchen. The house was very quiet as she made herself a large, sugary cut of tea.

Diamond smiled as she walked back to the lounge. The mug of tea was placed down, but the hobbit did not sit just yet. Instead, she went to the book case and slid out a book.

This book had been the source of Diamond's escape. She smiled and saw a small bit of parchment was sticking out of the top. This was where Diamond had read up to and to not lose her place.

Diamond could finally relax as the clock chimed ten times.

"A little read and then bed I think" she told herself.

The pages were flicked through until the book mark came into view. Diamond made herself a little bit more comfortable and began.

Meanwhile, little Origo was fast asleep. Like Faramir, he was bundled up in a warm blanket. Mya was now descending a very dark, very narrow slope. The coldness around her seemed to deepen. Not only due to Ivy's magic wearing off, but due to the valley she was diving into.

In the distance, waterfalls fell to earth. There were no lights to be seen. But this did not mean that the valley was uninhabited. Two elves were sitting on a long table.

"I told you that we would be needed" said Elrohir, looking back around,

In the distance, the lone figure of Mya could be seen. A green dot followed her down the winding path. The roar of the waterfalls grew louder as Mya walked down.

"I see something" Ivy said, stopping.

Mya could see nothing but darkness. She could only see the shrubbery only a few meters ahead. Ivy knew that Mya would have found it scary to walk on the path she was. On one side was a large, ragged mountain. On the left was a sheer drop.

Elrohir walked silently and steadily over the slippery rocks. Ivy stopped in midair while Mya walked on, unable to see what was coming ahead.

"Mya, someone is coming"

But, Mya was not as surprised as Ivy thought she would be.

"It is good to see you again" said the man.

Ivy tilted her head. Her green light glinted in Elrohir's eyes.

"And you" Mya said.

Elrohir smiled as his eyes slipped past Mya and fell on Ivy. A small smile came over his lips. Ivy knew that he could see her.

Mya looked around as well. Luckily, Origo had remained asleep. The two beings and the fairy journeyed onwards. Mya and Elrohir reached some buildings. Ivy had never seen buildings like these before.

They were unlike the houses of men, dwarves or even hobbits. For those houses had windows and fires. The Elven homes did not.

Ivy stopped at the first building. She expected to see and touch cold glass. But there was none. The little fairy almost fell through.

"That is strange" she thought.

A few seconds later, she realised that she was being left behind. Her little wings propelled her through the cold air. Mya and the strange, taller man walked into a building.

"We have not see your type in hundreds of years" Elrohir said, sounding just like his father.

"We keep ourselves to ourselves" Mya said.

There was a large table in the room. Mya looked down at the pup and placed him on the table. Origo gave a small whimper and curled up. Mya smiled as she took of her old looking pack.

The pack was from an old house, one that Mya had stayed in for just a short time. A few times, Mya had thought back to the time she had spent with the old gentleman.

"What brings you to Rivendell?" another voice asked.

Elladan had been watching them from afar. Ivy noticed a startling resemblance between the second elf and the first. It did not take long to put two and two together and come up with the conclusion that they were brothers.

Origo was now back in Mya's arms and still snoozing.

"We're here because of him" Mya answered, looking down at the pup.

Origo gave a yawn and a small whimper. He would soon wake to a very different world. His little eyes started to open. He could hear voices.

One he knew, the others he did not.

"And where are you heading?" Elladan asked, gracefully walked over to his seat.

Mya took a deep breath and looked down at the pup. Origo's little eyes slowly opened. It took him a minute or two to realise that he was inside.

He gave a small whimper and looked around.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Mya smiled.

"I'm glad to see you awake" she said, smiling down.

Ivy was standing on the table. She was still pondering over the two beings that sat before her.

"But, how does Mya know them?" she asked.

"We are heading to Radagast, me and Origo" she answered.

Origo's curiosity got to him. He turned his head to see two new figures seated on the other side of the table. Origo did not know it, but he had seen them before.

"Who are they?" he whimpered, looking up at Mya.

Mya smiled and tickled one of his fluffy ears.

"I guess we could get you some" Mya answered.

It was now Ivy's turn to do her thing. The little puppy was too tired to notice that a large plate of turkey had appeared behind him.

"Puppy, I have something for you" Mya said, unwrapping him.

Origo did not have to be told what it was that Mya had. For his little wet nose had picked up the scent straight away. Tiredness seemed to just fall away as Origo was placed on the table.

Elladan and Elrohir were used to the puppy being around. But Origo was not used to them.

"Radagast is a long way, which path will you choose?" Elrohir asked, quizzing her choices.

Mya thought for a moment. She had been all over these lands and knew the fastest way to get over the Misty Mountains.

"I will take the high pass" she answered.

Both Elladan and Elrohir did not like the sound of this.

"The high pass is very dangerous at this time of year, do you think it wise for you to go that way?" Elrohir asked.

Mya knew that there was no other way to get to Radagast on the other side.

"There is no other way, the Gap of Rohan is too far away" she explained.

Elladan knew that Mya would not make it by herself, even though they had a fairy to look after them.

"Many things may and will go wrong" Elrohir told her.

"This time of year is dangerous, even ain the summer months, the mountain pass is treacherous"

Mya took a deep breath and looked down at the puppy. Origo was now looking up at her, having been listening to the conversation for about a minute.

The plate had been stripped of any evidence of turkey ever being on it.

"Good boy" Mya said, placing a large hand on his small fluffy head.

Origo gave a little whimper and looked up. Mya knew that it was a risk taking the high pass, but she had to do it. a lot of people were counting on her to get this done. Some of them did not even know that she was helping.

Diamond and Pimpernel were safely nested in Hobbiton, having no idea that their beloved puppies were talking to elves.

"I think it's time for the puppy to go to bed" Mya said.

Elladan and Elrohir knew that they had travelled for many days. The hospitality of Elves was matched the hospitality of the Dwarves and of hobbits.

Elladan led Mya, Origo and Ivy to a bedroom. Like all buildings in Rivendell, there were no panes of glass to keep the coldness out.

Elladan led Origo, Ivy and Mya towards the only place where Rivendell had a bed.

"You will rest here tonight" Elladan said.

With another word or for Mya to have a chance to say thank you, Elladan walked away. Ivy watched as the elf vanished into the curtain that was night.

Origo was now shivering. Ivy's warmth had slipped away, letting the coldness in. The puppy whimpered as he was placed on the bed. Mya looked down to see the pup standing on his blanket.

"I know, puppy, I'm tired too"

Ivy landed softly on the bed.

"I'm cold and I'm sleepy" Origo whined, looking very sorry for himself.

Ivy's heart melted. Her green light glinted in his tired eyes. Mya smiled as she picked up Origo. The puppy now had warmth circulating his little fluffy self. For, a few seconds, Mya tickled his ears.

Ivy's magic did not only take effect on Ori, but on Mya as well.

"Are you ready?" Mya asked, wrapping the blanket around him.

Origo gave a small whimper to let Mya know he was. Mya smiled as she drew back the large duvet and slid inside. Ivy smiled as Mya drew the duvet over her. Mya gave a smile as she stared at the ceiling. Hunger was getting to her.

"Why didn't I eat?" she asked herself.

Ivy could not been seen. She was curled up next to Origo. The duvet was lifted just a tad. Mya smiled as she saw a little ball of green light near to the puppy.

Origo was in too deeper sleep to realise or even hear the conversation that they were having. A large loaf of bread had been produced.

"Thank you" Mya whispered.

Ivy smiled.

"You best eat up and get some sleep, I expect we'll be moving out tomorrow"

But Mya had other plans.

"I thought that we could stay here for a few days, I need some proper rest"

Ivy smiled, she liked this idea. After all, Mya was the one in change, Ivy was just a tool to help them get to where they needed get.


	109. Day Fifty Three, Part One

Ivy had gone back under the covers. The hours that she had been asleep passed in a blink of an eye. She woke to a cold nose nudging her awake.

The tiny fairy smiled as her eyes opened and saw a little puppy looking at her. Unusually, Origo was up first.

"Hello, pup" Ivy said, her hand seemed to disappear as she stroked his little face.

Ori gave a small whimper and rested his soft and fluffy head on his equally soft and fluffy paws. Ivy smiled as she looked up towards the head of the bed.

"It looks like Mya is still sleeping" said Ivy.

Origo did not like this one bit. So, he took matters into his own paws. Ivy stepped back as the puppy started to bark. It did not take long for Mya to wake.

Light grew as the duvet was taken away. Origo's little eyes were not used to the light of day. Mya smiled as she saw Origo blink.

"Good morning" she said, heaving him closer.

The little puppy was still very warm, even though the warmth that Ivy had given him had worn off. Mya smiled as Origo gave a yawn and a little whimper.

"I think we should go and see where Elladan and Elrohir are" Mya said.

Origo remained in his blanket as he was carried out of the cold room. Mya, unlike Origo, could feel the coldness of the first light of day.

Rivendell sparkled in a cold mist that lay in the valley. Drips were falling of brown leaves as Mya walked past. There were no words to express how beautiful this valley was.

Mya had seen Rivendell in its full beauty. She felt at home here. This was due to it being her home for many years. But now, the buildings were going into disrepair. They crumbled with age, most unlike the elves that had built them.

Elladan and Elrohir could be seen sitting at a large table in another building on the other side of the valley. Mya smiled as she made her way over a bridge that spanned the width of valley.

The waterfalls continued to fall, sending cold spray throughout the valley.

"Good morning, my dear Mya" Elladan said.

The table had been laid with food. Food that the two brothers had made, caught or brought. Fresh bread and Elven water, called Miruvor.

But Miruvor was dying with the elves.

"Please, eat to your fill"

Mya smiled as she placed the puppy on her lap. Origo's eyes were still trying to close as he lay on Mya's lap. Ivy was standing on one of Mya's legs.

"Sleepy" he whimpered, looking at the fairy.

Mya smiled as she looked down at him.

"Puppy, do you want to and explore?" she asked.

Origo did not want to. But he did not have a choice. Mya stopped spreading butter on her slices of bread and unwrapped the pup.

"See you later, pup" she said, kissing him.

"And don't get into trouble"

Origo whined as he was placed on the cold tiled floor. Ivy fluttered down to him.

"Come on, puppy, lets go and explore, there might be turkey around" she said.

Origo's mind seemed to have been made up for him. He wanted Mya to come along, but she was too busy talking to the strange men.

"Who are they?" Origo asked Ivy as he stood there.

Ivy took a deep breath. This was a question she could not answer. Ivy fluttered upwards.

"Come on, lets see what's over there" the fairy said.

She knew that Origo could not resist chasing her. He was even more tempted by the height that she was fluttering at. Ivy gave a quick glance back. Origo was getting ready to chase after her.

"I bet you cant catch me, puppy-cakes" Ivy said.

This was the catalyst that made Origo move faster. Ivy fluttered just out of range. But her next direction of flight changed the future of their journey.

Ivy accidently fluttered over the edge of the cliff. Origo, who followed, fell out of sight. Ivy watched as the little puppy tumbled and landed on a small ledge.

"Origo!" she said.

Origo had fallen only a few feet, but it was his motionless that scared Ivy. Her wings propelled her through the air faster then ever before. She landed with a thump on the slippery rocks.

"Origo, Origo?" she asked, trying to wake him.

Worry was going through her little head. She knew that she had been entrusted with Origo's safety. Mya would never trust her again if Origo came to harm.

A few minutes past before Origo started to wake. His whimpering grew louder as he regained consciousness.

"Puppy, are you alright?" Ivy asked.

There was a strange look in his eyes. A confused look.

"What happened?" he whimpered, looking at the fairy.

Ivy felt relived, but could not rest yet. For Origo needed to get back up a six foot cliff.

"Come on, we need to get back to Mya"

The puppy looked up. To him, it looked like a mammoth task. The spray from the many waterfalls stuck onto the rocks, making it dangerous and near impossible to get up.

Meanwhile, Mya was eating a large sandwich, full of crispy rashers of bacon. Bacon was Mya's favourite ever since Pimpernel had given it to her.

It was comforting for Mya. A small part of her felt at home. Like she was back in Hobbiton. She missed Pimpernel's company.

Equally, Pimpernel missed the company of her little puppy. But today was different. She was happier then normal. The blue eyed hobbit girl walked down towards the kitchen.

Pearl was already standing at a hot stove. The smell of frying bacon, eggs and sausages hit her.

"Good morning" she said.

Pearl looked around and saw, for what seemed the first time in an age, her sister with a smile on her face.

"Good morning, how are you?" she asked.

Pimpernel was blessed with youthful looks, even though Pearl was four years her senior. All of Eglantine's children, including her youngest and only son, Pippin, had amazing blue eyes.

Only Paladin had different coloured eyes, for the children had all inherited their eye colour from her.

"I'm good, how are you?" Nelly asked.

Pearl flipped a few of the rashers before giving her answer.

"I'm well" she answered.

It was true. Pimpernel seemed to be happier today.

"Do you want to visit Diamond today?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel's smiled, agreeing with her sister that it would be a good idea to see their little nephew. Breakfast was eaten and a large mug of honeyed tea was drank.

"I think I should go and get washed a dressed" Pimpernel said.

Pearl looked around. She too needed to get washed and dressed. But first, she needed to wash up and put back the pans and plates that had been used.

Pearl ran a bowl of warm water in the sink. Plates and pans were washed up.

Pimpernel was now in the bath room. A bowl of warm water filled up the sink. A flannel was picked up and dunked into the water.

Pimpernel left it while she rubbed soap between her hands and then on her face. The soap had just a hint of summer deep within it. Pimpernel closed her eyes as she rubbed her face.

Nelly loved summer. Everything had brightened up, creatures, great and small, roamed the lands. The sun grew higher, trapping the snow of winter on the highest peaks. Hobbits did not see snow at all in the summer months. They would have to travel hundreds of miles to see even a sign of the white powder laying on the ground. Hobbiton grew more and more colourful as the sun grew more and more higher. Its warmth heated the lands below.

Pimpernel came out her day dream and back into the bath room. The flannel, which had been soaking in the water, was taken out. Droplets of water fell back into the sink. The drips made ripples across the surface.

Pimpernel finished up by drying her face on a warm towel. As Pimpernel went to walk out, a sharp pain radiated from her leg. The pain grew with every passing step.

"Owww" she said, stopping and rubbing it.

But the pain was deep within her leg.

"Maybe it'll just pass" she told herself.

Meanwhile, Mya was in pain herself. Mya had heard the barks from Origo and gone to investigate. Ivy could see Mya coming towards the small barking puppy.

"Origo?" Mya asked, looking down at the scared pup.

Ivy was fluttering near by.

"How did you get down there?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper. It was obvious that he could not get back up. Elladan, the elf, had followed Mya towards the pup. He could sense that Mya was heading for trouble.

"Alright, pup, I'll get you" she said.

Ivy knew that she would be blamed. But Mya was hiding it very well. The girl gingerly made her way down the small cliff to the pup. But, just a foot away from the ledge, Mya's footing was lost.

A crunch echoed around the small area. A few seconds after, Mya impacted on the small ledge. Her leg was throbbing with the most intense pain that she had ever felt.

"Ah!" Mya screamed in agony.

Elladan seemed to arrive on the scene within seconds. He did not have to say a word as he descended the small cliff.

"Hmm" he said, looking at Mya's leg.

Even the slightest of touches sent a ripple of pain through her leg.

"It is broken" he told her.

Mya knew that this was not good news. Just as things were looking up for her and the pup. Origo looked scared and confused.

Elladan took a deep breath.

"We need to get something to support it, then get you off of your feet"

Mya closed her eyes. Half due to the pain and half due to the disappointment. Anger, sadness and desperation all surfaced at the same time.

"There must be something you could do, you have the skill to do it"

But there was nothing Elladan could do.

"Wounds I can heal quite quickly, broken bones are harder to heal" he answered.

Origo was still beside Mya and still looked very frightened. Mya looked down at him.

"Don't be worried, pup" Mya said, reaching out her hand.

"I'm alright"

Origo gave a little whimper.

In Hobbiton, Pimpernel was sitting down. She continued to rub her leg. The pain seemed to be growing. A knock came from her door.

"Are you ready?" Pearl asked, popping her head around.

Pimpernel smiled and nodded.

"Yes" she answered.

"I best get used to it, maybe if I walk it off" she told herself.

Pearl smiled and walked down the corridor. Pimpernel followed with a limp. After a few minutes, both girls had put their coats on.

"Ready?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel smiled and nodded. Pearl then opened the door onto a cold world. Pimpernel walked after Pearl. Her sister stopped and the closed the door behind them.

It was during the short walk to the gate that Pearl finally noticed that her younger sister's limp.

"Nelly, why are you limping?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel did not need sympathy.

"I'm fine, it's just my leg, that's all"

Pearl knew that her sister tried to hid pain. But it was not hard to spot physical pain.

"Are you sure?" Pearl asked.

"Wouldn't it be better to stay at home?"

But Nelly just brushed off any sign that she wanted to stay back and take the weight off of her feet.

"No, I'll be just fine" she answered.

Pearl knew that she could not win against her sister. All she could do was watch her as her face cringed with pain with every other step.

It took a few minutes to reach Diamond's abode. The chimneys were smoking nicely, indicating a warm and welcoming house.

Pearl smiled as she knocked on the door. A few moments later, Diamond came to the door. It clicked open.

"Oh, hello you two" she said.

Diamond was shorter then the two girls, but only by an inch or two. Like Pimpernel, Diamond looked younger then she actually was. But time was catching up with her as the first signs of her age showed through.

Nelly and Pearl made their way inside. The door was closed quickly, but quietly, behind them.

"Now I can make one of my good meals" Diamond thought.

But her thoughts changed to dirt. Dirt could be seen everywhere. Worry then filled her heart as she walked back to the kitchen.

Neither of the sisters noticed anything wrong with home they had just been invited into. But they could not see it through Diamond's eyes.

"I'm sorry for the mess" she said.

Pimpernel thought that Diamond was being too obsessive about cleaning.

"Diamond, there is no mess" Pimpernel told her.

But this only fuelled Diamond's actions.

"Take a seat and I'll be back in a moment"

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she watched Diamond walk out. Pearl sat down and looked over at her younger sister.

"She'll be cleaning for a while, would you like some tea?" she asked.

Pimpernel smiled.

"I'll find the honey" she told her sister.

Pimpernel limped over to the cellar. She stopped as she reached the door. A few seconds of pain passed before she could continue.

It took a little longer to get the honey. Pimpernel's leg was so in pain that she could stand on it for long.

"Here you are" she said, limping to Pearl.

Pearl smiled as filled a kettle full of water. A few moments later, Diamond walked in. She was too busy to notice that Pearl was placing the kettle on the hook.

Pimpernel had sat down again and was now watching Diamond.

"Have to get it clean, my fault" she muttered.

Pearl looked around.

"Yes, yes" Diamond said, her eyes darting around.

Pimpernel watched with a worried and confused look.

"She's acting differently" Nelly said.

Pearl nodded.

"Something's not right" Pearl told her sister.

A few seconds later, she followed Diamond out of the room. Down the corridor, Diamond could be seen. Her back was against the wall and her hand on her chest.

"Diamond?" Pearl asked.

Diamond suddenly looked up.

"Oh, Pearl"

"Are you alright?" Pearl asked.

Both of them knew that she wasn't.

"I don't know what it is" said Diamond, she was quite flustered.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"Come on, stop the cleaning and sit down in the kitchen and have a nice big mug of tea"

But Diamond was not so easily prised away from cleaning. After five minutes, Pearl had convinced Diamond that it will still be there.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as the kettle boiled. Pearl was not back yet, so Pimpernel had to make their cups of tea.

"Just sit down and relax"

Just as Diamond sat down, a crying baby echoed down from the corridor. Diamond looked up.

"I'll get him" Pimpernel said.

Diamond was worried.

Could she trust Pimpernel?

Diamond watched as her sister-in-law walked out. Pearl got three mugs out and put tea leaves in all three. The bubbling water was next. They floated in the water, their colour seeped out.

A few minutes of stirring later and the leaves were ready to be taken out. Pearl fished out all of the leaves and placed them on little saucer.

Diamond's heart rate lowered. Faramir came into view.

"He grown so much" Pimpernel told her.

But Faramir did not calm down.

"I think he needs his mother" Pimpernel said, looking up.

Diamond was in a deep daydream.

"It's my fault" she said, her eyes had a million mile stare to them.

Pimpernel's eyes behaved much differently. They brought on the look of confusion.

"It's all my fault" thought Origo.

Mya was being helped up the small cliff. Both of the remaining elves had come to help. Origo was now scurrying off after them.

Mya, with the help of Elladan and Elrohir, were now in her room.

"Sit down on the bed" Elladan said.

Elrohir took only a few seconds to turn around and walk away again. Mya wanted to know why he was leaving so early.

"Do not fear, he will be back within a minute or two"

True to his word, Elrohir was back. In his grasp was a wooden splint. Elrohir placed it on the bed.

"I have this" Elrohir said, producing a small bottle.

Ivy watched as Mya took it. A flask of cold water was poured.

"Put a small bit in, it will ease the pain"

The small bottle did not contain liquid or even powder. But a plant.

"What is it?" asked Mya, sniffing it.

"Its Athelas" Elladan said.

Mya trusted the elves, so she placed the cool water. A few minutes later, she took it out. The water was unchanged, but the properties had.

Mya downed the mug full of water. Elladan smiled as he watched Elrohir place the wooden splint around Mya's leg.

Pain erupted from Mya's leg, but it was not as intense as before. Elrohir made sure that Mya could not move it.

"How long will it take to heal?" Mya asked.

Origo was now snuggled up to his Mya, he was very concerned, even though he did not understand what happened. Elrohir took a deep breath.

"Four to six weeks" Elrohir told her.

"But you are lucky, it could not have been so if you fell any further"

This did not lighten Mya's mood. She would need serious words with Ivy, once she is better or Origo is asleep.

"You need to stay off of you feet until it heals" Elladan told her.

The pain was dulling by the second, thanks to the Athelas that been put in her water. Mya took a deep breath and sank into her large pillow.

All of her plans had been shattered. It now looked like they would be four or maybe even six weeks behind schedule.

Pimpernel's leg had stopped hurting now. The smell of cooking chicken seeped into every room. Pearl was standing over the stove, making sure everything was alright.

Diamond had agreed that she was in no fit state to cook lunch. Although it took a lot of persuasion to get her to sit down again.

Faramir had now calmed down. But Diamond still wanted to cook for her two sister-in-laws.

"I think we should have the cot in here, that way I can help you" Diamond said after a while.

Pimpernel found this to be a great idea.

"Should I go and get it for you?" she asked.

Diamond still had a bit of worry and paranoia in her system. She looked over at Nelly and gave her strange look. One that said that there was still a bit of doubt in her eyes. This did not bother Pimpernel.

Nelly stood up. Her leg was now throbbing with a dull pain. She limped all the way to Diamond's room and saw Faramir's cot.

A few moments later and the cot was lifted up. She heaved it all the way to the kitchen.

"Oh, thank you, Nelly" Diamond said, smiling broadly.

Faramir was placed in his cot. Pimpernel sat down by him and watched him. Diamond now helping Pearl. Both of them were cutting mounds of vegetables.

Carrots, parsnips, sprouts and potatoes covered every inch of the work top. Pans were sitting at the end nearest the stove. Rashers of bacon were already sizzling in the pan. They would be cooked first and left in the oven until it was time to eat.

Pimpernel smiled as little Faramir looked up. Nelly loved to have children, but the one person she wanted to spend the rest of her days with had abandoned her.

"I wonder what he's doing now" she thought.

Pimpernel was just about take her hand away before Faramir grabbed on to her little finger. Pimpernel's heart melted. Faramir was looking straight up at her.

There was a strange tingle in her finger. One that told her that the Took family would be safely growing for many years to come.

In fact, there had been many family names that had ran out of heirs to pass it to. For the male hobbits were the ones to pass on their names to their children.

Pimpernel hoped that, by now, her name would have been Pimpernel Gamgee. But it wasn't to be. Pimpernel could feel emotions taking over. It was hard to see her nephew, knowing that she would never have one of her own.

Faramir started to whimper again, he wanted to see that strange person.

"Where have you gone?" he thought.

A few seconds later, a figure came into view. Faramir knew this figure as his mother. Noises came from it.

"Where has that thing gone?" Faramir babbled.

To other babies, Faramir was talking normally. For the younglings had their secret language that no adult could understand. All that they could hear were random babbles.

But a secret language was not the only thing babies kept. There were more then three big figures in the room.

Spirits of deceased hobbits roamed Hobbiton. The ghosts did not disturbed the living. The living did not even know that they were living among ghosts.

Friends, relatives, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, nephews and nieces all roamed around Hobbiton. Sometimes, their whereabouts would be known.

"Saw a strange thing in the night" said one hobbit to his friend.

"Hmmm?" his friend asked, drawing in smoke from his pipe.

"Saw a figure I did, another hobbit"

The story sounded fake and absurd.

"Don't be telling your lies again" said an elder.

But this time, it was no lie. The hobbit regaled the group with his story.

"And then, when I got my dressing gown on and opened the door, I saw a figure just down the hall way"

"Oi, you young scallywag" he said.

It was unheard of for any hobbit to enter another without being invited.

"But, as soon as I called out, he vanished into another room. But, by the time I got there, there was no sign of him"

"Was he hiding?" he was asked.

"No, I checked every inch of the room, even the rooms that were beside it and there was no one there"

There was a strange silence. Hobbits loved stories, be it of lands afar or happenings the night before.

"Load of tosh, you were drinking last night" said his friend.

Laughter rang out for a few seconds.

"Tosh or not, I know what I saw"

The story came to an end and the topic of conversation changed.

Lunch was now reach in all households. The Gamgee household had been called to lunch. Samwise was sitting at the head of the table.

Samwise's wife, called Rosie, was walking around the table. She was serving up enough food for each child that was seated. The happened with every meal since Rosie had gained such a big family. If she failed to do so, then some of her children would not be fed properly.

Hungry children were non-existent in the Gamgee household. Even her broods friends were welcome to come and have lunch. This was a rare thing though, for each hobbit child preferred the meals that their mother cooked.

"There we are" Rosie said, placing the last spoonful of mushrooms on her husband's plate.

Frodo Gamgee was eyeing his sister's plate. For some reason, his plate of food was not as big as hers. Rosie sat down near by. She could sense that Frodo was going to complain.

But a look stopped Frodo just in time. All Frodo could do now was eat. The children fell silent as they ate. Elanor could not wait to start writing her little book again.

Samwise was very impressed that she was still writing it. For he had thought that his oldest child would become distracted by other things.

But Elanor's imagination was just starting. She smiled as she started on her final sausage. Gravy had been poured over nearly everything.

Half an hour past before all of the children, apart from Rose and Merry, had finished. Rosie smiled as she watched little Rose struggle with the small green peas.

After a few more tires, rose gave up and started o pick up the peas one by one. A minutes later and all of her run away peas had been eaten.

"Could I have some more please, mummy?" Merry asked.

Rosie knew that there wasn't enough food for another good helping.

"Of course" she said.

But the children had to wait as their mother finished up. Samwise had a large smile on his face. His stomach was full.

"Would you like some more, honey?" Rosie asked.

Samwise smiled.

"Of course I could" he answered.

Rosie placed a small second helping on his plate. It took a few moments to place the rest of the food on the many plates.

Merry looked down at his measly second helping. But he could not complain as everyone had the same amount. Merry was very hungry as he started on second helping.

Meanwhile, Diamond, Pearl and Pimpernel were just starting their lunch. Little Faramir was laying in his cot.

"Hey, I need a cuddle" he whimpered.

But his demands went unnoticed by the three hobbits sitting around the table.

"You know, Diamond" said Pearl, she was holding a large mug of ale.

"This is the best meal I have ever had"

Pimpernel smiled. Pearl was one of those hobbits who could not take her ale as well as others. There was evidence of this in her eyes and speech.

"Thank you, Pearl" Diamond said.

Pimpernel smiled as she ate. The sausages had a distinctive taste to it.

"Diamond, where did you get these sausages from?" Nelly asked.

Diamond smiled.

"Did you notice something different about them?" Diamond asked.

It was obvious to Pimpernel that Diamond had done something to them.

"Yes, they taste different" Nelly answered.

She could not put her finger on it, but there was another taste integrated within the meat.

"I added some mint to it, I made them myself" Diamond said proudly.

Pimpernel smiled. She wished that her house was still standing, for she would have asked Diamond for the recipe.

"I could give you want it, I'm sure Pearl could make them for you" Diamond told her.

Pearl swayed a little bit.

"I'm not sure that Pearl will be up to it" Pimpernel said.

Pearl was eating more food. Pearl smiled merrily as she started to cut up her sausages. Pimpernel knew that she would have to take care of Pearl when she returned home. For Pearl was in no fit state to do anything.

Pimpernel had only consumed three pints of ale.

"I think a few more should quench my thirst" Nelly thought.

Pearl was on her eighth pint. She downed it, a little bit seeping down her neck. She gave a little snort and wiped it away quickly.

Forty five minutes past before Faramir began to become agitated again. Luckily, the three girls had finished.

"I'll make tea" Pearl said.

But Diamond stepped in just in time.

"No, no, I can handle it" she said, smiling.

Pearl looked a bit sad. Diamond knew that Pearl wanted to help, but she was defiantly not. Pimpernel smiled as she looked down at little baby in his cot.

"Should I take the little one with us?" Pimpernel asked.

Diamond smiled.

"Of course, I'll be a few minutes"

So, Pimpernel carefully lifted him out. While the three girls had been eating, Faramir had fallen asleep. He gave a little whimper, but did not wake.

Diamond got out three large mugs from the cupboard. She got out the tea leaves, milk, sugar and honey for Pimpernel.

Diamond made sure that Pearl's was stronger then the rest. The two girls had reached the lounge. The candles were not lit. There was hardly enough light coming off of the heath to see.

"Pearl, what are you doing?" asked Pimpernel as her sister walked towards the heath.

Pearl did not answer. She looked down at small metal basket. Inside, small pieces wood were sitting inside. Pearl gingerly bent down. She hit her head on the wall.

"Ouch" she said.

Her hand grasped a small piece of wood. She smiled as she stood up. Pimpernel slowly sat down and watched her sister wobble and then gain control again.

Pearl smiled as she looked over at the fire. She wobbled a few feet and then dropped it in the fire. Pimpernel watched her sister drop a few more bits of wood into the growing fire.

Diamond smiled as she came in.

"Is he still asleep?" she asked Nelly.

Nelly looked up and smiled. She nodded and looked over at Pearl again. She was throwing more and more pieces of wood into the fire.

"Pearl, your tea is ready" Diamond told her.

Pearl looked around. She smiled and dropped the small piece of wood on the floor. Diamond's heart started to race as she looked over at Pimpernel and her sleeping son. Luckily, Faramir did not wake, nor even show signs that he had heard the wood drop on the cold tiles.

"Come, make yourself at home" Diamond said as she placed the three mugs down.

Pearl was noisier then normal, she did not understand that Faramir could be woken easily.

"There you are" Diamond said, handing Pearl a mug of tea.

Pearl smiled as she started to take a sip.

"Be careful, Pearl, it's hot"

This did not matter. A big drunken smile came over her face as the tea was consumed. Pearl was the only one standing. But not for long. She had spotted an arm chair near to the fire.

Diamond watched as she slowly walked over to it. She smiled, seeing that Pearl had not spilt a drop. Diamond looked over at the fire. She smiled as there was a noticeable growth in the flames.

Pimpernel carefully help her tea in one hand and her little nephew in her other. The candle light had not been lit. Diamond took a deep breath as she looked into the fire. Pictures started to cross her mind as looked deeper into the fiery depths.

A strange feeling of worry started to cross her. Pimpernel was feeling a different feeling. Her leg was still thumping with unusual pain.

Faramir had fallen asleep again. This was the longest time that she held her nephew. Nelly continued to drink her tea. The hobbit looked out of the window into a melting world. The coldness was not as harsh as the night before. But, as the sun set early these days, the warmth of the sun did not warm the air up as much as it did in summer.

The door to the Green Dragon closed with a click.

"Best get home" said Paladin.

He had a large worn coat. He smiled as he turned around. As he started to walk back home, something caught his eye. A large figure was making his way across the stone bridge.

Paladin knew exactly what this was.

"None of your kind are allowed past the boarders, you need to leave"

The man smiled.

"I have a letter for a hobbit, it is important" Elnan told the hobbit.

Neither of them knew each other's name.

"A letter?" Paladin asked.

He was smaller then the horse. Paladin was a fearless hobbit, it took a lot of scare him. But the size of the horse made him stand back further then normal.

Paladin watched as the man opened his pack. For a moment, the hobbit thought that a blade would be pulled on him. But that was not the case.

Elnan took out a letter and jumped off of his horse.

"This" Elnan said, holding out a letter.

Paladin looked at it.


	110. Day Fifty Three, Part Two

"And why should I accept it from you?" he asked.

Elnan simply looked down at him.

"For it is important, take it"

Paladin still did not trust big folk, for he had been there when they came to eradicate the hobbits. Slowly, paladin raised his hand. The next second, Elnan had the letter thrust from his grasp.

"Now go, you know what will happen if your are seen, we told you that last time"

At that, Elnan nodded, turned, mounted his horse, turn and galloped away. Paladin watched as the man continued to gallop off, only looking down at the folded piece of parchment.

On the front was a name.

"Pippin?" he asked himself, not believing what he was seeing.

"Should I read it?" he asked himself.

Paladin took a deep breath and walked away. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He would not go straight to Peregrin, but straight to his study.

It took a few minutes for him to reach his home. The door clicked open as he let himself in. There was a significant warmth to the house. Paladin silently made his way down to his study.

Eglantine heard a small click echo down from corridor.

"Hmm, Paladin must be back"

Paladin knew that Pippin would be eating, he always did at this time. Paladin's heart rate started to rise. He sat down on his seat and looked at the letter. There was a small mark on the back. Paladin knew that this was no mark that a hobbit would make.

Paladin looked around at the door.

"Should I really read it?" he asked.

But he had to. If Pippin was mixing with tall folk, then he had to read it. The parchment had been folded over. Paladin took a deep breath as he unfolded it.

A message lay on the surface. Paladin's eyes started to slid over the words.

Dear Friend of the King,

It is with great pleasure that Arwen, Queen of the Reunited Kingdom, has given birth to a son. Arwen, as always, is very beautiful and precious to me.

The rebuilding of Osgiliath is slow, but steady. Yet it will take some time to restore it to its full glory.

I hope you are all well in Hobbiton, I would like a letter back as soon as you can.

King Elessar, Aragorn.

"Friend of the King?" Paladin asked, thinking about his son.

This did not sound good for Pippin. Paladin reread the message. A knock on his study door quickly made him hide it.

Paladin turned around, the parchment was now on his lap.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour, dear" Eglantine told

him.

Paladin smiled.

"I know, love" he answered.

Eglantine smiled. There was a strong resemblance between Eglantine and her daughters. Paladin, on the other hand, seemed to look more like his son then his daughters.

The door closed again. Paladin let out a long exhale.

"I need to show this to Pippin" Paladin thought.

"Maybe it isn't as bad as it sounds"

A few seconds past before Paladin got up. He knew where Pippin had gone, for he had told him. Now, it was Paladin's time to go and find him.

"I'm just going to find Peregrin" Paladin said, popping his head around the kitchen door.

Eglantine smiled.

"Just don't be late for lunch, dear" Eglantine answered.

Paladin smiled one last time before he walked away. Less then a minute later, paladin had walked to the front door, put his coat on and buttoned it up.

Paladin placed his hand on the cold handle and opened the large front door. Coldness instantly hit his face. The door closed behind him. Paladin scanned the horizon. There was no sign of the horse of his rider anywhere.

A few minutes past. A knock came at the door.

"Excuse me" said Estella.

She smiled at Merry and stood up. Both Merry and Pippin were sitting on separate seats. Pippin had claimed the armchair closed to the door while Merry and Estella sat on the worn sofa.

Estella smiled as she briskly walked down the corridor. The door clicked open. Standing before her was a familiar face around Hobbiton.

"Oh, Paladin, I wasn't expecting you" she said.

Estella ushered him inside and shut the door.

"I need to talk to Peregrin" Paladin told her.

Estella was a tad confused as to why, but she did as she was told.

"Pippin, your father is here to see you" Estella said, standing at the lounge door.

Pippin gave a small smile and looked over at Merry. Without a word, Pippin took a deep breath and heaved himself up from his comfy chair.

"I wonder what I have done now" he joked.

Both Merry and Estella smiled as he walked out. Paladin was waiting at the door.

"Ah, Peregrin, I need a word" Paladin told him.

Estella had followed Pippin back down the corridor.

"Alone" he said, looking over at Estella.

Pippin looked back. Estella seemed to get the message right away and walked back down the corridor.

"Follow me" Paladin said.

So, the two of them walked down the corridor to the study. Paladin opened it up and walked inside. A confused Pippin followed suit.

"What is this about?" Peregrin asked.

Paladin closed the door quietly. He took a deep breath.

"I will not have my only son mixing with the big folk over the boarders" Paladin told him.

Peregrin was now very confused.

"Big folk?" Peregrin asked, wondering what his father was on about.

"Yes, big folk"

Paladin held out a small rectangular piece of parchment. On it, Pippin could see his own name.

"I saw one of them, just by the bridge opposite the Dragon" paladin started.

Peregrin looked from the letter, to his father.

"He gave me this, it is addressed to you"

Pippin slowly took it and looked at the seal. He recognised the white tree that had been imprinted within the wax. There was only one person that had this seal.

Aragorn.

"Did you read any of it?" Peregrin asked.

Paladin took a little breath.

"Yes, I am your father and, if you're getting into business that will get you hurt or killed, then it's mine duty to protect you"

Pippin knew that his father was only trying to help, but this was no excuse to go reading his letters.

"I can protect myself, I proved that many times during my life" Pippin told him.

Without a chance for his father to respond, Pippin walked towards the door and opened it. Paladin watched as his son walked out of sight.

Pippin walked back to the lounge. He knew that Paladin would not bother him. Merry and Estella looked up as he came into the room.

They noticed that Pippin looked annoyed.

"What's the matter?" Merry asked.

Pippin took a deep breath. The sound of bare feet on tiled floor grew louder. Paladin entered the room.

"I only did what I thought was best, I am sorry" he said.

But Peregrin did not look up. After what felt like minutes, Paladin took a deep breath and continued on with his journey down towards the front door.

Pippin heard the front door click, meaning that paladin had left.

"What was that about?" Estella asked, finally building the courage to ask.

Peregrin took a deep breath.

"He gave me this letter" Pippin answered, holding it up.

Merry wanted to know more.

"Who is it from?" he asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Aragorn" Pippin answered.

Mya was now sitting in a large arm chair. The wind blew her golden hair she her leg rested on a small table. A pillow had been placed under her ankle, keeping her leg rested.

"Puppy, its not your fault" she said, stroking Origo's ear.

Origo was whimpering and looking very sorry for himself. Ivy was standing on the arm rest. She knew that Mya had many things to say to her. Ivy was worried that she would be sent away.

Elladan came in, he was holding a trey full of the finest food. Mya smiled as she moved Origo over. The trey was placed down on her lap.

"I will bring Origo his food in just a moment" the elf told her.

Mya smiled and nodded. Elladan walked away, his dark hair blowing in the cold wind. Mya smiled as she looked down at her plate. A few sliced pieces of bread had been put on the plate as well. A stick of creamy butter and a sliver knife laying near by.

Mya smiled as she saw the thing she most wanted.

Bacon.

The bacon still had a little bit of warmth. But it was obvious that it had lost a lot of its warmth on the journey between the kitchen and her lap.

Origo gave a small whimper. He did not like the smell or taste of bacon at all. Mya smiled as Origo covered his little wet nose with a little fluffy paw.

"It's not that bad" Mya told him.

She was holding a knife and carefully spreading the butter on one side of the bread. A few minutes later, after the second slice was buttered, Mya started to placed rashers of bacon on the slices of bacon.

Mya smiled as she took her first, large bite. The butter had melted just a little bit, seeping into the fluffy whiteness of the bread.

Elladan walked back a few moments later. Origo, who was down wind, knew exactly what was coming. Mya smiled as she felt Origo try to squirm out. Elladan smiled as he placed the plate on the floor.

"Calm down, puppy" Mya said, lifted him up and gently placing him the floor.

Origo scooted off to his plate of turkey. Elladan smiled, looking down at the pup.

"He has not changed since I last saw him"

Elladan and Mya had met long ago, many years before Sauron grew to power again. The Elven township of Rivendell looked more alive then it did now days.

Elrond and Celebrian were sitting in a long hall.

Celebrian looked very youthful. Two young looking boys sat on opposite sides of the long, wooden table. These were the same elves that had just encountered Mya and Origo on their journey to Radagast.

Just one hundred and thirty two years before, Elrond and Celebrian married. Just eleven years after their wedding, the two of them celebrated the birth of their two sons.

Elladan and Elrohir were now the only remaining elves in Rivendell. It was a sad sight to see many of the buildings in disuse. Some had been left abandoned to the elements.

The water falls had caved this valley over many thousands of years. Some had succumbed to the erosion of the water over rocks and had fallen over the edge.

Only some of their structure could still be seen laying, encased in rock, at the bottom of the valley.

Elladan and Elrohir finished lunch before their parents. Elrond placed his long silver fork down and picked up a large goblet.

Hobbits, men and dwarves would have most likely have ale at lunch. But not elves. They had their own drink, Miruvor.

Elrond took a large gulp. His full stomach seemed to become empty. All of the wonderful food that he had eaten seemed to have vanished.

Elrond smiled as he placed the goblet back down. An elf stood in the corner of the room. He had a bow slung over his back. In his scabbard lay a long, sharp blade. It reflected any light that hit it.

A strange design had been etched down each side of the blade. The elf stood motionless. But there was a hint of readiness in his eyes. His hair was golden.

This was Legolas.

He had reached the young age of one hundred and fifty one. He was in the first stages of his Elvish training. Training that would come in useful in a few thousand years. But, for now, peace laid over the lands.

Elrond looked over at his dear wife. Her hand was rubbing her stomach. She did not say a word, but both knew what was going to happen.

Elrond calmly placed his goblet down. It did not make a sound as it hit the wood. Elrond stood up in one smooth movement. He seemed to glide over to his wife.

"It is time" Celebrian said.

Elrond nodded and looked up at his sons.

"Legolas, get my sons to their rooms" Elrond said.

Two more elves were summoned in to the dining room to help Celebrian to her room. Elrond followed her as she slowly walked into the cool summer air.

Legolas remained standing, guarding the door. Elladan and Elrohir finished up, near enough, at the same time.

"You shall come with me" Legolas said to the boys.

The twins gracefully stood up and followed Legolas out of the door. Though they were young, both twins knew what was happening.

A few minutes past as the three elves crossed a bridge. The wind was cool and blow their hair. Obviously, elves could not feel neither heat or coldness. The summer months just seemed to become longer and brighter.

There was a significant number of birds in the summer months. Although some of them stayed for the darker months.

"You will stay here, Elrond will call you when you are needed" Legolas told them.

The boys were prepared for this. Now was the time where they could continue on studying. Legolas, like before, remained guarding them from harm.

Hours past as the sun crept behind the valley. The mountain tops were not as high as they were in present day times. For the water and wind had yet to erode the rock that far.

In fact, the whole valley that Rivendell sat in looked different. The lay out of the buildings changed as fast as the terrain changed.

But this did not mean that it was any less beautiful. The valley deepened over the many years. Both Elladan and Elrohir saw this every day. The water spilling over the edges was taking longer to fall to their pools.

Origo was wagging his tail as he watched a green dot flutter down to him.

"You fine, pup?" she asked.

Origo gave a little whimper and looked up at Mya. Mya, who had had more then enough bacon, but was still eating, could understand every word.

"She'll be fine, pup, she just needs some rest so we're staying here for a while" Ivy explained, rubbing the little patch of fur between his brown eyes.

Origo yawned as he looked around.

"Sleepy?" Ivy asked.

Origo nodded his head, making his ears flop. Mya smiled as she watched him. The bacon that had once been warm was now cold. But this did not bother her much. Just the smell was enough to satisfy her.

Meanwhile, in Hobbiton, Diamond, Pearl and Pimpernel were still sitting in the lounge. Diamond felt suddenly full, though she had not eaten. Nelly felt the same way, but there was a difference.

Pimpernel sniffed the air as she sat there. Diamond looked over at her.

"What is it?" Diamond asked, wondering what was wrong.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"I can smell…" Pimpernel started, but stopped to take one more to make sure what she was smelling.

"I can smell bacon" she answered.

Diamond, who was no longer holding her son, sniffed the air as well. But she could not.

"I did smell turkey just a few minutes ago, but I can not smell bacon"

Pimpernel took a deep breath as she sat in the armchair. Bacon reminded her of her little puppy she once had. Everything in Pimpernel's life seemed to have gone wrong.

The other hobbits knew that it had taken a great toll on Pimpernel's emotions and confidence. Pimpernel had learnt to hide her pain well. But this did not stop hobbits talking behind her back.

"Maybe it was just me" Pimpernel said.

Diamond felt sorry for her. Abira was the one thing Pimpernel cared for most. But, now that she had gone, Pimpernel cared for nothing.

Even Hamson had let her down when she most needed him. Hamson had been so scared of losing her that he needed to leave.

"Just for a while, I promise I will come back" he told her.

Pimpernel looked down at her hand. On her figure lay two rings. One was hers, given to her by Hamson. The second was Hamson's ring that she gave to him.

But now, there was no hope in Hamson ever coming back to her. In fact, even if he did, she did feel like taking him back.

Diamond's little baby was snoozing in the arms of his auntie Pearl. Diamond, like Origo in Rivendell, was feeling very warm and very tired. Diamond's blue eyes started to close.

In Rivendell, Origo had curled up on Mya's lap.

"You just go to sleep, pup" Mya said, stroking his little head.

Ivy had once again worked her magic on the pup. She knew that Mya needed a word. Ivy was defiantly not looking forward to it.

Mya was very calm now, as the night slowly drew in. The sun had sank behind the mountains an hour before. The coldness, that would have once been felt by Mya if it not for Ivy, was deepening.

Mya took a deep breath, exhaling a cloud of breath. She looked down at the puppy to see his head resting on his paws.

"Is he asleep yet?" Ivy asked, fluttering up from the ground.

Origo was very asleep. So too was Diamond. Pimpernel was looking into the flames of the fire. There was a noticeable difference to the brightness and height of the flames had decreased.

Mya and Ivy were now at a stalemate.

"But, I cant leave" Ivy told her, her eyes were welling up with tears.

"You are the reason that I have my leg in this cast, you are the reason why I had to risk my life to try and get it" Mya told her.

Mya knew that she needed Ivy, but, at the moment, she didn't care. Ivy looked down at Origo.

"He needs me, probably more then you" Ivy told her.

It was true. Ivy had helped both of them get this far. But, right now, this did not seem to matter.

"Mya, I've always been on your side, ever since we left Hobbiton"

The girl's eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Hobbiton" she thought.

Her eyes darted away from Ivy. A warm feeling came over her as a picture of her Pimpernel came over her. Ivy was still fluttering.

Mya's day dream was short, but controversial.

"You're right" Mya said, finally realising that, with Ivy, they would not have made it here.

It was Ivy's idea to make Origo sleepy so that he could not walk. It was Ivy's idea to keep their talks secretive so that Origo could start to trust Mya again.

"I'm sorry, I just want him to get better and to go home" Mya told the fairy.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"You do not have to say sorry, it was my fault"

Mya knew that she should have got one of the elves to get him. For she was took important in this quest. Her hand continued to stroke Origo's ear as he slept.

The little puppy slept for hours. But would soon wake.

"Diamond?" asked an echoing voice.

Pimpernel was standing there, a smile on her face. Diamond snorted awake.

"Diamond?" Nelly asked again.

Diamond slowly woke.

"Oh, Pimpernel" Diamond said, sitting up.

A little bit of confusion came over her as she looked around. A window showed that the sun had now gone down.

"Oh no" Diamond said, realising that she had fallen asleep.

"Oh no, no, no" she said, quickly getting up.

Dinner had come and gone. But this did not mean nothing was made.

"Diamond, calm down" Nelly told her.

"Pearl has made the dinner and fed Faramir"

Diamond looked very scared, but soon calmed down.

"How long have I been out for?" Diamond asked, brushing her hair to one side.

Pimpernel looked over at the clock.

"About three hours" she answered.

Diamond started to blush. She had not even felt tired.

"Well, I best start cleaning up the dishes" Diamond said.

Pimpernel smiled.

"We tried to wake you, we did, but you just did not wake up. Not even for Faramir" Pimpernel explained.

Diamond blushed even more as the clocked chimed eight times. Pearl had been sitting in the kitchen. She was on her seventh mug of tea.

She looked up as Diamond walked in.

"Ah, I'm glad you're up" Pearl said, smiling.

Pimpernel followed Diamond into the kitchen. Pearl was the tallest one in the room. Diamond and Pimpernel were the shortest.

"We best get home" Pearl said, downing the rest of her tea.

Pimpernel smile and waited until her sister got up. The three girls said their goodbyes and walked down towards the front door.

"We'll see you soon" Pimpernel said, hugged Diamond.

Diamond smiled. But there was a small part of her that wished they would stay. The door clicked shut as the two girls made their way home.

Diamond took a deep breath as she walked down towards the kitchen.

"I think one big mug of tea and then bed"

Meanwhile, in Rivendell, Origo was sleepy as well. He was curled up nest made from a large, warm blanket. Origo yawned as he stretched. His stomach was grumbling.

Mya was still sitting down, her leg still resting on a small leg rest. She smiled as she looked down at the small pup. Origo shook his head and looked up.

"Hello" Mya said quietly.

Candles were flickering in the steady wind that ran through the valley. The sky had patches of clouds that blocked out the stunningly clear stars. The stars twinkled as they watched down on the beings of Middle-earth.

Origo gave a small whimper. Mya knew exactly what this meant.

"Come on then" she said, picking him up.

Origo gave another small whimper, much different from the first. Mya's hands were cold. But this did not bother the puppy for long. For Mya's hand seemed to warm up as she held him.

"Do you want some turkey pup?" Mya asked.

Origo gave a small nod. His little brown eyes looked up at him. Ivy smiled as she popped out of the pocket. But she would not have to use her magic. For a tall figure walked into the room.

"Ah" Ivy said, knowing that her magic would not be used.

"Origo's food will be ready in a few minutes" Elladan told her.

Mya smiled, she loved the fact that elves could rustle up food as quick as pouring a glass of water. Mya looked down at the sleepy pup. Normally, Origo would fall back to sleep. But he was not tired anymore, even though he felt like it.

Minutes past as Origo cuddled up on Mya's lap. Elladan then returned, carrying a trey. Mya smiled as the little pup looked up. He knew exactly what was coming for he smelt it in the air.

"Dinner time, puppy" Mya said.

Ori seemed to spring into life. His once lifeless tail was now wagging as he stood up on Mya's lap. Mya smiled as she placed him on the floor.

Elladan did not say a word to as he placed the trey on the floor. Origo did not need a second invitation to start eating.

Many miles away, in the west, Diamond Took was getting ready for bed. A kettle was bubbling over a heath in the kitchen.

Diamond smiled as she dried her face on a warm towel. Faramir, who was laying in his wooden cot, was encased in blankets to keep him warmer.

He giggled as he heard his mother's footsteps come into the room.

"Hello" said a voice.

The baby instantly knew it was his mother. A large smile came over Faramir. As quickly as his mother appeared, she was gone.

"Wait" whimpered Faramir, wanting his mother to return.

But she did not. In fact, Faramir laid in his cot whimpering for what seemed like hours. Diamond slowly walked back to her room. Her eyes darted from the full mug of tea in her hand, to the direction that she was heading.

A minute later, Faramir was picked out of his cot. He babbled as his mother walked over to an old rocking chair and sat down. Her mug of tea was placed down near by.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said.

Diamond could see Pippin in the face of her little son. Diamond started to wonder what Pippin was up to. In fact, Pippin was up to a lot.

He, Merry Brandybuck and Samwise Gamgee were all sitting in the corner. All three of them were puffing away at pipes.

"And he wants me to write back" Pippin told him.

A glum expression then spread over his face.

"The only thing is, the rider rode off so we can not use him again"

Sam puffed on his pipe as time ticked on. At home, all of his children were being put to bed. But Rosie was not alone. Marigold Gamgee, Samwise's youngest sister, was helping with putting the rabble of children to bed.

"Come on, Merry" Marigold said, picking him up.

Only Elanor and Frodo were allowed to stay up another hour. Merry cuddle his aunt as she walked back down towards his room.

Merry and little Rose shared a room. Unlike Merry, little Rose had remained in her bed.

"But, but, but…!" Merry said as he was placed down.

"I'm not sleepy" he whined.

Marigold smiled and tucked him in.

"Be a good boy now" she said, kissing him on the forehead.

Rosie was resting in the kitchen, the only time she could rest. Marigold gave small smile as she sat down as well.

"I don't know how you do it, Rosie, I really can't" she started, sitting down.

Rosie gave a big sigh.

"I wonder how I manage as well"

Marigold had yet to be told about Rosie's little secret.

"Especially with another one on the way"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew that she had said something that she shouldn't have.

"Rosie, why didn't you tell me?" Marigold squealed.

Rosie had her own reasons.

"Because me and Sam wanted to keep it a secret, for now" Rosie told her.

"But, you should tell everyone!" Marigold said.

Samwise, Pippin and Merry were now all making their way home. Each had had many pints in their short time at the Dragon.

"Good night" Samwise said, being the first to reach home.

Merry and Pippin bid farewell and continued on with their journey. Samwise smiled as he opened the large front door.

Down in the kitchen, Marigold and Rosie stopped talking. Samwise closed the door to a quiet house. He knew that his youngest sister was with Rosie.

"I think its time for me to go home" Marigold said as Samwise entered.

Marigold and Rosie stood up in unison. Samwise smiled as he hugged his sister and walked her back to the front door.

"Stay safe" Samwise told her.

Marigold buttoned the last button and hugged her brother again.

"See you later" she said.

Little Elanor had come out of her room. She was rubbing her eyes.

"Mummy?" she asked with a tired voice.

Marigold smiled. Out of all her nieces and nephews, Marigold felt like she connected with Elanor the most.

"Elanor, shouldn't you be in bed?" Marigold asked, picking her niece up.

Elanor gave a small smile.

"I wanted to say good bye to you" Elanor told her aunt.

Marigold smiled and hugged her oldest niece. A minute later, marigold had said her goodbyes and had opened the door.

"Bye" she said, walking out into the coldness.

The door closed behind her, shutting her out. Marigold instantly put her hands in her deep pockets to keep them warm. The snow that had not melted away was very slippery. Small dots of light glinted off of the black ice on the road. A few times, Marigold thought that she was going to slip over. Each time she did, her heart skipped a beat.

"Almost home" said the sandy haired girl.

Another few minutes past before she reached the safety of gate. The snow in her garden showed her past movements.

Marigold quickly shut the gate and walked towards the door. The round door that lead into her welcoming house creaked opened.

Marigold smiled as she closed the door behind her.

"A nice cup of tea for my troubles" Marigold told herself as she unbuttoned her coat.

Meanwhile, Mya and Origo were snuggling up in a large bed. The wind whistled through the buildings of this quiet and peaceful settlement. Origo gave a yawn as he curled up under the duvet.

Ivy had given them both a fresh bout of warmth to see them through the night. The little fairy was sitting just behind Mya's large pillow. Her little green glow seemed not to disturb neither Mya or Origo.

Ivy took a deep breath as she daydreamed. The weather was much nicer where she was. Neither Mya or Origo were known to her back then.

Ivy lived in the forest of Mirkwood. She and four other fairies led peaceful lives. There was no need for weapons where they lived.

Each fairy had her own colour. Ivy owned the green glow. One of her friends, who was called Leila, had a yellow glow. Petal had a purple glow and Luna had a silver. The last fairy, Rosa, lived up to her name by having a red glow.

Of course, there had been others. But they had not been seen for many hundreds of years. This was due to a rival gang of fairies that haunted their small clan.

The Decessus.

The Decessus were powerful. The forest was once full of clans working together to keep it safe. But that had soon changed. A member of the Decessus had been planning to take over the clan for many months.

Broin, as he was called, had convinced many of his friends that he would make a better leader.

"Be on my side and I will make you richer then ever before" he told them.

He and his allies would meet in secret, for the present leader would have their wings cut off. Many of them had this done to them.

"If you side with me, we can bring down this evil dictator"

But Broin's words were not as secretive as he would have liked. A small weedy looking fairy had sneaked in at the back. He was a spy of the present leader, Thorry.

The weedy fairy left before everyone else. He fluttered out of the tree into the forest. There were many trees in this area of the forest. Each tree had multiple holes in it.

Unlike Ivy's clan, they rarely used holes made by birds. It took a month or two to chop their way into the tree and make a nice home.

There was a massive tree in the middle of clan's empire. The tree had a single hole near the top. It was guarded by two massive fairies, bobbing up and down slightly.

They did not but an eyelid as the weedy fairy landed. He then entered the hole. The hole did not give away any sign of the enormity of the chamber within. Small flames flickered as they sat on the walls.

Many fairies were fluttering around or standing on small ledges. At the very bottom was where the leader lived. He rarely ventured out of the safety of the chamber. He fluttered down towards the leader of the clan.

"Ah, he is back" Thorry said.

He was surrounded by female fairies. Some wanted to be there, others did not.

"Did you get the information I needed?" Thorry asked.

The spy nodded.

"And?" Thorry asked, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"They plan to over throw you, but I do not know when or how"

Thorry gave a small smile. He needed to over throw this rabble of mindless fairies. Thorry raised his hand and summoned over a guard.

"I need the battalions ready, we need to take down these fairies before they have a chance to strike"

The guard nodded once and fluttered away. Thorry's army was the biggest in Mirkwood. He had thousands of troops ready for battle. He had many allies and just as many enemies.

Within minutes, an army of one hundred fairies had assembled inside the large chamber. Thorry had been given weapons himself.

Broin did not have a clue that he had been watched. The chamber in the tree had emptied, but not for long. Broin was distracted by a strange noise echoing in from the outside.

His curiosity got the better of him and he fluttered out. What he saw shocked him. There was a lot of fairies outside. For a moment, he thought that it was just an unusually busy time of day.

But that was not the case. Fairies were falling left, right and centre. It was then he heard and saw Thorry. He was laughing as he chased a youngling.

Broin watched as a spear was thrown. It travelled through the air right into the fragile body of the young fairy. Broin watched as the young fairy fell all the way to the forest floor.

Broin's anger rose as quickly as he continued to watch. He knew that he must fight. So, he fluttered back into his chamber.

A rack of weapons lay at the back of his chamber. Broin picked out his sharpest tool. It was a small dagger, no bigger then a pin for other beings. But to him, it was long and sharp.

He fluttered back over to the entrance.

"This means war" he told himself.

A few seconds later, he fluttered out into the aerial battlefield.


	111. Day Fifty Four, Part One

Jorga rose with a start. The coldness of the room around her had woken her from her sleep. Bangs from the lobby downstairs echoed up through the floorboards.

It took Jorga a few seconds to realise where she was. Her heart had been racing, but now was starting to calm. The window showed Jorga that she had been asleep for too long.

The lobby downstairs seemed to be busy. Laughter and the odd scrape of a plate echoed up. Barliman seemed not to bother with the young girl. He had half forgotten that she was there.

Mugs of ale had been poured for many hours. Lunch had been and gone. Jorga smiled as she removed the duvet. Even though the heath had been full loaded with wood the night before, had now all but turned to red hot ashes.

The door to her room creaked open as she walked out. There was on one left upstairs. All of the travellers had either continued their journey or were now sitting in the warm lobby.

Jorga smiled as she washed her hand, face and hair. She had only washed her hair a few times since she had moved to Bree.

Everything had changed she since had been taken under Barliman's wing. She had been eating proper meals every days. A big breakfast would start her off, then a lunch that was just as big and finally dinner.

Jorga got dressed and made her way downstairs. She smiled as the noise from the lobby grew as she opened the door.

The smell of tobacco smoke wafted around the room. She smiled as she saw a very busy Barliman standing at the bar.

"My, my" he said, spotting her.

"I had completely forgotten about you" he told her.

Barliman was very forgetful at the best of times.

"Well, I'm here now" Jorga answered.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

Barliman placed the large pint of ale on the counter.

"Well, you could find out if anyone wants food or drink" Barliman answered.

Jorga smiled and nodded. She liked walking around the lobby, secretly listening into to the conversations that were going on. Some of the conversations were very strange.

"If you don't believe me, go and look for yourself" said one of the bearded men.

His friend, who ha a greying beard as well, shook his head.

"I am not wasting my time with your lies and your rumours again" he said.

Their conversation was drowned by another.

"And no means no" said a woman.

She was young, but looked older then she really was. Her hair was thinning and dirty. It looked like quite dirty in the candle light.

"But why?" asked the drunk man, giving her an evil smile.

Their conversation was drowned out by a third.

"Oh, are you the waitress?" asked a man from behind her.

Jorga turned around to see a rustic, but very hansom, man. He was sitting by himself in the middle of the drunken crowd.

"Yes" Jorga said, quite flustered.

"Yes, I am"

The man had a small bit of stubble.

"What is the best meal you have in this establishment?" he asked.

Jorga noticed, near enough, right away, that this man was not from Bree.

"We have a nice lunch being prepared, its got everything you need" Jorga answered.

The man smiled.

"I would like that" he answered, lifting up his mug of ale and taking a swig.

Jorga smiled.

"Certainly" she said, walking away.

Meanwhile, in Hobbiton, Samwise was sitting down in his study. The smell of lunch lingered in nearly every room had the smell of cooked chicken. Samwise took a deep breath. His secret was out and about. Marigold had accidently found out that Rosie was expecting another baby.

Samwise knew that Marigold could not hold her secrets for long, especially if she had a drink or two in her. Marigold and her sisters were sitting in May's lounge. May and her sister, Daisy, were sitting near by.

"So, what was the news you had to tell us?" Daisy asked.

Marigold seemed very excitable today, more then before.

"Well" she said, making herself comfortable.

A big smile came over her face.

"Last night, Rosie accidently told me that she was expecting another baby"

Marigold squeaked the last few words. The three girls giggled.

"I hope its another girls, all their girls look very pretty" May said.

The other two girls agreed.

"I wonder how many more they'll have" Marigold said.

Sometimes, when Samwise and Rosie were very busy or very tired, some of the children would shipped off to their aunts. Elanor and Frodo would stay with Marigold, Merry and Rose would go to May and Daisy, who shared a house together.

Marigold lived by herself, for the moment. For she had her eye on a particular hobbit. His name was Tom. Even the thought of him made her blush.

"I hope they have lots more" May said.

She loved children. But she had not found anyone she liked. She was very fussy about who she liked. Unlike Marigold.

At the same time, Jorga walked back into the lobby.

"Oh, excuse me" she said, almost being run over by a large, taller man.

The man smiled and let her go first. Jorga walked over to the rustic man and placed the plate down.

"An, thank you" the man said.

Jorga started to blush again as she placed his knife and fork down.

"I need more ale" the man said, looking into his mug.

He drained it before handing it to her. Jorga smiled as she walked away again. Barliman smiled as the girl approached him.

"The man over there wants more ale" Jorga told him, looking around.

Barliman smiled.

"Certainly" Barliman said.

He took the mug and filled it to the top with ale.

"Be careful now" Barliman told her.

Jorga smiled as she slowly picked the mug up and walked back over to the table. She smiled as she placed it down.

"Thank you" the man said.

Jorga smiled and quickly turned around, she could feel herself blushing yet again. The young girl took a deep breath as she walked towards the kitchen.

She had not eaten since the night before and her stomach was rumbling, telling her that she had to eat. The door to the kitchen swung open, stopping her in her tracks.

"Oh, sorry love" said one of the maids.

Barliman employed both male and females to serve the locals and travellers. The men would help carry up any cases that the travellers had. The woman, including Jorga, would help get the rooms ready when its occupants had vacated.

Today, Jorga needed to wash the bedding and any cloths. That was what she needed to do. Jorga had eaten her fill and was now ready for second job of the day.

Jorga entered a very hot room. Steam seemed to create a fine, but hot, mist in the room. Another woman was standing at a large wooden dolly. Inside, a large amount of cloths had been submerged in soapy water for a few hours.

"Why, hello dear" said the old woman.

Jorga smiled. She loved this new life that she had. Everyone was so nice to her.

"Hello" Jorga answered.

"Did Barliman send you in here?" the woman asked.

Jorga nodded.

"Well, we best get you started"

Jorga was shown what to do and was left to do it. She was now holding a large paddle. The water sloshed around. At first, it was hard to get it moving. But, once it started to move, it became easier.

Rivendell was bright and airy. The air was clear and crisp. Mya was sitting on a large chair. Elladan and Elrohir had helped her into her chair.

"Thank you" she said.

A few seconds later, a small whimper came from the floor beside her. Mya looked down to see a puppy standing there, looking right back up at her.

Origo looked very adorable as he waited to be picked up. Mya smiled, feeling her heart melt. Ori was then picked up a few seconds later.

"Good boy" she said, kissing the top of his fluffy head.

Ivy zoomed around them as Elladan came into the room. he was carrying a trey full of wonderful food. Elrohir came in a minute later. He too was carrying a trey. Unlike Elladan's trey, Elrohir's trey contained only one thing.

Turkey.

This was for Origo and Origo only. Ori's little tail started to wag as he watched the trey being placed down.

"Eat up puppy, then you can go and explore" Mya told him.

Origo did not have to be told twice to eat. For his one and only love was turkey. Mya smiled as she started on her meal as well. But she did not eat at the same rate that the puppy did.

"You shouldn't eat so fast puppy, you'll make yourself ill" Ivy told him, landing near by.

But the puppy was not listening to her. In fact, this happened with every meal. Origo seemed to be too busy with his eating to listen to what they had to say.

Mya had just finished spreading the butter on her bread as Origo finished up his last piece of turkey. Warm, crisp rashers were placed onto the buttered slice of bread. Another slice of soft white bread was also buttered and placed over the rashers, creating a bed for them.

Mya smiled as she picked up the slices and took a big bite. Mya loved bacon. She had only discovered bacon when she had moved in with Pimpernel. But now, the taste of bacon made her miss her Pimpernel even more.

She could see her Pimpernel's face smiling down at her.

"Eat up, puppy" she said.

Mya, who's new name was Abira, wagged her tail. The smell of bacon lingered in nearly every room. But bacon was not the only food being prepared.

Pearl Took was standing at the stove. She was watching a pot full of bubbling water. A large pile of vegetables was sitting on a chopping board near by. Pearl smiled as she picked it up and placed it into the water.

A pinch of salt and a second pinch of pepper was put into the water as well. A metal lid was then placed over it. Pearl repeated this a few more times before all of the vegetables were placed in separate pots. Each pot had a flame flickering under it.

A large chicken was cooling on the work top. Pimpernel and Pearl were expecting a few more guests. Pervinca and Diamond had also been invited.

"Ah" Pearl said, hearing a knock coming from the door.

A few barks echoed down to them.

"That must be Diamond"

Pearl wiped her hands on her apron and walked out. A minute later, Origo zoomed into the room. Abira still did not look up. there were only a few pieces of bacon left to eat. But Origo was not as patient as Abira would have liked.

Pimpernel smiled as she picked up Origo.

"Hello puppy" Nelly said, holding the squirming puppy to her shoulder.

"Calm down, Ori" Pimpernel said, tickling his ear.

"Want to play" he whimpered, looking up at her.

Pimpernel smiled as she looked down at him. Abira had finished her bacon and was now ready to go and play. Nelly placed both puppies on the floor as Diamond entered.

"Hello, Diamond" Pimpernel said.

Diamond smiled as she nearly got run over by two excited puppies.

"Hello" Diamond answered.

She was carrying her little bundle of joy. Faramir giggled as he looked up at his mother.

"Lunch should be ready soon" Pearl explained.

Diamond took her seat.

"Would you like some tea?" Pearl asked, breaking away from the brown chicken that sat on the work top.

Diamond nodded.

"Yes please" she answered.

Pearl stopped what she was doing and walked over to the other end of the worktop. Luckily, the two girls had already had their cup of tea. But this did not mean that they would not have one.

Three large mugs were taken out. There was enough water in the kettle to fill all of the mugs twice over. It took Pearl a few minutes of preparation before the tea was served.

Pimpernel smiled as she was handed her cup of tea. A small bowl of honey had been placed out on the table. The spoon was still stuck in the honey.

Pimpernel smiled as she took it out. The honey was thick and sticky. Nelly twirled the spoon, making the honey stick to the spoon.

The spoon was then dipped in the tea and stirred around. Pimpernel lifted it out and saw that the honey had all gone. She repeated this a few more times.

Pimpernel smiled as she looked over at Diamond. Diamond was struggling to make her mug of tea the way she wanted it.

"Do you need help?" Nelly asked.

Diamond smiled. Of course, she needed it, but then, she did not want to look like it.

"Oh, that's very kind of you, Pimpernel" she answered.

Pimpernel smiled as she took Diamond mug of tea.

"How many sugars would you like?" Nelly asked.

"Six, as usual" Diamond answered.

Hobbits loved their tea sugary and their food plentiful. Even from a young age, they would be fed large meals. Even their pets, if they could afford them, would have just as much as their owners.

Origo and Abira were no exception. It was rare for hobbits to have dogs of their own, unless they worked on a farm.

Origo whimpered as he looked up. Looking down on him was another puppy.

"You can make it" Abira told him.

She was standing on Pimpernel's bed, willing Origo to get up so that they could play. Origo looked around. Unlike his Diamond's bed, there was no small box to jump of.

Origo tried yet again. A few times, he had managed to hold on. But he could not grip on.

"One more time" he told himself.

Abira moved back. Origo moved back, surveying the bed. The wall behind him prevented him from going back any further.

Abi watched as Origo ran as fast as he could and jumped.

He made it.

"Now we can play" Abira said, bouncing around on the bed.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Diamond was chatting with her two friends. But this was soon disrupted as a knock came at the door.

"That should be Pervinca" Pearl said.

She had started to carve the chicken. Bowls now lined the worktop. Each waiting to be filled with vegetables. Diamond smiled as she looked down at her son.

"Ah" she said, seeing his closed eyes.

Faramir had fallen asleep. Diamond knew that she could not hold him for lunch. So, when Pearl returned, she asked for a place to put Faramir down.

"Oh, I have clothes on my bed, I'm going through what I don't need"

Pimpernel, on the other hand, had space on her bed.

"Oh, thank you, Nelly" Diamond answered.

So, after drinking the rest of tea, Diamond got up. She knew where her room was. As she entered, she saw a very adorable sight. Origo and Abira were cuddled up on Pimpernel's pillow.

Diamond's heart melted as she walked over to them.

"Puppies?" Diamond asked, looking down at them.

Origo yawned as he slowly opened his eyes. Playing time had stopped for the two of them. Abira was rested her fluffy head on the back of Origo.

"Time to get up" she said.

Origo gave a little whimper and rested his head on his paws again. Diamond knew that she would get neither of the puppies to listen to her unless she had a treat to give them.

"Puppies, if you get up and let Faramir sleep there, I'll let you have turkey and bacon"

This worked a charm. For Origo and Abira both looked up. Origo tilted his head.

"Come on" Diamond said, patting her thigh.

Origo was the first to reach the edge of the bed. Abira arrived a few seconds later.

"Come on" Abira whimpered.

But Origo could not get down. It was too high for him. Abira nudged him. Diamond watched as Origo tried to gently jump off, but he could not do it.

"Puppy, come on" she said, lifting him up and putting him on the floor.

Origo's little tail wagged as he looked back up. Abira did not need Diamond's help. She simply hopped off the bed and landed on the rug that covered the floor.

Abira tugged on Ori's ear as they waited for Diamond. A strange sound echoed around the room for a few seconds, then stopped.

Origo noticed that something about his Diamond had changed. She was no longer carrying that bundle she had.

"Come on, Ori" whined Abira.

Origo looked around and bound towards her. A few minutes later, after a small wrestle, the two puppies entered the kitchen. Diamond knew that she needed to get Origo his turkey.

"Pearl, have you got any turkey in the cellar?" Diamond asked.

Pearl did not have to ask why.

"I'm sorry, but I don't" Pearl answered.

She looked around and saw Origo just feet away.

"I'll have to make a quick trip back to mine" Diamond whispered.

Pearl nodded. Diamond then turned around and looked down at the puppy.

"I'll be back in a moment, puppy, Diamond just needs to get something" she said.

Origo was now very confused.

"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her walk away.

"Ah, puppy, stay" she old him.

Origo gave a small whimper, but did not move an inch. Diamond smiled and walked down the corridor. a small part of her did not want to leave, especially with her son here, but she had to please her little pup.

Origo heard the door click.

"Where did she go?" Origo whimpered.

Abira gave him a small tug, making sure he was alright. Origo laid down and rested his head on his paws. The minutes that his were hard for the little pup.

But, the sound of the door opening made Origo's little head rise. Abira watched as her puppy friend scooted out of the kitchen.

A strange, but familiar smell reached Origo's little wet nose as he bound towards the front door. His Diamond had returned and she had brought something with her.

"And hello to you" she said, feeling the little pup tug her dress.

Both of them made their way to the kitchen. There, Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca were sitting.

"Got it" Diamond said, smiling.

Pimpernel was standing at the cupboards. She was getting plates out. She smiled as she saw the packet in Diamond's hand.

"Do you think he'll want it to be warmed up, my Abira loves her bacon warm" Pimpernel told her.

Diamond nodded.

"Although, I don't think he minds" she answered.

Two more bowls were taken out. One for each of the pups. Pearl took the packet from Diamond and ripped it open. Pearl could feel Origo's eyes on her.

"Does little Abi want her bacon?" Pimpernel asked, putting the last plate down and picking up the puppy.

Abira gave a small whimper and rested her head on her Pimpernel.

"I think we could find some in the cellar" Nelly told her.

The two of them then made their way into the cellar. Abira had lifted her head as she smelt her bacon. She gave a small whimper.

"What is it?" Pimpernel asked.

Abira looked around. She could smell the bacon, but she did not know where it was. Luckily, her Pimpernel knew exactly where it was.

"This one?" Pimpernel asked, picking up a small packet.

Abira shook her head and whimpered. She was getting very hungry now. Her Pimpernel placed the packet back and picked out another one.

"What about this one?" she asked.

Abira gave a little sniff of the packet. Pimpernel smiled as Abira squirmed and whimpered.

"Come on, lets get auntie Pearl to cook it for you"

Abira then went back to resting her head on her Pimpernel. A few seconds later, the semi-darkness and chill vanished. It was replaced with light and warmth.

"Did you find it?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel nodded and handed the pack to her sister. A glimpse of the fire was enough to make Pimpernel look away.

"Shouldn't be long now" Pearl told her.

Diamond and Pervinca were talking between themselves.

"I just wish he could see that I need him, maybe one day he'll see sense" Diamond said, lifting her mug of tea and taking a sip.

"He will do, I've seen him grow up and he'll see what he has done wrong" Vinnie told her.

Diamond smiled.

"I thought he had changed, when he got back from his trip. But he had not. I thought, being a father now, that he would grow up. But that did not seem to change him. All I want is for Faramir to have a father that loves him and his mother"

"But, he does love you, it's just difficult for him because he doesn't trust other people enough"

The smell of turkey and the sound of sizzling bacon started to seep into the kitchen. Origo was waiting patently by his bowl. The smell of turkey grew stronger as it warmed up.

Minutes past before Pearl picked up his bowl and put the turkey inside.

"There you are, eat it all up and you'll be a big strong puppy" she told him.

Abira had been placed down on the cold tiled floor. She wondered over to her friend and watched him. A few minutes later, she started to eat too as Pearl placed a bowl, full of bacon, on the floor.

Bilbo Baggins felt unusual awake as he and the dwarves reached the valley of Rivendell. Curiosity got the better of the little hobbit. Which was more that could be said for Thorin and company. All they wanted was to eat and rest. They had no interest in the doings and goings on with Elves.

So, the thirteen dwarves wondered off towards the buildings.

"Oh dear" Thorin said, looking at the bridge that they had to cross.

"We can not cross that!" Dwalin said.

Thorin and company argued amongst themselves.

"I think Ori should go first" said Bombur.

They started to argue.

"If you make it across, then we're all bound to do so" Ori argued.

The other dwarves seemed to agree with his logic.

"Yes, you first Bombur" Thorin said.

Bombur mumbled, but did as he was told. He waddled over to the start of the bridge. The dwarf started to feel dizzy as he saw the cliff fall away either side of him.

His large belly blocked out his feet. Sweat started to run of Bombur's large forehead. Gandalf arrived at the back of the group of dwarves.

He saw Bombur holding everyone up.

"You could get an Oliphant over there quicker then that" Gandalf said.

Bilbo gave a small smile. A small part of him felt sorry for Bombur. It took a few more minutes for Bombur to pass over the bridge.

One by one, the dwarves made their way over. Thorin was the last dwarf to start his journey. He, like Bombur, did not like heights.

Thorin was a brave and noble dwarf. But heights were his one weakness.

"I would rather be in the mists of battle then on this bridge" he thought.

But, no harm came to him apart from the remarks from the elves that were watching. Bilbo followed next. He, unlike the dwarves that had made it over, was not so scared. He smiled as he looked down.

"It's a long way" he thought.

The hobbit made it over in good time. Gandalf was the last over. The fifteen adventures reached the house of Elrond.

Elrond smiled as he seemed to glide out into the threshold.

"My friends, welcome to my home. Please, do not fear, for you are in Rivendell"

Suddenly, out of nowhere it seemed, many elves came out of nowhere. The dwarves had their packs taken off of them. Dwalin seemed to be the only one who did not trust the elves as much as the others.

Dwalin gave the elf an evil look, but did not say a word.

"Come, I have prepared a meal for you all"

A mumble of approbation circled the gang of dwarves as they made their way inside. Bilbo finally saw the table ladened with the most food he had seen since the night the dwarves came to his home.

Rolls of fresh, soft bread, sticks of creamy butter, whole cooked chickens, more vegetables then he had ever seen. Mugs stood in the smallest of spaces left. They were full of Miruvor. Each dwarf sat down at the table. They did not need a second invitation to sit.

Elrond stood at the door. Bilbo noticed that he was secretly talking to Gandalf.

"He must be telling him what has happened so far" Bilbo thought.

Each dwarf, including the untrusting Dwalin, was piling food onto his plate. None more so then Bombur. In fact, his plate was still unused. For his hunger drove him to eat without filling his plate up first. In fact, he stood up, took a bowl full of roasted potatoes and placed it on his plate.

The other dwarves piled their plates with all the food that they could. Bilbo smiled as he did the same. Gandalf sat down near Thorin. There were no words said. Each and every being sitting at the table was busy eating.

For hours, the dwarves feasted. Bilbo smiled as he picked up his mug of Elven water. Every time he took just the slightest of sips, he could feel it seeping down into his stomach. Hunger seemed to flood back every time he drank.

"My, I've never eaten so much" he said.

Balin have a small huff.

"I would not have believed it if I were not as hungry as I am" he answered.

Bilbo smiled. His plate became empty of food, but, for what seemed the eighth time, was filled again. Food seemed to never end, but it did not need to.

Gandalf and Elrond sat at one end. Bilbo wanted to know what they were talking about, but Bofur and Bifur started to argue.

"Oh no I didn't!" said Bofur.

Bifur, with his beard of black and grey, argued.

"You stole some of my food, I saw you!"

For such small creatures, dwarves had a large, firry temper which was suited to the battles that fought. For many of the dwarves around the table had been involved in some wars, whether it be their fathers and grandfathers telling them or be it themselves.

Ori, seemed to be eating less then the rest. He had made a space on the table for a book and an ink pot. Bilbo watched as Ori wrote to the end of one page and started another.

The day wore on as the thirteen dwarves ate and sang their dwarfish songs. The air was cool, the stars twinkled in the cloudless skies above.

"My dwarves" said Thorin.

He had eaten his fill.

"May we thank our Elvish hosts for a meal, which I think, suited us nicely"

Thorin have a small grin and sat back down again.

"Not enough ale if you ask me" said Balin before he gulped the rest of his Miruvor.

Bilbo smiled.

"Yes, there had been a lack of good ale" he thought.

The night wore on. The small hobbit had finished eating, his stomach full. Bilbo yawned, it was very late and he was very tired.

"I think we should get to bed" said Gandalf, watching Bilbo slowly fall asleep where he sat.

Elrond, who was not in the least bit tired, stood up. He towered over the dwarves, the hobbit and Gandalf. Each of the dwarves started to make their way to their room. Three of them would share one room, Bilbo would share with Gandalf. Bilbo seemed more tired then Gandalf was.

Bilbo did not wash. he was so exhausted that he did not even take his coat off. The dwarves all settled down, Bombur being the first to fall asleep.

Bilbo shivered as he cuddled up. Thoughts started to run around his head. He thought of the Shire and his home.

"When I get back, I better have everything just the way I left it" he told himself.

The little hobbit had an uneasy sleep. The coldness seemed to dig into him every time a gust of wind blew. The dwarves seemed to have fallen asleep quite quickly, unlike the poor hobbit.

The first sign of a new day was the small inky blueness in the sky. The stars slowly vanished by a carpet of blueness which grew with the hours.

By that time, Bilbo had managed to get just a few short hours of sleep. But it could hardly be called sleep.

"Bilbo?" asked a voice.

It was Gandalf. The old wizard smiled down at him.

"Time to get up"

Bilbo gave a large yawn, having never felt like he fell asleep in the first place.

The rest of the dwarves had had an equally bad nights sleep. All except for Bombur, who could sleep anywhere. The elves had prepared a ravenous breakfast. Like the night before, goblets of Miruvor had been placed out.

Bilbo smiled as he slowly walked towards Elrond's home. He could see the dwarves gathering outside. Large clouds of smoke rose in the air.

"Morning Mr Baggins" said Balin.

The smoke that he expelled was as white as his long beard. Bifur and Bofur looked the most tired out of all of them. For they were the closest ones to Bombur. Neither of them had had a good bout of sleep.

Bilbo, who had borrow a pipe and some smoking tobacco off of Balin, filled his pipe. His own smoking pipe had been left at home.

"I wonder if I'll ever see it again" he thought.

For now, this pipe would have to do. After a few minutes of puffing, the tobacco had all been burnt. Bilbo joined the rest of the dwarves in the large dining room.

Piles of bacon, sausages, eggs and racks of toast lined the table. Bilbo smiled as he placed a bed of rasher, a battalion of sausages, and a tower of toast on his plate.

Looking around, he saw that Bombur, yet again, had the most on his plate. Tiredness seemed to just fall away as Bilbo drank the Elven water that had been placed out.

The day seemed to grow clearer the more Bilbo drank the water. Sounds seemed sharper and his joints seemed to loosen. It was clear to him that every dwarf was now wide away.

Breakfast finished and there was nothing to do until lunch and dinner. This repeated for thirteen more days.

Two weeks.

By that time, the dwarves had told all the stories that they could tell, the elves seemed to have an unlimited supply of them, having seen far more then the dwarves ever could.

On the night of the fourteenth day, the matter of swords arose. Elrond was very knowledgeable on runes of every kind.

A sword was past over, from Thorin. Thorin watched as Elrond served every inch of the blade and handle.

"This is Orcrist" Elrond told him.

"The Goblin-slayer"

There was a small murmur as the sword was handed back. It was now Gandalf's turn to have his sword served.

"Gandalf, this is Glamdring" Elrond told him.

Gandalf's bushy eyebrows raised just a little

"Oh really?" he said, half whispering.

"The king of Gondolin bore this sword, keep it well my friend" the elf told him.

Gandalf took it back and placed it back in its scabbed. All the while, Thorin had been looking at his sword intensely.

"But when did a troll come across such fine gifts?" Thorin asked.

As wise as Elrond was, he could not answer his question.

"The trolls that you have plundered may have plundered others. Or they might have robbed or found them, though the latter would be very rare as they would not have light to see where they lay. Though the most likely would be if they had ventured into the mines of Moria"

Thorin knew of what secrets these swords held.

"I will keep it in honour of our fallen comrade, maybe one day, a goblin will fell its coldness once more"

Elrond looked at the dwarf.

"Your wish may come true sooner then you think"

But Elrond was not finished surveying the items that had been brought. A map, folded in four, was handed to him. The paper rustled as it was unfolded. It bore a map.

A lone mountain stood near the middle of the map. On the left had side was drawn a hand, pointing towards the mountain. Runes had been written in red ink underneath the hand.

Neither Gandalf, Bilbo or any of the dwarves could read what they said.

"What is this?" Elrond said, looking closer at the paper.

His keen eye had spotted something even Gandalf did not. A faint trace of hidden words could be seen by the elf. He rose from his seat and walked towards the glassless window.

For a full minute, Elrond did not say a word.

"These are moon-letters" he said.

"Here, besides the plain runes which says "Five feet high the door and three may walk abreast"'

Bilbo, who was fond of map making and studied them when ever he got a chance, was intrigued.

"What are moon-letters?" he asked.

Meanwhile, some ninety years later, a girl was sitting exactly where Bilbo had sat that night. She had blonde hair that flowed past her shoulders.

Her left leg was propped up on a stool, a pillow made the hardness of the wood more bearable on her ankle. Held in her hands was a gorgeous little puppy. His little brown eyes were hidden.

Mya smiled as she held little Origo on her lap.

"I wonder if he's dreaming about me" she thought.

In fact, she did not know it, but she was right. But Origo was seeing them in very different circumstance. The land that they were in was dark and hot. The clouds were not made like normal clouds, but were made from ash that blew with the wind.

Mya and Pilith were sitting in the desolate plains of Gorgoroth. The mountain of doom could be seen with a red glow.

"I'm so thirsty" Pilith said.

His voice was dry and his lips were cracking. To the west lay a range of mountains. Unlike other mountains, they were not capped with snow, but with ask.

"So am I, we need to find some water" Mya told him.

But water was hard to come by in this deserted land. Though, rarely, a small stream would erupt between the jiggered rocks. Small ponds would form where the water could not escape.

But they were undrinkable at the best of times. But, due to Pilith and Mya's situation, they had to get as much water as possible.

For hour after hour, the two beings, who had changed to their human form, walked over the desolate plains. The mountain of fire, Mount Doom, grew smaller and smaller. The evilness of Mordor was yet to fall.


	112. Day Fifty Four, Part Two

The mountains of shadow grew larger and larger as the two beings walked and walked. Sometimes, the two of the would have to negotiate large crevasses that they could not jump down. They would have to climb down one side and up the other.

"Careful now" Pilith said as he reached the bottom of the large crack in terrain.

It was much colder down here then it had been for the past few hours. There was no bird song, no light and no wind. Mya shivered as she reached the floor.

"I can hardly see anything" Mya said, crossing her arms.

Pilith took a deep breath. He looked around. An equally big wall of rock faced him.

"We need to get climbing" Pilith said.

So, the two of them found an easy looking bit on the rock face and started to climb. It took longer to climb up then it did not climb down. Mya's arms were getting tired as she stopped and started.

After an hour, they reached the top. Pilith, who had reached the top before Mya did.

"Here" he said, extending his hand.

Mya smiled as she took it. The last few feet were made easier. In the distance, the mountains of shadow had grown larger. But, there was still many hours of walking to go.

Minutes of walking turned slowly into hours. The hours past as the two of them walked.

"I need a rest" said Mya.

She was breathing heavily, trying to take in as much air in as possible.

"We need water" said Pilith.

His wishes were about to come true as he scanned the horizon. His ears picked up on something strange. A sound that he would not have expected to hear.

"It looks…" Mya started, but she was hushed.

Pilith knew that sound. He knew exactly what it meant.

"Hurry" he said, running away.

Mya was confused. She, unlike Pilith, started to walk. The sound grew louder as Pilith ran over the rocks and ash that lay floor.

It was a few seconds before he stopped. The sound was now louder then it had bee. Pilith smiled. It was a small stream trickling over the edge of the gully that they had just climbed up.

"What is it?" Mya asked, reaching his side.

Pilith smiled.

"Water" he answered, looking at her and smiling.

The two rushed forward and knelt down. Pilith felt the cold water rush through his hands. The blackness that had been ingrained in his hands slowly washed off.

Mya smiled as she rubbed her hands together. A few seconds later, she scooped up a handful of water and took a sip. She smiled as she felt the water trickle down her dry throat. A bit tricked down her chin as well.

For what felt like hours the two of them drank. The only thing that they needed now was food.

"We best get moving" Pilith told his friend.

Mya smiled as she slowly stood up.

"I wish we could take this water with us" she said, sighing.

But they did not need to. For the stream flowed on for mile after mile. Pilith explained to Mya that flasks were not needed at the moment.

"We could just follow the stream, it looks like it starts are the mountains"

So, after agreeing to his idea, Mya and Pilith started to walk again.

Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves departed Rivendell, though none of them wanted to. The fifteen of them made their way up the many paths of the misty mountains.

Gandalf led the way, but vanished as some points.

"How does he do that?" Bilbo asked he had wrapped his large cloak around him.

Bombur, who's clothes were catching the small droplets of water. The wind was getting worse and worse, but they did not stop. Bilbo had never been so cold in his life.

"He's a wizard, if you ask me, you best just keep going" Bombur answered.

There was nothing much more that Bilbo could do. Though it was the last gasp of summer else where, the mountain pass was bitterly cold. And it just seemed to be getting colder as they walked ever onwards.

For days, they snaked their way upwards. Bilbo seemed to have lost all sense of time and coldness. His feet, toes, legs, arms and fingers were all very stiff and very numb.

Their ponies were faring no better. Their heads were bent down, making the wind a little bit more bearable. Thorin and company stopped on a narrow ledge. A cave had been spotted by the ever watchful Kili and Fili.

"We have found a cave, not far from here, the ponies and all could fit inside" Fili told them.

But Gandalf was not as trusting of the cave as his dwarven counterparts.

"Have you thoroughly explored it?" he asked.

Gandalf had more knowledge then most about these mountains.

"Yes, yes" Fili said, brushing off any attempt to keep on walking.

"It isn't all that big or goes that far back" he told them.

This satisfied the dwarves. So, the group moved on. A few minutes later, one by one, they were out of the rain and in the cave.

Every one of them, even Gandalf, had droplets of cold water falling off of them. Bilbo, who's hair had been curly, was now sticking to his face.

Loud claps of thunder echoed around the cave. The bolt of lightning would flash and light up cave. Bilbo, who was the nearest one to the dark abyss, thought he saw something move.

Gandalf's staff lit up, but it was not bright enough to light up the whole cave. Bilbo and the dwarves were very tired.

"Get some sleep" Gandalf said, moving his way towards him.

The thirteen dwarves started to make the cave look smaller then it actually was. Bilbo took a deep breath as he took off dripping wet cloak.

Bilbo drifted into an uneasy sleep. His dreams had changed. For the past few nights, Bilbo had been dreaming of large banquets and elves. But tonight, everything changed.

In his dream, a large crack had appeared in the very back of the cave. Bilbo, who was laying on his cloak, started to slip down.

"Help!" he tried shout, but nothing came out.

The little hobbit, who had been asleep for an unknown length, opened his eyes. His heartbeat rose as he saw the ponies, carrying all of the food that the elves had kindly given them.

Bilbo suddenly found his voice again and found it he did. His yell woke even Bombur, who was a very deep sleeper at the best of times.

Goblins jumped out of the crack that had magically at the back of the cave. Thorin, who had been sleeping at the mouth of the cave, woke. But he was quickly over come.

Even Bombur was over come. Six goblins to each dwarf it looked like. Bilbo felt a cracked, leathery hand grab his upper arm. Without wanting to, he was forced to walk down into the crack.

All apart from Gandalf had been seized and taken into the crack. With a flash of light, several of the goblins had been killed. But this did not stop the dwarves and Bilbo being taken in.

Gandalf was now on the wrong side as the cave shut. Gandalf could hear nothing but rain and thunder. The goblins, dwarves and Bilbo were gone.

Origo gave a small yawn as he stood in Pearl's warm kitchen. Lunch had been served and now, it was time for dinner. Faramir had now woken up.

For hours, Origo and Abira had played. They had a little invisible friend as well. Ivy had been fluttering with them.

"Ah!" Ivy said, fluttering out of reach.

Origo gave a playful growl and jumped again.

Ivy smiled as she zoomed around the puppy. Abira's little tail wagged as she sat there, watching her puppy friend run around and chase the fairy. Abira did not want to do it, she preferred watching her Origo do it.

Both Origo and Abira were getting hungry. Like before, they would get a meal just for them. Origo had his turkey and Abira had her bacon.

Like lunch, a large chicken had been placed in the hot oven. Pimpernel smiled as she heard a bark from outside the kitchen. She loved her little puppy so much. After all that had happened, she could finally have someone to love and keep her company.

But in reality Pimpernel was not sitting in the kitchen at all. Diamond had not visited in a while. Pimpernel's eyes were losing their blueness. Pearl had noticed that Pimpernel's eyes were greying.

"Nelly?" she asked, opening the door.

Nelly took a deep breath, but did not look up at her sister.

"Would you like to come and help me?" she asked.

Nelly looked down. A few moments later, she slid off of the bed and followed her sister. Pimpernel walked down the corridor after her sister. Pearl smiled as she continued on chopping.

Pimpernel had stopped. The sight of the flaming heath stopped her in her tracks. Pearl looked around at her sister. She knew that Nelly would not come an inch further, but she needed her help.

"Nelly?" she asked, her sister was still transfixed by the dancing flames.

"Pimpernel, come on, I'm here" she said.

Pearl had put the knife down again and walked to her sister. Pimpernel was a little bit shorter then herself.

"You have to get over your fear, Nelly" Pearl told her.

Pimpernel's eyes slid over from the fire and rested on her sister's. Neither of the girls said a word, but Pearl knew that, no matter what words of encouragement that could conjure up, Pimpernel would not go near the fire.

A few seconds later, Pearl took a deep breath. Nelly turned and quickly walked back to her room, leaving Pearl to do all of the work.

The door to Pimpernel's room clicked shut. She rushed back to her bed and dived onto it. Pimpernel started to cry as she buried her head on her pillow.

Pearl continued to prepare dinner. The house was very quiet as chopped the vegetables.

Another hour past before dinner was ready.

A knock echoed around Pimpernel's room. Pearl slowly opened the door.

"Dinner is ready, Pimpernel" she answered.

"I'll have it in here" whimpered Pimpernel.

Pearl took a deep breath. She knew that she could not force Pimpernel to eat in the kitchen. Pearl smiled and walked out again. She smiled as she dished up two plates.

Roasted potatoes, honeyed parsnips, carrots, shire sprouts, turnip, homemade gravy, honeyed chicken with an array of herbs, was caved and shared out.

Pearl smiled as she put a bigger portion then for her sister. Pearl poured the hot, brown gravy all over her and her sister's dinner.

A few moments later, after getting out a knife and fork, she walked back to Pimpernel's room. She held the plate with her left hand and knocked with her right.

A few moments later, the door creaked open. Pimpernel looked around. Her eyes were red and her cheeks glistened in the fading candle light.

Pimpernel gave a small smile and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"Here you are" Pearl said, handing her the plate.

"Thank you" Pimpernel said taking the plate and then took the knife and fork.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need anymore" Pearl told her.

"I'll be fine" Nelly explained, looking down.

Pearl nodded and smiled, then walked out. The kitchen was warmer then the room she had just been in. Pimpernel insisted that she did not have to have the fire lit.

"No, no, I'm fine" she told her.

Pearl knew that Pimpernel did not want the fire lit after what had happened to her. Pimpernel barely let her light the candles each day.

But, if Abira had still been with her, things would have been much different. For one, she would have the confidence to sit in the kitchen and have her meals.

Diamond, Pervinca and Faramir had came to visit for lunch and dinner. Pimpernel smiled as she felt a small tug on her flowery dress.

Pearl had served up her large dinner. Pimpernel had helped set the table and pour the mugs of ale. Faramir had been placed in a make shift cot out of a small wicker basket that was used for shopping.

Faramir was giggling as Origo looked inside the basket. Faramir's little hand reached out as he gabbed Origo's fluffy face.

Diamond looked around to see Origo looking into the little wicker basket. She smiled as Faramir giggled as he reached out to touch the pup.

Origo moved his head and let Faramir touch his right ear. Faramir grabbed it and gave it a tug.

"You're soft and tackily" Faramir thought.

"You're not like mummy at all"

Origo buried his face into Faramir. The puppy gave a little growl.

"You're not so scary" Origo thought, tilting his head as he stopped.

Diamond finished up her dinner and her ale. Pimpernel smiled as she rested Abira on her lap. One hand was tickling Abira's ears as she curled up on her Pimpernel's lap.

Soon, all four of the girls were finished.

"Well" said a very happy and very well fed Pervinca, leaning back.

"That was a fantastic meal"

Pearl smiled.

"Why, thank you" she said, giving a small smile.

Diamond and Pimpernel thanked Pearl as well. A few minutes past before Pearl rose from her seat. Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"I'm going to have to help Pearly now" Pimpernel told her puppy.

Abira gave a small whimper as she placed on the cold floor. Faramir started to whimper as well, for Origo had left him and was not more interested in his Abira.

Diamond took a deep breath as she rose from her seat.

"I think you're a little bit sleepy, baby" Diamond said picking him up from his makeshift cradle.

Faramir yawned as his mother held him.

"I guess you wont be staying for some tea" Pearl said, looking a bit disappointed.

But Pearl knew that Faramir was more important. Diamond was now torn. She knew that she would need a mug of tea before she went to bed, but then she needed to get Faramir off to bed and give Origo one more bowl of turkey before she settled down.

"Maybe tomorrow" she said.

Pearl gave a small smile. Pimpernel rose from her seat and walked around to the table. Origo and Abira had scooted off into the corridor.

They wrestled for a little while until their owners were ready. Diamond walked out, cuddling a her little baby. Origo and Abira instantly stopped wrestling. Pimpernel, Vinnie and Pearl walked out after them.

"Time to say goodbye, puppies" Nelly said, picking up Abira.

But Abira remained on the floor. Origo had been accidently picked up instead. Abira gave a small whimper.

"Good bye, Ori" Pimpernel said.

Even Diamond did not realise Pimpernel's mistake as she handed Faramir over to Pearl. Both Diamond and Vinnie put their coats on.

"Come on, Origo" Diamond said, looking down at the small pup on the floor.

Abira looked around, a little bit of confusion came over her as the door opened.

"Puppy, come on"

Abira looked back. After a few seconds, she started to follow Diamond. Origo gave a small whimper and tired to escape. But Pimpernel did not let him.

"Abi, what's the matter?" she asked, giving him a small kiss.

A minute later, after everyone had said their final fair wells, the door closed. Abira was now out in the cold and on her way to a house she did not want to go to.

"See you tomorrow" Vinnie said, hugging Diamond as they stood at the gate.

Vinnie looked down at Origo.

"Good night, puppy" she said.

The two girls parted ways. Abira slowly followed Diamond. She had her head bowed against the bitter wind. Abira and Diamond finally reached the large front door. Diamond smiled as she opened it.

"Come on" Diamond said.

Abira slowly walked in. she wanted to see her Pimpernel. But she could not. Ivy was still with Origo. She knew the difference between the two puppies.

"Maybe she'll come back and get you"

But time was running out. Pimpernel smiled as she walked to her room. Origo whimpered as he was placed on the bed.

"You can have your bacon in the morning" Nelly told what she thought was Abira.

Origo hung his head. Pimpernel's heart melted, but she knew that Pearl had already retired to bed. Pimpernel told Origo to stay, but she did not use his name.

"Where is my Diamond?" Origo whimpered at Ivy.

Ivy now had a problem. She knew that Origo would not stop asking until he was with his Diamond. But then, Abira was her. It would be a tricky task to get Abira back to her Pimpernel.

Meanwhile, Origo was looking down at the floor. Normally, he would have a little box at the end of the bed to jump onto. But in Pimpernel's room, he did not have that.

Pimpernel came back in, she had changed into her dressing gown.

"Come on pup" she said, picking him up.

Origo was now whimpering more then ever. This confused Nelly.

"Abira, what's the matter?" Pimpernel asked, never seeing her little puppy like that.

Nelly then placed the pup on the floor. Origo instantly ran towards the closed door.

"Pearl's asleep, I cant give you any bacon"

But this did not calm her puppy down.

"Hold your horses, puppy" Pimpernel said, opening the door.

She expected Abira to run towards the kitchen, but she did not. This made Pimpernel even more confused as she followed Abira to the large front door.

"It's too late to go out now" she said, looking at the little puppy as she pawed at the door.

Abira seemed to paw relentlessly. It was a few minutes before Pimpernel started to doubt that she had the right puppy.

"Hmm" she said, thinking of an idea to tell if her Abira was alright.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

Origo turned around and gave a small whimper. Nelly smiled.

"Come on then" she said.

Origo bound over to her. Two large hands wrapped around his fluffy body. Pimpernel smiled as she walked back down the hall way.

The cellar, that led off of the kitchen, was opened. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she looked at the little flickering candle. She held the puppy with her right hand on her right shoulder and took the candle. The door, which had already been opened, creaked.

Pimpernel and the puppy went in. Nelly could feel the little puppy curl up as the coldness of the cellar sunk in. Pimpernel smiled as she stopped and put the candle on one of the empty shelves.

"Right, can you smell what you want?" she asked.

Pimpernel knew that her sister always stocked meat of every kind, so there must have some turkey. Origo sniffed the air. His nose was much better then Pimpernel's. A small whimper and a little struggled towards the back told her that she had indeed picked up Origo.

Nelly took a deep breath and picked up the candle again. Origo looked up at the girl, his little brown eyes glinting in the candle light.

"We're just going to visit someone" Pimpernel said.

Pearl, who was laying in her bed, the duvet drawn over her, heard Pimpernel's footsteps grow louder and then faded away.

"What is she up to?" she asked herself.

Pimpernel placed the puppy on the cold floor as she put on her coat and did the buttons up.

"Origo, come here" she whispered.

But she may well have not whispered. For, from down the corridor, a door opened. A few seconds later, Pearl came walking around the shallow bend in the tunnel.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Bilbo and the dwarves were taken deeper and deeper into the mountain. Tunnels seemed to wind every which way. Bilbo, though disgusted by them, was amazed at their pace. The hobbit knew he would have got lost in the tunnels long ago.

The goblins had started sing an evil song.

Clap! Snap! The black crack!

Grip, grab! Pinch, nab!

And down down to Goblin-town

You go, my lad!

Clash, crash! Crush, smash!

Hammer and tongs! Knocker and gongs!

Pound, pound, far underground!

Ho, ho, my lad!

Swish, smack! Whip crack!

Batter and beat! Yammer and bleat!

Work, work! Nor dare to shirk,

While Goblins quaff, and Goblins laugh,

Round and round far underground

Below, my lad!

Bilbo's back stung with pain after the song. The goblins whipped him as they started every sentence. Bilbo's back became numb from all the whipping.

A small bit of blood seeped through his shirt, he could feel a droplet of it seeping down his back. But, before any of the dwarves knew where they were, an orange glow could be seen as they turned the corner.

It was then Bilbo felt the heat of an immense fire. Torches of flames lined the rock wall that the chamber was made out of.

The party of prisoners were stopped. Their hands were tied behind their back so that they could not escape. The noise grew louder as the fourteen captured beings entered the chamber.

"Who are these miserable people?" asked a large booming voice from the opposite end chamber.

The dwarves, including little frightened Bilbo at the back, were taken forward. It was then that Bilbo saw a very large goblin sitting at the other end.

This goblin was the ugliest thing that the poor hobbit had ever seen. He had a band of dwarf skulls wrapped around his arm. Two large horns grew out of its head. Two more dwarven skulls dangled from them.

His skin had deep cuts on his arms. A shroud of fur, maybe from a curious wolf that strayed to far to them. A large club with spikes at one end was laying on the floor.

"Dwarves" said one of the goblins that had helped capture them.

"And this"

Bilbo was thrust forward. The hobbit fell to his knees.

"We found them sheltering in our front porch"

The great goblin gave a menacing grin.

"And what do you mean by this?" he asked.

"Up to no good, spying on the privacy of my people is my guess. I shouldn't be surprised if you were thieves or even murderers and friends of Elves. What have you got to say about that?"

His voice rumbled around the chamber. There was a small wave of stony laughter from the other goblins as they stood there.

"Thorin the dwarf, at your service" Thorin told him.

"The things of which you suspect us of we do not wish to do. We sheltered from a storm and your porch seemed convenient for the numbers in our party. We were not looking for trouble, if that's what you are trying to say" Thorin told him.

The goblin gave a small huff that sounded more like an angry groan.

"So you say" he started.

"But may I ask what you are doing this far up the mountain and where your paths will lead you?" he asked.

The mood was turning bitter by the second. Tension rose between the two groups. Dwalin distrusted the goblins as much as he did the elves.

"I know much of your people, Thorin Oakenshield. I will give you the chance to speak truth or I will prepare something mightily uncomfortable for you"

His words echoed around. Thorin knew that he was treading on very thin ice now. He knew that he could not revile where was going or why.

"We are on a journey to visit relative. Nephews, nieces, first, second and third cousins and many other descendants. They live on the eastern side of these hospitable mountains"

The great goblin surveyed the dwarf as he stood there.

"He is a liar!" roared one of the goblins who had captured him.

"Several of us were struck by lightening in the cave when we invited them to come below. Now, they are all dead and lifeless. Why doesn't he explain it to you, your highness" said the goblin told him.

Thorin's sword had been taken off of him on the way down. The goblin held it out, its scabbard was thrown on the floor. The blade glinted in the fire.

Every single goblin who was present knew exactly what that sward was. None was more angry then the king. He howled with rage, his voice seemed to rumble the very floor Bilbo stood on.

This enraged his soldiers. The gnashed their teeth and clashed their shields. Fear rose in little Bilbo. But the dwarves had a different reaction. Dwalin gave a small smile. He knew a that a fight was soon to come.

The goblins knew what sword Thorin was holding. Orcrist had slayed many goblins in its long life. The elves had hunted the goblins in the mountains or would do battle before walls of stone.

"Murderers!" the king of goblins shouted, leaning menacingly forward.

"Elf-friend!"

There was a split second of silence before the great the king spoke again.

"Slash them!" he said, his voice echoing around the chamber.

"Beat them! Bite them! Gnash Them! Take them away into dark holes full of snakes and make sure they never see the light of the sun again!"

But, before any goblin or dwarf could swing a sword, the flames of the massive fire went out. But they did not go out fully. In fact, they turned blue, the flame rising even higher.

The goblins yelled, yammered, croaked, jabbed, howled, growled, cursed, shirked and skirled. It was akin to several hundred wild cats and wolves being thrown into a fierce flame.

The smoke that bellowed out from the blue flames shrouded the chamber in thick black smoke. Neither one of the many goblins could see anything in the fire.

Bilbo wondered what on earth had happened as he cowered on the floor. A flash of silver light erupted just a few meters from where he was. The sword was driven deep into the chest of the great goblin.

His loyal soldiers fled at the sight of it. The great goblin crashed to the floor, flattening some of the slower goblins that failed to flee.

The light of the sword quickly died down and the fire died down. There was no light in the chamber any more. The echoes of fleeing goblins running away echoed up from the many passages.

"Follow me, quickly!" said a voice from the darkness.

Bilbo could see, in the semidarkness, the white beard of Balin. This was the only point he could follow. All of the dwarves followed an unknown figure back through the maze of tunnels.

The yells of goblins that had survived the attack echoed down.

"Quicker, quicker!" said the man leading them away.

"The torches will soon be relit"

Bilbo could not run as fast as the mysterious man or even the dwarves.

"Half a minute" Dori said, hearing the slap Bilbo's feet fade.

"Jump on my back, we can get out of here faster if you do"

Bilbo was panting as he struggled to make himself comfortable. He looked back as the screams and growls from the goblins grew louder.

"Run!" he said, holding on for dear life.

For mile after mile they followed the mysterious man before he stopped. In his left hand, he held a wooden staff. It light grew as the dwarves piled into this small chamber.

"Are we all here?" the voice asked.

Bilbo knew exactly who it had been from the start. But he had not had the time to let it sink in. Gandalf smiled as he handed Thorin his sword back. For, while the flames had been extinguished, Gandalf had taken it from one of the goblins that stood by the great goblin.

"Let me see" he said, his eyes darting around.

One dwarf, two dwarves, all the way up to thirteen.

"And Mr. Baggins?" he asked.

Bilbo's chains jingled behind him.

"Ah yes" Gandalf said, his eyes glinting in the light of his staff.

"Well, well, it could have been worse, or then again it could have been a great deal better. We have no ponies, no food and not the slightest hint of which way we should go"

The screams of goblins bent of revenge echoed down from the many tunnels. There sounded more then there actually were.

"On we go!" Gandalf said, his voice echoed around.

A rumble of large boots echoed around as the dwarves started to run again. Gandalf's hair blew in the wind as they ran. Bombur now had the unpleasant task of carrying Bilbo.

"Why oh why did I leave my hobbit-hole?" Bilbo asked himself.

But that was not as bad as what Bombur was feeling.

"Why oh why did I ever bring this wretched hobbit on a treasure hunt?" Bombur asked.

He had beads of sweat dripping from his large forehead. Droplets formed on his nose and to the floor. The company turned a sharp corner.

Gandalf suddenly stopped. He knew that they could not escape.

"Draw your sword, Thorin" the wizard told him.

A minute later, the sound of clanging and jingling from the goblins grew louder. A roar echoed around them as the first goblin turned the corner.

He stopped dead where he stood. For his eyes had fallen on the two swords gleaming in the light from Gandalf's staff. One by one, as the goblins bowled around the corner, they jumped in fear.

It was quite a long time before any of the bloodthirsty gang of goblins had enough courage to round the corner again.

By that time that happened, Gandalf and his fourteen friends had vanished into the darkness. But they had not relived themselves of the goblins just yet.

The torches that the goblins lit were extinguished. They chose their quickest runner with the sharpest eyes to run after them. The rest would catch up when they had been caught.

Three knocks echoed down the hall way. The house was silent, apart from the odd pop and crackle of the fire. Diamond, who had put her son to bed and was just drifting off to sleep when she was woken. For a moment, she thought it was all in her imagination.

"Maybe I should check, just in case" she told herself.

Abira, who had been laying down in the warmth of the duvet, lifted her head up.

"I'll be back in a moment, puppy" Diamond said, slipping off of the bed.

The tiles were cold as Diamond opened the door. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary. Abira knew that Diamond had heard the knocking as well. Abira stood up on all four paws and jumped off of the bed.

She landed on a soft carpet that the bed stood up. A few seconds later, she trotted off after her. A cold blast of air told Abira that the large front door was opened.

A few seconds later, Abira appeared around the shallow bend in Diamond home. Two figures stood near the door.

"You have Origo?" Diamond asked.

She was very tired. She had been up since the early hours of the morning.

"I think I accidently picked him up when you were leaving. I only found out when he wanted turkey and not bacon"

Abira bounded up, her little tail wagged.

"Well, thank you for bringing him back" Diamond said, tiredness hung on her voice as she took Origo from her.

A few seconds later, little Abira was picked up by her Pimpernel. Origo gave Diamond a big puppy kiss.

"Love you too" she said, kissing him on the head.

"I think we need to put collars on them, they look the same and maybe it'll help"

But Origo gave a little whimper that told Diamond that it was a bad idea. He whimpered and tried to struggle away.

"Ori, what's the matter?" she asked.

The puppy looked up at her. His eyes said it all. He did not want a collar on him. Abira too gave a little whimper.

"I wonder why" Diamond told her, having no idea where or how he had come to the Shire.

Pimpernel and Diamond said their goodbyes.

"Say goodbye to Auntie Diamond, Abi" Pimpernel said, waving Abira's little paw.

Diamond smiled and did the same with Origo. The door closed, shutting Abira and Nelly on the cold outside. Diamond took a deep breath. She knew that Origo would want some food.

"Come on, I think you deserve a bowl of turkey and then you can go to bed" she said.

Origo rested his fluffy head on his Diamond. He was feeling very sleepy, but had enough energy to eat a bowl of turkey, something that he would never turn down.

The kitchen was dark, the fire in the heath was dying down. But fire was not needed as Diamond placed the puppy down.

"Stay here" she said.

Origo gave a small whimper as Diamond lit one of the candles. She smiled as she opened the cold cellar. Origo wagged his tail and looked around. The sound of Diamond's foot prints grew louder.

Origo's little tail wagged as she came out. The candle was placed back on its mount and extinguished. Origo could smell the lovely turkey already. Diamond noticed a sudden burst of energy coming from the pup.

"Hold on, pup" she said.

A minute later, the packet of turkey had been emptied into his bowl and placed on the floor before him. Diamond watched as Origo ate and ate.

Soon, all of the turkey was gone.

"Good boy" she said and Origo started to lick the bowl.

The puppy gave a small whimper as two large hands picked him up.

"Time for bed" his Diamond told him.

The two of them made their way to the bed room. Diamond smile as she tickled sleepy Origo's ear. She got into bed and drew the covered over both of them.

A moment later, Origo popped his head out from the covers. He gave a small whimper and rested his head on his paws.

"Good night to you too" she said, giving his floppy ears a tickle.

Both Diamond and Origo fell asleep quiet quickly that night.


	113. Day Fifty Five, Part One

Legolas smiled as the sun slowly rose. The night had been cloudless and starry. The elf, unlike the dwarf he was accompanying, did not need sleep. The only sound that the elf could hear was the wind, the popping and crackling of small fire and the snores of Gimli.

The sun slowly rose in the East. Bird song started to echo around the area that they were in. There were only a few small, leafless trees where they were. Legolas had searched for a few hours before he had a good pile of wood.

Gimli shivered as Legolas took out some firestones. He had gathered dry lichen from the few trees that stood around them.

Gimli had his fair share of Lembas bread. His stomach was now full, but he still wished to have a good pint of ale, but, due to the fact that they were miles from the nearest pint of ale, Gimli had to settle for Miruvor.

"Time to get up" said a voice.

Gimli gave a small grunt, but did not wake up. Legolas gave a small smile.

"Gimli?" asked the elf again.

Gimli grumbled again, turned over and tried to fall asleep again.

"Could you not let an old dwarf sleep?" Gimli asked.

Legolas smiled as he opened up his pack. The Lembas bread was wrapped in green Mallorn leaves. Legolas took one of the many stacks of Lembas he had and unwrapped it. The leaves gave a crisp crackle as he unwrapped it.

"Here" he said, holding out a large, but thin and light, slab of bread.

Gimli huffed and sat up. His fingers were numb and his eyes heavy.

"You know better to wake a sleeping dwarf" he said as he took the bread.

Hunger was the one thing that Gimli hated the most and hunger was what Gimli was feeling the most. But the Lembas bread would soon sort that out.

Legolas snapped a bit of Lembas bread off from himself and the two ate in silence. Gimli finished his Lembas faster then the elf did.

"I have to say" said a very full dwarf.

"That was very fitting for this dwarf" he said, giving a small laugh.

Legolas smiled as he retrieved a flask from his back. He past it to the dwarf. Gimli unscrewed it and took a large gulp. His tiredness seemed to just slip away from him. Legolas did not did not feel the same effects that Gimli did. Though it did quench his thirst.

Gimli smiled. His energy had been restored and, unusually for him, he was raring to get going.

"Come on then, we're wasting time just sitting around lollygagging!" he said.

His eyes were now open. The coldness of the first light of day seemed not to be as harsh as just a few minutes before. The dwarf picked his pack and slipped it off.

Legolas did the same and the two set off. The wilderness of Enedwaith was cold and bare. It was mostly made up of grassy land. A few bogs dotted the path towards the Pass of Rohan. The empty shell of Isengard guarded the pass.

A large black tower stood menacingly in the thin fog that lay across the land. The top could not be seen, making it all the more intimidating.

A few years ago, a bloodthirsty army of Uruk-hai had led an attack on the people of Rohan. But these were not untrained, unmotivated worriers. They were trained to hate any being that lived, be it elf, dwarf, wizard, man and most of all other orcs. For, as much as they worked together, they hated each others existence.

Saruman the white stood on his high baloney. Below him stood an army of ten thousand orcs stood there, ready for battle.

"A new power is rising!" Saruman shouted, he voice echoed around the treeless fortress.

"Its victory is at hand!"

The Uruk-hai yelled and bashed their shields and metal plates on their chests. Saruman had been wise with his army. For he had left their backs unprotected and bare. For, if they were to flee, then they would be killed in the process.

"This night the land will be stained with the blood of Rohan!" Saruman said.

He hated men, he had no use for them. They were weak and simple minded. They fought between themselves more then others. They hunted bore and deer, but left more then half of the beasts to the dogs.

"March to Helm's Deep!" Saruman said, raising his arms.

His black staff and the black tower looked the same.

"Leave none alive!"

A few seconds of silence came from both parties.

"To war!" Saruman shouted.

This sent the Uruk-hai into a frenzy. They needed no more encouragement. Grima, who had been Saruman's spy, started to realise that he had made a grave mistake. A mistake that could not be undone.

The ten thousand orcs started to march south towards Helms deep. It would be nightfall before they reached the walls of the deep.

Now days, trees had reclaimed the once black land around Isengard. Only a small bit of the wall was left. The tower, Orthanc, was untouched. Not even an army of Ents could bring it to ruin.

Some of the trees that stood in the shadow of Orthanc were not what they seemed. Usually, trees would stand still. But some of them did not.

A large tree, by the name of Treebeard, walk standing near a lake. The lake was deep and murky. Below the surface was the remains of Saruman's efforts to take over Middle-earth.

Some of the machinery that had survived the flooding had been knocked down. The waters had drained away, a large river or stream was now trickling through the vast circular forest.

Treebeard stood at the bank of one of the lakes. He closed his eyes as his were closed and he was standing as still as any other tree. In fact, if one was to walk by him, their eyes would not have known that he could move.

A small bird, a robin, fluttered through the forest. His song echoed around for all to hear.

"Never seen that tree before" he told himself as he perched on a different tree.

The little robin carefully made his way towards this strange tree. He had never seen a tree like this. The small bird perched on a nearby tree. He was just about to flutter over to it, it gave off a strange noise.

The robin watched as the tree started to move.

"Now that was a drink" Treebeard said, his large wooden legs slammed into the grassy floor.

The little robin watched, and felt, the tree walk past.

"Now, that was a strange sight if ever I saw one"

The robin fluttered on after it. Treebeard started to laugh a deep laugh which grew as the robin hopped about of his twiggy head.

"You again?" asked Treebeard as the robin hopped onto his nose.

Treebeard was looking forward to a good long talk. But, before he could say a word, the bird had vanished.

"Hmm" Treebeard said a few minutes later.

Origo yawned as he felt a wave of coldness come over him. Noises started to fill his little ears as he felt his Diamond get up. His little eyes opened on a black world.

"Mummy's here, darling" said a voice.

The duvet had been lifted off of the small pup, making him lose what warmth he had. Diamond had to attend to Faramir. She hoped that Origo would sleep through, but her wishes had not been granted.

"Go back to sleep, puppy" she said, holding a whimpering Faramir.

Origo yawned and shook his head. He wanted more cuddles from his Diamond, but he had to wait. For the door to her room clicked open. Origo looked around. A bright green light zoomed towards him. Ori gave a small whimper, Ivy's light was hurting his eyes. A fluffy paw covered his eyes.

"Puppy?" Ivy asked.

Origo gave her a little whimper.

"Ah" she said, fluttering backwards a bit.

The light dulled a bit, just enough to have Origo see and not to hurt his eyes.

"You should be asleep, puppy" Ivy told him.

Origo gave a little whimper and looked around at the door.

"She's just giving Faramir his drink, she'll be back soon" Ivy told him, trying to calm him.

But it would not work.

"She doesn't love me any more" he whimpered, looking downwards.

Origo could still not understand that Faramir and Origo were equally loved. Origo had been told many times, by both Diamond and Ivy, that they loved him.

The next second, before Ivy could stop him, Origo stood up on his fluffy paws, turned and bounded down towards the opposite end of the bed.

Ivy fluttered on after him. Origo hopped onto the box, then jumped onto the floor. He scurried out of the room, to the kitchen. But his little journey had not being a quiet one.

As Diamond sat in her seat, a bottle of warm milk in one hand and her son resting on her free arm. She looked down as the little pitter-patter of Origo paws grew louder.

"Ori, what are you doing up?" she asked.

Faramir was drinking his milk. A small bit was trickling down his chin. A few minutes later, Faramir had finished his milk.

"Good boy" his mother said.

Faramir yawned, showing his toothless gums.

"Time to get back to bed" Diamond said.

She smiled as she stood up.

"Ori, come on" she said.

The little puppy was still exhausted, but he came along anyway. He walked much slower then his Diamond, but that did not matter. For, when Diamond had put little Faramir back to bed, Origo came trotting in.

He was gently picked up and cuddled.

"Good boy" she said, kissing up on his warm, fluffy head.

The two of them had cuddled up together. Both quickly fell back to sleep. Origo's soft head poked out of the duvet. His eyes were closed as he snoozed.

The daylight slowly started to seep through the wind. There was a cold mist laying over Hobbiton. The snow that had fallen a week or two before had now all gone. But everyone knew another large snow storm was on the way.

It would just be a matter of time before it arrived.

The mist slowly started to thin as the sun crept up in the sky. Chimneys all around the small settlement bellow into the sky.

Mothers all over the small village started to rise. Their husbands and children, some had more then others, were still asleep.

Rosie Gamgee was no exception. She had a lot of mouths to feed which meant a lot of food to prepare. She, unlike Diamond, who was puppyless, had had a wonderful night of sleep.

Her Samwise continued on snoozing as she walked out of the room. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen. The first she did, like every morning before, was to stock up the fire.

The kettle was taken off of the hook. Its handle was warm to the touch, but would soon be too hot to handle. Water filled it, nearly to the top.

Rosie heaved it out of the sink and to the heath. She heaved it onto the hook, where it swung for a moment. The flickering flames started to heat up the metal which, in turn, would heat up the water inside.

Fifteen minutes later, Samwise had risen. He could hear his wife making his usual morning tea as he walked down the hall way.

Both of them looked and felt as tired as each other. Rosie smiled as she placed his mug on the table just as he crossed the threshold.

"Morning" Samwise said, walking in.

The two parents had a rare few minutes of silence. But both missed the hectic goings on when the children were awake.

"Well" Sam said, placing his empty mug down.

"I best get the littluns up"

He took to his feet, walk around the table and kissed Rosie. Rosie blushed a small bit, she loved it when Samwise kissed her, she became all tingly again, just like the first time she met him.

Samwise took a deep sigh as he walked out. Rosie finished her mug of tea a few minutes later and rose from her seat as well. She picked up the two empty mugs and placed then by the sink to be cleaned.

Samwise slowly and quietly opened the first door. The room was comfortably warm as he entered. Two of his children share this room. The two beds were facing each other.

Sleeping in each bed was a young boy and a young girl. The little boy, who Sam woke first, was called Merry. He had been named after a very dear friend of his father's, a fitting tribute if ever there was one.

The little girl's name was very pretty, it was Rose. Rose had inherited her mother's looks, having golden hair and a round face. Her nose was little and button-like, making her even more cuter.

"Merry, my lad?" Samwise asked, giving him a small shake.

Merry, like his father, was a very deep sleeper and needed more encouragement to wake up. The little boy, who was now four years of age, gave a small grunt, but did not seem to wake.

"Get up now" Samwise told him before moving off.

Rose was smaller, but older then her brother that she shared a room with. Rose was much easier to wake then her younger brother was. She had even drawn the duvet back and was getting ready to put her dressing gown on.

She had a flowing night dress on, it had a hint of pink laced within.

Her dressing gown also had a hint of pink in it as well. She smiled as she put her arms through the sleeves and did up the small cord around her waist.

Merry still had his eyes closed, but he could hear everything that was going on. His father had moved onto the next room. This was his eldest son and most adventurous child, Frodo.

Frodo Gamgee could be heard from down the hall way. His snores grew louder as the door opened. Samwise peered around the door to a strange sight.

Young Frodo was almost slipping out of his bed, his left arm and left leg were dangling out of the duvet. Samwise took a few seconds to take in what he was seeing before waking his son up.

"Frodo, my lad?" Samwise asked, giving him a small nudge.

Frodo was inches away from falling out of bed.

"Time to get up for breakfast now"

Frodo gave a small grunt. The next second, Frodo started to slip. Samwise was not fast enough to catch him and he fell to the floor with a thump.

Frodo was still half asleep as he opened his eyes. Samwise gave a small chuckle and helped his son up.

"Are you alright?" his father asked.

Frodo sat on the bed, looking a bit dazed, but a little nod showed his father that he was alright.

"What happened?" Frodo asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

Samwise smiled.

"You fell off of the bed" he answered.

The young boy took a deep breath.

"Come on, get ready for breakfast" Samwise told him.

Frodo watched his father walk out before putting on his green dressing gown. As he did, a waft of bacon hit his nose. It was then his stomach started to talk.

Breakfast couldn't have come any sooner as, a few minutes later, he walked into the kitchen. A lot was happening. Elanor, Merry and Rose were already seated. Merry and Rose were chatting away.

"No!" Rose said, looking a bit annoyed.

"Daddy love me more!" she said.

But Merry saw it differently.

"He loves me more, he told me so" he said.

Rose was not at all happy. She would chase her father up this matter when she saw him. It would not take long before this matter was resolved.

"I love you both the same" Samwise told her as he sat down.

Rose looked over at Merry. Merry gave a small giggle as he held his hands over his mouth.

"Not funny" Rose told him.

Rosie smiled as she started to dish up the food. A rack of golden toast had been placed in the middle of the table. A stick of creamy butter along with a silver knife sticking out of it.

Rosie walked around the table, dishing out the sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes and, most of all, mushrooms. Elanor was sitting at her seat. Opposite her was an empty chair. Frodo had yet to come out of his room.

Samwise noticed this as well.

"I best see if Frodo's up" he told his wife as she dished out his meal.

Samwise had the most dished to him, for he was the head of the house. Rosie smiled, she would get the last little bit off food that had not been dished out.

Samwise walked out of the kitchen, leaving his meal to go cold. A minute later, Frodo's door opened again. Frodo was still laying in her bed, but he wasn't asleep.

"Breakfast is ready" Samwise told him.

Frodo seemed not to be himself at all. He was curled up on top of his duvet.

"Don't feel well" he whimpered, looking very sorry from himself.

Samwise took a deep breath and placed his hand on Frodo's forehead.

"Hmmm" Samwise said, feeling that his son's forehead was hotter then normal.

"Well, you might as well stay here, I'll tell your mother to keep your meal 'til later"

Frodo gave a small sigh. He was looking forward to going out with his friends. But his stomach hurt and, unusually, he was not hungry.

The clouds outside gathered high above the land. There was a deferent sense that bad weather was on the way. The first of many snow flakes fluttered it way down from the cloud.

In the distance, a small village could be seen. Patches of forest could be seen as the ground got closer. The wind propelled the little snowflake as it fluttered closer and closer to the ground.

A lake could be seen reflecting in the dull sunlight. A building could be seen next to the silver pool. It had black smoke bellowing out from a few chimneys. To the south lay a winding road, heading the same way that the wind was.

The little snowflake lost a lot of height, but gained it back when the next bitter wave of wind hit it. The silver lake grew larger and larger. The township of Hobbiton became more distinctive.

Small ribbon-like paths started to become more visible. There were small dots moving along those paths. They were hobbits who were on their way towards their local pub, the Green Dragon.

The snow flake twirled in the air, changing direction. A few more minutes and the snowflake was seconds from impacting on the path. But its direction changed again. It swooped down and headed towards a little misted window.

Behind, inside the house, was a young girl. Elanor smiled as she finished her breakfast. She was now very awake as she took hold of her mug of water. Her father had come back and explained that Frodo was not very well.

"Do you think we should go and see Dolly?" she asked.

Dolly was very well known in Hobbiton. For, most of the hobbits that had been born in the past fifty years had dolly present at their birth.

Dolly was the only midwife that Hobbiton had. Sometimes, she would be so busy that she would have to go between three different houses in one day.

Sometimes, she would miss a birth, which scared her. She knew that she needed someone to take over her reigns and be in change.

Rosie and her family finished up their breakfasts. Rosie took a deep breath as she picked Frodo's up and placed it in the hot oven so that he could have it when he was ready.

The children were all getting ready. Merry and rose had already been washed and dress. Elanor smiled as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Samwise asked as he walked down to Frodo's room.

Elanor smiled.

"Of course I did, daddy" she answered.

Samwise smiled, knowing that she would never lie to him. Elanor continued on her journey to her room while her father, followed by her mother, walked to Frodo.

Frodo heard the door click open. None of the candles in his room have been lit.

"Frodo?" asked his mother.

Frodo looked around and saw her standing there. She smiled and sat on the edge of his bed. She, like Samwise before her, placed her hand on his forehead.

"It hurts" Frodo whimpered.

Rosie's heart melted. She did not like any of children in discomfort. Frodo looked very pale, his stomach felt very funny.

"Should I go and get a bowl?" Samwise asked.

Rosie looked around and gave a nod. Frodo had some sort of bug. Samwise could have returned soon enough. Frodo suddenly sat up. Rosie knew that he was going to throw up.

Rosie placed her hand over her son's forehead.

"That's it" she said.

Meanwhile, Elanor was getting dressed. She smiled as she looked out of the window. A faint pitter-patter came from the window.

She smiled, knowing that it was snowing. A strange feeling came over her. Her large feet felt tingly. It was excitement.

Elanor smiled as she walked out of her room. She wondered back to the kitchen and looked around.

"Daddy?" she asked.

A door down the corridor shut with a small click. Elanor knew that this could be her father.

"Daddy, I'm ready to go outside" Elanor told him.

Samwise smiled. He still needed to get washed and dressed.

"You be careful out there and be back for lunch" Samwise told her.

A few times, Elanor had either been too busy or arrived late for lunch.

"Yes, daddy" she said.

The young girl hugged her father and scurried off towards the door. She quickly put her coat on and opened the door. The rate of snow had increased. The horizon seemed smoky. Curtains of flakes blew with the wind.

The clouds had gathered above the land. The whiteness stretched on for mile after mile. There was no distinguishable break in the sheet of cloud.

The snow seem to increase as Elanor came to Gloria's home. She smiled as she took her hand out of her pocket. The coldness was getting sharper on the back of her throat as she took a deep breath in.

Three knocks echoed down the hall way. Gloria, who was sitting in the kitchen, knew exactly who this was.

"Elanor's here" she said, smiling.

Her father smiled as well as he and his daughter got up and made their down towards the door. Elanor smiled as the door opened.

"Hello, Elanor" said Gloria.

"Come in" she said.

The warmth in the house quickly escaped out of the opened door. But that was soon stopped as Gloria's father closed it.

"Hello, Elanor" Gloria's father said.

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

Elanor smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I have" she answered.

Gloria was a little bit embarrassed as she stood there.

"Well, we have plenty of cookies and milk if you feel hungry, just don't tell you mother"

A minute later, the two young girls made their way to Gloria's room. Elanor loved the silence that she got when she was around Gloria's house. She had a lot of brothers and sisters and had a hard time talking to both her parents. For they had a lot of children to look after.

Elanor had learnt that she would only have time with her parents a few minutes before she went to bed.

"So" said Gloria as she sat on her bed.

Elanor thought for a moment.

"Oh no" she said, a little disappointment could be heard on her voice.

"I forgot to bring horsey again" she said, hanging her head.

Back home, in her room, the horse was standing on her bedside table.

"Well, maybe we could go and get him and bring him back here" Gloria told her.

This sounded like a good plan.

"And its snowing outside" Elanor told her.

This made both girls very happy. Gloria walked over to her bed side table and picked up her favourite horsey. She smiled and followed Elanor out of the room.

"Daddy?" Gloria asked, looking in the kitchen.

Both of her parents were sitting at the table. They had a mug of tea each.

"Yes, sweetie?" he asked.

"Could I go out please?" she asked.

Her father smiled.

"Of course you can, just be back for your lunch" he told her.

Gloria kissed and cuddled her parents and made her way towards the door. A few minutes later, after the two girls had put their coats on.

The world on the other side of the door had changed since Elanor had knocked for her friend. The snow was now very heavy. The flakes that were coming down were the size of feathers. The ground now had a thin crush of snow on it.

Elanor smiled as she gathered up a small bit of snow. She smiled feeling the coldness tingle in her hand. She dropped the small ball of snow and stuck her hands in her pockets again.

As she got to her home, she saw some footprints coming out from her home. She knew her mother would be in, Rosie did not like the cold much.

Three knocks echoed down the hall way as she fed Pippin.

"Now, who could this be?" Rosie asked herself.

Little Pippin was having a tantrum as Rosie left his meal on the table. She walked down the hall way, her feet slapping on the tiled floor.

A few moments later, she opened the door on two familiar faces.

"Oh, what are you doing back so quickly?" she asked, spotting her oldest child.

"I need my horsey" Elanor told her mother.

Rosie smiled and let the two girls in.

"Be quiet now, Frodo's sleeping, he isn't the well"

Elanor and Gloria walked down the hallway and to a door. Elanor opened it and walked inside. Her room was warm and light. The heath had been stocked, the flames flickered, sending smoking up the chimney.

"Got him" Elanor said, looking around.

Bilbo woke up sometime later. He opened his eyes but could see nothing. In fact, if was like he had not opened his eyes at all.

Bilbo was confused. He could not remember how he had come to a stop. The last thing he saw was Dori. But Dori was not around any more. Only the noise that he could hear was his own heart beat.

The hobbit felt the ground as he tried to stand up. Finally, after what felt like a minute, he found the stony wall.

"Careful now, Bilbo" he told himself as he took to his feet.

His hands never left the rocky wall as he stood there. The hobbit simply stood there for what seemed like an age before he figured out what to do.

A few minutes past before he started to slowly walk.

"Or maybe crawling is better, that way I can feel where I am going a lot better"

Bilbo slowly sank to his hands and knees again and continued his journey. As he did so, one of his fingers brushed past something cold and metallic.

"What is this?" he asked himself, picking it up.

He almost dropped it, but save it just in time.

"A ring" he said.

Even though it was pitch black, he knew it by feel. Without thinking about it, he placed it in his pocket and went on without a problem.

After a while of crawling, something sharp hit his thigh. This gave Bilbo a bit of hope as he took out his pipe. It was unharmed.

"Now, I wonder if I have some…" he thought to himself, taking to his feet again.

"Ah" he said, finding his tobacco.

But his hopes of a smoke were dashed as he remembered that he could not light his tobacco. So, disheartened, he put his pouch and pipe back.

As he did this, he knocked the handle of his sword. He saw a strange glow coming from it.

"So, this one must be Elvish too" he thought.

"It's a good thing that the goblins are not too close" he told himself, looking at the faded blueness of the sword.

Bilbo was comforted by this. For he did not like the fact he was on his own. The blue light of his sword showed him the way, but it was nothing like Gandalf's staff.

"Now" Bilbo said, his eyes darting around.

"Should I go back?" he asked himself.

This was not an option.

"I can not go sideways, all I have is going straight on the way I'm facing"

This was the direction that Bilbo settled on. Carefully, he walked on. The light coming from his sword was enough to let him know what was coming up a few meters ahead.

Bilbo followed this path. It steadily descended more. Only his feet slapping on the cold, wet rocks as he walked along for what seemed like hours. The occasional bat flew close to his ears.

His senses seemed to become sharper the more he was down in the depths of the mountain. But his journey came to an abrupt stop.

He had walked right into some freezing water. His breath had been taken away almost instantly. Bilbo was unsure what he had stepped into.

"Is it a lake?" he asked himself, his sword hardly lit up the surrounding area.

There was no knowing what he had stepped in. it could have been a lake, then again, it could have been a stream or a puddle.

Bilbo did not dare wade out, for he could not swim. There was more sound here, it echoed around as he stood there. The sound of dripping came from a far off place where his sword could not light.

"Well, I guess the others did not come this way" he told himself.

It seemed that there was no way out of this bit of the mountain. Bilbo seemed to, unknowingly, got himself into deeper trouble then he had been. For he was not alone in this part of the Misty Mountains. An old creature was just a few meters away from him. He was slimy and small. His body was bent and his eyes unusual large.

His name was Gollum.

Gollum had given up a comfortable life in the sun's light for a life of raw fish and dirt. Bones of meals past lay around. The light from Bilbo's unnamed sword shone on them.

Gollum knew these mountains like the back of his grey hand. He could rival the goblins in his knowledge of the passages.

He had lived there for five hundred years, longer then any goblin alive to date. He lived peacefully, unhindered, in the middle of the lake that Bilbo was now stood at. Bilbo did not know it, but Gollum was coming to investigate what had caused ripples in his lake.

Bilbo realised that he was being watched too late.

"Splashed us it did, my precious!" said a voice out of the darkness.

Bilbo jumped as the hissing voice echoed around.

"Would make a tasty treat for us"

Bilbo's heart rate rose dramatically. This was no goblin, in fact, he did not know what it was. Gollum coughed like a cat trying to bring up a fur ball.

Bilbo had been through a lot that day. Though he was scared, his courage had not faulted.

"Who are you?" asked Bilbo.

Gollum had the same question, which he expressed in his own manner.

"I am Bilbo Baggins" said the hobbit, not realising that it would come back to haunt him.


	114. Day Fifty Five, Part Two

"I have lost my dwarves and my wizard in the tunnels. I do not have a clue where I am and I do not want to know quite frankly. All I want is to be told the way out" he told the creature.

Gollum's eyes flashed in the light of the sword.

"What has it got in his hands?" Gollum asked, his eyes set on the glimmering blade.

Bilbo looked down at it.

"It's a sword, a blade that came out of Gondolin" Bilbo answered, swinging it about.

Gollum hissed, but had a much better reaction to it then the goblins did.

"Perhaps it would sit here for a bit and talk to us" Gollum asked, clambering onto an outcrop of rock near by.

Bilbo had no choice as Gollum climbed silently onto the rock.

"Does it like riddles?" he asked.

Bilbo was taken aback by this.

"Riddles?" he asked, thinking about it for a few seconds.

"Yes, very well then" he answered.

"You go first" Bilbo said.

He had not had time to think up a riddle. Gollum hissed. A few seconds later, he started to talk in his raspy voice.

"What has roots that nobody see, is taller then trees, goes up and up, yet never grows" Gollum told him.

He was confident that Bilbo would struggle. But he was wrong.

"Easy" the hobbit said, smiling.

"It's a mountain"

Gollum gave an angry grunt.

"Its guesses are easy?" Gollum asked, hitting his fist on the rock.

"Maybe it wants a competition with us?" he asked.

"If you don't answer us, we will eats you. If you does, we will do what it wants"

There was a small pause.

"We will show it the way out, yes"

Bilbo liked this idea very much and agreed to the term. Bilbo took a deep breath.

"Ah yes, I have one" said Bilbo.

He cleared his throat.

"Thirty white horses on a red hill, first they champ, they the stamp, then they stand still"

This was the best he could come up with, his mind very much distracted by the fact that he did not want to get eaten.

Gollum knew the answer almost as quickly as Bilbo had told the riddle.

"Chestnuts!" he answered.

Bilbo knew that Gollum's next riddle would be harder.

"Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters"

Bilbo's predication was right.

"Half a moment" Bilbo said, running the riddle back in his mind.

A few seconds later, he gave a smile.

"Wind" he answered.

"Wind of course"

Bilbo's next riddle really was hard. A normal hobbit would struggle to find the answer. But Gollum had no trouble at all, apart from the memories it brought back.

"Son on the daisies it means, does it?" Gollum asked.

Gloria and Elanor were playing in Gloria's room. Both had their own favourite wooden horse figure to play with. To the girls, they were not made of wood. The two horses were very much alive.

"Shush" Elanor said, looking around the corner of the bed.

The bedroom had changed into the gates of Mordor. Hundreds of orcs were guarding the large metal gate. The gate was guarded by two towers. These towers had orcs looking out for any in coming attack.

"How are we going to get past that?" Gloria whispered.

Elanor pulled her back. She did not want Gloria to give away their position.

"I don't know, but we cant stay here for long" Elanor told her friend.

Just then, a strange noise echoed around them. Elanor looked around the corner. A horn echoed around the grey area that they were in. She could see the large, once impenetrable gate was opening.

But it was not opening without a reason.

"Elanor!" Gloria said, her hand gripped Elanor's arm.

Elanor's mouth fell open. Large beasts were trampling their way towards the gate. They were Oliphaunts. Elanor had heard stories from her father before bed.

"Was big as the Green Dragon" Samwise told her.

Elanor gave a smile.

"Did you ride one?" she asked, her head resting on her pillow.

The rest of her had been tucked under a large duvet.

"Oh, no I didn't" Samwise told her.

"Their too big for any old hobbit to ride" Samwise told her.

"And were they going to Mordor too?" Elanor asked.

Samwise gave a nod.

"Yes, they were"

Samwise finished up the chapter in his big read book and closed it.

"What happened next?" she asked.

But it was well past her bed time.

"I'll tell you tomorrow" he said, getting up off of his chair.

"Now, get some sleep" he said, he gave Elanor a small kiss and her forehead.

"Good night, daddy" she said, smiling.

Samwise looked back and smiled as he slowly and quietly shut the door. Elanor smiled, still thinking about the stories that her father had told her.

Now, those stories would be used for entertainment again.

"Hurry" Elanor whispered as she ran along a large cliff face.

The Oliphaunt's large legs, more like tree trunks, echoed around. Gloria and Elanor had, some how, made it to nearer to the cliff then they thought.

Their smallness helped them not be seen. Elanor, who lead the way, stopped.

"How are we going to get through there?" Gloria asked.

Elanor took a deep breath. She could see that the gate was not as guarded as she thought.

"We have to try" Elanor told her.

A few minutes later, swords drawn, the two girls ran. They ran as fast as they could. The orcs that patrolled the top of the metal gate saw the two girls running along.

Archers were called. A minute later, they took aim and fired. A battalion of arrows headed their way.

"Watch out!" Gloria said, pushing her friend to the side.

It was lucky that Gloria did this. For a second later, the arrows impacted on the ground. Both of their heart rates had shot up in the unexpected attack.

"They knew we're here" Elanor said, peering around.

Just then, a knock at the door disrupted this very important moment of their adventure. Gloria and Elanor, who were holding their sticks from outside, looked at the door.

Gloria's mother came in holding a tray. On it were homemade cookies and two mugs of warm milk.

"I bright you these, thought you might get hungry" she said.

Elanor smiled, she loved cookies, no matter who made them. Gloria rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, mummy" she said.

Gloria's train of thought had been disrupted and her imagination had vanished. Elanor smiled as she looked down at the trey. She smiled as she helped herself to some warm cookies which had just come out of the oven.

"I hardly get cookies at home any more, my mummy doesn't have time" Elanor said, looking a bit sad.

She loved cookies, she had asked her mother time and time again to make some, but Rosie had never got around to it.

The two girls ate and drank to their fill. There were more cookies then they could eat. Gloria's mother then came back into the room again.

"Lunch will be ready in an hour, I think you should say good bye to your friend" she told her daughter.

Elanor smiled as she grabbed a few cookies for the journey home. A few minutes later, after putting on her coat, Elanor walked out.

"I'll see you later" Gloria told her.

Elanor looked around and the smiled. A few seconds later, the door behind her closed with a click. The little girl walked to the gate. She already had a one her cookies in her mouth as she closed the gate behind her.

Meanwhile, back in the Gamgee household, Frodo had gone back to sleep. The door to his room slowly opened. Samwise gave a smile as he saw his son sleeping in his bed.

"Poor tyke" he said to himself as he closed the door again.

Samwise was just about to walk back to the kitchen when three knocks came from the large front door.

"Must be Elanor" he said, giving a sniff.

Sure enough, Elanor had arrived on time. She smiled and walked inside.

"Looks like you've already had your lunch" Samwise said.

Elanor looked up at him. She instantly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"Gloria's mother gave me some cookies and milk" Elanor told her father.

"Just made sure you eat all of your lunch"

This was a promise that Elanor could keep. In fact, she was felling a little bit hungry again. As the little hobbit girl walked to her room, she could smell the cooking chicken seeping out from kitchen.

Elanor smiled as she opened the door to her room. She could see, out of the window, a sea of whiteness. She smiled, knowing that, in a few short hours, snow would cover every inch of Hobbiton.

Meanwhile, Frodo started to stir. He was curled up under his duvet. His stomach was not as unsettled as before. In fact, the little boy was now very hungry.

Frodo drew back his duvet. The faint hairs on his feet tingled as he stood on the cold tiled floor. Frodo rubbed his eyes as he walked towards the door.

As he opened it, a wave of smell hit him. This made him even more hungry. His mother was busy cutting up the vegetables.

She looked around as she hear little foot steps behind her.

"Hello, Frodo" she said.

Frodo gave a tired smile.

"How are you feeling?" his mother asked, stopping what she was doing.

Frodo breathed heavily.

"Still feel a bit sick" he answered.

Frodo resembled his father in nearly every little detail. His hair was the same colour, his face had the same podginess as well. Even the way he said things was the same.

"Well, lunch will be ready soon, maybe that'll sort you out" Rosie told him.

Lunch couldn't come soon enough for the little boy. He, like always, was first to the table. His breakfast, which had been put in the oven, had been thrown away.

Frodo smiled as he slowly ate. His stomach slowly filled with delicious food. Like the many meals before, Frodo was the first to finish.

He was feeling much better as he sat there. His mug of clear, cool water had been finished. Rosie smiled as she placed her knife and fork down.

"Do you want more?" she asked, looking at her oldest child.

Frodo smiled and nodded.

"Yes, please" he said.

Rosie loved the way he was so polite. She and Samwise had raised each and every child to the best of their abilities and it was paying off.

Elanor, who become jealous, looked at how much food was being placed on her brother's plate. A fresh, warm batch of parsnips, a pile of tender chicken, and a few roasted potatoes were all placed on his plate.

The boat of warm gravy was then poured all over his food.

"Thank you, mummy" Frodo said as he started eating again.

Elanor could not take it any more.

"Could I have some more, please?" she asked.

But she received a totally different reaction.

"I think you've had enough for now" Samwise told her.

Elanor looked around.

"But, Frodo is allowed some more, why cant I?" she asked.

Rosie took a deep breath, knowing that if she gave Elanor some more, then she would have give Merry and little Rose some more too.

"Frodo is not feeling very well, he needs all of the strength he can get"

Elanor huffed. She placed her knife and fork down. She refused to eat any more.

"Now, don't be like that" Samwise told her.

Little Elanor did not like that fact that she was not getting more food.

"I'm not well either" she said, giving a little cough.

But her plan back fired on her.

"You'll have to stay inside then, until tomorrow"

Elanor's mouth fell open.

"No!" she said, her plans that she made with Gloria were unbreakable.

"But if you ill, then its best if you don't go out" Samwise said, knowing full well that her daughter was just making it up to get more food.

Elanor took a deep breath and looked down.

"Sorry" she said.

Samwise gave a small smile as he continued eating the rest of his food. Elanor sat there waiting for her mother and father to finish their food.

"Would anyone like any more?" Rosie asked, seeing that there were a few parsnips and potatoes left.

Samwise smiled as he picked up some of the cold slices of toasted bread. Rosie stood up and dished out the last bits of lunch. Elanor got what she wanted and started to eat the last scraps.

None of the children left their seat. Rosie, while preparing lunch, had prepared two chocolate cakes. She smiled as she as she started to cup into the first.

The portions were massive. The two cakes were cut into quarters. Each of them would get a big piece. Even though Frodo was starting to feel ill again, he could not pass up this chance.

"Now Frodo, you don't have to eat all of it if you don't want to" Rosie told him as she gave him his piece.

But she knew that Frodo would eat every last crumb, sick or not. The family again came to silence as they ate.

The chocolate was rich and smooth. Rosie looked around. Even Frodo, who was not at all well, continued to eat.

Frodo would later regret this as he finished his cake. His stomach was talking again.

Samwise saw Frodo swaying in his seat. Frodo gave a small whimper as he held his tummy.

"I don't feel well" he whimpered.

Elanor looked over at him.

Samwise quickly stood up and herded his son out of the kitchen. Elanor watched as her father and brother disappears.

"What's the matter with Frodo?" Elanor asked.

Rosie gave a small smile.

"He's not very well at the moment dear" Rosie answered.

Origo little tail wagged as Diamond stood at the stove. He could smell his turkey cooking.

"Move back, puppy" his Diamond told him.

Origo gave a small whimper as a wave of heat tickled his fur. Diamond smiled as she got out a large turkey. She smiled as she took it out and placed it the work top.

Origo gave a little whimper.

"It's too hot at the moment" Diamond told him.

Origo hug his head, he was a very hungry puppy. Today was the time to eat and cuddle up with his Diamond. But Diamond had other ideas. She needed to clean the hallway again. Dirt and leaves had accumulated at the edges.

Diamond was a very tidy and clean hobbit. She hated having a dirty home. She loved having guests around. The more the merrier. But her home had to be clean before any came around.

The large cooked bird was left for a long time. Origo waited in the kitchen. He sat there, watching the bird slowly cool. Diamond filled her bucket with water and lifted it out of the sink.

She smiled as she saw Origo waiting near his turkey. She did not stop, but walked out into the corridor. She placed the heavy bucket down on the floor and started to clean.

The floor took on a shine as Diamond cleaned it. Origo heard the bucket scraping along the floor and went to investigate.

Diamond almost tripped over her precious little puppy as she vigorously cleaned.

"Oh, puppy I'm sorry" she said, feeling her large feet hit him.

Ori gave an adorable little whimper. His little brown eyes had a different glimmer in them. Diamond could not resist this little glimmer. So, she stood the mop against the wall and picked up her puppy.

"Oh, I'm sorry" she said, holding him on her shoulder.

Origo rested his head on his Diamond. He loved her very much. Diamond smiled as her puppy pawed at her hair.

"Come on then, lets get some food" she answered.

She could feel Origo's small tail wagging. The two of them entered the kitchen. Origo was placed back on the cold floor. He gave a small whimper as Diamond walked to the draws. She got out a large cutting knife and a long silver fork.

Origo looked up and watched her cut off slices after slice. After what seemed forever, Diamond placed some of the turkey into Origo's clean bowl.

"There you are, pup" she said, bending down and placing it on the floor.

Origo did not need a second invitation to start eating. Diamond went back to cleaning as Origo ate. Diamond had already had her lunch. She had washed, dried and put the dish away before Origo had his.

For the little puppy had been snoozing since he had his large morning bowl of turkey. Diamond smiled as she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Origo to eat.

In reality, Origo was not in Hobbiton. His bowl had been cleaned away, the smell of turkey had not been smelt in Diamond's household for a long time.

Faramir, her only child, was sleeping after a large lunch. This was a peaceful time for Diamond. Even if Origo had been with her, what she would have been doing would not have changed much.

As she cleaned the floor, a memory came back into her mind. Diamond stopped for a few seconds.

"Of course" she said.

Excitement started to rise in her. She had never had a better idea then she had right now. Her original plan was to open an orphanage. But that plan changed the more she thought about it.

"But there are no hobbit orphans I know of"

She then thought about helping an old friend who had helped her through the toughest times.

"Maybe she'll need my help" Diamond told herself.

Diamond smiled as she rushed through the last of her cleaning. The water was poured away and put the mop back in the cupboard.

Luckily, Faramir decided that now was the best time to wake up. Diamond smiled as she went into her room. Faramir had wriggled out of his blanket.

"Hello my little angel" she said, picking him up.

Faramir whimpered as he was tucked back into his blanket.

"What about we go and visit Dolly?" Diamond asked.

Faramir screwed up his face again, not liking the fact that he was now awake. Diamond, who had nothing else to do, fed her little son.

Faramir finished his meal and became a lot happier. Fifteen minutes past before Diamond was ready to go outside. Faramir had been wrapped in many layers of cloths and blankets.

Diamond had thought on and put her coat on before hand.

"Come on, baby, lets go and see Dolly"

She walked down the corridor to the large front door. What she saw when she opened her door shocked her.

"Oh my!" she said.

Whiteness stretched on for as far as she could see. Flakes, now the size of feathers, were falling to the ground. Diamond found this very magical. But Faramir had different ideas.

Snow flakes hit his skin.

"Oh dear" Diamond said as she moved the blanket so that the snow did not hit Faramir.

A few minutes later, after winding her way down the hill, Diamond reached the house where Dolly lived. Her garden was smaller then Diamonds. But it wasn't as less pretty.

Dolly was sitting quietly in her lounge. She heard the knocks echo down from her large front door.

"Now, I wonder who this could be" she said.

She wasn't expecting anyone.

Or was she?

Dolly's mind was not as good as it had once been. Her feet slapped on the cold tilted floor as she walked towards the door. It took her longer to reach the door.

She opened it slowly and looked outside. Diamond gave a large smile.

"My dear Diamond!" Dolly said, her voice sounded old and worn.

"Do come in, you must be cold!"

A few snow flakes entered the house as Diamond walked in.

"How are you?" Diamond asked as the door closed.

Dolly smiled.

"I am well, isn't it cold out there my dear?" she asked.

Diamond nodded. She and dolly stood there in a moment of awkward silence.

"Could you take Faramir for me, I need to take my coat off" Diamond told her.

Dolly had not even noticed that Diamond was holding her son. Dolly gasped.

"Isn't he big now, baby Pippin!" she said, taking him.

Diamond gave a small smile, knowing that she had to ask for all her advise quickly. The baby was handed back to his mother and the two walked down to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" Dolly asked, her walking speed had decreased over the years.

"Oh, a little seed cake wouldn't go a miss" Diamond said.

Dolly smiled and made her way to the cellar. Her mind slipped her again. She completely forgot why she had gone into the cellar in the first place.

Diamond could hear whistling coming from inside the cellar. A minute later and Dolly emerged. But she was not holding seed cakes. In fact she was holding eggs, a bar of the richest chocolate, sugar and a vase of milk.

"Oh, Diamond, how are you?" she asked.

Diamond's eyes darted away from a split second.

"What are you doing?" Diamond asked her.

Dolly gave a strange look and looked down at the ingredients.

"Oh my" she said, taking a deep breath.

"I forgot the rum"

The ingredients were placed down and Dolly headed back into cellar. Diamond took a deep breath. The same thing happened to the elders that she knew. It was a sign that Dolly was getting too old.

Dolly came back into the kitchen. She smiled and came over to Diamond.

"Oh, isn't little Diamond cute" Dolly said, looking at Faramir.

Diamond knew that Dolly had helped her mother give birth to her.

"Dolly, are you feeling well?" she asked.

Dolly gave a strange look.

"Of course I am, Emerald"

This was the name of Diamond's mother. She had not seen her since her own wedding.

"I'm Diamond, you know that"

Dolly seemed not to listen as she prepared her cake.

"Dolly, I've been meaning to ask you something"

This seemed to get her attention as she took out a bowl.

"Anything, dear" Dolly answered.

"I was wondering, could you teach me to become a midwife?" Diamond asked.

Dolly looked around. This was the first time, that she could recall, that anyone had asked her to become a midwife.

"Well, it's very difficult" she told her.

She was not sure if Diamond was up to the job.

"But the rewards are plenty" Dolly told her.

Bilbo Baggins emerged into brilliant sunlight. His eyes, after the darkness of the caves, were not used to it.

"Good heavens!" he said as he looked back.

"I seemed to have arrived on the other side of the Misty Mountains!"

But his elation was quickly replaced with despair and a hint of guilt.

"But, where is Gandalf and the dwarves, I hope their still not inside that retched place"

Bilbo had nothing more to do then to descend down the mountain side. His mind was still torn on whether or not he should venture back into the tunnels and find his friends.

He was just about to head back, his hand stroking the ring in his pocket, when he heard some voices. The hobbit stopped suddenly and listened.

Bilbo crept slowly and quietly forward. A minute or two later, he came across a hooded figure through the trees.

"Balin" he whispered, smiling to himself.

Little Bilbo could have given himself away in an instant with all of the excitement he had. But he did not.

"Maybe I can give them all a little surprise" he said, taking out the ring.

Gandalf was in the middle of the rabble of dwarves. He seemed very annoyed at all of the accusations that he as getting.

"After all, he is my friend" Gandalf told them, leaning on his staff.

"And he's hot a bad little cap. I feel responsible for him. I wish to goodness you had not lost him"

But the dwarves wanted to know more about his goings on. They questioned his doings and why he had not been chosen and why he could not have chosen someone that required less work.

"He has been more trouble then use, so far" they told him.

"If we have to go back into those abominable tunnels and look for him then I say drat him"

Anger rose in Gandalf.

"I brought him and I do not bring things of no use if I do. Either you help me look for him or leave you to get out of the mess you are in by yourselves. You will all thank me when its over"

Gandalf quickly changed the subject matter.

"And what was the reason you dropped him, Dori?" he asked.

Dori gave a huff.

"You would have dropped him too!" Dori said, becoming red under his short white beard.

He could feel eyes on him.

"You wouldn't have held onto him f a goblin had suddenly grabbed you legs, tripped you up and kicked you in the square of your back" he answered.

Gandalf took a deep breath.

"Then why did you not simply pick him up?" Gandalf asked.

Dori was becoming more and more agitated. He felt like Gandalf was blaming him for losing. Dori explained what had happened. From Thorin swinging his sword without a care, to the flash of light that Gandalf had produced, scaring away the goblins.

Bilbo had made his way into the centre of the dwarves. Gandalf looked very worried.

"And here's your burglar!" he said, slipping off the ring.

Each and every one of them jumped, including the wizard. Each and every one of the dwarves started to greet and ask where he had been.

Gandalf called Balin back and had some strong words with him. Bilbo smiled, he was finally accepted into the group once and for all. But the dwarves still had their doubts that Bilbo was still up to the job.

Balin was more puzzled then anything.

"May I ask how you came across us unnoticed?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo had to lie.

"Oh, just crept along, carefully and quietly like" he answered.

Balin was impressed.

"Well, that's the first time that even a mouse has crept under my nose and not been seen" he said.

"I take my hood off to you good sir"

At that, he drew his deep red hood from his head. White hair, as white as his beard and snow capped peaks was reviled.

Bilbo relived his adventure out of the tunnels.

"And I lost a lot of buttons" he told them, looking glumly down at his jacket.

"But, I managed to squeeze through alright and here I am" he said with a smile.

Gandalf gave a smile under his greying beard.

"What did I tell you?" he asked.

"Mr Baggins has more about him then you guess"

Bilbo smiled and looked over at him. There was a strange vibe coming off of the wizard. Bilbo knew that Gandalf had speculations that a part of his tale had been left out.

Hours past as Diamond and Dolly talked.

"I have some books" said old Dolly, slowly getting out of her chair.

Her hands were cold to the touch and wrinkled. Diamond smiled as she continued to eat the last bit of cake she had. Faramir was snoozing peacefully in her arms.

Dolly had not once got his name right since they arrived. Dolly had called the baby Diamond and even Pippin. A minute or two later, she came back with a large pile of books.

Diamond's eyes brows raised. She could not carry both the books and her son.

"My, that is a lot of books" Diamond told her.

But Dolly was not finished yet.

"There you go" Dolly said, putting the last few books on the table.

Diamond now had a problem. She could not ask Dolly to help her carry them home, for it was too cold outside. Then again, she could not just leave them here.

"Maybe I'll take just one for now" Diamond told her.

Dolly looked a little disappointed.

"That's fine, dear" she answered.

Thirty minutes past.

"Well, I best get home, Faramir needs his sleep"

Dolly smiled as she handed Diamond a book.

"This is the first one I read" Dolly told her.

"You can keep it" she said.

Diamond gave her a large smile.

"Thank you" Diamond said.

She had put her coat on and wrapped sleepy Faramir up.

"Well, good night, keep little Diamond safe on your long trip" Dolly said.

Diamond smiled, trying not laugh.

"Bye" Diamond said, heading into the coldness.

It was more difficult going home then it was earlier. The darkness did not help her as she walked back up the winding path. Her home couldn't have felt more further away.

Diamond smiled as she opened the door to her home. The coldness had numbed every muscle and joint in her body.

She was grateful to have a warm home. She could feel little Faramir shivering in his blankets.

"I think we should get to bed, what do you think?" she asked.

Faramir slowly warmed up as she was washed and dressed in his night cloths. Diamond smiled as she gently placed him in his cot.

"Love you, Fara-moo" Diamond said, kissing him.

Baby Faramir gave a small yawn. After a few minutes, he drifted off to sleep. A mug of tea was in order.

"Maybe I should start reading this book" Diamond said.

She picked it up from the small table near the large front door. She walked back down to the kitchen and placed it on the table. The house was quiet now, the best time to start reading.

Diamond placed the book on the table and prepared herself some tea. The kettle was filled with just enough water for her. A few bits of wood were chucked into the dying fire. A few minutes past before the fire grew. Diamond placed the kettle on the little hook. She smiled as she got out a mug, some milk, some tea leaves and a small box, filled with white sugar.

A few minutes later, she made her mug of tea. A wooden clock ticked as Diamond stirred the sugar in. A pile of soggy tea leaves had been placed on a small saucer. Diamond smiled as she took a sip.

"Just right" she told herself.

Now was the real time to relax. A table mat had been placed out so that her table would not get nasty rings that couldn't be cleaned out.

Diamond took a deep breath and picked up the book. Its cover was worn, it had happened over the many years of being read and re-read.

Diamond smiled as she read the title on the first place.

How To Be A Midwife By Dolly Rumble

Diamond smiled as she flicked through the pages.

"Chapter one" she said.

She then started to read the book. Diamond flicked through the pages as she read. Every so often, she could stop and take a sip of her sugary tea. It became warmer with every passing minute.

Soon, she had read an entire chapter.

"My goodness, I did not know that was so" she told herself.

The clock chimed eleven times. She looked over at it.

"Maybe just one more chapter" she told herself.

The clocked ticked on. But for Diamond, she had broken her own promise. As the chapter ended, she instinctively started a new one. When that was finished, she started on the third.

The clocked chimed yet again. This time, with twelve instead of the previous eleven. Diamond was shocked. She had not read just one chapter, but five.

"Time for bed, I think" she said, closing the book.

She downed her tea, stood up, put the mug by the sink. Diamond then got out another mug. This out was to be filled with water so that she would have something to drink during the night.

Diamond filled the mug to the top and walked out. She smiled as she walked down the corridor to her room. All that she needed to do now was to brush her tea and get into bed, which she did.

Even though she, like most hobbits, liked their sugar, they liked having clean teeth as well. Diamond smiled as she wiped her mouth on the flannel.

"Perfect" she told herself.

A minute later, she arrived back in her room and silently closed the door. She drew back her duvet, but did not get into her bed right away.

Instead, she stood over Faramir's cot. She could see that little Faramir's eyes were closed, his little chest rising and falling.

"Good night, my sweet child" she said.

Diamond silently walked to each candle and blew them out. The heath was left to die during the night. Diamond could not help feeling a sense loneliness as she lay there.

Pippin was meant to be here. But he was not. In fact, she could safely say that they had grown too far apart to ever get back together.

But that was what she thought.


	115. Day Fifty Six, Part One

Bilbo had never been as hungry as he was right now. His stomach felt like it had never seen food. The poor hobbit could feel himself become weaker and weaker as the day wore on.

"I can not help that" said Gandalf, leading his hungry army down the side of the valley.

"Unless you would like to go back and ask the goblins to let you have your pony back along with all of your luggage"

"No thank you!" said Bilbo, dreading the thought of ever going back in there.

Gandalf gave a small smile, but did not look around.

"Very well then, we must tighten our belts and trudge on, or we shall be made into supper ourselves. And that will be much worse then having none at all"

Bilbo wished for even a morsel of food. The option of picking off some blackberries was out of the question, it was not the right the time of year for them.

Wild sorrel was the only thing Bilbo could eat. But it did not make good eating. The party came across a mountain stream. They stopped for little drink and to fill up their flasks.

Bilbo had a more appetising snack due to finding some wild strawberries that were in season. But he only had a few, three to be exact. This, some how, more hungry.

Still, the fifteen beings journeyed ever onwards. Though the path had disappeared, it was welcomed by Bilbo's poor feet, the journey was not made any easier. For they now had to walk through grass land dotted with hidden boulders and small outcrops of rocks that were hidden under the carpet of long grass. A few times, Bilbo would be concentrating on following the other when he tripped.

"Oh" he said, getting up off of the floor.

Bombur, who was nearly always at the back, helped him up.

"You need to watch where you're going, Mr Baggins" he said, giving a small smile.

"You've spent more time on all fours then on your own two legs"

Gandalf and the others did not stop to look around. The party was now snaked over a large area. But this was the least of their worries as they came to the remains of a large land slide.

But still, the wizard did not stop. Gandalf used his staff to make sure he did not fall down. Thorin was next, followed by the rest.

"When will this hell end?" Bilbo asked himself.

All fifteen of them were now making their way down the unstable hillside. Rocks, some as big as dinner plates, others a were as big as the little hobbit himself.

A split second later and the whole mountainside moved. Bilbo could feel sharp, hard stones bounded off of his head.

When the land slide had finished, the party were nearer the trees. Gandalf brushed himself off as he looked around. He could see all of the dwarfs helping each other up.

Bombur seemed to be the most confused. He tried to stand up. But, as he did so, he slipped and knocked Nori off of his feet.

Bilbo managed to hold onto a tree and swing himself around. His little feet and cloths were cut to shreds.

"Well, that has got us on a bit" said Gandalf looking back up at the hillside.

"And even if goblins are tracking, they would have a difficult job coming down there silently"

Bombur, who was holding his arm, grumbled.

"I daresay, but they wont find it difficult to send stones bouncing down on our heads"

The dwarves, and little Bilbo for that matter, were far from happy. They were even further from happiness then when they had been in the tunnels.

"Nonsense!" Gandalf told him.

"We are going to go that way, away from the slide" he told them as he started to walk.

"Look at the light, we must be quick"

Bilbo was so hungry that he did not think he could make it any further. But further they went. The darkness grew around them.

Thorin had slowly been taken over by all of the dwarves. He been struggling since the small land slide that they were involved in.

Darkness had definitely sunk around them. Bilbo could not see his large feet, even though Gandalf had his staff lit. It was like the moon shining down on then, but just in one spot.

Bilbo and the others followed Gandalf until he suddenly stopped. The party had come to an opening in the forest. Gandalf smiled as he looked around. The darkness seemed to grow deeper as the forest ran away from the small treeless area they were in.

Gandalf's staff was not needed. For the moon was full above them. Bilbo could make out the white beard of Balin on the edge of the forest.

He noticed that he and the rest of the party had shadows.

"Finally, a place to rest my weary legs" Bombur said, finding a suitable tree and slowly sitting down.

Bilbo smiled, he was just about to join him when, yet again, their plans changed. A large howling noise echoed around the forest.

Mr Baggins suddenly felt a cold chill. He knew exactly what these creatures were, though he had never seen or heard that call before.

It was a wolf.

Origo yawned as he woke to an empty bed. Tiredness was trying to drag the small pup into the land of sleep. But it was fought with hunger. Hunger for his morning snack.

Diamond had risen an hour before her little puppy did. The warmth in her bed had kept Origo at bay up until now. Origo gave a small whimper as he tried to get out of his warm nest.

A minute later, he emerged from the duvet. Sunlight poured through the window. But the window had misted over, not showing the full beauty that lay outside.

Snow was still falling, like it had been all night. Diamond knew that today was a day to stay inside. But apart of her knew that, when Origo had risen and eaten, would want to see his Abira.

Diamond, who was holding her son in her arm and reading a book, smiled as she hear the pitter-patter of Origo's little paws.

"Good morning, sleepy head" Diamond said, looking down at her puppy.

Origo gave a little whimper and wagged his tail. Diamond smiled as she placed her book down and got up. Origo watched as his Diamond, along with Faramir, went into the cellar.

Diamond felt her little Faramir start to shiver. A couple of seconds later, Diamond came out of the cellar again. There was no sign of tiredness in the little puppy now. He could not afford to be sleepy when there was turkey around.

"Just a moment" Diamond said, holding Faramir in her arm.

The packet was turkey was ripped opened. The turkey was put into the bowl. There was a lot in Origo's bowl, for Diamond needed to put a lot in to make her little puppy happy.

Origo's little tail continued to wag as the bowl was placed on the floor. He instantly began to chomp the tender meat. Diamond smiled, knowing that her little puppy would be ready for a day of playing.

Diamond smiled as she placed her little son in his cot. Faramir whimpered, but did not complain. Diamond had a lot of cleaning up to do. First, it was the plates and mugs she had used for dinner and breakfast.

The sink was filled with warm water. Diamond then started wash the plates on by one. Soon, as she finished, she noticed how dirty the water had become. The wooden plug was then taken out and wrapped around the warm brass tap.

Diamond smiled as the water slowly trickled away, leaving gunk laying at the bottom of the sink. Diamond dealt with that once all of the plates had been dried and put away.

A small wicker bin, lined with paper, had been placed near the cellar. On her journey there, she noticed that Origo was no longer at his bowl. In fact, the sneaky pup had been sitting at her heals as she washed the dishes.

"Shall we go and see Abira and Pimpernel?" His Diamond asked.

Though the pup could not fully understand what she was saying, he got excited at the name of his best friend. Ori nodded, making his fluffy, floppy ears move.

Diamond smiled as she attended to an annoyed Faramir. Faramir started to giggle as his mother's hair ticked his face.

"Come mister, lets get you changed and then we'll go and see auntie Pimpernel and auntie Pearl"

Origo followed them out of the kitchen and down the corridor.

Fear rose in poor Bilbo as he rushed about.

The dwarves were nowhere to be seen and danger was approaching. The thirteen dwarves, plus Gandalf, had managed to climb the trees to avoid this danger. But poor Bilbo could not do the same.

"You've left the burglar behind again!" said a voice from the nearest tree.

It was Nori. Nori and Dori were safe from danger. But they were not alone. Ori, Oin and Gloin were also in the tree, but much higher up.

A few trees away, Kili and Fili were positioned. They could see even more dwarves stuck, quite uncomfortably, up more trees.

Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and their leader, Thorin, were all hugging the same large trunk. Bombur seemed to be having a horrible time, his eyes were shut and he was muttering under his breath.

The last two dwarves, Dwalin and white bearded Balin, were stuck up a slender tree without many branches. Gandalf managed to climb a tree where none of the others could.

"I cant always carry the burglar in my back, down tunnels and up trees!" Dori said, looking down.

"What do you think I am, a porter?" he asked.

Thorin, who was situated a few trees away, could hear Dori's complaints.

"He'll be eaten if we don't do anything" Thorin yelled, his voice echoed around.

Bombur was still very nervous, though it was dark, Bombur knew that he was still high up the tree.

"Dori?" Thorin asked, the howls of wolves were all around them.

"Be quick and give Mr Baggins a hand up!"

Dori tried to reach Bilbo's hand, but could not make contact. Dori only had one option left. Though there were many hungry wolves, Dori climbed out of the tree.

As they did, the first pair of glinting eyes came out of the trees. Bilbo climbed up and started to climb. Dori started to climb the tree again just in time. For the wolf had spotted him. Dori's heart raced as he hear the jaws of the wolf snap behind him.

All of the dwarves were now safely in their respective trees. Gandalf could see hundreds of eyes belonging to hundreds of wolves. Before long, the ground was swarming with them.

In Hobbiton, cries echoed down to Diamond. Origo sat patently for his Diamond. A minute past before the crying baby got louder and louder. His Diamond came back holding her noisy puppy.

Diamond smiled as she saw her puppy sitting near the door.

"Ready?" she asked.

Origo nodded and stood up on all fours. Diamond smiled as she opened the door. Origo was just about to rush out when he stopped.

Diamond looked down.

"Puppy?" she asked, walking out.

Origo's brown eyes were darting around.

"Come on, we're going to see Abira" Diamond told him.

She waited for Origo to step onto the carpet of snow. She smiled as she shut the door behind them. Origo did not like this coldness. The flakes that were falling, which had now decreased, landed on the puppy.

He whimpered as he followed his Diamond. Diamond, too, was feeling the coldness. But she could handle it much better then her puppy could.

A few minutes past before Diamond stopped. Origo gave a small whimper as he gently walked into his Diamond's large leg. Diamond looked down.

"We're here now" Diamond said, clicking the gate open.

Origo slowly walked in. his paws were wet, so were his once fluffy ears. Diamond waited until her little puppy had sauntered through before closing it again.

A few minutes later, the door opened. Pimpernel stood there, puppy in tow.

"Diamond!" she said, smiling.

Diamond and Origo were invited it. Origo seemed to become more happier as he warmed up. Pimpernel took Faramir from Diamond as she took her coat off. Pearl came down from the kitchen. She had her white apron on. It had small, faded stains of meals past.

"Hello, Diamond" she said, whipping her hands.

The two of them hugged.

"How are you?" Pearl asked as the three girls and two puppies made their way to the kitchen.

The smell of cooking chicken tickled Diamond nose. A pot was standing near to the stove. A paper label had been wrapped around the bottle.

It only had one word written on it in swerve letters.

Honey.

Diamond smiled as she was handed her son back. Origo and Abira were nowhere to be seen. Pimpernel smiled a she looked down at her little nephew.

"He's defiantly got my brother's looks" she said.

Pippin was the only one to take all of his features from his father. Unlike his sisters, Pippin eyes were not as brilliantly blue. In fact, they had a little hint of hazel.

Faramir's eyes were very blue, obviously from his mother's side. His hair was like his father's. Diamond smiled as she sat down. Pimpernel smiled.

It was then something clicked.

"Pimpernel, would you like to help me do something?" Diamond asked.

Pimpernel looked over at her sister-in-law.

"With what?" she asked.

Meanwhile, Origo and his little puppy friend were curled on Pimpernel's bed. Abira tugged on his ear as they wrestled. Origo gave a small growl as he wrestled back.

His fur was now dry and he was now warm.

"Bet you cant catch me!" Abira barked, standing up and bounding down the bed.

Origo took off a few seconds after his Abira. By that time, Abi had had reached the bottom of the bed. She turned around and saw Origo bounding towards them.

Abira tried to move out the way, but Origo was too fast. Abira was taken out by a much stronger Origo. She whimpered as Origo started playfully growling.

"Got you!" Origo barked.

Abira was let to her paws a few seconds later. She gave a small whimper, acting as though she was angry. Origo moved back a bit, thinking he hurt his Abira. But, the next second, he was pounced on.

Origo nudged at Abira's ear. But she suddenly stopped. Origo retreated and tilted his head.

"Hungry" Abira whimpered, blinking twice.

Origo was hungry as well. So, the two puppies jumped off of the bed, Origo being a bit hesitant. They bounded back to the kitchen where a different smell hit them.

"Hello, girl" Pimpernel said, picking up her Abira.

Abira gave her Pimpernel a big puppy kiss before settling down on her shoulder. But Origo could not get a cuddle off of his Diamond. For she was cuddling the other puppy.

Origo hung his head and gave a small whimper.

"Puppy, I'll cuddle you later" Diamond told him.

A bark came from little Abira as she cuddled her Pimpernel. Nelly looked down. A few moments later, Origo had trotted around to Pimpernel. Origo and Pimpernel looked up at each other.

"Oh, do you want a cuddle as well?" she asked, seeing the sorry looking pup staring up at her.

The small nod let Nelly know that he did. She smiled as she scooped him up with one hand. Origo yawned as he settled down next to his Abira. Pimpernel smiled as she watched the two pups snuggled down.

"Did you bring Ori's turkey?" Pearl asked.

Origo seemed to perk up and raised his head. Diamond smiled.

"Yes, I'm glad I remembered it this time"

Thorin was a young, loyal dwarf. The day was young and the sky blue. Thorin smiled as he felt the wind blow through his dark hair and beard.

But his small adventure over the plains that surrounded the mountain. It was then that he heard a large echo. Thorin's curiosity got him. The forests were thick around here, but a lake made sure he could have an uninterrupted view of his mountain.

A large ribbon of fire erupted out of the flying dragon. Anger and fear rose equally within the young dwarf. Without a second thought, he started to run.

Meanwhile, dwarves were gathering, ready to fight off the intruder or run away from it. His father had grabbed his axe.

"No, he is too powerful, we need to try and get away!" Frerin told him.

Frerin had a dark stubble around his mouth and on his chin.

"Where is Thorin?" asked his father.

"Where is he?" he shouted.

Frerin explained that thorin had gone wondering the wilds a few hours before.

"We need to get out of here" Thrain told them.

A few seconds later, he had an idea. He, like Thorin, had wondered the wilds himself. He knew every inch of this mountain. He also knew of a secret door. One that they could use to escape.

The King, and Thorin's grandfather, came to meet them.

"The main entrance had been overrun, there is no way out"

But Thrain had another idea, which he told his father. Large roars from the dragon as it made its way in.

"We need to move, Dis, hold my hand" said Thrain.

Dis was only young. She took her father's strong hand and was rushed away. Dwarves left and right were running. Some of the braver, or more stupid dwarves, were arming themselves.

"Come on!" they shouted.

They rushed through the many tunnels that made up the core of the mountain.

"This way" Frerin said.

The four of them rushed down a small path, big enough for them to run down three abreast. A few minutes past before a light could be seen. Echoes could be heard. Large bangs from Smaug's tail and large claws echoed past them.

"Through here" Frerin said.

A heavy stone door was then pushed open. The day was bright and birds sang as they fluttered around, oblivious to the danger and panic within the very mountain they flew around.

Dis could feel the whole mountain shake as the large doors were closed.

"Look!" she said, pointing down the mountainside.

The other three looked down. A small speck was making its way up the mountain side.

"Its Thorin!" said Frerin, having good eyes.

Minutes past before a very tired looking dwarf climbed up to the small shelf of rock that his family were standing on.

"Thorin!" Dis said, hugging her older brother.

Thrain gave a small nod.

"We have to get away from here" Thorin said.

The party of dwarves slowly made their way down the mountain. Some of the mountain side had been singed. A large fire sent smoke up into the air. Thorin could see the full devastation. This angered him.

"We need to go back and look for the wounded" he said.

Dis was still too young to understand what was going on. But deep down, she knew she would never return home.

"But, what about mama?" she asked.

All of the dwarves there knew that she was probably dead. Thorin took a deep breath.

"Look at me" he said, kneeling down.

Tears were gathering in Dis' eyes.

"We will find mama, but you have to remain strong for me, do you understand?" he asked.

Dis and Thorin embraced in a large hug that lasted longer then normal.

"Go with Thror, he'll look after you" he said.

Dis looked around.

"But, you're staying here?" she asked.

Thorin hated to let his family down, especially his only sister. But he had to go back and look for survivors.

"I will be back by first sun light, I promise"

Dis watched as her two brothers walk away. A few seconds later, after much debate amongst himself, Thrain started to walk away.

"Papa?" Dis asked, running after him.

Thrain took a deep breath and looked around at his daughter.

"Stay" he simply said.

Dis dared not disobey her father. She watched as her father disappeared out of sight. Thorin was full of rage, so much so that he could have gone back into the mountain and killed the dragon there and then.

"My boys, wait for your old man" said a voice behind them.

Both of them stopped.

"Do you really think I would abandon my own people to that beast?" he asked.

Thorin gave a small smile. A few seconds later, the three of them walked off again. It took nearly three hours of walking to reach the edge of devastation. This once fine forest had been turned to ash.

Smoke was still rising like silver snakes from white hot trees. The fire seemed to have burnt itself out enough for them to navigate through.

Noises echoed them as the reached the middle of the burnt area. A group of survivors were discussing, quite loudly, about retaking the mountain again.

"But, our treasure is in there!" said a deep voiced, war beaten dwarf.

Thorin, Thrain and Frerin all arrived.

"My people, my people!" said Thrain.

"Where is our king?" asked one of the dwarves.

"Is he dead?" asked another.

Thrain gave a smile.

"Thror is not dead, nor wounded. He will be attending to matters soon. But first, we need to gather up the survivors and tend to our wounded comrades" Thrain told them.

Another angry murmur and bout of curses to Smaug erupted.

"I feel your anger, but there will be a time for rebelling, but it is not today"

Soon, all of the survivors had agreed that helping the wounded would be a better option.

"Search the area, but do not go into the mountain"

Soon, Thorin and the rest were walking up to the very edge of the mountain. More and more dwarves were found. Some had horrible injuries. Some were walking, but dazed.

Thorin looked up at the mountain. More and more dwarves were walking down the hillside, away from what used to be a lovely part of Middle-earth.

"Thrain!" said a youngish looking dwarf.

He had a full beard around his face. But, unlike Thrain's, it was not long enough to plat.

"Dale has been hit too!"

There was another wave of curses and threats went about the group.

"They say the Lord of Dale has been killed!"

Origo's little tale wagged as he looked up at his Diamond. She smiled as she picked up a bowl full of his most loved food.

Turkey.

"Here you are" she said, placing it on the floor.

But Origo was not the only puppy eating. A different bowl of food had been prepared by Pearl. Sizzling rashers of bacon had been placed in another bowl. This was for little Abira.

Abira's tail wagged as she watched her Origo eat. She was equally as hungry as her puppy counterpart. Soon, both of the four legged creatures were chomping their way through their bowls on food.

Pearl smiled as she went back to dishing out the many bowls of vegetables. The chicken, now browned and crispy, was shared between four plates. Vinnie was not present yet, though she had been asked and agreed to come.

She had not arrived yet. Pearl looked at the clock. She knew that her sister was never this late.

"Isn't Pervinca coming?" Diamond asked.

Baby Faramir was snoozing in a wicker basket, filled with comfortable blankets. His eyes were closed as he slept.

"Well, I have invited her" Pearl told her.

Pervinca looked at the clock.

"Oh, I should have been there by now" she said, waiting.

Her coat was already on and her wicker basket ready. Vinnie looked at the clock.

"Just another minute" she said.

Her heart was beating. She needed to get to her sister's straight away. A few minutes past before the oven door was opened. She smiled as a hot wave of delicious smelling muffins out of the oven.

Vinnie smiled as she took them and placed them in her basket. They were still steaming as she placed a clean, dry cloth over them.

Pervinca smile as she picked up the heavy basket and walked down the hall way. She smiled as she opened the door. She instantly felt the coldness tickle her cheek.

The door closed behind her and she walked away. She knew that her sisters would not wait for her to arrive. For she knew that if she was late, they would start without her.

That's exactly what happened.

Diamond smiled as she dished honeyed parsnips onto her plate. They had a large pile of chicken. Pimpernel, Pearl and Diamond all ate in silence.

A fourth plate had been taken out, but was left on the worktop, waiting for Vinnie to arrive.

It was not long before three knocks came at the door. A few seconds later, barking echoed down from the hallway. Both Origo and Abira had rushed to the door upon hearing the knocks.

Pimpernel smiled as she placed her knife and fork down. Pearl did the same.

"Oh, Pimpernel, you don't have to get it" Pearl said, rising from her seat a few seconds after her sister.

"No, no" Pimpernel told her.

"You keep eating, I'll get the door" she said.

Pearl gave a small smile and sat back down again. Pimpernel smiled as she walked down the hallway. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two little puppies ascended on her.

"Oh, be careful!" Nelly said, almost tripping over Origo.

Abira remained by her Pimpernel.

"Is there someone at the door?" she asked, smiling as she picked her puppy up.

"Who do you think it could be?"

Abira did not know who it could be. She gave her Pimpernel a little lick as the door opened. Pervinca stood before her, looking very cold and miserable.

"Hello" Pimpernel said, letting her sister in.

"Sorry I'm late" Vinnie told her sister, placing the basket down.

A few seconds later, she took off her coat and hung it on one of the many pegs.

"Dinner has already been served up, but I'm sure Pearl has plenty left for you"

The two girls walked towards the kitchen. Pimpernel kissed her well-behaved puppy and placed her on the floor. Origo had waited patiently in the kitchen. He looked up at his Diamond. But, through the forest of chair legs and table legs, he saw something new.

Curiosity got to him. Diamond watched him as he slowly made his way towards the basket that Pervinca had placed down.

Pimpernel, who was sitting with her back to the evil heath, felt a small soft puppy slip fast her feet. She knew that it could not have been Abira, for she was curled up on her lap.

She looked down to see Origo.

"Origo?" she asked.

Ori looked up. He blinked twice and then went on looking at something. It did not take long for Pimpernel to figure out that he was looking at the basket of muffins that Vinnie had brought.

Nelly continued to watch the pup as he inched closer to the basket. His little nose was picking up a new smell. Though, living with Diamond and having regular visits to her sister-in-laws, Origo had never come across this smell.

Pervinca was now sitting down, a warm plate of food before her. Pearl came out of the cellar with a large mug of cold ale.

"Thank you" said Pervinca, swallowing down her food.

Pearl's attention moved onto the basket. She smiled as she picked it up. Origo gave a small whimper, having still not found out what that smell was.

"Oh, sorry pup" she said, still not giving Origo his answer.

A minute later and the muffins were placed on a plate. But they were not eaten just yet. Pimpernel, Diamond and Pervinca all had to finish their lunch first, before they could start on the rich muffins.

Pearl had finished first. She had to wait until everyone else was finish before she could start dishing out the last of her food.

"Does anyone want any more?" she asked as Diamond finished the last of her chicken.

Pimpernel smiled.

"I wouldn't mind just a smidgen more" she answered.

Pearl smiled as she picked up a bowl. It was full of very crispy potatoes. The girls had a measly four more before they were all gone. The parsnips were even fewer, but the chicken was over flowing.

"Plenty more gravy, if you want it" Pearl told them.

Pimpernel's plate was then drowned in gravy and she started to eat again. Like their first round of eating, the girls fell quiet. Only the sound of their knives and forks on their plates and the gentle tipper-tapper of the two puppies as they ran in and out of the kitchen.

As Diamond ate, a small sound came from behind her. Faramir, who had been snoozing in one of Pearl's little wicker baskets, woke up.

Origo came trotting in, a few seconds after him, Abira did too.

"What's that noise?" asked Abira, looking over at the small basket near to Origo's Diamond.

Origo looked around.

"Diamond's puppy"

Abira tilted her head.

"But, you're Diamond's puppy" Abira told him.

Faramir's crying grew a little louder.

"Ori, do you want to entertain Faramir for me?" Diamond asked.

Origo's little tail wagged. He liked it when the noisy puppy touched his fluffy face. Abira watched as Origo trotted over to the basket.

Faramir seemed to calm down instantly at the sight of this funny looking creature. A small part of him knew he had seen this creature before.

Faramir felt the cold nose of this creature touch his skin. It was so tickly that Faramir could not help but give a little giggle. Origo back off for a moment and looked around at his Diamond.

Diamond looked around at him as Faramir began to cry again.

"I think he likes you, puppy" Diamond told him.

Faramir's blue eyes were looking right at the strange creature before him. Faramir then saw another strange creature.

"You look the same" he gabbled.

Dis, Thorin, Thrain, Thror and Frerin were now homeless. A few days had past since Smaug had claimed the Lonely Mountain as his own.

All of the treasure, whether it be golden goblets or silver swords. Smaug had gathered so much of the dwarves' treasure that he could find. And find he could. His size, small for a dragon, for he was young and had a fiery temper.

But he would soon grow as he ventured outside. He feasted on the remaining Dale-folk until there were no left. But first, he would feast on the dwarves that had not been roasted by his fire or fled.

The wounded were eaten last, so that they suffered. The able bodied were hypnotise them to gather more and more gold where he could not reach or did not know about.

Thorin took a deep breath. For the first time, he did not know what to do. Thror took a deep breath he was surrounded by his loyal people.

"That is not an idea that I am confident with" Thror said.

Thrain was standing there, beside his sons.

"But, we have to do it. We could use our quickest to go and see the situation" Thrain told him.

"I will not risk more of my people being killed by that monstrosity!" Thror said.

Dis was still sniffing as she sat on a small bounder. She could still see the mountain. The smoke still rose into the air.

"What are we to do?" Thrain asked.

Thror knew that the mountain was lost.

"We get as far away from here as possible"

Only fifty other dwarves were with them. Their great race had all but been whipped out.

"But, which way?" Thrain asked.

Thror knew exactly where they could go.

"South" he answered.

"We go south"

Soon, the fifty or so dwarves set off without food or water. Dis held Thorin's hand. Both of them knew that their mother had not escaped. This angered Thorin even more. But he had to listen to Thror and his father.

"What's your plan, Thror?" asked Thrain as they walked.

In the distance, Mirkwood could be seen stretching into the distance horizon.

"No" he slowly answered, taking a deep breath.


	116. Day Fifty Six, Part Two

He was still coming terms with what had happened.

"You mean we just wonder the wilds until we find a cold valley or cave that can fit us all?" Thrain asked.

Thror knew what he was doing. He knew that he had to find a place for his people to live. But it would be a hard, long journey to where ever he wanted to go.

For, on the other side of Mirkwood was a chain of mountains. There, a dwarfish settlement that had been over run by orcs.

"But, how are we to cross Mirkwood?" Frerin asked, walking behind them.

Thror knew these lands better then any dwarf that lived before him. When he was younger and more agile, he would walk in Mirkwood.

He had, once or twice gone through the width of Mirkwood. That is how he knew that there were mountains on the other side.

"But, it will take weeks to cross Mirkwood!" Thrain told him.

"Then we best get started" Thror told them.

Dis gave a large sigh. She still had hope that her mother had escaped. But the events were starting to sink in. there was no hope of any more dwarves escaping.

Days of walking past before Mirkwood came into better view. Dis yawned as she walked on tired feet.

"I think we should stop for a while" Frerin said, looking at the youngest of dwarf present in the party.

Dis had never been so tired. Thror knew that they all needed strength if they were to venture into Mirkwood.

"Thorin, Frerin?" Thror asked.

Thorin nodded.

"Find some food, there should be plenty of wild beasts to capture" Thror told him.

Thorin and Frerin picked up their weapons. Dis was hugging her bearded father. Thrain gave a small nod to his boys and watched them walk away.

"We should have gone back" Frerin said as he walked along.

The two boys shared similar features, though Frerin's hair was a little lighter then his brothers.

"To what?" Thorin asked.

Before long, the two of the reached the edge of Mirkwood. A maze of branches, twigs, rotting logs, fungus and fallen trees stood before them.

Though it was just past midday, the sun never reached the forest floor. Thorin felt the warmth of the sun vanish as he entered Mirkwood's shadows.

There was no wind as the ventured deeper and deeper into the wood. Soon, only small patches of light could be seen dancing on the forest floor.

Hours continued to past.

Thorin and his brother had not seen any signs of life. But, just as the two of them were about to head back, something moved between the pillars of trees.

"I see something" said Thorin, stopping.

Frerin, who had a small wooden bow and arrows, quietly loaded it. The animal stopped. Frerin could only hear heart beat as he steadied himself.

A few seconds later, the arrow zoomed through the air. Thorin smiled as the animal fell where it stood.

"Got it" Frerin said.

It took the brothers a minute or two to reach the injured animal. Frerin smiled as he took the arrow out of the animal.

"This will not do everyone" Thorin said, looking at the deer.

Frerin had already placed the deer on his back.

"Well, we need to find some more then"

Darkness started to fall on Thror and the rest of the dwarves.

"They should have been back by now" Thrain said, scanning the boarder of Mirkwood.

Dis coughed as she sat. She was very hungry. The fifty or so dwarves had had nothing to eat.

"We should get a fire going" Thror said.

Thrain agreed and started to collect the driest wood he could find. Before long, a whole party of dwarves were helping gather wood. Thirty minutes past before the dwarves had amassed a large enough pile of wood to create a good enough fire.

Thror, who was skilled in fire making, having spent many a night out in the wilds, quickly got the fire started. The sunlight continued to fade until the shadows of Mirkwood met them.

Thorin and Frerin could hardly see where they were going. The two of them slowly made their way back. Thorin could hear strange noises around him.

But their journey was unhindered as they finally made it of the wood. In the distance, the two of them could see a circle of fire.

"Looks like the fire is ready for us"

Dis smiled as she saw two figures enter the circle of firelight. Dis stood up and watched her brothers as they placed three deer down.

"You took your time, young Thorin" Thror said.

But he was grateful that there was now food to eat. The dwarves shared the meat equally between them. But it was still not enough food to make the dwarves feel like they have had a good meal.

Dis took a deep breath as she ate the tender meat.

"Here" Thrain said, handing his daughter his portion of the cooked deer.

"But, you wont have anything to eat" she said.

Thrain smiled.

"Take it" he said.

Dis slowly reached out and took it. She felt guilty for taking it, but then felt happy that her hunger would be tamed that bit more.

Origo and Abira were playing, yet again, in Pimpernel's room. But, they soon stopped as Origo gave a little yawn.

"Sleepy" he whimpered, settling down.

Abira was tired as well. Both puppies had eaten lots of food and played until they were tired. Origo was the first to cuddle up on Pimpernel's soft, warm bed.

Abira wagged her tail as she snuggled up to her sleepy friend. Abira rested her head of Origo's back. Soon, both puppies were asleep.

Origo felt like he had just gotten off to sleep when he was woken by talking.

"Oh, that is adorable" said a voice.

Origo instantly opened his eyes. He looked up to see Pimpernel and his Diamond standing there.

"Ori, time to wake up sleepy head" Pimpernel said.

The puppy gave a small whimper as he was picked up.

"Your Diamond is going home now" Nelly said.

Abira gave a whimper too. She wondered why Origo was being cuddled and not her. Pimpernel smiled as she looked down at the other puppy. Soon, she had two warm, soft puppies in her arms.

Origo gave a small whimper and looked over at his Diamond.

"Yes, puppy, we're going back home now" she answered.

But Origo shook his head and whimpered again. Diamond knew that Origo was asking her something different. Diamond had to think quickly.

"You can have your turkey when you get home"

Pimpernel felt Ori struggle. She could not hold him anymore, so gently placed on her bed. Origo was getting frustrated. He wanted his Abira to come with him, but his Diamond couldn't understand him.

"Does Origo want to stay with his Abira?" Pimpernel asked.

Origo shook his head and gave another small whimper.

"Does Origo want Abira to go with him?"

Origo's head nodded and his tail wagged. Diamond smiled.

"Of course she can come with you, Ori, if that's alright with her Pimpernel"

Abira looked up at her Pimpernel. Pimpernel gave a small smile. A little part of her wanted her puppy to stay, but then, she knew Abira wouldn't be happy if she did not go.

"Oh, she can go" Pimpernel said, kissing her puppy on the head.

A few minutes later, the two puppies were ready to go. Origo had completely forgotten about the carpet of cold snow outside.

Pervinca, Pearl and Pimpernel stood by the door.

"Oh, well I'll have to go to Dolly and ask her for a book or two" Pimpernel said.

Diamond smiled as she handed Faramir over to Pervinca. She put her coat on and buttoned it up.

"I'll be around at dinner time to pick Abi up" Pimpernel told her.

Diamond smiled and nodded.

"I'm sure she'll be sleepy and cooperative by then" Diamond said.

Faramir was hugged by each of the girls and handed back to his mother.

"Ori, Abi, come on" Diamond said, walking out into the snow.

Origo gave a small whimper. He did not like snow one bit. But, a little nudge from his Abira told him it was alright. Ori watched as she walked into the carpet of snow and looked back.

Slowly, Ori walked out.

"See you later, Abira!" Pimpernel said, smiling at her puppy.

Abira gave a bark as the door closed. Origo whimpered as Abira bounded through the snow towards him. Origo whimpered. Even though he had a lovely coat all around him, he could feel the coldness all around him.

Suddenly, without warning, he was laying in the snow. Abira had pounced him, wanting to play. But play was the last thing on Origo's mind as he struggled.

Abira was pushed off and nipped for her troubles. She gave a little whimper as she stared at her Origo, who was now growling.

"Ori, play nice!" Diamond said, hearing and seeing what had happened.

Abira's little eyes took on a hint of fright and confusion. Origo shock himself and angrily walked past.

Abira gave a small whimper, hoping her Origo was alright.

But there was no answer.

"Ori?" she whimpered, bounding beside him.

Origo gave angry growl. Abi knew that she had done wrong. All she wanted to do was play, she did not know that her fellow puppy did not want to.

Diamond continued to walk, thinking that both puppies were following her. But, as she reached the gate, all she saw was Origo.

"Where is Abira?" she asked as Origo waited for her to open the gate.

Origo looked away, he did not want to talk about her. The gate was opened, Diamond still wondering where the other puppy had gone. In fact, Abira had gone back home. She whimpered as she pawed the door.

"Pimpernel?" she barked, trying to get the door open.

Inside, Pimpernel was sitting in her room. A little part of her wanted to go and check up on her puppy. For she felt lonely without her.

"She'll be fine, Pimpernel" she told herself.

Pervinca seemed to be the only one would hear Abira's barks.

"I thought…" she thought to herself.

A few seconds later, Pervinca rose from her seat in the lounge.

"Where are you going?" Pearl asked.

Vinnie put on a confused look.

"I think I hear Abira" she answered.

It was then that Pearl heard it too.

"Do you think it's her?" she asked.

Pimpernel heard the girls talking. She wondered what they were up to, but did not go to investigate. A few moments later, the large front door opened.

Abira's barks grew louder.

"Abira?" asked Pervinca, looking at the scared puppy.

Pimpernel slid off her bed and walked towards the door. As she opened it, a small black object rushed in. Abira's fluffy head impacted on her Pimpernel's big leg.

Nelly saw her puppy fall over and whimper.

"Abira, what's the matter?" she asked.

Abira did not seem happy.

"I thought you were going with Origo and Diamond" Pimpernel said.

But it was obvious that something had happened between the two pups.

"Come on, lets get you warmed up, ah?" she asked.

Abira gave an agreeing whimper and was carried to the bathroom. The bathroom was warm, it too had a heath. Flames were flickering, sending smoke up its chimney and warmth into the room.

A small cupboard stood by the door. It was full of the softest, warmest towels. Some had a hint pink sown into them while the rest were as white as the snow outside.

Pimpernel picked out a fluffy towel and wrapped her puppy in it.

"Better?" she asked.

Abira gave a small whimper, letting her Pimpernel know it was. Pimpernel then made her way into the kitchen. She smiled as Pervinca looked around.

"Would you like some tea?" Vinnie asked.

Pimpernel smiled.

"Yes please" she answered, taking her seat.

Ten minutes past before the mug of tea was placed before her.

"Thank you" Nelly said.

Abira lay on her lap as Pimpernel put a few spoonfuls of honey in the tea stained water. A small bit of milk was placed in and stirred in.

Thorin fell into uneasy sleep. A few times, he would wake without reason. His sister, Dis, had eventually fell to sleep.

Only Frerin remained awake. He had been put on night watch. But his concentration was waning as he stood there. A few times, he fell forwards, only to catch himself again.

"Frerin?" asked a voice from behind him.

Frerin looked around. Thorin smiled as he slipped out of the circle of light.

"Go and get some sleep, I'll keep a look out until morning"

Frerin gave a tired smile and walked towards the fire. Though it was the end of summer and the day had been hot, the night was cold.

Frerin took a deep breath as he sat down on the ground. His large boots, which had had been wearing all day, were taken off.

Frerin took a deep breath as the smell from within the boot met him. He wafted the smell away and placed them to the side. Sat up and took his axe off. The fire, its heat warming his tired legs, gave off small pops and crackles.

Thorin looked around. Every now and again, he could see eyes glint in the faint light of the fire. These were nothing but curious foxes that came to investigate.

The night wore on for Thorin as he sat on a small boulder of hard rock. The stars above him twinkled. To the East lay a river, shimmering in the moonlight.

To the north, the powdered top of the lonely mountain could be seen. This would be the last time that Thorin would lay eyes this wonderful sight.

The sun slowly rose in the East, making the inky blackness turn into the usual blueness. As the sun made the sky turn orange as it continued to rise. A strange mist lay over the land, one that Thorin could not see when there was no sunlight to light it up.

Dis slowly rose. The bird song, which had started at the crack of dawn, had woken her. Hunger was getting to her again, the meal last night seemed not have happened.

"Thorin?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Dis, like Frerin, had a hint of blonde entwined within her stubble. Though Dis was female, she could grow a beard as long as her brothers.

"Good morning" Thorin said, walking up to her.

Dis yawned and looked around.

"It's so pretty here" she said, looking around.

Thorin smiled. Soon, everyone was up. Thror seemed to be the most tired. In fact, he had not had a wink of sleep all night.

How could he when his people were suffering?

How could he when his people were dead or dying?

"We need more meat" Thrain said.

The fire was still burning.

"And wood" said Frerin.

So, the dwarves got to work. Like the night before, Thorin and Frerin ventured into the forest. It seemed easier to pick out the random deer that crossed their path.

Dis smiled as she saw her brothers return. The two brothers carried their kills on their back and placed them on the ground.

Thorin did not say a word as he walked away again.

"Where is he going?" asked Thror.

"We have two more back in the forest, just a few minutes walk from here" Frerin told him.

Thorin took ten more minutes to return with the last two dead deer. The fifty or so dwarves praised them for their plunder.

But, it was another hour before the meat was ready.

Dis had a much better meal then she did the night before.

"Lake-town is just a few hours walk away" Thorin said.

"I believe it is best if we start our journey now. The quicker we reach its western boarders, the better" Thrain said.

Yes, to leave now would be better, but to leave with no food or water would be considered suicide.

"But, we can not go through Mirkwood on hunting alone. We need to rest and gather supplies" Thorin answered.

This idea seemed to go down well with the group, for rest and food would be better then trampling through an old forest for a few weeks.

"We have to go to Lake-town, papa" said Dis.

Thrain only wanted to do what was best for his family. But, sometimes, that meant going where he did not want to.

As head dwarf and, just a few hours ago, king under the mountain, it was his job to lead them down what he felt was the safest path.

"Does everyone agree that we should take the path towards Lake-town?" Thror asked, finally speaking out.

There was murmur that told Thrain that everyone needed and wanted to go. Both Thorin and Thrain looked at each other.

"That settles it then, we will head for Lake-town" Thror told them.

Soon, all of the dwarves were ready to walk.

"It is a days journey to Lake-town, we should gather more food" Thrain said.

This was a good idea. So, the fifty or so dwarves started to head East. Dis smiled as she felt much better then the night before. She smiled as she took her father's hand.

"Papa, I thought we were going to Mirkwood" Dis said.

Thrain smiled as the group snaked its way towards the glittering river.

"Well, we have to go to lake-town first, to see if they have any food for us"

After three hours of constant walking, they reached the bank of the river.

"We should take a rest before we movie on" Thrain said.

Thror agreed and told his people to take a rest and a drink. Thorin was standing at the river. His feet were being lapped by the gentle waves.

Dis, his younger sister, same and stood beside them. She looked down and smiled. The water here was clean and cool. Thorin watched as he sister scoop up the cool water in her cupped hands.

She smiled as she did this a few times. Thorin then looked down at river. He cupped his hands and gathered a small bit of water. He sipped it.

Thorin gave a tired smile as he felt his felt the water trickle down his throat. A few mouthfuls later and Thorin was refreshed.

"We should start moving now, we can not waste any more time" said Thrain.

Thror agreed and the whole party moved off. Each and every one of them could not wait to get to Lake-town. As they walked, they were handed mere scraps of meat, not even enough to satisfy a dog.

For hour after hour they walked. The bank of the river grew steeper.

"Look!" said one of the young dwarves.

He had gone on ahead to see if there was any danger. Thror and Thrain, who were at the back, continued walking.

"What is it?" Thror asked.

"What do you see?"

It was lake-town. Lake-town lay just a mere three miles from where they were.

"It's Lake-town!" said another.

There was an excited murmur as the group stood there.

"Less then four hours walk away" Thrain said, smiling.

Dis wished that she was there already. Four hours was still a long way on just scraps. The river beside them grew in width. Their progress slowed as the terrain steepened and the light failed.

Soon, they were just a few hundred meters from Lake-town.

"Careful now" Thrain said as he helped the dwarves past a treacherous bit of the path.

In lake-town, word had reached them of Smaug. Survivors from Dale had been coming in for a good few hours. But there were not many. They arrived in small groups ranging from two to ten. Their wounds were treated and they were given fresh clothes, food and water.

"And how did you escape?" asked a large man.

This large man was the Master of lake-town. He was rich, having chains of the purest gold around his neck. Servants stood in the darkness.

"I… I…" said a young boy.

The young boy had lost everything in the fire. Flashes of the events crossed his eyes.

"Can you not see that he is young?" asked one of his councillors.

His voice echoed around the great hall. The Master agreed and sent the boy on his way. Candles flickered as the master started to feast and drink.

But his feast was interrupted yet again.

"My lord, there is a party of dwarves heading this way"

Thorin took a deep breath as the party of homeless dwarves reached a well-trodden road.

"This way!" said Thror, leading them.

As they reached the gate, it opened.

"What is your business?" asked a man, welding a sword.

Dis hid behind her father. Thror was the one to speak.

"We are dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and we seek council. Our mountain has been over run by the Smaug and we are now looking for previsions and shelter"

Elanor smiled as she packed her horsey in her bag. Her bed was going to remain empty tonight. For she was going to sleep around Gloria's for the night.

Elanor smiled as she did her best to fold up her nightgown. A minute or two later, after her little bag had been closed, she walked out.

Samwise had agreed, due to the darkness, to take her around himself.

"Daddy?" Elanor asked, looking into the lounge.

Her father was sitting on the warn sofa with Merry and Rose. Both of them looked equally sleepy as they sat there, cuddled up.

Samwise, who telling them each one of his many stories about his adventures with Frodo, Merry and Pippin, looked up.

"I'm ready now" she said.

Samwise gave a small smile.

"Just a minute" he said.

Elanor smiled and walked away. She walked all the way down to the front door. Elanor placed her pack down at her feet and took her coat off of the hook.

As she did the last button up, she heard a door click shut. Samwise then came into view a few seconds later.

"Ready?" he asked.

Elanor smiled, nodded and picked up her pack. She waited until her father had put his coat on as well.

"Go on then" Samwise said, letting his daughter open the door.

A cold wave of air tickled Elanor's nose as she walked out. A few moments later, Samwise came down the path as well. Elanor smiled as she held out her hand.

Elanor could see, in the fields, that the snow was untouched. But, it was getting to dark to go out and play.

"This one, daddy" Elanor said, pulling him towards a house.

Samwise smiled and let go of his daughters hand. Elanor opened the gate and walked to the round door. She knocked and waited.

A minute or two past before the door opened.

"Oh, hello Elanor" said an old man.

Samwise smiled as he stood near by.

"Good evening Mr. Gamgee" Gloria's father said, nodding.

Samwise gave a smile and a nod back.

"Would you like to come in and have some tea, Mr. Gamgee?" the old man asked.

Elanor and Gloria had already greeted each other. Elanor's coat had already been put on its peg.

"Oh, I couldn't, I have a family to entertain" Samwise said.

Elanor smiled as she hugged and kissed her father.

"See you tomorrow, daddy" Elanor said as her father walked away.

Elanor and Gloria talking about adventures as they sat in Gloria's room. Elanor had yet to eat dinner. Luckily, Gloria's mother was preparing a large meal.

Elanor liked coming to Gloria's home. For it was quieter and she got more to eat then when she was at home. The smell of chicken made the two girls even more hungry as they sat there.

"Oh no!" Elanor said, galloping her horsey around the bed.

Gloria was sitting on the floor. She was playing with her horse as well. Just then, a knock came at the door. Elanor and Gloria instantly stopped playing.

"Come on, dinner is ready" said the old man.

The two girls instantly left what they were doing and walked out of the room. Elanor smiled as she smelt the cooked chicken hit her nose.

Usually, only three places would have been set. But a fourth had been set out for Elanor. Gloria took her normal place. Elanor took the place opposite to her.

"I hope you two are hungry" said Gloria's mother.

Elanor smiled as Gloria's mother placed a large pile of sliced chicken on her plate.

"Thank you" said Elanor politely.

Gloria smiled as she lifted a heavy bowl, full of roasted potatoes. On the other side of the table, Elanor was shovelling parsnips onto hers.

Soon, with some help, Elanor had filled her plate up. Normally, other hobbit would not like food that wasn't made by their parents, but today was different.

"This is nice" Elanor said, smiling.

Gloria smiled as she poured even more gravy onto her meal.

"Why, thank you, Elanor" said the older woman.

The night was dark, the sky, starry. An owl perched upon a large branch. Silence surrounded it, save for distant hooting of other owls and the screeches of foxes.

A third sound then echoed around the bird as it sat. It was much louder then the others. It grew louder and louder.

"You numpty!" said a voice, unlike anything the owl had heard.

Through the maze of trees could be seen three enormous figures. Each had a large sack over his shoulder.

"Were not my fault you fool!" said another, his voice echoed around.

The owl needed to see what was happening, for he had never heard such a racket in all his long years. A large thump echoed around the forest as the owl took to a second perch.

"Stop your jabbering and get moving!" said a third.

"The sun'll come up in an hour!"

The owl watched as the three humungous beings walked away. It did not take long for Bert, William and Tom to reach their cave.

Tom, being the last troll into the cave, rolled the large stone door into place. Tom gave a small chuckle as he sat down on the floor. A fire came to life in the middle of the cave.

The cave was massive, so big that the three trolls could fit inside without any confrontation. Each of the trolls had bag of plunder. But gold and valuables were not the only thing they had.

William tipped out the bag. A few larger objects fell out onto the floor.

These were humans that he had taken.

"William!" Tom said, looking over at the whimpering humans.

"I told you not to get humans tonight, we've got more then enough here"

But William was not listening as he picked up an old, plump looking man. Bill, as he was known, did not even give eating him a second thought as the sound of crunching bones echoed around the cave.

Bert, who had found a second cave full of gold, held up a small sword. The scabbard was discarded. The sword, now known as Orcrist, glinted in flickering firelight.

"Bleh!" he said, throwing it aside.

"Nothing but useless daggers!"

The sound of an enormous caldron echoed around the cave.

"Bert!" Tom shouted, jumping.

Bert stopped. A puzzled look came over him.

"What you blabbing about now?" he asked.

"Lift the caldron or I'll give you one next time"

Trolls had a tendency to argue over petty things. Tom, Bert and William were no exception. And arguing over petty things was their downfall.

An hour past before the water in the caldron was hot enough.

"Right" said Bert, looking at the humans.

The trolls had, somehow, created a cage for them. The humans that were trapped in there seemed to know what was coming next. The wooden cage had no ceiling to it, making it easier for the trolls to pick out who they wanted.

A large, grey hand grabbed three or four of the beings. A young girl, tender and just right for cooking, was picked out first.

She struggled, but could not get free of his grasp. Without a second thought, the girl was dropped in the water.

The water was far to hot. The girl struggled to get free, but she could not. Bert placed four more beings into the water. Their screams were dulled out by a large lid, placed over the pot by Bert.

The flames flickered underneath the pot, making it hotter and hotter. It did not take long for the screams to dull down and, finally, die out.

Unknown to the trolls, especially Bert, one of their meals had picked up Orcrist. The man, in his early twenties, placed his finger over his lips.

The rest knew that what he was about to do was suicide. Just then, William, who had just eaten his last human for the night, saw a glint out of the corner of his eye.

"Oi!" he said, pointing at the cage.

"That being there has a weapon!" he said, his voice grew louder.

Bert and Tom looked over to see one of their meals brandishing a sword. The next second, Bert stood up. But he could not stand to his full height. His large grey legs impacted on the ground.

"Give me that!" he yelled, reached down.

The next second, William felt a sharp pain from his finger. This did not please him at all. A large growl rumbled around the cave.

The next second, the man was lifted out of the cage. More and more pain erupted from his hand. But it soon stopped as the troll started to squeeze.

The man struggled to get his breath, but he could not. A minute later and the man was dead.

"That's what you get for being such a numpty, Bill" said Bert as lifted the lid of the large caldron.

The people inside were lifelessly floating. William gave a small chuckle as the broken body of the man lay on the floor.

"Waste of a meal, why didn't you just eat him?" Tom asked.

But William was too busy with trying to find Orcrist.

"Useless piece of junk"

Soon, Bert had sieved out the beings.

"Hmmm" he said, placing two boiled beings in front of Tom.

"Thank you, Bert" Tom said.

In Hobbiton, Elanor and Gloria were getting ready for bed. Elanor had got changed into her nightgown. Gloria and Elanor played for a while before starting to feel sleepy.

"I know, lets stay up all night" Gloria said, smiling.

Elanor thought this was a good idea.

"But, wouldn't your parents know?" she asked.

Gloria shook her head.

"Their room is down the hall way, I've stayed up 'til eleven o'clock once!" Gloria told Elanor.

Eleven o'clock seemed very late for the girls. Their normal bedtime was nine o'clock at night. But, tonight, they would try to stay up later.

As the girls played, a knock came at the door. Elanor stopped playing as she sat on the floor.

"Time for bed girls" said Gloria's mother.

Gloria smiled and placed her horsey on her bedside table. Tonight, Elanor would have to share room. Another bed had been moved into the room. It was a tight fit to get the second bed into Gloria's room, but they managed to do so.

The candles were blown out, but the fire was left burning. A few minutes after the door closed, Elanor rose from her bed again.

"Gloria?" Elanor whispered.

Gloria gave a small groan. The idea of staying up seemed to lose its appeal.

"Elanor, I'm too sleepy" whimper Gloria.

Elanor took a deep breath.

"But you said you'd stay up past bed time" Elanor said, standing there.

Gloria took a deep breath. She looked over at her friend, who seemed less tired then she was. She did not want to let Elanor down, but then, she wanted to sleep.

"I suppose I could stay awake for a little bit longer"

So, the two girls started to play again.

"Shush, we must try and get past the sleeping orc" Elanor whispered.

Gloria had a small wooden chair in the corner of her room. The two beds made a perfect alleyway that the two girls had to walk down.

In Elanor's mind, the two walls of the small passageway led to a small prison. On the other side of one of the heavy, rusted, metallic doors was her horse.

The two girls silently tiptoed past the empty chair. They were now in the last stretch to rescue their little toy horses.


	117. Day Fifty Seven, Part One

The day started out cold and crisp. The sky was almost clear, save a few thin clouds. Birds sang as they awoke from another cold night.

Chimneys poured smoke into the air. The hill tops were akin to large balls of cotton. The snow on their roves were untouched. Only a few tracks were made in the snow. They were made by foxes that had come to visit or birds trying to find some worms deep under the snow.

But birds were not the only thing that had risen from the cold night. Underneath one of the white hills, an old woman had risen.

She smiled as she walked down the corridor to the kitchen. Only the sound of the ticking clock and the random pops from the fire met her.

A kettle gently swung on the metallic hook hanging from the front of the heath. The kettle was then taken off and filled with cool water.

A few seconds later, it was placed back. The woman took a deep breath as she started to stock up the fire. She smiled as she started to put small chips of wood into the fire.

The flames slowly grew until they couldn't grow any more. The water in the kettle slowly started to bubble. As it did, the woman took some more wood and opened up the cold oven.

The wood was placed onto of the ash that had accumulated at the bottom. Thin sticks were placed in the oven as well. Inkless parchment was crumpled up and placed in the oven as well.

A long, thin stick was then set on fire. The woman smiled as she lit the paper. The fire steadily grew as the paper started to catch.

Soon, the oven, and the hobs on the top, were now hot enough to start cooking. The cellar was stocked with all kinds food. A packet of sausages, bacon, a bag of potatoes that would be made into chips, baked beans in rich homemade tomato sauce and a fresh loaf of bread and a stick of creamy butter.

As the sausages and bacon cooked, the woman walked out of the room. She smiled as she opened a door to a room down the corridor. Inside, two little girls slept.

One had golden hair, the other had brown. Both were cuddled up under a large duvet.

"Gloria?" asked the woman.

The girl with brown hair gave a little snort, but did not wake up. The woman gave a small smile and tried her luck with the second little girl.

"Elanor, breakfast will be ready in ten minutes" Gloria's mother told her.

Elanor smiled, telling the woman that she had been heard.

Those ten minutes past quite quickly. For the second time, the woman entered the room.

"Come on, you two" she said.

Elanor smiled as she got a nose full of cooked bacon. She drew back her duvet and felt the air tingle the hairs on her feet. Elanor was too hungry to wait for her friend. Gloria was too tired to get up.

Elanor smiled as she entered the kitchen. Gloria's mother and father were already seated.

"Good morning, Elanor" said the woman.

Elanor smiled.

"Good morning" she answered.

Gloria's father took a deep breath as he rose from his seat yet again. Elanor smiled as she started to pile food on her plate.

"Come on, sweetheart or you'll miss breakfast"

The little girl groaned and finally opened her eyes. Her father smiled as his daughter finally rose from her bed. Gloria yawned as she slowly made her way to the kitchen.

Elanor was smiling as her sleepy friend trotted in.

"Good morning" she said, smiling.

Gloria grumbled as she took her seat. Gloria took a deep breath, just willing the clock to tick faster so she could get some proper sleep.

The four of them ate. Elanor was the first one to finish.

"Would you like some more dear?" asked Gloria's mother.

Elanor smiled.

"No, thank you" she answered.

In a different area of Hobbiton, a hobbit arose that had a better nights sleep then little Elanor. Diamond Took yawned as she lay with her head against the pillow.

Her duvet was so warm that even her baby's cries could not prise her from its warmth. But a little whimper did. A very adorable puppy poked his head out of the duvet.

"Good morning" she said, kissing his fluffy head.

Origo gave a little whimper and looked over at the cot. He gave another small whimper and looked back at his Diamond.

"I guess I should get little Faramir up" she said.

The duvet was drawn from her. Origo gave a small whimper as he was left on the bed. Diamond took a deep breath as she walked to the cot.

"Good morning, precious" she said, picking him up.

Origo was now standing on his four little paws. A large yawn came over the pup as he looked around. Hunger had risen in the puppy over night.

"Come on, Ori" Diamond said.

Her little puppy bounded down to the end bed, jumped onto the small box and then down to the floor. Diamond smiled as she watched her little puppy trot before her.

The kitchen had a strange smell to it. The smell was from meals past. Diamond took a deep breath as she carefully bent down.

There was a small metal bucket by the heath.

"I need more wood" she thought.

Just outside her door stood a pile of chopped wood. But the snow had covered them.

"Looks like I'll have to put you back in your cot, Fara" she said, taking a deep breath.

Faramir started to whimper again as his mother left him. Origo gave a small whimper as Diamond walked away from the kitchen.

Diamond smiled as she opened the door. Origo stopped a short distance away from the door. He could feel the warmth of the house being replaced with coldness.

As Diamond collected the small shards of wood, something strange caught her eye. A large figure, dressed in black, was slowly making its way towards her.

Diamond stood there, watching it. As it got nearer, she realised that it was no hobbit, for it was too large.

"Good day" said the figure as it got closer.

Diamond moved back a bit, but did not retreat into her house.

"I am looking for Peregrin Took" he said.

"Do you know where I can find him?" he asked.

Diamond's head was now filled with questions and worry.

"Why?" she asked, having more courage then she thought she had.

The man did not dismount from his stallion.

"I have need of him"

Diamond looked away, thinking.

"Should I trust him?" she asked herself.

"Is he going to hurt my Pippin?"

For the first time in a while, she felt that small spark that she felt when they were first married. Diamond needed to make a choice soon.

"What ever you need him for, you can tell me, for he is my husband" she said.

Elnan looked at her for a few seconds.

"I need his answer" he said.

Diamond knew that she could not leave her home, for she had her Faramir crying in his cot. But then, she wanted to go with the man, just to make sure that her Pippin was not going to get himself into trouble.

"He is with his parents, just down the way there" Diamond told him, looking down the road.

"But you best watch yourself, most of us don't trust your kind" she told him.

Pippin was snoring in his bed. But he would soon wake up.

"Pippin?" asked a voice.

It was Eglantine. She sounded very worried.

"Peregrin, wake up!" she said.

Pippin groaned and turned over.

"Wake up, there is a man at the door!" Eglantine said.

Paladin was standing at the large round door.

"And I asked why you wanted him!"

Elnan took a deep breath. He knew that hobbits were horrible creatures and now he knew why.

"Because I need his message for the King of Gondor" Elnan answered.

A minute later, two sets of feet could be heard coming down the corridor behind him.

"Be careful" Eglantine said, holding Pippin's arm.

"I need to see who it is"

Paladin felt his son's presence as he walked up behind him. Elnan saw a second, taller hobbit appear. Peregrin and the man looked at each other. A small smile came over his face. There was only one place where this man could come from.

"Peregrin, stay here" Paladin said.

Paladin had encountered Elnan a few days before. He watched as Pippin and the horseman spoke for a few seconds. Pippin the nodded and walked away.

Paladin's heart was beating, he knew that Pippin was his only son and the only one that can carry on his name. Paladin did not know what to do as his son walked to his room.

"Peregrin?" Eglantine asked, following him.

Pippin was standing at his bedside table. He held a piece of folded parchment in his hand. It was his reply.

"Why is that man outside?" Eglantine asked, walking to her tall son.

"You know what the others think of you, with your unnatural height" she said.

But Pippin did not care. All he cared about was getting his letter to the horseman outside. Eglantine took a deep breath as her son walked past her.

Paladin looked around, he was ignored too as his son walked out into the crunching snow again.

"Here" Pippin said, holding out the letter.

Elnan took the letter and put it in his bag.

"Thank you" Pippin said, smiling.

Elnan gave a small nod. Pippin smiled as he watched the horseman trot away. He had not realised that other hobbits had been watching what had happened.

Paladin walked back into the house and closed the door. His feet left wet marks behind him. Peregrin had returned to his bed. But he could not get back to sleep. For his father entered the room.

Pippin took a deep breath as he heard the door close. There was a few seconds of silence before Paladin started to talk.

"And who was that?" he asked.

Pimpernel smiled as she watched her little puppy started to eat her breakfast. Ten crisp rashers of bacon had been placed in Abira's bowl.

Pearl smiled as she cooked even more rashers of bacon. But they were not for the puppy, they were for her and her sister.

Soon, the two girls were eating as well. Abira had finished by the time they started. She trotted to her Pimpernel and gave a small whimper.

Nelly looked down. She seemed to know exactly what her little puppy wanted. A few seconds later, Abira was lifted off of her fluffy paws and placed on her Pimpernel's lap.

Abira's little tail wagged as she curled up on Nelly's lap. Pimpernel continued to eat breakfast. It was as she cut up the bacon that she heard a little whimper from her puppy.

Abira's little brown eyes were looking up at her. Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"But, you've had your bacon" she told her.

This did not stop Abira from begging. In fact, her whimpering seemed to melt Pimpernel's heart to the point that she couldn't resist it.

In lake-town, Thorin and the rest of the fifty or so dwarves had been given houses to stay in. The population of the small town had swelled by a couple of hundred.

The streets were full of homeless people from Dale. Thror had stood before the Master of Lake-town and asked for shelter.

"We will not stay for long" Thror told him.

The master too a deep breath.

"Do I have your word?" he asked.

Thror gave a small nod.

"We plan to travel through Mirkwood, there is a mountain range on the other side that we could live in peacefully" he told him.

The master made sure that the dwarves were comfortable. Food was in abundance as Thror, Thrain, Thorin and Frerin left the grand hall and went back to the home that they had been given for the week.

Dis had stayed behind. She had made friends with another dwarf, just a few years older then she was.

Dis yawned as she sat on the floor. The door opened and four dwarves entered. Dis smiled as she listened to what her grandfather had to say.

"So, get some rest" Thror told them.

"I expect it will not be an easy journey to the other side of Mirkwood"

Days past. Dis was finding lake-town a very friendly place. For most of the people here had seen the destruction that Smaug had caused just a few days before. No one said any words to each other.

The day came where the fifty dwarves would set out on their long journey through Mirkwood.

"The Master has given us a fine load of food for our journey" said Thrain, looking in his pack.

Thorin knew that it would be a long and difficult road.

But what road would they take?

"There is a path, one that the elves have made, that runs right through the forest"

But that was not the only road.

"There is another way, an old road built long ago, I think that is our best option" he explained.

"And how is this road?" Thror asked.

Thrain did not know the exact distance.

"Some eighty miles or so, to the south" he explained.

Thror looked at his people. There was evil in the forest that not even dwarves could think of.

"I guess, if that is the only way to get to Dunland, then we have no other option"

An hour past before the dwarves were ready. Dis smiled as she placed her pack on.

"Are you ready?" asked Thorin.

Thorin knew that it would be a long, hard journey for his sister. In fact, it would turn out to be a long and difficult journey for both of them. Some of the dwarves would not even make it to the other side of Mirkwood.

"Yes" Dis answered, making sure her pack was comfortable.

Thorin smiled.

"Lets get going then" he said.

Dis, Thorin, Frerin, Thrain, Thror and the rest of the dwarves gathered in the street. Their spirits soared as they walked out of Lake-town and headed south.

Thorin lead the group. On his left ran a gentle looking river. Its source laid deep within the caves of the Grey Mountains. The dwarves went back to singing and telling stories of old to past the time.

Their feet grew weary as the sun lowered in the sky.

"I think we should stop for the night" Thrain told him.

Thror agreed.

"Gather some wood, we need to get a fire going before its too late" Thror told them.

Thror's beard was now getting very grey. It colour used to be deep brown, similar to that of his children. The dwarves spread out and gathered some wood.

Dis smiled as she bent down and picked up a large log. The party had settled near to the boarder of Mirkwood. The trees were wild. Rotting logs and fallen trees lined the route.

Soon, more then enough wood had been gathered to keep the fire going all night. The sun lengthened the shadows. Soon, no sunlight reached the ground where the dwarves were sitting.

Slowly, the stars started seep through the deepening blueness. Bird song became few and far between. Animals of the night started to emerge.

Dis could make out large flying object against the blackening sky. The stars above twinkled. Every so often, one would race towards the horizon.

Dis had never seen this kind of light before.

"Papa?" she asked, prising her eyes away from the spot where the flash of light had disappeared.

Thrain looked around at her. He was sitting on the ground, eating some of the food had been packed for him.

"Yes?" he asked, looking around.

"I say a flash of light in the sky, do you think its Smaug?" she asked.

Thrain smiled.

"I'm sure Smaug will not trouble anyone for a while" he told her.

Dis breathed heavily and rested her head on her father's shoulders. Thrain smiled.

"Get some sleep, we have a long way to go tomorrow"

Dis took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The fire gave off gentle pops and crackles every so often. Thrain watched as red hot embers fluttered into the air and vanished.

Soon, Thrain had fallen asleep too.

Thorin was left to guard the group as they slept. Tiredness was slowly making him lose concentration.

"Frerin?" he asked, shaking his brother until he woke.

Frerin gave a grunt and instantly woke up.

"Is it my turn?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Thorin smiled and nodded.

"Well" Frerin said, slowly standing up.

"You best get to sleep" he told Thorin.

It did not take long for Thorin to fall asleep. But it did not take long for him to wake up again. Frerin had been sitting down, watching the surroundings until the sun came up.

Thorin smiled as he looked in his pack. His mouth was dry and his thirst strong.

But that was soon sorted out with a few large swigs of water. Dis yawned as she sat with her back to a large boulder.

"We should get moving" Thror said as he looked at the land that lay before them.

On the far Eastern horizon stood a mountain range capped with snow. Soon, all of the dwarves had packed up and ready to go.

Thror took a deep breath as he took the helm of the group. He was closely followed by the others. The party of dwarves continued to walk down along side the river.

Sometimes, they would have to venture within the boarders of Mirkwood. Their going slowed as they tried to forge a path through the maze of fallen trees, roots and logs.

Soon, the party emerged from the forest again. Thrain smiled as he helped his dwarves out of the forest.

"Careful now" he said, holding Dis' hand as she climbed over the last of the logs that lay in their path.

Thorin and Frerin were now leading the rabble of dwarves. Their packs were beginning to weigh them down. The sun continued to heat up the party of dwarves. They had now stretched over a few hundred meters.

The older dwarves were struggling. One of the older, grey bearded took a deep breath as he got to the top of a small hill.

Before him, he could see the other dwarves. The youngest ones seemed to have walked half a kilometre or so.

"Come on, you can do it" he told himself.

He took a deep breath as he sat down. His old heart was beating more then it should.

But none of the other dwarves noticed he was struggling. The old dwarf took a deep breath as he saw the last of his kind vanish around the shallow bend in the river.

"You'll be lucky to catch them before night fall" he told himself.

The dwarf took a deep breath and started up again. His large boots were no help at all. But the terrain was too hard and rocky to walk without them.

Thorin stopped for a minute or two. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead. Frerin had walked ahead, knowing that his brother would soon catch up to him.

Origo whimpered as he stood next to the door. He could already feel the coldness of the outside world seeping through the gaps in the door.

"Oh, don't give me that look" Diamond said, seeing Origo's sad puppy eyes.

Origo wanted nothing but to stay inside and cuddle up on Diamond's warm duvet. But she had woken him up.

"Puppy, come on, wake up now" she said, tickling his ear.

Origo curled into an even tighter ball and gave a small whimper. Diamond knew that she could not leave Origo alone.

"Come on, lets go see Pippin" she said.

Origo yawned and opened his little eyes. They glinted in the flickering candle light. Diamond gave a small smile as she lifted him up.

Origo gave a small whimper, one that Diamond had heard many times before.

"You can have your turkey when we return" she told him.

There was convincing her otherwise. But Origo had to try. But he failed to melt his Diamond heart, even after acting as innocent as he could.

Origo hung his head as he was placed on the cold tilted floor. A small rug had been placed under the bed to stop its legs from scratching the tilted floor it stood on.

Diamond had left the room and returned. Her large coat had been put on and buttoned up. She took a deep breath as she walked over to the small cot standing on her side of the bed.

"Right, lets go and see if daddy knows who that evil man was" she said.

After the Battle of Bywater, men were not welcomed into the Shire, especially Hobbiton. A rally of armed hobbits confronted a gang of ruffians.

But the men did not count on the fact that hobbits, despite their size, would give the men a run for their money.

Origo hung his head as he walked after his Diamond. It was a short trip to where Eglantine and Paladin lived, but it seemed much longer.

"This way, puppy" Diamond said, opening up a gate.

Origo looked around and saw that his Diamond had stopped. Origo did not look happy about having to come with his Diamond. His paws were now soaking and the coldness dug into his fur, making him shiver.

Diamond closed the gate behind her pup and walked to the door. Little Faramir had been wrapped up nice and warm, he could not take the coldness as well as the puppy or his mother could.

Three knocks echoed around the home. Pippin had resided back to his room, he was not in a good mood at all.

"Telling me who I should make friends with" he muttered as he sat there.

"They don't know what really happened!"

Eglantine took a deep breath as she walked down towards the door. A few seconds later and a cold blast of air hit her.

"Diamond?" she asked.

The door was then opened even wider.

"Hello" Diamond said.

Eglantine smiled.

"Well, do come in, you must be cold!"

Origo scampered inside before his Diamond could. Eglantine looked down to see a little puppy running in. The door closed a few seconds later.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"I need to talk to Pippin" she said.

A few seconds later, a door clicked open. Pippin, who was tall for a hobbit, walked down towards him.

"Ah, Peregrin, look who has come to visit" Eglantine said.

Origo was standing close by to his Diamond. The house had a funny smell. Diamond gave a little smiled and looked down.

There was an awkward moment of silence that was broken by Eglantine.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked Diamond.

Diamond smiled.

"Yes, please" she said.

Pippin watched his mother walk away before starting to talk.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

But Diamond quickly you take Faramir for me?" she asked.

Pippin could not decline. So, he held out his arms and took his son. Diamond unbuttoned her coat and quickly took the baby back.

Diamond seemed to be hiding something.

"But what?" Pippin asked as they made their way down to the kitchen.

Eglantine had just placed the heavy, water filled kettle on the metal hook above the fire. Eglantine smiled as she saw her daughter-in-law and son walk in.

"So, how are you Diamond?" she asked.

Diamond smiled.

"I'm fine" she answered, her blue eyes flicked over to Pippin.

Pippin took a seat. He took a deep breath, thinking that the events of the morning were forgotten.

"Did you see that horseman earlier?" Eglantine asked.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked over at Pippin.

"Yes" she answered.

Eglantine was surprised.

"Apparently, he wanted Pippin" Eglantine told her.

Pippin took a deep breath, knowing that a barrage of questions were coming.

"What I want to know is, why after all those poor hobbits were killed, would he go and mix with men" Eglantine said.

Paladin walked in, he took a deep breath as he saw his son. But smiled a few seconds later as he spotted Diamond.

"Why, hello Diamond" he said.

Diamond smiled as she rose from her seat. Paladin and Diamond gently hugged.

"My, my!" he said, looking down at his first grandchild.

Diamond smiled and looked down at her son.

"He's getting bigger by the day" she told him.

"He has Pippin's hair" Paladin told her.

Pippin and Paladin shared likenesses. It was now apparent that Faramir would inherit his father's looks.

"And your eyes"

Diamond smiled and sat back down again.

"Will you stay for lunch?" Eglantine asked, finally placing Diamond's tea before her.

A small bit of milk was poured into Diamond's tea. Seven large teaspoons of sugar were then stirred into it.

"Oh, if you wouldn't mind" she answered.

Eglantine gave a large smiled.

"Not at all dear, the more the merrier" she answered.

Diamond smiled as she picked it up with her free hand. But her mind quickly turned to the two smallest members of the Took clan.

Origo and Faramir.

"Well, Origo will need his turkey" Diamond said.

Diamond took a deep breath. In fact, as she looked around, she had not seen her puppy since they arrived. In fact, her little puppy had found the lounge. The heath was flickering, sending warmth around.

Origo's fur had dried and fluffed up again. His little eyes were closed. He was asleep before its flickering flames. But, he would soon get woken up for the second time that day. For Diamond had left the kitchen and her tea to find him.

Diamond took a deep breath as she peaked into the lounge. Curled up in the light of the fire was Origo. Diamond did not want to wake him.

"Maybe a little later" she told herself.

Eglantine had started to prepare lunch. Diamond took a deep breath as she entered the room again.

"Did you find him?" Eglantine asked.

Diamond nodded.

"He's have a little snooze in the lounge" she said.

Eglantine gave a small smile.

"I can keep a bit of turkey when he feels like it" she told her.

Diamond knew that Origo could sleep for an age. Soon, after an hour of cooking, chopping, boiling and frying, lunch was ready.

Diamond smiled as she was handed a plate. But she would have a difficult time in eating.

"Oh my, I almost forgot" Eglantine said as she placed the last bowl on the table.

A few seconds later and she scurried out. Diamond wondered what on earth she was getting. But, after a few minutes, she returned. Diamond was surprised when Eglantine brought back a cot.

"I thought you could use this while you're around here" she said.

This would help Diamond a lot. For she had grown used to eating her meals with one hand.

"Oh, thank you" said Diamond.

Eglantine, being a mother herself, knew how hard it was to eat meals with a baby. Diamond got up. Faramir was now asleep in her arms.

Like Origo, he had fallen asleep due to the warmth of the house. Diamond placed him in his cot. She stood there for a couple of seconds making sure that he did not wake up.

Pippin was shovelling food quicker then ever. Diamond continued to fill her plate up before she ate. She smiled as she lifted up the boat of gravy that had placed out.

The hot, brown liquid was poured over everything on her plate. Diamond smiled as she started to cup into one of the roasted potatoes. It crunches as it was cut in two.

Diamond scooped a bit of the gravy onto her potato and ate. She smiled as she continued to consume everything on her plate.

"Would you like some more, dear?" Eglantine asked.

Pippin gave a small hiccup as he finished his ale. Without a second thought, he took to his feet. Diamond watched him as he opened up the door to the cellar. A minute past before he came out. He smiled as he walked back to his seat and placed the mug back where it originally stood on the table.

Eglantine smiled as she, along with Paladin, finally finished her lunch.

"More dear?" she asked Diamond.

Diamond smiled.

"Yes, please" she answered.

Eglantine did not have to ask Pippin, for he always had as many helping as he could, as long as there was food. So, after a few minutes, Diamond's plate was filled with food again.

Thorin took a deep breath as the party of dwarves walked towards an opening in the forest. Now was the time to start their long, very dangerous, journey to the other side of Mirkwood. Dis smiled as she walked and stood next to her brother.

"Are we going soon?" she asked.

Thorin nodded.

"Yes" he answered.

The dwarves had a very satisfying breakfast. But they needed to preserve as much food as they could for the journey.

As the sun rose, the dwarves all packed up their things. The fire was left to burn itself out. Frerin had already put his pack on and was at the edge of the forest. He could not more then thirty meters into it.

Soon, the party of dwarves were ready.

"Right, lets moving" Thror said.

The tired dwarves slowly started to make their way towards the edge of the forest. Thorin knew that some of them, maybe even all of them, would not survive the journey.

The had become over grown, making the journey harder. Large trees, moss covered and rotting, lay over the already difficult path.

Dis and the older dwarves needed help. At the back the old dwarf that had been left behind. He had caught up with the rest of the group an hour after they had settled down.

The going was slow as they wanted through the darkening forest. Dis took a deep breath as she walked along. She could feel the coldness of the forest dig into her.

Thorin and Frerin had agreed it was best if they go on ahead and see what other surprises the path through the forest held. Thrain and Thror were now in charge of the pace.

"One of us should go and walk at the back, there might be a few that can not keep up this pace" Thrain said.

Thror nodded and agreed that he should be the one to keep the older, slower dwarf company. Dis watched as her bearded grandfather stopped.

Rotting leaves scattered the ground underfoot. Thror smiled as he let the rest of the dwarves pass him. After fifteen long minutes, everyone had past him.

He looked down the dark, tree infected road to make sure no one else was lagging behind before movie off. As he did so, a strange sound came from the canopy above.

A sudden rush of birds and alarm calls echoed around him. For a moment, he thought that Smaug had found them and would stop any attempts of escape.

Thror took a deep breath as he continued to walk. As he did, Thorin and Frerin walked down the path towards him.

"Thorin, is there any danger ahead?" Thror asked.


	118. Day Fifty Seven, Part Two

"There is not, but the path become harder" he answered.

It was then agreed that some of them would have to go on ahead and remove any obstacles that would slow them down.

At the back, Thrain was talking with his fellow dwarves.

"But, there is no other way" Thrain told him.

The sun slowly sank westward. The forest quickly grew dark.

"We need some light" Frerin said, as he stopped.

Soon, after they had found suitable sticks, the forest path was alight with flames. Every so often, a dwarf would be holding a flickering torch that made the shadows dance.

Dis, who was near the front of the pack, was getting very tired now. Her eyes were getting heavier and her stomach was rumbling.

"Papa, I need a rest" she said, getting Thrain's attention.

Thrain knew that tiredness would not only get the younger dwarves, but the older ones as well.

"Thorin, Frerin" said Thrain, making them stop.

Each of them held a flickering torch.

"We need to stop for tonight, they are getting hungry and tired, we need all of the strength we can muster" Thrain told them.

The other dwarves, the ones who had been trailing behind, came to a stop. Thror kept on walking past his people until he reached the head of the line.

"What is going on?" he asked, coming into the circle of flickering light.

Thrain explained everything that had been happening so far.

"If my people want a rest and to start again tomorrow, so be it" Thror said.

The party of dwarves settled down. The light from the flickering flames was just enough to see what they were doing.

Thorin volunteered to keep a watch on the surrounds first. Frerin agreed and settled down. Food was their main priority now.

"Don't go eating too much" said Thrain to his daughter.

Dis ripped off a piece of bread. It was not the best quality, in fact, it was a few days old now. But, food was food and Dis was very hungry.

Dis knew that she could not beg for food for everyone was in the same situation. So, after a few bites of the piece of stale bread, she washed it down with a few sips of water.

The dwarfling yawned as she sat with her back to what she thought was a tree trunk. But, in Mirkwood, the trees had grown bigger then normal.

Strange noises echoed through the cold, damp forest. Thorin's eyes could see just outside of the circle of light. But there were strange creatures walking the forest.

Some were curious about the amount of light coming from this section of the woods. Thorin knew that they were there for he saw flashes of light down the path.

These could be nothing more then a pair of eyes watching them. But eyes were not the only things flashing.

Through the canopy, twinkling stars could be seen. But they were covered by the leaves when a cold wind blew through.

Dis settled down and placed a sheet over her. She smiled as she laid down, her head resting on the moss covered ground. The other dwarves settled down as well. Soon, the party of dwarves were all snoring.

Thorin sat down with his back to a tree. A small party of him wanted to walk off and see how far he could get. But Mirkwood was a very dangerous place to be alone, especially in the darkness.

The hours rolled over slowly for Thorin. His tiredness growing by the minute. He took a deep breath as he slowly got to his feet.

"Frerin?" he asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

A split second later, a blade was held as his neck. Frerin's eyes glinted in the flickering torches that were standing near by.

"Oh" Frerin said, finally coming to his senses a few seconds later.

"Sorry, Thorin"

The small sword was then put back on the floor.

"Is it my time to watch the surrounds?" Frerin asked.

Thorin nodded. A small part of him wondered why he had received such a hostile reaction when he had woken his brother up.

Frerin took a deep breath as he stood up. Thorin took a deep breath as he walked back to where he had been seated. A few minutes later, he had settled down to sleep. His eyes closed and he fell into a shallow sleep.

Thorin felt like he had had no sleep when he was woken up.

"Thorin, time to get up lad"

Thrain was standing over him as he opened his eyes. The forest seemed to be just a bit lighter then it had been that night. After a minute or two, thorin took to his weary feet. His boot stood side by side, he had taken them off the night before.

"We should have got moving an hour ago" Thror said as stood there, looking up at the high canopy.

Birds were just small back dots as they flew through its maze of branches. The canopy stretched on for mile after mile.

Only some of the birds had enough courage to stop and watch the dwarves set off. Alarm calls echoed around the forest, warning other birds that the dwarves were on the move.

Origo's sleep slowly ebbed away from him. Sounds were not coming back to him. There was a strange sound from his right hand side.

It was constant and soothing. But, to his left, he could hear a sound that made him both annoyed and jealous. He opened his eye and saw his little dancing shadow.

"So, how is my little grandson?" asked a voice.

Origo did not recognise this voice, though it sounded familiar. But the second voice was very familiar voice.

"Oh, he's just wonderful" it said.

On the other side of the table, Origo could see large feet. There were only three pairs of feet in the room. Two were sat hanging down from the sofa and the third was come from the large armchair in the corner.

Faramir started to cry louder for some reason, Origo could not see why. But it seemed to make Diamond and Eglantine react.

"Oh dear" said Eglantine.

"Doesn't wanted to be cuddled" she said, passing the baby back.

Faramir seemed to calm as Origo came around the edge of the table. His little tail wagged as he saw his Diamond.

"Oh, hello puppy" she said.

Origo's eyes darted towards the two other hobbits.

"Does puppy want a cuddle?" asked the strange woman.

Before Origo could answer, he was picked up. The woman had cold hands. Unlike his Diamond, this woman was very rough in tickling him.

In fact, Origo struggled to get away. But Eglantine did not understand him as much as his Diamond did.

"I think little Origo wants some food" Diamond said, looking at him.

A few seconds later, Origo bounded towards his Diamond, over her legs and hid behind her. She smiled as she felt his fluffy fur brush past her.

Origo gave a little tug and looked up. When his Diamond looked down, he gave a small whimper.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Origo gave a small nod and a whimper. Diamond then too a deep breath and stood up.

"I just have to get Origo his turkey" Diamond said, looking at Eglantine and Paladin.

Thorin and Frerin were heading deeper and deeper into Mirkwood. They had volunteered to go on ahead and move any of the large logs that would slow them down.

Frerin and Thorin cut into a large log that was laying across the path. Their axes would be used for many different things. Frerin took a deep breath as he took a quick break from chipping.

Thorin took a deep breath as he raised his small axe. With a large swoop, the branch snapped. The snap sounded like a gun shot which echoed around the forest.

Thorin and Frerin then moved the log to the side so that the path was clear.

"Come on, there will more down the path"

The two boys did this until they were sore and bleeding.

"Come on, lets find the others" Thorin said.

Both of them had had minimal sleep since they had left Lake-town. Frerin felt like he could sleep for the rest of the day and most of the night.

The bearded dwarves came across the group.

"Papa, Thorin and Frerin are coming back" said little Dis.

Thrain smiled as he saw his sons walk back. They looked tired and their clothes were dirty. A few minutes later, they started to eat.

"Thorin, Frerin, could I have a word?" Thrain asked.

Thorin and Frerin got to their feet after a small confrontation about getting up again. But they could not disobey their father. The three of them walked a small way down the path before Thrain stopped.

"I need you two to do a job for me" Thrain told them.

Two confused looking dwarves listened to Thrain's plan. Thorin took a deep breath as he looked at his brother.

"Do you think it is a good idea?" Thorin asked.

Frerin huffed and thought deeply.

"I guess, if it'll help out the others" he answered.

Dis had heard all of their conversation.

"I want to come" she said.

Thorin and Frerin looked around.

"No, Dis" Thorin said.

"You'll stay here with papa and the rest" he told her.

But Dis was stubborn.

"But, why can I not go with them?" she asked.

Thrain was too tired to argue.

"It's best if you stay here, Frerin and Thorin will be walking a very long way and they cant have you slowing them down"

Dis looked angry. She was always the one who got left behind. Dis accepted that her brothers could not take her with them. But this did not stop Dis. She had already formed an idea in her head.

She would wait for cover of darkness before she would set off after her brothers. But, for now, she had to stay with the group.

"We'll see you soon" Thorin said as he put his pack on.

The two boys said good bye and walked away. Dis watched as her two brothers walked into the wilderness.

"Don't worry" said a voice behind her.

"You'll see them again"

Thrain stood there.

"Why didn't you let me go?" Dis asked.

Thrain took a deep breath.

"I'm only protecting you, Mirkwood is a dangerous place and I don't want your wondering off" Thrain told her.

"But, I know it's a dangerous place, why cant your trust me?"

Thrain did not want to talk about this matter any more. He walked away and checked on the others. Dis was angry, but she knew that she only had to wait until the sun went down to start it.

But the dwarves had to do a lot of walking before they could rest again. Thror drove the dwarves ever deeper into the forest. They saw signs of Thorin and Frerin work lay on the side.

Broken logs and footprints lined the path they followed. Thrain, who had taken over the stern of the group. He took a deep breath as the path wound through the forest.

In Hobbiton, Origo had now settled back down. Faramir had already fallen asleep after his own lunch. Diamond, Eglantine and Paladin were talking about Pippin's little trip away from the Shire.

The hours past as Diamond talked. But, at the chime of the wooden clock showed her how much time she had sat there and talked.

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Eglantine asked.

Diamond knew that Origo wouldn't mind if they stayed for a few more hours. But Pippin would.

"If you don't mind" Diamond said.

Eglantine took to her feet and walked out of the room. She walked down the corridor and knocked on a door. A few seconds later, she opened it and walked in.

"Peregrin?" she asked.

Pippin looked around. He had been looking out of the window into a darkening world.

"Diamond is staying for dinner"

Pippin gave a small nod and went back to looking out of the window. But Eglantine did not leave.

"Peregrin, I need a word with you"

Pippin hated talking to his mother. She always talked for too long.

"What about?" he asked.

His mother summoned him to his bed. The two of them sat down.

"Now" Eglantine said, looking at him.

"We need to talk about Diamond" she said.

Pippin took a deep breath. He knew that he had not been there for Diamond. he regretted every day that he had walked out.

But how could he not have walked out if Diamond did not want him there?

"But, I'm only doing what she wished" he answered.

Eglantine took on a confused look.

"What did she wish?" she asked.

Pippin then explained that Diamond had wanted him out and that he had to go.

"She didn't mean it, oh you are silly, Peregrin" she said.

Pippin did not understand what his mother was saying.

"I didn't know that she didn't mean it" Pippin said.

Thirty minutes past. Eglantine knew that Pippin would have to work even harder to win Diamond back. To Pippin, he was most scared about Diamond leaving him for good.

But this would never happened. For Diamond would have him back in a heartbeat if he would just say sorry for what he did.

But his apology had not come. Diamond was starting to believe that Pippin would never come back to her.

"Maybe if its best that I don't have him back" she thought as she sat in the lounge, staring at the flicking heath.

Just then, she heard a pair of feet slapping on the wooden tiles. A few seconds later and Pippin poked his head around the door.

"Diamond?" he asked.

Diamond look up at him. There was something different about Pippin.

"Could I have a word please?" he asked.

Diamond gave a small smile and rose from her seat. But she had forgotten about little Origo. He gave a small whimper as he was woken up.

"Oh, sorry puppy" she said.

Origo whimpered sadly as his Diamond walked away from him.

"Where are you going?" he barked.

But there was no answer. Origo looked around and saw another person sitting there, watching him. Origo suddenly jumped off of the couch. His little paws pitter-pattered down the hall way.

The small puppy suddenly stopped. He could not see his Diamond, though he could smell her in the air. A few seconds later, Diamond called him from down the hall way.

Origo scurried into the room and the door was closed. Diamond was standing there. She was talking to Pippin. But Origo seemed to be busy exploring the different smells in the room.

Like the other rooms, it had a flicking heath. Origo knew this because he became warmer the nearer he got to it. There was a bed in the middle of the room. This was where the strongest smell was coming from.

Origo did not dare go under there. He liked the safety of being near his Diamond. Origo withdrew from his little adventure. He wanted a cuddle.

But, upon walking around the side of the bed, he saw something that made his very jealous. His Diamond was cuddling Pippin.

Tears were running down Diamond's face. Origo's little brown eyes were darting between both of the tall figures.

Night had fallen in Mirkwood. Thorin and Frerin had walked many miles. But now, they were resting. There were two flickering torches with their ends stuck into the ground.

The wind made the red flames dance as the two of them sat on the ground. Thorin's large, heavy boots had been taken off and were now standing near by.

Frerin took a deep breath as he looked around.

"I think we should get a few hours of sleep, then start heading off again when it get light" Frerin said.

Thorin thought this was a much better idea. For they could rest more. And strength was what they needed. The two dwarves whispered, not daring to raise their voices.

Further down the road, the rest of the party had stopped for the night. Dis took a deep breath as she settled down. Thrain and Thror had settled themselves down a few meters away.

Dis' plan of escape would soon be put into action. Snores of the other dwarves could be heard as Dis lay there. After thirty minutes, Dis sat up.

It took her a few minutes to get ready. A few times she would stop. Her heart was in her throat as she listened to the odd large grumble from some of the sleeping dwarves.

There was no sign of anyone watching guard. If there had been, then Dis would not have went through with her plan.

The girl picked up a flaming torch. Dis gave a small smile as walked past the sleeping dwarves. But she suddenly stopped as one of her large boots came into contact with another.

Her heart raced as she waited for the dwarf to wake. But nothing happened, not even a grunt. Dis took a deep breath and carried on with her journey. She smiled as she started to walk away from the group. It would not be until the sun rose that her disappearance would be noticed.

Origo gave a small whimper as he was woken up. His little eyes blinked as he looked up. His Diamond was standing there, holding a small bundle.

"Dinner time, puppy" she said.

Origo gave a big yawn as Diamond ruffled Origo's fur. Origo slowly followed his Diamond to the kitchen. There, Origo encountered lots of familiar smells. But there was one smell that Origo could smell more then the others.

Turkey.

Eglantine smiled as she looked down at the little puppy.

"Now, you be a good puppy and eat all of it up" she said, placing it down on the floor.

Origo's little tail wagged as he started to eat. Eglantine shook her head.

"Eats just like Pippin, he does"

Diamond smiled as she placed little Faramir in the cot. Paladin had move it from the lounge, back to the kitchen again.

Faramir giggled as he was placed down in the cot. Origo had finished his little bowl of turkey. But it was not enough for him.

Only Diamond seemed to understand what the little puppy wanted.

"Oh, I don't think she has anymore" Diamond said, picking him.

Origo gave a small whimper. He was still hungry.

"Puppy, when we get home, I'll give you some more turkey" she said.

Origo hung his head as he stood on his Diamond lap. But her warm, soft hands soon calmed him down. Eglantine smiled as she dished out the dinner.

She was just about call Pippin when he walked in. Diamond smiled as Pippin sat down. Pippin smiled back at her and extended his hand. Diamond and Pippin held hands for a few seconds before breaking apart.

In reality, Diamond was missing one little piece of her family. There was no puppy on her lap. For her puppy had vanished one day.

But now, she had her Pippin back and that was good enough for her. Diamond's sprits had risen when Pippin had told her everything that she wanted to hear.

She could now go back to cooking her usual meals. Normally, she would have to cater for Faramir first. The size of her meals had decreased since Pippin had left.

Eglantine smiled as she dished out the food. A boat of gravy sat on the table. Pippin was the first to put gravy on his dinner. The peas on his plate began to swim as Pippin stopped pouring.

He smiled as he handed it gingerly over to Diamond.

"Thank you" she said.

Pippin smiled as he picked up his knife and fork. Soon, all four of them were eating. Diamond cut into the chicken and ate. There was a rich taste of honey woven into the meat.

The potatoes were roasted to perfection, just like they were at lunch. Diamond could not wait to go home and start cooking again.

In the perfect world, little Origo snoozed. His little fluffy head was resting on his paws. His little chest was rising and falling as he slept.

Not for the first time that day, Origo would be woken. For Diamond had finished both her large dinner and her large pudding.

"Ori, sweetie" she said, picking him up and placing him on her shoulder.

Origo gave a small whimper, but seemed too sleepy to wake up.

"Come on, we have to go back home now" said a voice.

Origo slowly woke as he was placed on the cold floor. Diamond rose from her seat. She walked down the corridor, slowly followed by her puppy. Pippin walked out of the kitchen too. But he was not going to get his coat on just yet.

Instead, he walked to his room and closed the door. A few minutes later, his clothes were packed and closed his pack.

Diamond had gone back to the kitchen and picked up Faramir.

"Oh, are you leaving?" Paladin asked.

Diamond smiled and nodded.

"Got to get Faramir off to bed" she told him.

Eglantine smiled.

"He's going to grow up to be just like his father" Eglantine said.

Diamond smiled and felt the warm puppy brush against her leg. She looked down to see Origo looking back up.

"Ready to go, puppy?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper. Diamond knew that Origo did not like the cold. But there was no other way of getting home.

Origo followed his Diamond down the hall way. Diamond put her coat on. Peregrin smiled as he waited to give his some back to Diamond.

"Be safe now" Eglantine said, delicately hugging her daughter-in-law.

Diamond smiled, her blue eyes glinting in the flickering flames. Paladin gave Diamond a big hug.

"You take care of yourself now" he told her.

He glanced at his son.

"Make sure he doesn't step out of line again" he told her.

Origo felt the coldness of the dark world outside. He wished that he was the one being cuddled. Diamond and Pippin said their final farewells and walked to the gate.

Diamond was just about open it when a hand blocked her from doing so. Pippin gave a small smile before he clicked the gate open.

Diamond knew that her Pippin had changed.

But for how long?

Dis continued to walk through the forest. She had yet to come across her brothers. The flickering torch was the only thing that gave her enough light to see where she was going.

But the light would soon go out. The flames were slowly getting smaller and smaller. Thorin and Frerin were just a mile away. Both were sleeping, but both still ready to wake if anything happened.

Thrain, Dis' father, had still not noticed that his daughter had vanished. That was due to his deep sleep. Not even the two dwarves that had been put on watch had seen her go.

After a couple of hours, with rests and bites to eat, Dis came across her brothers. She gave a small smile as she stuck her dying torch in the soft earth.

"Frerin?" she whispered.

But this did not wake her brother.

"Frerin?" she asked again, but a bit louder.

Again, nothing happened. Dis took a deep breath and tapped Frerin's foot. The next second, Frerin woke up with a start. Dis jumped back as Frerin woke. But he was not the only one that had woken.

Thorin woke too.

"What is it?" Thorin asked.

It took Frerin a few seconds to work out what had woken him.

"Dis?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Thorin looked over to see his younger sister standing there.

"Dis, what are you doing here?" Thorin asked, rising to his feet.

Dis knew that she was not allowed out of her father's sight. But she thought that she would be safer going with her brothers then with the big group.

"I thought I could help you" Dis answered.

Thorin was not happy. He knew that Thrain had told Dis to stay with the group.

"This will not go down well with him" Thorin told her.

Dis' eyes started to well up. She had not had time to think about what had happened her mama.

Thorin took a deep breath.

"Come here" he said.

Dis slowly walked to her brother. Frerin watched as her sister broke down.

"You'll be fine" Thorin said.

Tears rolled down Dis' cheek.

"But, I miss her" Dis whimpered.

Thorin knew that Dis would be even more upset if she would have return to the rest of the group.

"Does Thrain know you're gone?" Frerin asked.

Dis shook her head.

"No" she answered.

Frerin took a deep breath. They needed a way to get a message to Thrain and the others.

"We'll have to go back and sort this out"

So, after a short rest and something to eat, the three of set off back down the road. Nerves started to rise as Dis was escorted back.

In Hobbiton, Origo was once again warming up. His little paw prints could be traced all the way to the door. There, Diamond and Pippin were standing.

Diamond waited until Pippin had unbuttoned his coat. She then handed her precious baby over to him. Faramir started to cry as he was taken in his fathers arms.

Diamond gave a small smile.

"I think someone wants his mummy" she said.

Faramir was then gently handed back to his mother. Pippin took a deep breath as he walked down the hallway after Diamond. Diamond knew what Pippin was up to.

"Just one" she told him.

Their eyes met. Pippin felt that Diamond could read his mind. Pippin took a deep breath and opened up the cupboard. Everything was just as he remembered it.

"Could you get Faramir's food out as well?" Diamond asked.

Pippin looked around and nodded before he walked in. A minute or two later, Pippin came out again. Diamond smiled as she was handed Faramir's small bowl. The thin bit of paper that had been wrapped was then ripped off.

As it was placed on the table, a little giggle came from Faramir. It took a few seconds for Diamond to figure out that the paper was thing that made his laugh.

"Right, little mister" Diamond said, getting her son to a comfortable position.

A small spoon had been taken out of the draw. Diamond used her free hand to scoop the mixture onto the spoon. Faramir was being very well behaved as he ate.

The sun slowly rose in the East as Thorin, Frerin and Dis grew closer to the group of the dwarves that they had left.

Thrain took a deep breath as he looked around the group. Something was missing. The dwarf ate a small bit of stale bread. A small sip from his flask cleared his vision.

It took him a few more seconds of thought to realise what was missing.

"Thror!" he said, ager rising up within him.

Thror watched his son walk over to him.

"Dis is missing" he said.

Thror double checked to see if she was not there.

"She must have gone off to find Thorin and Frerin" he said.

It did not take long for Thorin to get ready.

"You're going after her?" Thror asked.

Thorin gave a small nod.

"She would not have gone far, maybe a few miles down the road"

At that, Thrain put his pack on and started to walk. He had gone all but a hundred yards before he saw three figures down the road.

Dis could see her father walking towards her.

"What did I tell you?" Thrain asked.

His voice echoed around the forest. Dis took a few steps backwards.

"Do you not know how dangerous this place is?" he asked.

Thorin's eyes met with his fathers. There was a moment of silence between them.

"She will come with us, we will keep her safe" Thorin told his father.

Thrain knew that his sons were good fighters. But Dis was still young.

"I promise not to get into trouble" Dis told her father.

But Thrain did not see it like that.

"I know you will not, but there are creatures out there that will not think twice about attacking"

Dis looked down. All she wanted to do was to go with her brothers.

"Please?" she asked.

Thorin took a deep huff. They were wasting valuable time standing here.

"We will look after her the best we can" Thorin told his father.

Thrain looked at his daughter for what seemed like an age.

"If she gets hurt in anyway, I am counting you and Frerin responsible" Thrain said.

Thorin nodded.

"I understand"

Dis took a deep breath and walked up to her father.

"I love you" she said, giving him a hug around the middle.

Thrain took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Dis" Thrain said, looking down.

Dis looked up.

"All I want to do is keep you safe" he told her.

"I know" his daughter answered.

After another minute, they said goodbye and walked off. Thrain watched the three of the walk out of sight before getting everyone ready to move.

Diamond smiled as she placed a sleeping Faramir down in his cot. Origo had already snuggled up on his Diamond's pillow.

A minute later, after Diamond had drawn the large duvet over her, Pippin walked him.

"Pippin?" she asked, looking over at him.

Pippin was just about sit on the bed when he stopped.

"What are you doing?" Diamond asked.

To Pippin, it was obvious.

"I'm getting into bed" he answered.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"I thought, maybe you could sleep in the other bed room for a few days" Diamond told him.

Pippin realised that Diamond would not let him back just like that. But he could not complain, that would lose any trust that Diamond had in him.

"Sorry" she said.

Pippin took a deep breath as he walked out again. But, as he did, Diamond had a large bout of guilt. She knew that she had been harsh on her Pippin, but he had learn.

A fluffy distraction then popped his head out of the duvet. Origo gave a small whimper.

"I know, shush, shush" Diamond said, finally settling down.

The candle that was standing on her bedside was then blown out. A sliver snake rose into the air from the chard wick.

Origo gave a big yawn as his fluffy eats was tickled, making his even more tired then he was. Soon, the combination of warmth and the constant cuddles sent Origo to sleep.

Diamond smiled as she closed her big blue eyes. She too seemed to fall into a deep sleep. But, down the corridor, Pippin was still awake.

The ticking clock seemed louder to him as he lay in a cold bed. He had lit the heath, but its warmth seemed to take a very long time to warm up the room.

By that time, Pippin was so tired that his eyes began to hurt. Pippin was deep in thought as he lay with his head on the pillow.

"Now, what can I do to make her happy?" he asked himself.

All that he could think of at the moment.

"Come on, Pippin, think!" he told himself.

More ideas flooded Pippin's head. He knew that a lot of these things would take time and he would have to prove himself.

But it was a start.


	119. Day Fifty Eight, Part One

The day started crisp, but ice cold. Snow, which had been trampled the day before, had now hardened over night. There were small mounds of hardened snow on the paths outside.

A young hobbit slept in her warm, dark room. Her hair curly and golden, and her eyes were coloured hazel. She gave a small snore every so often as she slept.

But, she would soon be woken up by a familiar voice.

"Elanor?" said a voice.

Elanor gave a small groan, but did not wake.

"Come on, princess" Samwise said, shaking his daughter awake.

Elanor opened her eyes and saw the large figure of her father standing over her. Samwise smiled and walked out. Elanor took a deep breath as she rolled over. But she could not get back to sleep. For her father had left the door open.

Noises echoed down from the corridor. Elanor's younger brothers and sisters had already risen and were now playing. Elanor tried with all her might to get back to sleep. But something else stopped her from going back to sleep.

A delicious smell poured into her room. One that this little girl could not resist and one that her stomach agreed with. Samwise had already gone to Frodo's room just down the hall way. Unlike his older sister, Frodo woke up and did not try and fall back to sleep.

He smiled as he took his place at the table. Little Merry and little Rose were already seated. Rosie, their mother, started to dish out food onto their plates.

As she did so, Elanor walked in. She rubbed her eyes as she took her seat. Rosie smiled she waited for her daughter to take her seat. Food was then piled on her plate.

Soon, everyone was eating. Elanor's tiredness was slowly ebbed away as she ate. Rosie had finished dishing up all the food for her family before she able to sit down. Only the sound of knives and forks on porcelain could be heard.

Elanor smiled as she cut into a very crispy piece of bacon. She lifted the fork up to her mouth and started to eat. The bacon had a smoky taste to it. For Rosie had brought it when the weather had been warmer.

Outside stood a cold, dead furnace. Snow covered nearly ever inch of the rounded top. Inside stood the ashes from fires past. Rosie had slaved away, placing large chunks of meat on treys above the silver smoke. It took three hours to smoke just a few. Rosie made sure that the fire did not get out or out of control.

When the chunks were smoked, she took them out and placed them on a sheet of thin paper. She smiled and hummed as she wrapped it up. She could only take two chunks of wrapped meat in at a time. She entered the cellar and placed them on a empty shelf that she had cleared.

Rosie smiled as she finished her breakfast. Elanor had picked up her mug of water and drank. Her eyes crossed as she downed the rest of her water.

Unusually, she did not feel like having any more. But, to Frodo, he needed all of the food he could get. For he had not eaten much over the last few days.

His appetite seemed to have returned as he asked for a second helping.

"Would you like some more, Elanor?" Rosie asked, holding a plate of the few remaining sausages.

Elanor shook her golden head.

"No, thank you" she answered.

Rosie was surprised. She knew that she could not force food onto her plate.

"What about just a few more rashers or a few more sausages?" she asked.

But her daughter would not take it.

"I'm fine, mummy" she answered.

Elanor was excused from the table. Her feet slapping on the cold floor echoed down the corridor. The young girl entered her room with a large smile.

The girl walked straight over to her horsey and picked him up.

"What are we going to do today?" he asked as he was set on the bed.

It had been a while since he had the chance to run around.

"Well" started Elanor, thinking.

"I do need to get washed and dressed, then we can go and knock for Gloria" she answered.

That sounded like a good plan.

"Wait here" Elanor said and placed the horse on the bed.

The horse did as he was told. He galloped around, jumping on and off of the folded duvet. A few minutes past. In that time, Elanor had got washed and scurried back to her room.

She quickly got dressed.

"Come on" she said, picking up her horsey.

Frodo Gamgee was also getting ready to go out. But his mother saw different.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Rosie told him as she slaved over a large pile of dirty dishes and bowls.

Frodo was not happy at all.

"But, I feel better!" he said.

Rosie knew that her son would argue his case.

"I still don't think you are well enough to go outside, especially in this coldness" Rosie told him.

Frodo knew he could not win this argument. But that did not stop his trying. As the two of them argued, Elanor walked in.

"Mummy?" she asked, standing at the door.

Frodo gave his sister an evil stare.

"Yes, dear?" Rosie answered, looking around.

Her hands were still submerged in warm water.

"Could I go out to see Gloria?" Elanor asked.

Frodo was getting even more annoyed.

"Of course, dear" Rosie answered.

"Just be back in time for your lunch"

Elanor smiled and scurried up to her mother. Rosie gave her daughter a kiss and watched her daughter scurry out again.

Thorin, Dis and Frerin all rose to another day in the forest. They had a quick breakfast and started to walk again. The three of them continued to walk deeper and deeper into the forest. The path that they had chosen seemed to become more wild with every passing hour.

Thorin knew that they had to clear the road as quickly as they could. But that did not mean that it was an easy task.

"Here" Frerin said, holding out his axe.

Dis had been struggling with a large chunk of wood. She looked over and saw that Frerin had stopped chopping up the wood.

"I'll move the logs, you help Thorin" he told her.

Dis did not need a second invitation and took her brothers axe. Dis took a deep breath as she dabbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

Thorin smiled as he took a small break. He watched as Dis started to chop. Large splinters of wood flew in every direction. After ten minutes, the last bit of wood that was holding the tree in piece was severed.

Frerin smiled as he lifted up the larger log first. But he did not get it very far.

"Thorin, help me with this" he said.

Thorin gave a small nod and walked over to it. The two of them took the log and threw it to the side, away from the path. They walked back a to the other log. That one was also moved out of the way.

"Come on, lets get walking again" Thorin said.

Frerin followed them. He checked his axe, picking off the small splinters of wood. Soon, they had to stop again. A large tree had fallen to the ground.

"Should we cut it down?" asked Dis, bowing down and walking.

Thorin did not know what to do. There was enough space for everyone to fit through, even the fattest of dwarves. Cutting it down would just use up energy that they might need later on.

"I think we should leave it" Thorin said.

Frerin had a different view.

"Thrain wanted us to cut down all trees that blocked the path" Frerin reminded him.

Thorin did not see this as an option.

"They'll be able to past easily enough" he told his brother.

Frerin had to give in. There was no point in wasting time and energy in arguing. So, with Dis leading the way, they started to walk again.

Thrain and the others were a days walk behind. The group talked loudly, some were ready for the long walk, others were not. Thrain was very tired. He had been up all night without a wink of sleep.

This was due to his daughter and two sons walking in the wilds by themselves. His mind was full of dark goings on. He could see flashes of the most horrible things before his eyes.

"No, that wont happen" he told himself.

His worriment must have shown.

"They'll be fine" said a voice.

Thror, his father and grandfather to Dis, Frerin and Thorin, was standing a few feet away.

"They'll be fine, they are good fighters" Thror told him.

They looked at each other for a moment before Thrain gave a small nod.

"We need to get moving" he said.

So, fifteen minutes later, everyone was ready to move off. A few of the dwarves started to sing. But they were hushed.

"We do not know what evil dwells in this forest, we must be quiet"

For hour after hour the dwarves walked. Many miles ahead of them were the party of three dwarves sent out to clear the path.

They had, once again, come across a tree that laid across the path. But this one was much easier to get through. Thorin did not do any of the work. Instead, he let Dis do it.

After a while, the tree started to give way. But Dis' energy was quickly ebbing away. Thorin saw that Dis was struggling. The axe felt twice as heavy.

"Pass it here" Thorin said, extending his hand.

Dis took a deep breath. She was glad that she did not have to chop any more. The girl, who's beard was getting more scruffier by the day, watched as her brother strike the wood.

Soon, the thin truck was also broken in two and moved. Dis had taken out her flask of water. She took a few gulps and closed it up again.

"I think we should stop for food in an hour" said Frerin.

Thorin nodded. He was hungry, but could walk another hour before he felt like taking food out. A few minutes of rest, the three of them started to walk again.

Diamond smiled as she sat at the table. Dirty plates lay on the table. All but one had eaten their breakfast. A small puppy was still snoozing under a large duvet, its warmth seemed to fuel his sleep. But his hunger drove his sleep away. Origo did not want to wake up, but he couldn't bare being hungry.

Origo opened his little brown eyes. All he could see were his small paws and the white duvet that covered him.

"Diamond?" he asked, giving a small whimper.

Usually, his Diamond would come and cuddle him. But she was in a different room. Origo suddenly broke free of the duvet to see that his Diamond was not there.

A minute later and Origo had made it to the bottom of the bed. He gave a small yawn as he double checked to see if his Diamond was not hiding. When he saw that she was not there, he jumped over the small wooden beam onto a dressing box at the end of the bed.

Ori found it much easier to jump off of the dressing box then he did the bed because it was not as high. He landed on his fluffy paws.

The little puppy wagged his tail as he walked out. His little nose picked up an exciting smell. One that made his little tail wag faster.

As he bound towards the kitchen, he almost bumped into a large figure.

"Watch out!" said Pippin.

He smiled as he watched the puppy jump in surprise, then scamper away again. Pippin shook his head and continued to walk to the lounge.

All of the dishes had been cleaned and put away. But Diamond did not have to lift a finger after breakfast. She smiled as she watched Pippin stand up. For a moment, she thought that he was going to leave all of the washing up to her.

But, to her surprise, he did not leave the room. Instead, he started to pick up the dishes and walk over to the sink. Diamond continued to feed her son when she heard the water pouring into the sink.

"Oh, Pippin" she said, grabbing his attention.

"I'll do that" she told him.

Pippin knew that Diamond needed all of the help that she could get.

"It's fine, Diamond, you just feed little Faramir" he answered.

Diamond gave a small smile.

"Maybe he has changed" she thought.

Pippin washed up the plates and put them on the side. He took the wooden plug which held the water at bay. The dirty water started to drain away.

Diamond took a deep breath, wondering if she should go and wake her little puppy up. The sound of porcelain hitting porcelain echoed around the kitchen.

Soon, all of the plates were packed away.

"Thank you, Pip" Diamond said.

He smiled and headed out of the room.

"Watch out!" said Pippin as he walked out.

Diamond smiled as she looked down and saw her little puppy scurrying towards her.

"Good morning" she said.

Origo's little tail wagged.

"I'll get your turkey ready in a moment, puppy" she said.

Origo watched as his Diamond stood up. She walked out of the room to find Pippin. A few minutes later, she returned. Faramir had been left with his father while Diamond fed Origo.

"Right" she said, looking down at her puppy.

"Shall we get your turkey?" she asked.

Origo nodded and scurried over to the cellar door. Diamond smiled as she opened the door. Origo did not come in. Instead, he waited for his Diamond to come back out.

His little cold, wet nose picked up the smell that he had been waiting for. Diamond noticed a sudden change in Origo's behaviour. He seemed more excited. Any sign of tiredness had gone. Diamond smiled as her little puppy pawed her leg.

"Hold your horses, pup" she said as she took out a plate.

A small whimper, almost a bark, came from him. Soon, Ori would get what he wanted.

"There you go" Diamond said, placing the bowl down on the floor.

Origo instantly started to eat as Diamond drew back. She smiled as she looked around the kitchen. She was not used to having nothing to clean. She felt strange, like she had forgotten something. But there was nothing to do.

"Maybe the floor needs a clean"

But the floor looked surprisingly clean, having been done just the day before. Even though Origo had finished his first large bowl of the day, he was still hungry.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down. Ori's eyes have a very clear hint that he wanted more.

"You can have more at lunch, puppy" she told him.

Origo gave a small whimper and hung his head. He never got more, his Diamond always said that he couldn't have any more.

Dis yawned as she stood there. The day was old, the sun had been beating down on the forest all day. Birds were singing and fluttering from tree to tree. All three of the dwarves had had the worst night since Smaug had taken over their mountain.

Thorin and Frerin, who usually kept look out, felt safer then the days before. But tonight was different. A few large creatures had been tracking their process through for a few days now.

Eight eyes peered down at the sleeping dwarves. But the spider was not alone, nor was he a small, fly catching spider.

He had eight large legs and eight intelligent eyes. More and more spiders accumulated above the sleeping dwarves. The large front leg started to tap on the large tree that the spider was on.

Silently, ten other spiders abseiled down to the floor. The dwarves remained asleep. The first signs that anything was wrong was when Dis gave a muffled scream.

Frerin took a deep breath and opened his eyes just a small bit. He saw Dis' hand moved upwards. He did not realised what had happened at first. Upon a second look, he suddenly jumped up.

"Dis!" he shouted.

His voice echoed around the forest. Thorin's eyes shot open. Above him, he could seen movement, as though the wind was blowing the leaves.

But tonight, there was no wind. Thorin quickly stood up. Frerin did not have to say a word to say what had happened. The two boys knew that they needed to get Dis back.

There was only a matter of time before Dis would suffocate. For sticky strands were being wrapped around her arms and legs. She knew that she was stuck. Through the miles of sticky strands, she could see the forest floor below. But there was no sign of her brothers.

The spiders seemed to argue over who would get to eat her. There was strange muffled noise coming from the other side of the web. Dis knew that she must have been high in the canopy of the forest.

Meanwhile, on the forest floor, Frerin was getting ready to climb the trees.

"Come on" he said.

Thorin knew that it would take a while to climb. But this did not put Frerin off as he slung his axe over his shoulder. He walked up to the tree and started to climb.

Origo was curled up on Diamond's lap. Her warm hands ran along the length of her Origo's warm body. With a stomach full of turkey, it did not take long for the puppy to fall asleep.

His little eyes remained closed for hours. Pictures flashed across the little puppy's eyes. He was not in Hobbiton, but in a strange place that he had visited long time. But he was not alone.

A girl with hair that flowed past her shoulders sat with her leg on a stall. Under her ankle lay a soft pillow. Large flakes were fluttering down to earth, being pushed by waves on invisible wind.

Origo did not like the coldness, so he sought shelter. Origo shivered as he reached the building. But, upon reaching the building, he found that he was not alone. He saw another little puppy scoffing his face with food, just like he did.

Origo did not like other puppies, he thought that they would steal his Diamond away from him. But, after slowly making his way to within a few feet of the other puppy, Origo started to realise that he could not be seen.

Origo backed off a bit and watched as the girl picked up the puppy.

Jealously took over Origo. He hung his head and gave a small whimper.

"I need a cuddle"

Just then, a green light flashed against the tilted floor.

"Hello, puppy" said a voice.

Origo tilted his head. It was Ivy. Ivy normally came and fluttered by him. But she was more interested in the other puppy. This did not make Origo feel happy as he slowly walked towards them.

He already knew that they could not see him. So, he made his way closer, trying to figure out what they were saying.

"We'll be leaving in two of three weeks" the green fairy said.

Origo watched as the fairy fluttered around before him. The three beings could not see him. Origo's little brown eyes then inspected the bowl. But there was nothing in it. Just then, the picture changed. Origo woke up to see that he was not on his Diamond's lap any more.

In fact, she was not even in the room. Time, although a few hours had past, seemed to have passed in a blink of an eye for Origo.

Lunch was now being prepared. The only sign was the echoing clangs and bangs from the kitchen. The little puppy gave a big yawn and stretched his two front paws as far as he could.

Origo stood up and looked down at the floor. It wasn't a high as the bed. Origo jumped down and scurried off out of the lounge.

Diamond was making a large lunch. Her little Faramir had been put back in his cot so that he could sleep.

"Oh, hello Origo" Diamond said as a little black speck caught her eye.

Origo's little tail always wagged as his Diamond poured the last bit of oil into an old looking trey. A small whimper came from her four legged friend as he stood there.

"Soon, puppy" Diamond answered.

A second puppy had already started to eat. A large bowl of warm food had been prepared for her. Crisp rashers of bacon were ripped apart and consumed by the small puppy.

Abira, unlike Origo, did not seem to complain and beg for more when all had been eaten.

"Good girl" Pimpernel said, picking up her puppy.

Abira gave a small whimper and snuggled up. For the past few days, Abira had been stuck inside. Her sprits had not been where they should be. For, just a few days before, her friend had told her that she was not wanted.

Abira still had hope that Origo still loved her. For she loved him.

Abira gave a small whimper and looked up at her Pimpernel. Though she did not say a word, Pimpernel knew what her puppy wanted to do.

"Of course we can go and see them" Pimpernel told her.

Abira gave a little whine and cuddled up on her Pimpernel. She knew that Origo would not be easily won over. She knew that Origo, as friendly as he was, would not forgive her easily.

"Puppy, I have to go and get washed, then we can go and visit Diamond and Origo"

Pimpernel was unaware of the rift that had developed between the two of them. But she would soon find out when they would enter Diamond home.

Dis remained constricted in a sticky cocoon. She had been placed on one of the many large braches that wound through the canopy.

Thorin wiped his forehead and looked up. The tree he was climbing was massive. Some of the branches were too big to get over.

"This way" said Frerin as he saw some branches which they could climb.

Frerin was not as tired as young Thorin. Thorin was not used to this strenuous. The trees were too big for Thorin to get a good hold on them.

As the two dwarves grew nearer to the army of spiders. As Frerin walked along a massive branch, something hit him from behind.

Thorin watched as Frerin fell and suddenly stopped. Wrapped around his ankles were thick strands. Frerin's heart beat rose dramatically as he saw the ground way below him.

Thorin watched, but could not do anything for he was being held back by two large spiders. Frerin was slowly fished out of the air. His hand was wrapped around his sword. His axe had been left on the forest floor.

Thorin slowly got his sword out. His eyes darted to the two monstrous spiders. Within a two seconds, both spiders lurched at them.

With one long swing of his sword, the two spiders fell to the forest floor. The floor gates had now been opened. And Thorin was attacked left, right and centre. Spiders were falling to the forest below, they hit branches on the way down.

The local animals, owls and foxes mostly, were many hundreds of meters away. Noises echoed deep into the forest.

After what seemed like hours, the spiders finally began to back off. Thorin was now on his own, for both Frerin and Dis were now trapped.

Thorin had to fight off the spiders long enough to find his brother and sister. But that was just the start of his problems. For, when he had found them, he needed to cut them loose.

Thorin slowly made his way from branch to branch. His sister and brother had been placed in a large, strong web. Dis could feel the wind shake the web. She could see, out of a small gap in the strands of web cross her face.

She could see the dark forest floor below. The sun was slowly sinking as she lay there. Her brother lay in a different web a few meters away.

Origo gave a small whimper as his Diamond opened the door. She took a deep breath as she stood there.

"I'll be back for dinner time, Pip" she said.

A small part of her wanted to kiss him on the cheek. But she stopped herself. Pip gave a small smiled and started to close the door. But he stopped when he saw a little puppy backing up.

"Go on, pup" he said.

But Origo shook his head and stayed in the warmth. Diamond knew that Origo did not like the coldness. But she also knew that she could not force him to come.

"Do you want to stay here?" she asked.

Origo nodded his head and gave a small whimper. Diamond took a deep breath.

"I'll see you soon, puppy" his Diamond said.

Faramir was wrapped in a tight bundle. Diamond turned around and was just about to walk away when something very important crossed her mind.

"Oh, Pip!" she said before he closed the door.

Pippin opened the door up a little.

"Origo's…" she took a small pause, knowing her puppy was very intelligent.

"T U R K E Y is in the cellar"

Pippin took a few seconds to figure out what she was saying. A small smile came over him.

"I will"

Diamond smiled as she looked down at her son. From her mouth came a silver cloud of breath. Her feet started to tingle as she walked down from her home.

Origo had already made himself comfortable on Diamond's bed. Pippin took a deep breath as he entered his room. He did not stay there long for he had an idea. He would help Diamond drain the large barrels of ale in the cellar.

Origo was quickly pushed out of Pippin's mind as he took out his faithful goblet. But he did not fill it up right away. For he had forgotten his handy pipe and pouch of tobacco.

A few minutes later, with the goblet filled with golden liquid, Pippin settled down. A large plate of cookies, made by Diamond, was placed out.

Pippin smiled as he sat there. A book had been brought in from the many book cases that lined the walls of the rooms. There was even a small book case in the kitchen. But that was reserved for Diamond's cookery books only. Everything from pouched eggs to hog roasts were written in detail within them.

Diamond used more then others. For she had favorite books were kept on the bottom part of small book case. Pippin thought that Diamond made the best cookies. They seemed to become better over the years that Pippin had know her.

Origo had snuggled up under Diamond's large duvet. The only evidence that he was there was a small lump in the duvet.

His eyes were closed and his little chest was rising and falling. Hours past in a blink of an eye. Abira had waited for her Origo to come. When the door came, she knew her chance had come.

"Hello" said voice from down the corridor.

Abira raced down towards the door, but stopped.

Would Origo really want to see her?

A cold wave tickled Abira's fur. She poked her little fluffy head around the shallow turn in the corridor. She could see two figures standing near the door. Their voices echoed down towards her.

Her brown eyes darted to the floor. But there was no sign of her Origo. A minute later, Diamond and Pearl walked towards her. Diamond, who was now holding Faramir again, saw little Abira standing there.

"Aww, Origo didn't want to come, I don't think he's feeling very well" Diamond told her.

Abira hung her head. She knew that she should not have pounced him. Pimpernel suddenly felt very upset, like she was missing a very precious friend.

But Nelly managed to force a small smile as Diamond walked in.

"Good afternoon" said Pimpernel.

Diamond smiled as she took her seat. Abira wondered in a minute later. Pimpernel's heart melted a bit as the little puppy walked up towards her. A large hand came and scooped Abira up. Diamond took a deep breath as she looked over at Pimpernel and Abira.

A small part of her wanted to go home and cuddle her puppy. For she worried about Origo, just as much as she did her friends and family.

Dis took a deep breath as a knife cut her lose. She could finally breath again.

"Thorin!" she said.

Dis could still not move as she watched her brother fight off even more spiders. Thorin lost his balance a few times. But his balance was lost once too many times. For gravity took a hold of him like a giant hand.

But a safety net had been strung over the height of the canopy. Thorin landed on a net of webs. The webs stuck to him instantly. The more he struggled, the more energy he used and the nearer the spider got.

But spiders were easily fooled. As one got close, Thorin broke himself free and swung his dagger. The blade sliced right into the spiders eight eyes.

Thorin watched as the spider squealed in more pain that it could handle. It stumbled ever closer to the edge. It's kin watched as another fell to the forest floor. Thorin slowly, and carefully, made his way back to his sister.

"Stay back" he said, pointing his sword at the spiders.

The spiders knew that they had me their match. Dis was soon cut free. Though some of the strands remained stuck to her.

"Stay back" Thorin repeated.

Dis shook as she slowly made her way over the large web to the safety of the branch. Thorin followed her, making sure that she did not fall through.

"Get to the bottom" Thorin said, handing her his small axe.

"If any attack you, use it"

Dis had only had a small amount of training. She did not think she was ready to fight yet. But she had to as a spider jumped from her right hand side.

Everything happened too quickly for Dis. She did not even have to swing her blade. The spider's momentum was enough for the blade to slice through spider.

Thorin had reached his brother. Frerin had not faired much better. He had struggled to get away. But, in the process, the spiders had made their cocoon tighter.

Air was now running out and he had no idea when Thorin would get to him. But the sounds from the world on the other side of the sticky strands started to move from his face.

Thorin stood there. He gave a smile.


	120. Day Fifty Eight, Part Two

"Hurry" he said, ripping the webs down so that Frerin could untangle himself.

Thorin looked over at Dis. But she was not there. Dis had already started to climb down. The spiders were following her. Every so often, she would get far enough down to have a few seconds rest.

But she knew that she was truly safe when she reached level ground. But that was easier said then done. For there gap between the branch she was on and the next one was further then she had expected.

Origo had been sleeping for a good few hours. His little eyes opened. His Diamond had still not arrived home. But his hunger could not wait. Origo dug himself out of the duvet and down to the end of the bed.

A strange smell hit his little wet nose as he walked out of the room. It was not turkey, nor any other food for that matter. Origo slowly walked towards the kitchen. There, he heard something crash and bang. Origo's eyes widened.

Should he really go in there?

But this little puppy wanted his turkey. So, with a large wave of courage, Origo entered to see pippin laying on the floor. For a moment, Origo thought that pippin may have hurt himself.

But that was not the case. Pippin suddenly moved and looked over at him.

"Origo!" he said, louder then normal.

Fear suddenly rose in the pup and he backed away.

"Oh no, don't tell Diamond!" Pippin said.

Something was wrong with him as Origo watched him stagger to his feet.

"Hey, do you like chicken?" Pippin asked.

Origo did not have a chance to answer as Pippin turned around and staggered over to the cellar. As he got there, he stopped.

"Stay" he said, looking back at Origo.

"Stay, good boy"

Origo blinked twice as he watched Pippin open the cellar door. Origo stood there, his little mind was very confused indeed. Pippin staggered back out a few minutes later. In one hand, there was a packet of what chicken, in the other was a refilled goblet.

Small droplets of ale fell to the floor. Ori watched as Pippin placed his ale on the table and walked to the cupboard. A bowl was then taken out and, after a few attempts, the chicken was emptied into it.

"Here you are puppy!" Pippin said, placing the bowl down on the ground.

But, in his drunken state, Pippin accidently dropped it. The bowl impacted on the tiled floor and smashed.

"Oh you silly dog!" Pippin said.

Origo backed away.

"Look, look at what you have done!"

Origo did not like Pippin very much. Pippin took a deep breath and squatted down. Origo watched as Pippin tried to steady himself. But his balance was not very good. It took Peregrin longer to clean up. For he kept dropping the shards of bowl and pieces of chicken.

"Naughty puppy, no food for you"

Origo growled. He wanted his turkey.

"Ah, don't growl at me you naughty dog!"

Meanwhile, Diamond became very angry. She did not know why, but something told her that Pippin had a part to play in it.

A large meal had been set out by Pearl, with a little help from Pimpernel. Pervinca had arrived too, she had brought big, chocolaty muffins for pudding.

Diamond could not take it any more as she put her knife and fork down and rose from her seat.

"Where are you going?" asked Pearl, looking at her sister-in-law.

"I'm sorry, I have to go and check on Pippin, I mean, Origo" she said.

Abira poked her round fluffy head above the rim of the table. She watched Diamond get up and walk out of the kitchen.

Pimpernel looked down at saw her puppy sitting up. Her knife and fork were place down and her puppy was lifted up.

"You little cutie" she said, kissing the warm puppy on the head.

Abira gave a small whimper and rested her head on her paws. Down the hallway, Diamond's departure echoed down.

Minute past before Diamond got back to her home. She took a deep breath as she opened the door. But her mood did not improve as she smelt the tobacco smoke drift down from the kitchen.

Suddenly, like a small furry bullet, Origo appeared.

"Origo!" Diamond said, instantly scooping him up.

Diamond had never seen her puppy so scared, he wriggled, trying to get to the safest place.

"Calm down, puppy" she said, feeling little Origo's heart beating twice as fast as was normal.

Diamond scowled. There was only one person that could make her puppy that scared.

Pippin.

Pippin sat with his pipe in his mouth and his large feet on the table. He failed to notice Diamond towering behind him. But he would soon find out.

"Peregrin Took!" Diamond said, her voice raised.

Pippin almost fell off of his chair. In fact, something did fall. His large pint of ale. Diamond was not very happy with him.

"Diamond!" said Pippin, trying to sound sober.

But it was not working.

"I trusted you with my house and with my puppy, but you couldn't even do that"

Pippin took on a confused look.

"But, I've given him his turkey"

Diamond did not believe Pippin one bit.

"Where is his bowl?" she asked.

Pippin took a deep breath and slowly got up. Diamond knew that Pippin had drunk way too much. He staggered over to the bin and gave a small hiccup in the process.

"Look" he said, bending down and getting a shard of bowl out of the bin.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"He broke it so I had to throw it away!" Pippin told her.

Origo gave a little growl. Diamond shook her head.

"Why do you do this?" she asked.

Pippin felt a very sudden change in atmosphere.

"Do what?" he asked.

Diamond could not believe how self-centred he was being.

"This!" Diamond told him.

"Thinking of yourself all the time, it scares me"

Pippin knew that he needed to think about his Diamond and Faramir more. But, at the moment, he was took drunk to do anything. He swayed as he stood.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

The answer was one that Pippin did not expect. Diamond did not have to think hard about what she wanted.

"Your pipe" she answered.

Pippin opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. For there was no way in convincing her otherwise.

"When can I have it back?" he asked.

Diamond did not know, even if she did, she did not want to tell him.

"When you've grown up" she said.

Pippin could still see a small bit of silver smoke rising from it. Pippin gave a small sigh and handed his pipe over to Diamond.

"And your goblet" she said.

There was still a small bit ale left in it. Pippin was just about to drain the last of his precious liquid, but he was stopped.

"In the sink" Diamond told him.

Origo turned his head to watch Pippin. Ori watched as pippin slowly walked over to the sink. Diamond watched as Pippin stood there for a few seconds. The mug of ale was then tilted and the ale started to pour out of the mug.

After a few seconds, all of the ale was now trickling down the sink. Pippin took a deep breath as he turned around. Never once had he wasted so much perfectly drinkable ale. A small smile came over Diamond. She had Pippin right where she wanted him.

"Now, me and Origo are going to see Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca"

Pippin felt like Diamond was not telling him something.

"And I want you to clean the house for me, get the smell of smoke out of the kitchen" she told him.

Pippin thought this was an impossible task.

"How do I do that?" he asked.

Diamond took a deep breath. She knew that Pippin was never around when she started cleaning.

"Wash the curtains, clean the table, floor, worktops" she answered.

This was a mammoth task for Pippin. Nearly every room had the smell of smoke in it. it would take Pippin hours, maybe even days to get it all out.

"All of them?" he asked.

"All of them" Diamond answered.

Pippin took a deep breath as he watched Diamond walk out. He knew that, if he wanted to stay here, then he would have to do as he was told.

Diamond smiled as Origo rested his head on her shoulder and gave a small whimper.

"We can get a very large bowl of turkey when we're at Pearl's home" Diamond told him as she walked to her room.

A large, warm blanket was then taken out.

"Come on, lets go and see Abira, I think she misses you" Diamond told him.

Origo was placed on the bed as Diamond opened her wardrobe. Origo watched as she buttoned up her coat. She then picked up Origo and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, after getting a large warm blanket for the pup, the two of them made their way down the corridor. Diamond smiled as she opened up the door to the cold, outside world again.

The sunlight was fading as Diamond walked out. Origo had been wrapped up in his large blanket. Diamond knew that Origo could not be carried home. But she hadn't told him yet. For Faramir had been left with his aunties while Diamond went back to get Origo.

Pimpernel, Pearl and Pervinca had all finished their lunch.

"Should we wait for Diamond?" Pervinca asked.

Pimpernel took a deep breath as her hand ran over a small sleeping puppy. Abira had eaten her bacon like the good little puppy she was.

Just as Pervinca was about to stab one of Diamond's sausages, a few knocks echoed down the corridor. Vinnie took a deep breath and took her fork away again, mumbling about how hungry she was.

Pearl smiled as she rushed down the corridor and opened the large front door.

"Oh, I see you've brought Origo, I'm sure Abira will be pleased" she said.

Origo was unwrapped and placed on the tiled floor. Diamond heard a small whimper and saw his little puppy eyes looking at her.

"It's not that cold, puppy" she answered, unbuttoning her large coat.

Origo gave a small yawn and looked around. He could smell his puppy friend, but did not know where she was.

"Come on" Diamond said, walking past him.

Origo trailed behind. Diamond was greeted by her other two sister-in-laws. Origo wondered in a few seconds later and instantly spotted Abira snoozing on her Pimpernel's lap.

Origo gave a small whimper and followed his Diamond to her seat. Pearl now had Origo to cater for. She had just the thing that Origo needed.

A few minutes later, after going into the cellar, Pearl placed a bowl full of turkey on the floor.

"Origo?" she asked, looking over at him.

Ori had settled down under the seat that his Diamond was sitting on. Origo looked over and saw Pearl standing there. It took him a few seconds before he realised that a bowl of turkey had been prepared for him. Pearl smiled as Origo started to chomp on the small chunks.

Diamond finished her meal. But there were still a few scraps left in the bowls. Pearl, who had made the fabulous meal, dished out the last scraps.

Abira still had no idea that her Origo was just feet away from her. Pimpernel smiled as her little precious puppy continued to snooze.

Sweat was running down Thorin's face as he descended the tree. There were just a few branches left to negotiate. Dis and Frerin had already made it down.

"Hurry!" Dis shouted.

Thorin stopped and looked up. He could see, against the darkness of the canopy that he had just come from, figures moving. The spiders were now trailing him.

Thorin took a deep breath and jumped down the last few. He landed on the moss covered ground.

"Come on, Thorin" said Frerin.

He had his axe out already. Thorin took a deep breath as he wiped his forehead.

"Thorin?" Frerin asked.

Thorin looked up. The two brothers looked at each other. No words were spoken, but they knew what was going to happen.

"Hurry" said Frerin as he started to walk quickly the wrong way.

Dis was confused.

"Where are we going?" Dis asked, trailing behind them.

Thorin knew that the rest of the group were now in danger. The three of them had to get back to the main group as quickly as they could.

Thrain and the rest of his people were resting, hunger and tiredness had got to them. A few remained standing, looking out into the wild.

Thrain took a deep breath as he sat with his back to one of the large trees. He had large boots on. His feet were throbbing in pain as he stretched his legs out. His pack stood beside him. Food was running low. The dwarves were hungry, but the food was scarce.

"Don't eat too much now, we are but half way through the forest" Thrain told a young female dwarf.

The female dwarf looked very tired. She had smaller boots then Thrain did, but they equally as durable. The female dwarf, who's beard had not been combed since Smaug had made his home in the mountain.

Her hair, which was dark red, like most of the dwarves that had survived, was messy. Twigs and leaves were imbedded in her hair.

Thror gingerly stood up. His knees were stiff, especially after walking for so long. But he had to see his people through to the other side.

Legolas stood in front of a large archway that lead into another room. The sun was high in the sky. Water rushed over all sides of the valley. Two dark haired elves walked towards him. Neither of them said a word.

Legolas stood to one side and let them pass. Inside the room lay a woman on a bed. A large basket of the richest fruit the elves had to offer. Bundles of purple grapes, some ripe bananas, the greenest apples and orange oranges.

Celebrian gave a small smile as she ate a grape.

"Good morning" she said to both of her boys.

Elladan and Elrohir stood either side of the bed.

"I would like you to meet your new little sister"

Elladan looked down and saw a small baby looking back up at him. Her tiny ears were pointed and her eyes were as blue as the sky above.

"Elladan, Elrohir" said Celebrian.

She looked down at her very small child.

"I'd like you to meet Arwen"

Arwen's eyes were big, they darted around the room. Her eyes fell on her older brother. Arwen's eyes were transfixed on Elladan. A small smile came over Elladan's face.

"She looks like you, mother" he told her.

Celebrian smiled.

"She has your father's looks too"

Just then, Elrond walked in.

"I trust she is doing well" he said.

Elrond, though ancient and wise, his looks had not changed. Elves normally stopped aging when they reached forty of fifty, like normal mortal men. But, but life would not leave them, like it did men.

Elves remained living, just like they always did. Old trees would fall and mountains would crumble, but the elves remained. The very landscape under their feet changed, be it slowly.

Buildings that had once stood were now all but a distance memory, they had been replaced with new buildings.

"We must leave, your mother needs rest and Arwen needs to feed"

Elladan and Elrohir nodded and walked out. Elrond had already made plans for Arwen's life. She would live safely, happily and out of danger in Rivendell. But her life had already been written in the stars.

Legolas lay on the cold ground. The only sound that could be heard was Gimli, snoring as usual. Night had fallen around them. Stars twinkled in the sky.

Legolas watched the sky. He saw small spot of light race over the night sky, weaving in and out of view. After a second, the spot of light was gone.

"Fourteen" he told himself as he started to look around again.

Soon, the moon came into view. Eight days had past since the new moon started to appear in the sky. Stars could be seen twinkling at nearly every point on the horizon.

But, to the east, a mountain range could be seen. It was hiding behind the eastern horizon, but its snowy caps stood out.

Hours past, Legolas had found more wood. Though the elf made as much noise as he could, the dwarf did not wake.

Legolas took his pack and looked inside. A few wafers of lembas bread still remained. Legolas longed for the rich food that eaten in both his Mirkwood home and his abode on Rivendell.

Fresh bread, the softest meat, the richest fruit and the clearest of Middle-earth's waters could be found there. Groups of travellers on important business were welcome in Rivendell, especially over the past one hundred years. A group of thirteen dwarves, a wizard and a homesick hobbit rolled into Rivendell. They stayed a grand total of two weeks before any of them thought about departing.

But depart they did. Their journey would take a turn for the worse. First, they were kidnapped by goblins and driven deep into the heart of the misty mountains.

But this did not end the of their troubles. Bilbo suddenly stood up. In the distance, he could hear the call of wolves.

But help was on the way in form on large eagles, much larger then any bird that roamed middle-earth. Their wings helped them fly in this warm night.

In the distance, flames could be seen glowing in the heart of the pine forest. As a few flew further towards the chaos, noises could be heard.

The wolves that had surrounded the trees were on fire. Their fur let out a horrible smelling smoke. Gandalf, unknown to the dwarves and unknown to Bilbo, had spoken with the eagles that were now soaring above them.

Bilbo was not concerned about the eagles above, but more with fire climbing the tree towards him. The tree that he and Dori were situated in was the last that the eagles checked.

Bilbo managed, only just, to grab onto Dori's feet. The eagle had no problem lifting the both of them. Bilbo felt the heat of the fire and the screams of the wolves slowly die down. It was replaced by the complaints of Dori and the wind rushing past his ears.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the party of dwarves had been put down. Bilbo landed with a thump.

"Now I know what a piece of bacon feels like when it is suddenly picked out of the pan on a fork and put back on the shelf!" he said.

He was surprised that Dori answered him, having sworn he had said it to himself.

"No you don't!" Dori answered, brushing himself off.

"Because the bacon knows that it will get back in the pan sooner or later"

After a few minutes of unease, another eagle flew into view.

"The lord on the eagles bids you to bring your prisoners to the Great Shelf" the eagle told them.

Bilbo, who could not talk to eagles, watched as Dori was picked up and taken away out of sight. Worry started to rise in little Bilbo.

It rose quicker as, out of the darkness of night, an eagle swooped in on him. Bilbo did not have time to react as the claws closed in around him. Once again, Bilbo was, once again, flying through the air. But he had a much comfier ride of it and a much short ride then last time.

Bilbo arrived at his new location a shivering wreck. The eagle did not fly out of sight, but to a large outcrop of rock. Bilbo listened in what Gandalf had to say.

"They would shoot us with their great bows of yew" the great eagle told the wizard.

"For they would think we were after their sheep. And at other times, they would be right"

Gandalf knew that this did not help matters much.

"No, we are glad to cheat the goblins of their sport and glad to repay out thanks to you. But we will not risk ourselves for dwarves in the southward plains"

Gandalf knew that eagles were very stubborn.

"Very well" he said, his hair still had some colour in, but was mostly turning grey.

"Take us where and as far as you will. We are already deeply obliged to you. But in the meantime, we are famished with hunger"

"I am nearly dead of it" Bilbo muttered, just loud enough for the wizard and eagle to hear.

The bird eyed Bilbo for a moment or two.

"That can be mended" he said.

An hour later and a fire had been set. Bilbo and Gandalf had been returned to their dwarves and a small feast was prepared. Rabbits, hares and sheep were ferried up to them. Bombur smiled as he skinned the rabbits, deboned them and chopped them up.

His large caldron had been lost in the depths of the goblin caverns. But Bombur did not need a caldron. There were enough dry sticks to create a good fire and to pierce the meat.

Bombur smiled as he turned the meat. The smell of it wafted towards Bilbo. He closed his eyes and listened to the small pops and crackles of the fire. A small part of Bilbo felt like he was back in Hobbiton.

All he needed now was his book and his pipe. But his pipe and book were a long ay away and, over the next few days, would become even further.

"There you are, Mr Baggins" said a large hobbit holding out a stick.

Bombur gave a small smile, but Bilbo could not see it. The fire had been blocked out by his largeness.

"Thank you" Bilbo said, looking at the piece of meat hanging from the end of the stick.

Bombur handed out a stick of meat to everyone, including Gandalf. Soon, Bilbo's hunger was starting to drain away. He gave a small smile as he finished up every little morsel that he could get. Bombur was not finished with handing out the food as he started to cook the large sheep that had been brought up as well.

Bilbo finished the small, to hobbits, bit of meat. To humans, the piece of meat would have fed a family of four for dinner. But Bilbo was still hungry. He smiled as his energy started to rise.

Soon, the sheep had been sheered, cut and cooked. Bilbo nodded as Bombur gave him a steaming piece of lamb. Bilbo had never tasted better lamb before in his life. His stomach was as grateful for the food as much as he was. Bilbo smiled as he finished his last bite.

Bombur had finished with his stick and threw it in the fire. Bilbo took a deep breath and looked at his stick. Soon, snores erupted from random bundles on the floor.

Bilbo knew that he had to get some sleep, but he secretly wished for more food. But he wished for sleep just the same. The hobbit slowly fell asleep. All of his problems had been forgotten, but only for a few hours.

Origo yawned as he curled up in front of the fire. But he was not alone. Little Abira had curled up near by. Origo still had not seen Abira all night. Abira did not know whether to wake him up or not. For she knew that he would be cranky.

Abira had waited too long for Origo to wake up. She had fallen asleep herself. But Origo would soon wake as the time wore on. Diamond smiled as she took her son.

"Well, I best be getting off" Diamond said, finally looking up at the clock.

Faramir's eyes had began to become really heavy. Diamond smiled as she felt sleepy too.

"I think little Faramir needs his sleep"

Faramir gave a small gabble in response. Diamond now had the problem of Origo now. She needed a way to keep her puppy warm on the way home.

Pimpernel smiled as she slowly and silently stood up. She did not go to pick up her puppy, but little Origo instead.

"Shh Shh" she said as Origo gave a small whimper.

Diamond smiled as Origo rested his head on Pimpernel.

"I think I can help carry Origo home for you" Pimpernel whispered.

Diamond smiled.

"It's only a short distance, I'm sure Origo will survive the walk home"

Origo slowly opened his eyes as he felt the warmth of the fire ebb away. Pimpernel smiled as she felt the little puppy raise his head.

A small whimper then met her.

"You're going home now puppy"

Origo instantly knew that this meant going outside in the coldness.

"Oh, puppy" Nelly said, her blue eyes looking down on him.

Origo tried as hard as he could to convince this blue eyed girl. Origo noticed that this girl had the same blue eyes as his Diamond had.

"I think your Diamond will give you a nice bowl of turkey when your home"

Origo wanted that bowl of turkey right now.

"Puppy, Pimpernel is going to carry you home, you should be thankful that you're getting that" Diamond told him.

Origo instantly seemed to calm down. Nelly smiled as she placed the puppy down.

Origo gave a small whimper as Pimpernel put her coat on. Pearl came walking down the hall way with a large blanket.

"I brought this for little Origo"

Abira's sleep slowly drained away from her as she heard voices. Abira opened her eyes and saw that Origo, Diamond, Pimpernel, Pearl and Pervinca had all left the room. Abira stood up and looked around, making sure that they were not hiding from her.

The door closed down the hall way. Abira scampered out of the room and down the hall way. Only Pearl was standing by the big front door.

"Oh, Origo's gone home puppy" she said.

Abira gave a small whimper.

"Pimpernel is making sure they get home safely, she'll be back in a few minutes" Pearl told her.

Abira did not move from the front door until it opened. Pimpernel came in from the coldness to see her adorable little puppy awake and waiting for her.

"Did you have a good snooze?" she asked as she placed her coat on the hook.

Pimpernel picked up her puppy and gave her a little kiss on top of her head.

"Come on, lets see if we can convince Pearl to make you some bacon and then we can go to bed"

So, the two of them entered the kitchen. Pearl gave a small yawn as she looked around.

"Does the puppy want some bacon?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel knew that her sister could read like an open book. Pimpernel smiled as she tickled her puppy. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the smell of smoked bacon. Abira's little tail wagged as she was placed on the floor.

The smell of bacon was much stronger for her. Her eyes never left the top of stove. The fizzling bacon stopped for a moment before starting up again. Pearl smiled as she placed the bacon into the pan.

More minutes past. But they felt like an hour for the hungry little pup standing on the cold tilted floor. Soon, the sizzling sounds stopped altogether.

"There you are, sweetie" Pearl said.

Abira gave a small whimper and started to eat.

At the same time, a second little puppy had started to eat. Origo was a much faster eater. He had been equally as hungry as Abira, but that did not stop him from munching away.

Diamond had walked out of the kitchen, down the corridor, to her room. Faramir had been placed in his little nightgown and tucked in his cot.

Diamond stood over him for a few seconds before gliding silently out of the room. For her chores still left to do. She walked into kitchen to see her puppy sitting in front of the oven.

"Excuse me puppy" Diamond said as she picked up a small towel.

Origo backed away a bit and watched his Diamond opened up the oven. Origo's excitement rose as a warm wave of turkey smelling air washed over him.

Diamond picked up a juicy piece. A second later, she placed it back and turned around.

"Ready" she said.

Origo barely let Diamond's hand leave the bowl before eating. Diamond smiled and took a deep breath. The smell of tobacco smoke and the many empty plates meant that Pippin had been eating his fill.

Diamond wondered how much food he had eaten.

"By the looks of it, quite a lot"

There was a wicker basket in the corner. Diamond knew that more empty packets had been stuffed inside.

"No wonder he's already asleep" Diamond said.

Pippin had disobeyed Diamond while she had gone back to Pearl's home. His mug and pipe had been hidden by Diamond, but this did not bother Pippin.

For there were many more mugs that he could used.

"If I wash it up, she'll never know" he told himself.

This was a very good idea indeed. So, he scurried off to the kitchen again. Though Diamond was not there, he felt like she was watching him. But, as the mug filled with amber liquid, he smiled as he picked up the candle and walked out.

Pippin did this a few more times. By eight o'clock, Pippin had filled his mug up seven more times.

"Well" he thought, hiccupping.

"I best get some sleep"

Diamond had yet to return as Pippin clumsily made his way to his room. Peregrin did not even bother to get undressed as he fell onto his bed.

Snores filled the room soon after he accidently fell asleep.

Diamond smiled as she walked into her room. Origo had already snuggled within the duvet. He waited for his Diamond to come.

The night gown that had been put Diamond's rocking chair had been take off. Diamond felt much better as she went around blowing all but one of the candles out. The room darkened to a point that Diamond could hardly see.

She had done this routine many times before and was confident in finding her way back.

Origo felt his Diamond peal away the duvet.

"Good night, little pup" she said, kissing her puppy on the head.

Origo licked his Diamond and snuggled down. Diamond yawned and drew the duvet up. Her blue eyes remained open. She was thinking about Pippin.

Origo, who's stomach was full and fur warm, fell asleep quicker that night. But he could not help feeling that he had missed his chance to apologies to Abira.

Abira was feeling exactly like Origo. She regretted not staying up, but there was nothing she could do. The fire had been so warming and it had made her sleepy.

"Maybe tomorrow" she thought as she lay there.

Soon, Abira had fallen asleep too. Neither puppies would wake until morning.


	121. Day Fifty Nine, Part One

"Are you saying that you were attacked by spiders?" Thror asked.

Thorin nodded.

"Yes, there were many of them"

Thorin had told his story over and over again.

"Eight eyes? Eight legs?" asked Thrain.

Dis looked up at her older brother.

"If it wasn't for Thorin, me and Frerin would have probably been eaten" she said.

Thrain took a deep breath as he turned around. There were a lot of lives at risk.

"We killed some, but there were many more still to be slain" Thorin told his father.

Thrain took a deep breath. A plan quickly formed in his head.

"We need to protect the woman and children, we need all of our best fights to go on ahead and see if anything will happen"

So the group split into two.

"Frerin, Thorin, you stay with Dis and the rest"

Thorin did not find this fair.

"You do not know where the spiders are, one of needs to show you"

Thrain took a deep breath.

"Very well, follow me" Thrain told him.

Frerin nodded at his brother as he walked away. Dis was about to argue her point in being left behind, but thought better of it.

Thorin, Thror and Thrain, followed by a group of about fifteen burley dwarves. Some of them had their hoods up. All looked like they had no energy to spare on fighting.

Thror led the way with his grandson.

"So, I guess you have been doing your job" he said.

Thorin looked over at him.

"Of course"

Thror did not approve of them coming back so soon.

"Could you not have carried on with your journey instead of coming back to worn us?" Thror asked.

Thror and Thorin did not get on well. Thorin did not know why or how he could have spoilt his reputation with his grandfather.

"I came back because I must, the spiders are strong and we only just managed to escape"

After a few hours of walking, the small rabble of dwarves ascended on a scene of chaos. Massive spiders, much bigger then the peaceful house spiders that made webs in the corners of rooms.

These were severed bodies of spiders littering the floor. Some were missing body parts.

"Stop" Thorin said, holding Thror back.

But Thror did not stop.

"It looks like you have done a good job" he said, surveying the dead spiders.

Thorin was very nervous as he looked up into the canopy. But spiders were very silent and very good at sneaking.

"Watch out!" he shouted.

A split second later, twelve massive spiders descended on them. The dwarves were knocked back, yet some of them remained standing.

Thorin watched as more spiders descended and took those that stood. Some had no times to reacted as sticky strands were wrapped around them.

"No!" Thorin said as he saw his father's feet lift off of the ground.

Origo woke to an empty bed. Diamond was rarely cuddling him in the morning. For she had more important matters to tend to. First, Diamond would wake Pippin up.

"Pippin?" she asked, looked down.

Pippin was snoring loudly. This did not make Diamond very happy. It was then an idea popped into her head. She slowly reached out and grabbed Pippin's nose.

Pippin gave a small snort and instantly woke up. Diamond gave a small smile as Pippin gasped for air. He sat bolt up right and started coughing.

"Diamond?" he asked, looking up at her.

Diamond did not say a word, for she knew that Pippin would soon get why she was there. Pippin continued to cough as he rose from bed. Diamond smiled as she heard his large feet behind her.

"Diamond, why did you do that?" he asked.

Diamond turned around.

"Why do you think?" she asked.

There was something about her eyes that Pippin felt deep within him. Diamond knew that Pippin knew.

"Exactly" she said and simply walked away.

Faramir had woken up now and was starting to cry. Diamond took a deep sigh as she lifted her precious baby out of the cot.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked.

Faramir had very deep blue eyes. But, everyday, the darkness would lighten. Diamond thought that Faramir was the most cutest baby in the whole of the shire.

"Come on, lets get you some breakfast" she said.

She smiled as she left her little puppy to snooze under the duvet. But he soon woke as she started to feed Faramir. Origo had managed to dig his way out of the large duvet. He landed on his feet and gave a small whimper. A few seconds later Origo scampered out of the room.

Origo slowed to a gentle trot.

"Good boy" the puppy heard as he entered.

Faramir had just finished his large breakfast as the fluffy animal walked in.

"Oh" Diamond said, spotting her puppy.

"I see little Origo has woken up" she said.

Diamond rose from her seat and walked over to the cellar. Origo gave a small yawn as he waited for his Diamond to return. She did so a minute later. She was still holding Faramir as she got a bowl out.

Faramir giggled as Diamond, somehow, managed to open the bag of turkey and put every little bit in the bowl. She smiled as she looked down at her puppy.

Just then, Pippin walked in. A confused look came over him.

"Diamond, haven't you done any breakfast?" he asked, seeing no sign of anything been eaten apart from a few bowls waiting to be cleaned up.

Diamond gave an unusual smile.

"Oh, yes I have done breakfast" she answered.

Pippin's eyes darted away for a split second.

"Well, where is it?" he asked.

Diamond smiled.

"I've eaten it"

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Why didn't you do any for me?" he asked.

"Well, I thought that you were old enough to make your own breakfast"

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Fine" he said, finally giving up.

Diamond expected him to walk to the cellar. But instead, he walked out of the room.

"Now, where is he off to?" she asked herself.

Pippin did not take long to think of a place he could get his meal cooked. Diamond hoped that he would see sense and cook for himself. But her hopes were dashed as she heard the door close.

Diamond took a deep sigh as she stood there. But her mind was soon changed as she heard an adorable whimper near her feet. She looked down to see her brown eyed puppy looking up at her.

"Here you go" she said.

Diamond placed the bowl on the floor and quickly took her fingers away. But Origo did not start eating right away. He was concerned about his Diamond. He did not know why, but she looked a bit upset.

Diamond, who was still holding Faramir, wished she could give her puppy a cuddle.

"Eat up" she said.

Origo's little tail wagged and he turned around. The unmistakeable sound of Origo eating away filled the kitchen. Diamond took a deep breath as she placed the empty packet in the bin.

Pippin had reached the warmth of the Green Dragon. He opened the door and walked in. there were a lot of friendly faces. Pippin smiled as he said his welcomes and took his seat.

A golden haired woman was standing behind the bar. Rosie had returned to work. After having a few months off, she had made the choice to work at the Green Dragon again.

"I'll be fine" said Samwise as Rosie left after she had prepared their breakfast.

Rosie smiled.

"Just don't let the children help themselves to food" Rosie told him.

"Marigold should be around soon to help you"

Samwise nodded.

"I'll see you later on tonight" he said, hugging and kissing her.

Rosie kissed and hugged each of her children in turn before opening the door. Samwise smiled as he watched his wife walk down the gate and away.

"Good morning" said one of the hobbit waitresses.

She had rosy cheeks and long, curly hair that hung past her shoulders.

"What would you like today?" she asked.

Pippin smiled.

"A full breakfast, all the trimming" he answered.

The girl smiled and turned around. She walked over to a door and pushed it open. Pippin smiled as he looked over at Rosie. A few seconds later, Pippin rose from his seat leaving his old looking coat had been hung over the back of his seat.

"Good morning, Pippin" Rosie said.

"Didn't expect to see you here" Pippin said.

Rosie had taken months off to look after her growing family.

"I know, but I doubt I'll be here for long, my family is getting very big now"

Pippin smiled.

"How many are there now?" Pippin asked.

"Four is it?"

Rosie blushed a little bit.

"Five" she answered.

While they had been talking, a large pint of ale had been poured.

"How's Diamond?" Rosie asked.

In the Shire, it did not take long for things to circulate around the groups of chattering hobbits. Pippin took a deep breath.

"She's alright, I guess" he answered.

Pippin took a small sip from his ale. He loved ale. Ever since he was a child, secretly pouring himself a small mug of it.

"Well, I'll talk to you later" Pippin said, giving a small nod and turning around.

More and more hobbits were coming through the door. Pippin smiled as he saw the girl walk back in with a large plate of food.

"Here you are" she said.

"Thank you"

A knife and fork had already been set out. Pippin smiled as he looked on his plate. There was a pile of mushrooms, a few sausages, rashers of bacon, brown chips, a large pile of chopped mushrooms and a rack of toast that had been place on the table near his ale.

Pippin started to cut into the sausages. A small bit of mint had been mixed into the homemade sausages. The chips crunched as Pippin dipped them into the tomato sauce that the beans had been mixed into.

Origo gave a small whimper as he backed away from his Diamond. Diamond towered over him with a large towel.

"Oh puppy" Diamond said.

Faramir was crying in the room down the hall way.

"You have to get washed and be a clean little puppy" she told him.

Origo shook his head and gave a small whimper. Diamond took a deep breath. She was torn between catching Origo and making sure her son was alright.

Diamond knew that she could deal with Origo when Faramir was asleep.

"I'll be back in a minute" she said, taking a deep breath.

Meanwhile, Pippin had finished his first helping.

"Would you like another one?" asked the girl.

Pippin looked up.

"Oh, yes please" he answered.

"What about another helping?" the girl asked.

Pippin smiled and nodded.

"Thank you" he answered.

The girl, who's name had escaped Pippin, picked up Pippin's empty plate and empty mug. Within minutes, she came back.

"There you are" she said.

Pippin smiled.

"Thank you" he said.

But, as he picked up his knife and fork, an urge to ask the girls name came over him.

"Excuse me" he said, grabbing her attention.

The girl smiled and stopped.

"I was wondering, where have I seen you before?"

Peregrin had three older sisters. He was the youngest and the only boy. His whole life he had battled to stand out amongst his sisters.

Pearl and Pervinca giggled as they stepped back. The two of them left without a word. Pippin scowled at his sisters. His lips were redder then normal and his long curly hair was put into two ponytails.

"Lets show Nelly" Pearl whispered.

Pervinca smiled and nodded. Pearl giggled as she ran out. As she did, she stopped. Her father was walking down towards her.

"Daddy" she said, trying to keep a straight face.

But Paladin knew that something was up.

"What are you girls laughing at?" he asked.

Pearl took a deep breath. She knew that she would get into trouble either if she told him or not.

"Pearl?" he asked.

Pearl was smaller then her father and had been taught not to lie, especially to her mother and father. Pearl gave a deep breath and turned around.

Her father followed her. His stick hitting the floor ever other step. Pearl stood by the door and waited for her father. Paladin gave a large, unimpressed huff.

"You girls know what your mother would say if she found out, don't you?"

Pearl and Pervinca hung their heads.

"We're sorry, Papa" Pervinca said.

A small part of her wanted to bust out in laughter. But all she could do was look at her feet and hold it in.

"I will not have my daughters disobeying me again, understand?" he asked.

Pearl and Vinnie nodded.

"Now, go" Paladin told them.

The two girls walked out and down the hall way. Two girls picked out their hats and opened the door. Lunch had already been served so they did not have to be back for a few hours. As the door closed, the two girls started to laugh again.

"I thought we were in trouble" Pearl said.

Pervinca nodded.

"We should try and do it one more time" she said.

The girls laughed and talked about what they were going to do to their little brother when Pimpernel called them out. Pimpernel, despite being the second oldest, was the shorted of Paladin's children, save for Pippin.

"What are you so happy about?" she asked.

The two girls told them what they had done.

"You're very mean to him" Pimpernel told them, giving a small smile.

"It's his fault for not being born and girl like us" Pearl told her.

The three girls talking as they made their way down towards the Green Dragon.

"There she is" Pimpernel said, spotting one of her friends.

The girl was the exact girl that Pippin was talking to many years later.

"I'm Flora, I'm a friend of your sisters" she said.

But Peregrine's memory had slipped him as he looked at her face.

"Flora?" he asked himself, trying to remember where she had seen him.

Pimpernel, Pervinca, Pearl and Flora all talked and giggled.

"I wish I could see what he looked like" Flora told them.

Paladin was very busy and instantly forgot about the state that his son had been left in. The girls thought it was a good idea to sneak back inside and show Flora.

So, the four of them started to walk back. The large, round, coloured front door of the Took household had been left a jar.

Pippin, who had now started to talk properly, heard his sisters coming back.

"Shush" Pearl said, closing the door behind them.

Pimpernel led the way. She had not been involved in Peregrine's make over earlier, but she knew that she would be guilty by association if they were caught.

Paladin had a lot of work to do before he could stop for lunch. Being Thain of the shire was a difficult and time consuming job.

Pippin suddenly remembered where she was from.

"Ah, I remember now" he told her.

Flora was older then he was. She was more Pearl's friend then his.

"I haven't seen you in years, how are you?" Pippin asked.

Flora took a deep breath. A lot had happened to her over the years.

"I'm well, I guess" she told him.

Air was now running out for Thrain as he lay there. The more he struggled, the less he could move. Thorin, yet again, had to climb the tree. This time, he had help. A few other dwarves had started to climb the trees as well.

Thorin was going to save one dwarf and one dwarf only.

Thrain.

Some the of the dwarves had already encountered the spiders. The spiders were no match for axe wielding dwarves. Their weapons sliced through the spiders like a knife through soft butter.

Eerie screams echoed around the forest as the spiders fell to the forest floor with a thump. Thorin, who's energy had all but been spent getting up the tree and fighting the spiders, took a rest near the top of his tree. The number of spiders seemed not to shrink.

For this colony of spiders stretched on for miles, high above the forest floor. They were bloody thirsty creatures, preying on anything that strayed near them.

Thorin reached his father and cut him free quite easily.

"Hurry" Thorin said.

The sound of dwarves fighting high in the tree tops and on the ground echoed around the forest. Thorin hated being this high up in the trees. Dwarves were meant to be safety hidden under mountains of the hardest rock.

Flora giggled and held her hand over her mouth. Pimpernel stood by the door, just in case she heard her father coming down the hall way.

But it was not her father that she had to worry about as a door down the opposite end of the corridor opened. All of the girls stopped giggling as they heard the door close again.

No words were said as, a split second later, all four of them rushed out of Pippin's little room. Pearl had managed to untangle Pippin's hair and wipe away the lipstick from her little brother's mouth before she walked out.

Flora and Pimpernel had already retreated back to another room. Only Pervinca and Pippin did not have to share a room. But Pearl and Nelly did.

Pearl smiled as she walked out of Peregrine's room.

"Hello, mummy" she said.

Pearl looked just like her mother, but younger. They, like Pervinca and Pimpernel, had blue eyes.

"How are you?" Eglantine answered.

Pearl smiled.

"I'm good, Flora has just come around to visit"

A few seconds later, little Pippin came running out of his room.

"Mummy" he said.

Eglantine, who had put her straw hat on the hook, lifted up her son.

"Hello, my little Pippin"

But Pippin was about to spill the beans on what had been done to us.

"Pervinca and Pearl were being mean to me" he told his mother.

Pearl suddenly raised her eyebrows, knowing that Eglantine would soon find out.

"Mean?" she asked.

"How?" she asked.

Pearl tried to sneak away, but her mother stopped her.

"Pearl, what have you been doing to him?" her mother asked.

Pimpernel, Pervinca and Flora were all listening in. They could hear Pearl and Eglantine talking.

"It was just a bit of fun" Pearl told her.

But Eglantine did not see it that.

"You're meant to be his big sister, you're meant to be someone he looks up to" Eglantine told her daughter.

"It wasn't only me, Pervinca did it as well" Pearl said.

Pervinca scowled, she had been exposed by her sister.

"What about Pimpernel, did she do anything?"

Pippin looked up.

"No" Pearl answered.

Eglantine took a deep breath.

"I have no other option then to keep you and Pervinca inside for the rest of the day"

Pearl's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What?" she asked.

"Why?"

Eglantine had explained this already.

"Because I said so" Eglantine told her daughter, laying down her authority.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and backed away from the door. Pervinca took a deep breath.

"How could she do this" she muttered.

Her day had already been planned out. But that was all in the past now.

"I guess I need to go" Flora said as she opened the door.

Eglantine had now put Peregrine down. He had gone back to his room and closed the door. Just then, Pervinca was called out.

The two girls were called to the kitchen and the door was closed behind them.

Eglantine remained standing as the girls sat in silence.

"Now" Eglantine said, looking at her two daughters.

Pervinca huffed as she looked away from her sister.

"What to do with you" she said, slowly walking around.

Only the ticking of the clock and the slapping of Eglantine's big feet could be heard. Flora and Pimpernel had left the house and were not walking over to their usual spot.

A large tree grew just a few minutes down the road.

"I think it was cute" Flora told Nelly.

Nelly smiled. She was a few inches shorter then Flora. In hobbit terms, that was quite a lot shorter.

"Try living with him" Pimpernel replied.

Flora smiled and the two girls walked on.

Origo tried to struggle out of Diamond's grip. But it was no good. A bucket of warm water had been placed out as well as a bar of soap and a flannel.

"Be a good puppy now" Diamond said.

Origo did not like water one bit. Diamond knew this, but she wanted her little puppy to be clean and beautiful. Faramir had been put back in his cot and he was now sleeping peacefully. Diamond slowly lowered her puppy into the shallow water.

"See" she said as Origo stood there.

"It's not that bad"

Origo continued to whimper as Diamond scooped up some water in her free hand. She smiled as she poured it over her little pups head.

Suddenly, Origo tried to run. But he did not get far as the small metal bowl tipped up. Diamond drew back quickly as the bucket tipped over.

The water spilled over the floor and Origo slid for a second. He instantly got to his feet and scampered off. Wet paw prints trailed behind him as Diamond watched.

The sound of the metal bucket echoed throughout the house. A few seconds after it had stopped, Faramir began to cry. Diamond sighed, having just got him off to sleep.

Diamond rose to her feet and picked up the metal bucket. Origo's little wet paw prints had evaporated from the tiled floor. But the water from the bucket was still trickling down the cracks between the tiles.

Diamond placed the bucket on the work top and walked out of the kitchen, stepping over the puddle of water on the floor.

Faramir's cries grew louder as she walked down the hall way. They grew as Diamond walked in. She smiled as she saw little Faramir in his cot. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small bit of the duvet move. This could mean only one thing.

Origo hid under the duvet, the top of his head and his little paws were still wet. Ori thought that Diamond had not seen him, for she had not drawn the duvet off of him.

His little floppy ears could hear the cries of Diamond's noisy puppy grow fainter.

"Maybe she did not know I was here" he thought.

But he was wrong. Diamond knew exactly where he was.

Origo gave a small yawn as he curled up. He was colder then normal. But this did not stop him from falling asleep. The cries of Faramir were not enough to annoy him, but they could still be heard.

Diamond was now sitting in the lounge. Her crying son was being rocked back to sleep.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said.

Just then, the large front door clicked open. Pippin came in and closed the door. He smiled as he started to unbutton his coat.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the lounge.

"Hello" he said, giving Diamond a smile.

But Diamond was not at all happy with him.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Pippin found this very sharp and quite rude. But he did not express it.

"Out" he answered.

Diamond did not find this very helpful.

"Out where?" she asked.

Her eyes gave off a different type of glint. One that was not peaceful. The glint bore into Pippin's very soul.

"The Green Dragon"

Diamond gave a small huff.

"And here I am, at home looking after our son!" she said.

Faramir had settled down now, the metallic bucket that Diamond had tried bath Origo in had woken him up.

"Sorry, but you did not do me any breakfast, what else was I meant to do?" Pippin asked.

Diamond looked up at him. There was a flash of anger in her eyes.

"Make it yourself because I will not be making you any more food" she said.

Diamond suddenly stood up and walked briskly out of the room. Pippin opened his mouth to argue, but Diamond had walked too far away.

Origo heard Diamond walk in and put Faramir in his cot. Ori peaked out to see that Diamond standing there. A tear slid down her face. Her large blue eyes glinted in the candle light. Diamond took a deep breath, she needed to be comforted as Faramir started to sleep again.

A smile came over Diamond sad face as her puppy gave a small whimper. His little head was poking out of the large duvet.

"Oh, puppy" she said.

Diamond her heart melting.

"All I wanted was a nice clean puppy" she told him, picking him up.

Origo was not sure about what he Diamond was saying.

"Maybe it's a trap" he thought.

His little head and paws were still wet. But it did not bother him as much. Origo rested head on his Diamond. Origo could feel that she was upset. So, being his usual adorable self, he gave Diamond a little kiss.

It did the trick.

"Oh puppy" she said.

Diamond sat down on her bed and swung her leg up. Origo gave a small whimper as he lay beside his Diamond. His Diamond took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Origo whimper.

Tears were still streaming down her face. Diamond tried hard to keep Pippin in check. But Pippin continuously stepped out of line.

"Have I done the right thing?" she said to her puppy.

Origo was the only one she could talk to. Sure, Origo did step out of line, but he was a puppy and he needed to be looked after.

Origo's brown eyes seemed to say words that Diamond could understand.

"But, what should I do?"

Unknown to Diamond, Pippin was standing on the other side of the door. Yet another wave of realisation came over him. He knew that he really needed to give up drinking so much. He knew that if he didn't, then he would lose his precious Diamond again and he knew that she would never take him back.

"That's it" he told himself.

"From this moment onwards, I will not touch another ale"

Pippin knew that it would be hard. But he did not understand how hard that it would be. Pippin took a deep breath as he walked back to his room.

Ale and smoking were the only thing that Pippin felt comfort in. They had been his constant through many terrible times. But now, he had to survive without it.

Pippin seemed to only drink when he depressed. And, lately, he had been depressed. His life had not panned out like he had hoped. He thought, after the terrible things he had seen and been through, that it would get easier with time.

But it had not.

For days a time, Pippin would wake up, sweat dripping down his forehead and his heart racing. Pippin had returned from the world of sleep to the real world. But, sometimes, he could not tell the difference.

Sometimes, he still heard the cries of men and woman. He also heard the sound of enormous crashes and bangs that would just echo from his mind.

Diamond lay in her bed for what seemed to be hours. Faramir had remained asleep. Pippin had not bothered Diamond for a few hours. In that time, Diamond had fallen asleep.

Origo had fallen asleep as well. His little chest rising and falling as Diamond's large hand rested gently on the tip of his fluffy face.

Diamond, after three or four hours, woke up. The piece of sky that she could see out of the window had grown very dark indeed.

It took her a few seconds before she realised why she had woken up. Her puppy was gently nipping at her hand.

"Puppy" she said, lifting him closer.

Origo gave a little whimper and started licking his Diamond. Diamond smiled as she shielded her face from the barrage of licks.

"Shall we go and get something to eat?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper and nodded his head. A few seconds later, after a kiss and one last cuddle, Origo was scooped up. Diamond smiled as she looked into the small cot that Faramir was laying in.

He was sleeping peacefully, but would soon wake up. Diamond took a deep breath as she opened the door. Something was strange about the corridor. A strange smell wafted over her and her puppy. Diamond was very confused by this.

"Who else would be cooking?" she asked herself.

A few seconds later, when the kitchen door was opened, Diamond got her answer. Pippin was slaving over many pots and pans. Diamond could see he was so busy that he had not noticed the door open.

Pippin placed a mountain parsnips in a pan. A small bit of oil covered every inch of pan. Pippin made sure there was enough space for all of them. Diamond remained watching as Pippin poured honey onto the uncooked parsnips.

Diamond wondered where he had learnt to cook like that.

"He's never watched me cook lunch before" she thought.

Pippin smiled as he opened the oven and looked inside. Diamond smiled as, for a split second, she saw the large chicken in the oven. Honey had been poured over the chicken as well and mixed herbs sprinkled on top.

Diamond slowly turned around and was just about to shut the door when she was caught.

"Oh, Diamond" Pippin said, smiling.

Diamond stopped and looked over at him.

"I'm making lunch for us" Pippin explained, looking at the bubbling pots on the oven.

"You were asleep, so…" he said, giving a small smile.

Diamond took a deep breath, having underestimated Pippin once again.

"Pippin, you shouldn't have done this"

But Pippin wanted to do it. He wanted to prove that Diamond could trust him and that he was needed.

"It was nothing, it'll be ready in an hour or so" he explained.

Diamond smiled.

"Puppy needs to eat" she said, bopping Origo on his little face.

Origo whimpered and covered up his face with his little paw. A few minutes later and Origo was ready to have lunch. A bowl of turkey had been placed on the floor.

Diamond took her hand away before it got nipped. Origo did not mind if the turkey had not been warmed up a little. He loved warm and cold turkey.

Pippin smiled as Diamond stood there.

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Diamond asked.

But Pippin had it under control.

"Oh, I'm fine" he told her.

Their eyes met for just a split second. But, within that second or so, a lot of feeling erupted. For Pippin, he saw the most beautiful hobbit he had ever seen. Her blue eyes reflected the flickering candles, making them look like the smoothest crystal.

In fact, that was why she was called Diamond. Ever since the day she was born, she had amazingly blue eyes. Pippin took a deep breath as and looked away.

He was sure if he should say it yet, maybe it was too early. But for Diamond, she was dying to heard those three little words.

But they never came.

Darkness had now enveloped Mirkwood. The trees creaked in the wind. The dwarves had returned to their journey after a small hiccup in their journey.


	122. Day Fifty Nine, Part Two

Thorin took a deep breath. He had not slept for a day or two now.

"Maybe we should get some rest" said Thror.

Thror had seen what the spiders had done. He saw his people get taken captive by the spiders. Thror had been one of the few lucky ones that had not been captured.

Thror and the group of dwarves, now with some missing. Those were the ones that could not be saved. They remained cocooned high above the forest floor.

Thror and the rest of the dwarves found a safe enough place to settle down. Frerin and Dis found a nice sized tree to rests against.

Frerin used his last ounce of energy to take his large, muddy books off. His socks were worn and very dirty. But, due to the drop in temperature, he did not take them off.

Thorin was sat by himself, out of the circle of light. Thrain sat facing opposite his son. Thorin was lit up by the dullest of light. Only the pale skin and his eyes could be seen.

Thrain took a deep breath and slowly stood up. Thorin looked away as his father joined him.

"You need to eat" he said, holding out a lump of bread for his son.

Thorin looked over at it and slowly took it.

"There were so many of them" Thorin told him, his eyes seemed to stare into a very distant spot.

"They came from everywhere"

Thorin was replaying the events of the past few days in his head.

"Do not worry, you did you best, we are still a family" Thrain told him.

But they were not a family. Thorin, Frerin and Dis had lost their mother when Smaug had landed. Lots of dwarves had perished, but none more precious then their mother.

Thrain gave a small smile.

"Eat" he said.

Thrain's hair was thinning, but was yet to start losing its colour. His forehead had deep wrinkles etched into it. There were faded scars running along his face and bare arms.

Thrain took a deep breath and got back up. His knees creaked as he walked away. Dis had fallen asleep. Frerin smiled as saw his father walk past.

Thorin took a deep breath as he finished his piece of bread. His stomach was now full. Tiredness now waved over the dwarf. As much he wanted to sleep, he couldn't.

Snores echoed gently around the forest. Ever so often, Thorin would see a different source of light deep within the forest. But these were just passing foxes which meant no harm.

Thorin took a deep breath and made himself as comfortable as he could. Thorin lay on his back, looking up at the sky, for what seemed hours. Stars could be seen twinkling behind the leafless mass of branches.

Jorga yawned as she sat down at an empty table. Lunch come and it had gone. Jorge had leant that she would have a few hours of calm before the inn would get busy again.

Jorga smiled as she started on her lunch. It had been hours since she had anything to eat. Jorga smiled as she cut into one of the sausages.

But the Prancing Pony was not entirely quiet. There were a few lone figures around the bar.

These were the men that spent the most time in the drinking house. They had tatty hair and uncombed beards. Dirt was engraved into their very skin. They washed rarely or not at all.

Jorga took a deep breath as she picked up her large mug of cool water. She smiled and took a large gulp of water. A few seconds later, after placing the mug back down, Jorga continued with her meal.

Twenty minutes past before she was ready to work again. The young girl entered the kitchen.

"Is that for me, dear?" asked an old woman.

She was wearing a stained apron. Jorga did not like to think where those stains had come from and how long they had been there for.

Jorga smiled as she handed it over. The girl took a deep breath and turned around. She walked back into the lobby and looked around.

Barliman was not as busy as he usually was, he was having a conversation with one of the men sitting at the bar. Jorga knew that there was work to do upstairs. So, she headed for the stair well. They creaked as she walked up. There was a door at the top. Jorga opened it and walked onto the landing.

Jorga heard some strange noises coming from down the corridor. As she went to investigate, she saw one of the maids struggling with a large bag of laundry.

"Do you need help?" Jorga asked.

The maid took a break. She smiled.

"Yes, dear" she said.

"This needs to go downstairs" she told her.

Jorga nodded and took one of the handles. She and the maid heaved the large bag all the way down the stairs, into the kitchen. But they did not leave it there.

A few more doors stood there, guarding more rooms. These were rooms were rooms that only Jorga and the rest of the workers used.

Jorga opened the swinging door and dragged the large bag of laundry in.

"Thank you, love" said the old maid.

Jorga smiled and looked around. She took a deep breath and walked out into the kitchen again.

"Jorga?" a voice asked.

One of the cooks, a young lad with long hair, stood there.

"Yes?" she asked, not spotting the plate full of food on the work top.

"Could you take this plate of food out please?" he asked.

Jorga nodded and picked up the plate. It was hot to the touch as Jorga picked it up. She carefully walked towards the door and opened it by giving it a little kick.

The lobby was getting busier now. It always did when the sun began to sink. The coldness deepened as the sun fell. The fireplaces were working at full capacity, sending warmth into the lobby and the black smoke into the cold air.

The same could be said for the hobbits in Hobbiton. Hobbiton, like Bree, was spewing black smoke into the air. The snow on the ground was in patches few and far between. The soil that had been cloaked in snow had now turned very slippery and clung onto anything it could.

Under the hills lived a peaceful race. They had large feet and colourful clothes. They had many meals every day and it showed. Hobbits had whole days where they would eat, especially on specially occasions like Yule and birthdays.

Birthdays rolled around nearly every day in Hobbiton and the Shire. Everyone knew nearly everyone. Pimpernel Took, the daughter of Paladin, Thain of the Shire, was laying in her bed.

The large duvet had been drawn over her, yet she remained fully dressed. Tiredness slowly waved over her until she could not keep her eyes open any longer.

Her last thoughts were of a particular hobbit whop she had loved and lost. She would do anything to have him back, but she knew that he had to make that decision.

As Pimpernel thought of Hamson, she had no idea that Hamson was thinking of her. Hamson had gone to live with his uncle who lived just a days journey away. The coldness made it hard to walk long distances, for the coldness would sap out every ounce of energy that that being had.

Hamson shivered as he walked the short distance between the large, long building on one side of the road to a small home on the other.

He raised his fist and knocked three times. His unusual feet were starting to tingle as the air rushed around them. Hamson put his hand back in his pocket. A minute later, the door opened.

"Oh, you're back" said an old man.

This was his uncle, the one Hamson had travelled almost a day to see. Hamson had been given a job making ropes. It was one he excelled at. He had not missed a time line yet, though there had not been much work lately.

Hansom smiled as he walked over the threshold and closed the door behind him. The coldness was blocked out by the large door.

A delicious smell met Hamson as he walked down the home. Like Hobbiton, this house was all built on one level. Hamson felt very at home here, though he could not help thinking he was still back in hobbit.

Pimpernel's dreams reflected how she truly felt. In her dream, she was walking through her peaceful, wonderful town. In the distance stood the Green Dragon.

As Pimpernel headed towards the large building, standing on its own, something brushed past her legs. She looked down to see a little black speck run past her.

Pimpernel smiled as she saw the little puppy run past. A smile came over her face, but it was soon gone as she saw something on the horizon.

Nelly stopped and watched the horizon. But something else caught her. Birds, which had been perched in various trees, had took off. Pimpernel's little puppy started to bark, which was very unusual.

No words were said, but somehow, Pimpernel knew what was happening. She tried to called out to the unsuspecting hobbits, but her voice had fled.

She quickly picked up her puppy and started to run as fast as she could. But it was no good. As Pimpernel looked around, she saw what was really coming.

A large wave of water rolled over the green hills. It crashed down on Hobbiton, destroying everything that stood in its way. The party was knocked clean over, exposing its roots. The Green Dragon was instantly obliterated. Shards of wood and brick flew through the water like there was no weight to it.

The wave of water was only seconds away from arriving. Pimpernel could do nothing about it. She turned away from the wave and waited, her blue eyes closed.

But the wave never hit.

Pimpernel opened her eyes to a dark, cold room. She head was resting on the pillow and the duvet was still covering her.

It took a few seconds for the dream to sink back into her memory.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked into her duvet. She expected a sleeping puppy to be laying there, eyes closed, chest rising up and down.

But there was no puppy.

Nelly took a deep breath as her depression sank in again. Pimpernel took a deep breath and removed the duvet. She sat up and stayed there for a few seconds.

Her head began to swim, distorting her vision. But it soon past. Her mind was now on other things, such as food. The door to her room had remained shut, keeping out sounds and even smells.

As she opened the door, she was hit by a wave of smell. She gave a small smile, knowing that she had woken up just in time for dinner.

Pearl had been slaving away, making a very nice meal for them. She smiled as she heard the door creak open.

"How are you?" pearl asked as she took out the chicken.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and sat down at the table. Pimpernel sat with her back to the fire. She hated looking at the thing that destroyed so much of her life.

Secretly, Pearl, Pervinca, Paladin, Eglantine and Samwise Gamgee had been planning the rebuild of Pimpernel's home. But it would take many months before the weather was good enough to start.

For now, Pimpernel had to stay in Pearl's.

Origo gave a small yawn as curled up on Mya's lap. Her large, warm hand slowly ran down the puppies back. Mya smiled as she looked up.

Dinner was almost ready, the hosts were setting the table. Mya smiled as she looked back down at the puppy. Origo was just about to drift off to sleep when he was woken.

"Puppy, dinner is ready" Mya told him.

Origo gave a small whimper, but did not raise his head. Mya took a deep breath. She could not wake him up if he did not want to. But there was something coming that made the little puppy quickly raise his head.

Elladan came in holding a large bowl of turkey. Mya couldn't smell it the turkey, but Origo certainly could.

"Oh, careful puppy!" Mya said as Origo nearly jumped onto her leg.

Mya placed him on the floor and he scooted off. Elladan smiled as he placed the bowl near Mya. Origo's little tailed started to wag from right to left as he waited until the bowl was set down.

Mya smiled as she heard the chomping of the little puppy. Origo loved his turkey. Even with his memory lose, the puppy was destined to eat it.

Ivy smiled as she watched from above. She loved watching Origo eat. She could watch her little puppy friend eat a whole bowl of warm turkey and ask for more.

But Origo rarely got more turkey, which made him sad. Ivy loved it when she could comfort him, it gave her a chance to feel how soft he was.

Origo finished his dinner and gave a small whimper. Mya smiled as she looked down.

"In a minute, puppy" she said.

Origo could not be cuddled by the girl, for her lap was taken up by a tray. On that trey was a plate, on the plate was a mound of crisp rashers. Elladan and Elrohir had chosen to make Mya lots of bacon.

Ivy could have easily made just the same amount of rashers for her, but she was not needed at the moment.

"How is your leg?" Elrohir asked.

Mya smiled as she chewed the small bit of bacon that she had eaten.

"It feels better" Mya told him.

Elrohir gave a small smile.

"It seems that we could get the splint off sooner" he told her.

This rose Mya's spirits. A lot was resting on her getting better enough to get going again. Ivy fluttered in the air as Origo sat on the cold floor. As he did, he felt something touch the top of his fluffy head.

Ori gave a small whimper and looked up. But he could see nothing. He shook his head, but the annoyance was still there.

Ivy giggled as Origo tried to shake her off. After a few seconds of torment, Ivy took to the skies again. Origo saw her green glow above him. Ivy smiled as she fluttered there, her little legs dangling down.

Ori gave a small whimper as he looked. Mya had now finished her bacon and the trey had been taken away. Mya peered over the edge of the chair.

"Puppy, come here" she said.

Origo's little tail wagged and he scampered over. Mya smiled as she scooped up the pup. Origo have a happy whimper as he was placed on Mya's lap again. Mya watched as the little puppy settled down.

Origo curled up into a fluffy ball and gave a small yawn.

"Snuggled down, pup" Mya told him as she tickled his ear.

"It'll be bed time soon" she told him.

Thorin and the rest of the dwarves were just days away from emerging out of Mirkwood. Thorin took a deep breath as he stopped. The forest floor had been flat for most of their journey, but now, large rolling hills stood in their way.

Many of the dwarves that had started on this long and difficult journey had not survived. Many of them had been taken by a colony of spiders. Some had gone mad and simply wondered off into Mirkwood, never to be seen again. Thorin held out his hand as his younger sister struggled to climb up a very muddy hill.

She gave a small smile and took her brother's hand. The hill seemed to level out for a while as Dis continued to walk.

"Is that everyone?" Thorin asked his father as he came to the top of the hill.

Thrain took a deep breath and nodded.

"We'll be out of this forest by nightfall" Thorin said.

The small group of dwarves continued ever onwards. Thorin could see the sky much better now. The sun had set, but its light had yet to be replaced by the darkness rising from the East.

The group stopped for their last meal before the night fell. Thorin and Frerin lit some torches. The flames gave of just enough light to see what was to come.

Thorin took a deep breath, hunger was getting to him. Dis was feeling hungry as well.

"Thorin?" asked a voice behind him.

Dis walked a little quicker to catch up with him.

"How are you?" Thorin asked looking down at his sister.

Dis took a deep breath.

"I'm hungry" she answered.

Thorin knew that this was a good time to stop.

"What are you doing?" Thror asked.

Thorin took his pack off and put it on the floor.

"We're having something to eat, we need our strength" Thorin explained.

Thror gave a deep breath, thinking of reasons why they needed to keep going, but most of the dwarves had already made themselves comfortable.

"Just don't get too comfortable, we need to get out of the forest as soon as possible"

Thror walked away. Thorin and Dis sat down on the floor. Their large boots seemed to weigh them down. Dis took a large yawn as she opened up her pack. The remaining dwarves had a bit more food now that some of the dwarves had been killed or had gone missing.

There was now enough food to fill their packs and their empty stomachs. Dis smiled as she ripped off a bit of bread.

Thorin looked down at his piece of bread. He knew that there was not enough food to last. Dis bit down on the bread. A sizable chunk ripped off.

"Not too much, we still have to find a place to settle down" Thorin told her.

Dis did not like this part of the journey. She was used to large banquets where food was plenty. Dis was even allowed to drink ale and beer, as long as she did not have too much.

Even then, she could easily handle as much as the others. Sometimes, Thorin, Frerin and Dis would have drinking competitions.

Dis missed her old life, but she knew that Thorin, Frerin, Thrain and Thror would protect her and try to find a nice place to start living again.

Dis finished her food and placed the rest back in her pack. Just then, Frerin wondered over.

"How long do you think it'll take before we're out of this horrendous forest?" he asked.

Thorin smiled, the flickering torch lighting up his tired face.

"Soon" he answered.

Frerin sat down next to his sister and lent against the tree. Dis closed her pack and gave a big yawn.

"I think we should rest here tonight" Frerin said as Dis rested her head on his shoulder.

Thorin knew that Thror would disagree and force them to move on.

"It is up to Thror, he is in charge"

Dis gave a small groan. Her eyes were very heavy.

"I want to sleep" she whimpered, rubbing her eyes.

The group of dwarves had fallen silent. Two of them remained on look out. They had been standing, but they were too tired to stand any more.

As the hours wore on, more and more of the dwarves fell asleep. Even the watchers were asleep. Thorin gave a small snore as he head rolled on the hard wood of the tree he had chosen.

Thorin's eyes opened a small crack, but he didn't wake.

Diamond smiled as she lay her little child, who was crying, was tucked up in his little cot.

"I know, sweetie" Diamond said as Faramir screwed his face up.

Origo was waiting patiently on Diamond's large bed. His eyes were getting heavier by the minute. Diamond still had to get washed and into her night gown.

Origo watched as his Diamond walked out again. He gave a small whimper, but his Diamond did not hear him.

"Where has she gone?" he thought.

As Diamond reached the bathroom, the door opened. Diamond stopped as a taller hobbit almost knocked into her.

"Oh, sorry Diamond" Pippin said, giving a small smile.

Diamond smiled as well, but did not make eye contact.

"Excuse me" Diamond said, making Pippin suddenly move out of the way.

Without another word, Diamond walked in and closed the door. She clicked the lock shut and took a deep breath. Pippin stood on the other side of the door for a few seconds before walking down towards the kitchen.

The house was quiet, safe from Faramir's whimpers and the whistling of the wind that blew in the cold world outside.

Pippin smiled as he entered the kitchen.

"I think a small snack before bed" he said.

Pippin had the perfect food for going to bed. He walked into the cellar and picked out a small packet and a small vase. Pippin closed the door and placed the small flickering candle placed on its little shelf.

Pippin smiled as he placed the packet down and vase. Peregrin heard the door down the corridor. Diamond yawned as she walked into the kitchen.

She suddenly stopped as she saw Pippin standing at the worktop.

"What are you doing?" she asked, making Pippin jump.

Pippin looked around and gave a small smile.

"Just making myself something to eat and drink before bed" Pippin explained.

Diamond gave a small scowl, not believing him one bit. She walked over to him and saw a plate of cookies.

"What's in the mug?" Diamond asked, knowing that Pippin had a love of ale and beer.

Pippin looked over at her.

"Just milk" he answered.

Diamond saw the whiteness of the milk in the mug. She knew that something was up, but could not prove what it was. Pippin took a deep breath as he picked up the plate of cookies and the mug of cold milk.

"Well" said Diamond, seeing that everything was how she wanted it.

"I'm off to bed, don't make too much noise"

Pippin smiled and nodded. He placed the mug and plate on the table a few seconds later. Diamond wondered out of the room, down to the corridor.

Pippin took a deep breath. He wished that he could have just a little smoke, his head was feeling funny. The door down the hallway clicked shut.

It was a few seconds later, after he had taken the first bite of his first cookie, that he had and idea. He smiled as he continued on eating his cookies. Every so often, he would take a sip of milk to wash it down with.

Meanwhile, Diamond had finally settled down. The house was now quiet as a small puppy gave a little whimper.

"Shush shush" she said as a little puppy rested his head on her shoulder.

Origo was very warm and soft, perfect for cuddling up to in the coldness of winter. Diamond smiled as she felt a wave of sleepiness come over her.

She yawned and turned over, making sure Origo was still being cuddled. Soon, the little puppy finally fell asleep. Diamond's big blue eyes shut and she slowly slipped into the land of dreams.

Dreams came easily for the little puppy. But they were not the nicest of dreams. They were dark and full of danger.

Two figures were journeying through a truly desolate landscape. There were no trees to speak of, no other beings apart from the confused blood thirsty orc that had fallen down a large crack in the land.

"What is it?" Mya asked as she jumped over the smallest bit of the large rip in the earth.

Pilith gave a small look down. A strange, but terrifying noise echoed up. Pilith moved back a foot or two before realising that, what ever it was, could not get up.

Two eyes shone up from the darkness. Mya gave a quick peep over the edge as well.

"There's something moving down there" she said.

Pilith knew that, what ever it was, was not meant to be there. In fact, the two of them had just come across the creature that could change the course of the future.

Pilith caught Mya's attention. The two of them walked ever onwards, the black mountains in the distance grew as the two of them traversed over jagged rocks.

Mya took a deep breath as she got to the summit of a steep outcrop of rock. Pilith had already traversed one side of it and was now on the journey downwards.

"Pilith?" Mya asked, calling down to him.

Pilith, who had been backing down the jiggered rocks, looked up. He could see Mya standing at the top of the small mound that he had climbed over.

Mya needed water, her mouth was very dry. Pilith took a deep breath as he wiped his forehead. The heat was getting to both of them. The ash that floated in the thin air stuck to their skin in a fine layer.

Pilith looked around for any signs of water. But there was no sign of a silver glint on the blackness of Gorgoroth. Mya joined Pilith a few minutes later.

"There's nothing" he said, looking around.

"Not even a dying tree"

Pilith was right. There were no beings about, save for small black specks towards the mountains. Gassy vents littered the land, sending poisonous gas into the atmosphere.

Pilith held his hand over his nose. The smell of sulphur hit him as he past near a spitting vent. Mya followed Pilith as the two of them slowly made their way towards the dark mountains to the West.

Neither of them knew that they were being tracked. The creature that they had come across was now tracking them. He slithered over large boulders, watching their every movement.

A few times, he ducked out of sight. His heart was evil, yet there was some small part of him that wanted to help. But it could all so easily have been different.

"Give it, Deagol my love" Gollum said, looking at the small band of gold resting on his friends palm.

But Deagol refused and was later killed. He was the first victim of Sauron's fresh attempt in retaking Middle-earth. Smeagol loved the ring. In fact, he had a peaceful, gentle life before he had taken it.

Gollum had ventured to the Misty Mountains in an effort to evade the sun. he hated both the light of sun and the full moon.

Pilith heard a small rock behind him fall. Pilith looked around to see a creature meters above Mya. The next few seconds seemed to slow down.

Pilith watched as Smeagol jumped into the air. The next second, Mya fell under his weight. Pilith watched as the two of them tumbled down.

"Mya!" he shouted before running off.

Mya and Gollum rolled down until they came to rest on a small ledge. Pilith could see Mya struggling to get away from the grip of this creature.

Pilith arrived just in time. For the creature was dragging Mya away. Pilith grabbed the creature around the neck and, with a closed fist, struck the creature in the face.

Gollum, who was unknown to Mya and Pilith, screeched in face. It was exactly what Mya needed. For Gollum let go of her hair for a split second. Mya moved out of the way as quickly as she could.

Pilith swung again. But Gollum was ready for it. Pilith's arm was knocked away. Gollum did not miss a beat as he saw a chance to retaliate.

A few minutes of struggling later and Pilith was the one that came out stronger. Gollum struggled to get up, but Pilith's weight stopped him from doing so.

"You are no orc" Pilith said, looking down at the creature.

Gollum gave an angry hiss.

"You is no orcses either " he said.

Pilith took a deep breath and released Gollum. The creature had cuts on his arms and chest. Mya was still holding her head, she did not look at all happy.

Gollum looked around, he was very hungry.

"So hungry, needs food" Gollum said, looking around.

But there was none.

"We should get moving" Mya said, sorting out her head.

Pilith nodded.

"Movings?" Gollum asked, looking around at them.

Mya did not like Gollum very much, he looked untrustworthy and had an ill-favoured look about him.

"Where are they movings to a wonders, maybe they needs help"

Mya did not like the sound of that.

"Maybe"

Gollum suddenly broke into a bought of hideous coughing.

"Maybe they needs help"

Pilith took a deep breath, thinking that was the end of their ordeal.

"I can helps you find the way outs"

Mya did not like this idea one bit. But Pilith had a different idea.

"We could use some assistance, yes" Pilith said.

Gollum hopped down from his small ledge.

"We are goings in the same way, follow me"

Just then, the pictures stopped. Origo wondered why he was so cold. The little puppy opened his eyes and gave a small whimper. But his Diamond did not answer.

In fact, Diamond was in the kitchen. In her arms was a little baby. Faramir was quiet as he suckled on a large bottle of warm milk. Diamond had only been away from her bed for a few minutes when she heard a pitter-patter of tiny paws coming down the corridor.

A second later, a small thump echoed around the kitchen. Diamond knew exactly what happened. Her heart melted as she heard her little Origo whimper.

Diamond's blue eyes picked up the tiny shadowy figure trot up to her.

"Shouldn't your be asleep, puppy?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper, telling her that he needed her cuddles to sleep.

"I'll be back to bed in a few minutes, puppy" she whispered.

Pippin took a deep breath. His room was hot and his mouth was dry. The duvet was removed, baring his large hairy feet to the coldness. The hair, which was golden like that that grew from his head.

Pippin yawned as he opened the door. If he did so a few seconds earlier, he would have seen Diamond walk past. Even with the gentle clicking shut of the door did not catch Pippin's attention. Pippin failed to notice the empty milk bottle on the table as he got a mug out of the cupboard. A minute later, after going into the cellar, Pippin poured himself a nice glass of clear, cool water.

Diamond had placed Faramir back in his cot and was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Origo gave a small whimper to let his Diamond know he still needed a cuddle.

"Come on then" she said, hoisting the little warm puppy onto her.

The next second, the duvet was pulled over, hiding little Origo underneath. Diamond smiled as, a few seconds later, Origo poked his little head out of the duvet. Diamond smiled as Origo snuggled down.

"Go to sleep puppy" she said, kissing him on his fluffy face.

Origo gave a small lick and snuggled down again. It did not take long for either of them to fall back to sleep again.


	123. Day Sixty, Part One

Legolas and Gimli had been walking for many days. But their destination was still many days away. Gimli trundled after his taller friend, who was faring much better.

Gimli had not felt his feet since the colder weather had came.

"This wont do my feet any good" he thought.

Legolas stopped and waited for his dwarven friend. This did not improve Gimli's mood.

"How are you feeling?" Legolas asked, his hair blowing in the wind.

Gimli gave an angry huff. But Legolas did not rest. Gimli shook his head at the hastiness of the elf. For hour after hour, the two of them walked closer to Helms Deep.

The sun, which had not been seen in a few hours, slowly started to change the sky above them. Clouds were slowly sailing through the air as the two small beings walked towards the Gap of Rohan.

"Do we need such haste?" Gimli asked, looking very tired.

Never had Legolas suggested walking through the night before. Looking back on it now, Gimli had regretted agreeing to walking through the night.

"We can rest when the sun comes up, but we must move"

Gimli yawned as his friend continued to walk. Gimli's speed had decreased during the night. All he needed now was a long, peaceful sleep. But that would not be easily in the coldness.

Gimli longed to get to Helms Deep a quickly as possible.

"Oh, the caves were just glorious" he told Legolas.

Origo gave a small yawn and rolled over on his side. Origo tried to get back to sleep, but his Diamond's noisy puppy kept him awake.

"Good morning" said a voice.

It was obvious to the puppy that his Diamond was attending to the other puppy. Origo felt very unloved. He heard his Diamond slowly walk out of the room, leaving him under the duvet.

Origo took a few more minutes just laying there before he started to move. Origo poked his head out of the end of the warm, soft duvet and looked around.

A large yawn came over the pup as he stood up. The duvet fell off of him. Every inch of Origo's fluffy body wriggled. His ears flopped as he shook his head.

Diamond smiled and hummed as she walked out of the cellar. In her haste, she almost stepped on her little pup.

"Oh, sorry sweetie" she said.

Origo gave a small whimper and looked up at his Diamond. Diamond gave a small giggle.

"I'll have breakfast ready as soon as Mister Faramir has had his" she told him.

Origo gave a small whimper and looked down. He was always the last to get his meals. Diamond smiled as she went back to preparing Faramir's breakfast.

Pippin whistled as he entered the kitchen. He saw Diamond working to get Faramir's breakfast ready.

"Good morning" Pippin said, walking towards the cellar.

Diamond looked over. She gave a small smile.

"Good morning, Pippin" she answered.

There was no mention of Pippin's doings last night, which was what he wanted. Pippin had sneaked out of the house while Diamond had been asleep.

The coldness was unlike anything Pippin had ever felt. He trundled through the snow. His hands were buried deep within his coat. His feet and tip of his ears were feeling the coldness the most.

A few minutes past before he arrived at Merry's home. With a cold fist, he knocked three times on Merry's door. Pippin's teeth chattered as he waited. A few minutes later, the door opened.

Merry stood there, he eyes looked very head.

"P...Pippin?" Merry asked, trying to get his eyes in focus.

Pippin gave a small smile.

"What do you want?" asked a very tired Merry.

Pippin told merry what had happened. Merry gave a small grumble, but could not leave his friend out in the coldness.

"Come on then" Merry said.

Pippin smiled as he walked inside. Merry quickly closed the door behind him.

"I wont be long, I just need a smoke" Pippin explained.

Merry took a deep breath as he and Pippin made their way down to the kitchen. Pippin smiled as he smelt the stale smell of smoke. Merry kept his pipes in his kitchen. Merry's favorite pipe was taken down from his shelf.

"Could I borrow a pipe please?" Pippin asked.

Merry looked around.

"Where's yours?" he asked.

Pippin explained what had happened as Merry got down a second pipe.

"So, she took it away?" Merry asked.

Pippin nodded.

"And now, she had banned me from drinking as well"

Merry shook his head.

"That's not very fair" he told him.

But Pippin had a different view on it.

"But the thing is, she does have a point"

Pippin had thought long and hard about why Diamond had done this. Slowly, but surely, he had come to see what Diamond wanted.

Pippin took a deep breath as he was handed the pipe. It was then that Diamond face came into his vision. Pippin gave a small smile. But there was something about her that Pippin did not like.

"She's going to find out" thought Pippin.

But then again, she was asleep and Pippin had a few hours to try and get the smell off of him.

"Then again, I'm certain that she'll not find out"

Merry smiled as he took some of the tobacco out of his pouch and past it over. Pippin took longer to fill up his pipe, for he was thinking.

Merry smiled as he got off of his chair. For a moment, Pippin wondered what he was doing. But, upon turning back around, Pippin realised that Merry had lit up a small stick from the fire.

It took a few attempts to start the tobacco burning. After a large puff of silver smoke, Merry quickly past the burning slither of wood over to Pippin.

Pippin had no trouble what so ever in lighting his pipe. Silver strands were now snaking up into the dark room around them. Pippin's head, which had felt like it had been caught in a vice for the past few hours, had now all but gone.

This was when Pippin was most calm. His head was light and he could think clearly. He drew in some smoke and let it rest in his lung for a few seconds before a large smoke rings out.

Peregrin watched as the ring of smoke sail into the darkness of the kitchen. The two of them had fallen silent. Merry started to think that Pippin's coming was a good idea. For now, he was even more tired and knew that he would better nights sleep after.

Pippin, on the other hand, now needed to get rid of the smell of smoke from his clothes. Plus, he also needed to be extra quiet when he returned.

Diamond smiled as she opened a draw. Origo sat near her chair, his little brown eyes scanning the area around him.

"Did you have a good nights sleep then?" she asked Pippin.

Pippin, who had taken out a few pots and pans from the large cupboard, stopped for a split second.

"Oh" he said, trying to sound like he hadn't snuck out.

"Yes, I slept very well, what about you?" he asked.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"Well, Faramir woke up again, he needed his milk" Diamond said as she cradled her son.

Faramir's food had now been prepared and she had sat down. Pippin smiled, thinking his little late night trip to Merry's had been unnoticed.

But that was not the case.

"I heard a funny sound last night" Diamond said as Pippin emerged out of the cellar.

Pippin knew what was coming next, but he had to act like he was asleep.

"What sound?" he asked.

Diamond did not really know what had caused it.

"Well, it sounded like the front door opened and closed" she explained.

Pippin knew that he could not get away with his little trip to Merry's home last night.

"What do you think it was?" Diamond asked.

Pippin took a deep breath and placed the pot on the side. He knew that he had to tell Diamond.

"It was me" he answered, not even looking at her.

Diamond, who was about to say what she had been thinking, stopped feeding her son. The spoon hovered inches from Faramir's face.

"You?" she asked, her eyes fixed on Pippin.

"Why?"

Thorin and the rest of the dwarves had finally reached the Western boarder of Mirkwood. Their spirits rose as the trees thinned.

Dis and Thorin were the first to reach the edge of Mirkwood. The sun was out and birds were singing. The small party of dwarves were not used to so much light.

"We should rest, we'll continue after a good meal"

Thorin smiled as he sat down on the soft grass.

"Well" he said as Frerin joined him.

"I am glad I don't have to go in there again"

But Thorin would eventually make his way back into the forest. But, for now, he needed to help find a place to stay.

"We need to get moving in a short while" said Thror as he looked across the grassy land before him.

Thrain stood by his father.

"Our people need rest, they are weak and we will encounter some opposition if we try and move too quickly"

For now, the remaining dwarves ate more then usual, but there was still the matter of getting over a flowing river. Just thirty miles to the west was an old ford. This was where Thrain and his company would have to cross. But it would not be plain sailing as they would soon find out.

Thror remained standing. He was brought food, which he gladly took. His eyes were scanning the horizon. The peaks of the Misty Mountains could be seen, but nothing else.

The dwarves sat for hours, regaining their strength, getting ready for the walk ahead. Most were talking and laughing as a small fire was started. The smoke rose into the air. Thorin smiled as he watched the dwarves celebrate their trip through Mirkwood. But he could not help thinking that their hardship had only just begun.

An hour of eating and drinking later and the dwarves were ready to put more miles behind them. Thorin and Frerin put their packs on and were volunteered to lead the way.

Thorin took the first few steps away from the forest. Dis was right behind them. Everything that had happened seemed to have been left in the forest.

Thorin forged a path through the long grass. It was very difficult, there were hidden lumps that tripped Thorin up a few times. The dwarves seemed to carve a small path through the grass land. There were a few trees growing on the grassy land that stretched before them. But none of them bore fruit.

Thorin and the rest of the dwarves negotiated small hills and streams. Dis held her brothers hand as she made her way over a small stream.

Diamond ate in silence. Not only because she was eating, but because she did not want to talk to pippin. She was very disappointed that he had snuck out when she had gone to bed.

"Do you want any more?" Pippin asked.

Diamond did not even look up at him. The cries of her son echoed down the hall way. Little Origo had been served his first bowl of turkey. Diamond smiled as she placed it on the floor.

But bowl of turkey did not last long. Diamond had barely started hers when she felt Origo tug on her night gown. She looked down to see her puppy looking up.

"You eat too quickly, Ori" she said.

Origo tilted his little head as Diamond looked back up. Pippin placed two more bowls on the table and sat himself down. Diamond took a deep breath as she piled food onto her plate.

Origo, who was full of turkey, began to feel sleepy again. He snuggled down, right under Diamond's chair. Diamond finished her meal and looked on the table.

Pippin had forgotten to pour some water for them.

Diamond rose from seat and walked towards the cellar. Pippin watched as she entered. A few moments later, she came back with a small vase of water.

Pippin shook his head and closed his eyes.

"Yes, of course" he muttered.

Diamond got out a mug and poured herself some water. Pippin looked around and watched as Diamond placed the glass stopper back.

Thorin took a deep breath as he reached the brow of a small hill. He smiled as, in the distance, he saw a silver band of water. Behind it, he could see the Misty Mountains.

Thorin, Thrain and Thror had agreed that the mountains were the best place to start fresh. Thrain reached the top and looked on the horizon.

"It will take us a few days of walking to get there" Thorin told his father.

Thrain nodded and looked around. The forest of Mirkwood seemed to slowly sink under the Eastern horizon as they travelled West.

The rabble of dwarves became more and more hungry as they day grew brighter. Birds sang their different songs as the dwarves walked past. Thorin knew that they would not reach the river until late that night.

Diamond smiled as she walked into her room and closed the door. Little Origo had already arrived in Diamond's bed room and had snuggled back down on his Diamond's pillow.

"Puppy?" she asked, looking down at her Origo.

Ori looked up and tilted his head. Diamond smiled and picked him up.

"What do you say about visiting Dolly?" she asked him.

Origo gave a small whimper and looked towards the window. Diamond looked towards the window as well. The terrain outside could not be seen, for the window had misted up.

"Oh, puppy" she said.

"It's not that cold outside"

But Origo didn't see it that way. He wanted to stay warm and dry instead of wet and cold.

"It's just a short walk to Dolly's home" Diamond explained.

"And I'm sure she has some turkey" she said, trying to bribe Origo into coming.

Origo thought about it for a split second and gave a small whimper. He couldn't turn down an offer of turkey.

"Good boy" Diamond said, kissing him on his fluffy head.

Origo was then placed on the bed again as Diamond got ready. Faramir had already been washed and clothed. His blue eyes looked up at his mother's face.

"Mummy will be back in a minute, sweetie" Diamond told her son.

Faramir, who was longing for a cuddle, started to whimper as his mother walked out of the room. Diamond did not like her only son to be upset.

She was only away for a minute, but to Faramir, she seemed to be away for hours. Faramir then heard a funny noise. His eyes glided over to his mother.

Diamond had put her large coat on and buttoned it up. She smiled as she picked Faramir up. On the bed, she had put a large, warm blanket. As she reached down to get the blanket, she saw Origo had snuggled up on Faramir's blanket.

She gave a small smile, her puppy looked so peaceful.

"Puppy, come on, Faramir needs his blanket" she said.

Origo lifted his head and gave a very sad sounding whimper. Diamond gave a small smile as her puppy vacated the warm blanket.

Diamond started to walk out of the room, leaving her Origo to find a way to get off of the bed. Origo started to worry that his Diamond would leave without him.

The pup did not have far to go when he heard his name being called. Origo jumped over the thin wooden board at the end of the bed. He landed on a small wooden chest and walked to the edge.

He took a few seconds to survey the drop. After three or four seconds, Origo landed on the fluffy carpet that the bed stood on.

Diamond looked back to see her puppy scampering along. But he soon stopped as the door was opened. The coldness hit him even before he left the house.

The snow had hardened over night. Origo slowly made his way out. But, before Diamond could close the door, a hand stopped her from doing so.

"Diamond?" asked a voice.

Pippin popped his head around the door. Diamond looked up.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to see Dolly" she answered.

A confused look spread over Pippin's face.

"Why?" he asked.

Diamond was getting very annoyed at the questions being asked.

"Can I not go and see one of my friends with a barrage of questions?" Diamond answered.

Pippin did nothing but look at Diamond. After a few seconds, Diamond turned around and walked towards the wooden gate. Not another word was said on the matter.

Pippin looked down and saw Origo looking right back at him. For a second, he thought Origo was going to start barking. But Origo didn't.

Pippin took a deep breath as he closed the door.

"She'll be away for hours" he told himself.

Normally, he would have sat down to a pint and some tobacco. But they were off limits. Pippin knew that Diamond would find out anything that he had done when she had been away.

"But could she really mind if I had one little pint of ale?" Pippin asked himself.

Peregrine thought long and hard about it. He was split between getting one, which meant disobeying Diamond or not going to get one and just sitting around.

Diamond, Faramir and Origo reached Dolly's home. Origo, who's head had been ducked as the coldness blew at him. Diamond knocked on Dolly's door three times and waited.

Faramir was wrapped up warmly in his nice big blanket. But, as time wore on, Diamond started to get suspicious that Dolly was no inside her house.

"Should I check?" Diamond asked herself.

After another minute of silence, Diamond reached her hand out and opened the door. Diamond felt like something had gone wrong. But she did not know what, but she knew something was up.

The door opened slowly. Diamond peaked around the corner. The corridor showed no signs of Dolly.

"Dolly?" Diamond asked.

But there was no answered.

"Ori, come on" Diamond said, opening the door wider and walking inside.

Origo got to the threshold, but suddenly stopped. He had a bad feeling about the house he was going to enter.

"Origo, come on!" Diamond ordered.

Origo gingerly walked into the house and the door was shut. Diamond looked around. The candles seemed not to have been put out.

Diamond, slowly followed by a weary puppy, walked down to the kitchen. There was no sign of Dolly anywhere.

"She cant still be asleep?" Diamond asked herself.

Pippin sat with his eyes focused on a large, frothy pint of ale. His hand was wrapped around the handle. But the voices in his head were louder then ever.

"Don't do it, Pippin!" the voice said.

But the other grew even louder.

"What is one little pint going to do?" it asked.

But Pippin knew that one pint would turn into two, which would eventually turn into four or five.

"I cant let that happen" he told himself, blocking out the two other voices in his head.

Pippin got up and, taking the mug with him, walked over to the sink. He was just about to pour the liquid away, but something stopped him.

"Maybe his one little sip wont hurt" he said.

Pippin licked his lips and rose the goblet to his mouth. The next second, the level of ale in goblet started to lower. But not all of the ale was drunk. Pippin stopped as half of the amount was drunk and half the amount was left.

Suddenly and without warning, Pippin heard the door open down the corridor. Pippin only had seconds to react. He tipped the rest of the ale away and turned the tap on. Diamond could be heard rushing down the corridor.

Pippin turned around, the ale had now gone and it had been replaced with water.

"Oh, Pippin!" Diamond said, rushing up to him and gently throwing herself at him.

Pippin was surprised, yet curious, as to what had happened. It was then that he noticed she was crying.

"Diamond?" asked Pippin, looking down at her.

"What happened?"

It was obvious that something very bad had happened.

"Dolly" Diamond whimpered, wiping away tears from her eyes.

"I think she, I think she maybe…"

But Diamond could not bring herself to say it.

"Come on, lets get you a nice cup of tea and I'll go and check up on her"

Diamond gave a small whimper as she sat herself down. As Pippin took the kettle off of the hook and carried it over to the sink. The old water was poured away and fresh, clean water was poured inside. A minute later and the fire started to gently boil the water.

Pippin slowly sat down in his seat, his eyes fixed on Diamond.

"What did you see?" he asked.

Diamond looked down at her son.

"Dolly, I saw Dolly" Diamond answered, sniffing.

"She didn't open the door when I knocked, so I went inside"

Diamond replayed the moment that she had found Dolly.

"She was in her bed"

Pippin noticed that Diamond's eyes were fixed on a distance spot.

"Dolly?" Diamond asked as approached Dolly.

Origo remained at the bedroom door. He knew that something was up, but did not know quite what it was.

"Dolly?" Diamond asked again.

There was a sudden cold chill run down her spine.

"Please wake up" Diamond said.

A slow realisation swept over Diamond.

"Please don't" she said, her eyes filling up.

She knew that Dolly was old and on her last legs, but she did not expect her to go out this quickly. But, alas, the time must come when one would pass the silver curtain and into a realm of peace and tranquillity for the remainder of time.

Diamond sobbed as she ran out of the room. Origo, who was still looking at the bed, was almost left behind. He turned his head and saw his Diamond quickly walking away from him.

Origo gave a small whimper and ran after his Diamond. Diamond had reached the door and looked back. But she did not say a word.

Origo re-entered the coldness and stopped. Diamond did not say a word to her puppy, but walked right past him. Origo tilted his head and gave a small whimper.

"Ori, please hurry up" Diamond said.

A few minutes later, Diamond reached her home again.

Pippin took a deep breath as he looked at the table. The water in the kettle bubbled gently, letting know that it was hot enough.

"Maybe Paladin could help" Pippin said, half thinking it, half telling Diamond.

Diamond knew that Dolly had now close family in Hobbiton. But she maybe friends among the elders. Dolly had been present at most of the hobbits since she started.

Pippin looked over at the kettle and took a deep breath. A few minutes later, after getting the tea leaves out, Pippin placed the mug of strong tea before Diamond.

"Thank you" she said, sniffing.

Pippin remained standing.

"I'll have to go to Paladin, will you be alright?" he asked.

Diamond gave a small smile, a tear ran down her face. She nodded and picked up her tea as Pippin walked out of the room.

Thorin and the rest of the dwarves had reached the river. The water trickled over what looked like a man-made pass that would lead them to the other.

"Ready?" asked Thrain.

Thorin had volunteered to go first. Dis watched as her brother waded through the cold water. For an elf or human that were to cross the ford, they would have no trouble.

But Thorin did.

The water was freezing and, soon, it numbed his feet after a minute or two. Dis was more worried then anyone. She was not very sure that it was the best idea to cross.

After what seemed like a few minutes, Thorin reached the other side.

"Right" Thrain said.

Dis looked up.

"I think me and Dis should go across together" her father said.

Dis took a deep breath and grabbed her father's hand. Thorin watched as, one by one, the dwarves made their way over. Soon, all of the dwarves had managed to make their way over the ford.

Thorin took off his wet boots and placed them on the ground. His old, worn socks were also wet.

"Get a bit of rest, we'll carry on when our boots are dry enough" Thror said.

The party of dwarves were now bathed in sunlight. But the sunlight would not last long as, on the Eastern horizon, the first signs of night approached them. An orange glow started to shroud the West and a inky blackness rose from the East.

Thorin put his shoes back on. They were wet, yet less wet then they were thirty or so minutes before. Dis put her large shoes on as well. Mud was engraved into the very fabric that the boots were made of.

"Ready?" asked Thorin, standing up.

Dis gave a tired smile. She did not like the prospect of walking, but there was no other way of getting to a new place to stay.

The dwarves started to walk again. There was only an hour or two left of the day, but this did not stop them from walking.

Their journey became even harder when the sun fell under the horizon.

Diamond placed a sleeping Faramir in his cot. Lunch had been made and eaten by the growing baby. Diamond smiled as, like every time Faramir went to sleep, she looked at him.

This was when he was at his most peaceful. In fact, this was when the house was at its quietest. For the sounds, which were quiet, seemed to amplify when Faramir was a sleep.

A very gentle whimper met Diamond's ears. She took a deep breath and turned around. Standing there was her little puppy. Diamond's heart melted as she picked her little Origo up.

"How are you?" she asked.

Pippin trundled along in the coldness. But he was not alone. Paladin, who was now getting very old, was struggling to keep up with his son. Pippin looked around and saw his father walking far behind him.

Pippin took a deep breath as he waited for his father.

"It's just down here" Peregrin told Paladin.

Paladin gave a deep breath, trying not to shiver. But the coldness was too harsh. A large, yellow door came into view.

The two of them walked down towards it. Pippin took his hand out his pocket and unlatched the gate. Paladin smiled as he was let through first. A minute later, the two of them entered Dolly's home.

The two of them felt a strange vibe as the entered the house. Pippin closed the door behind them. Paladin did not take off his coat. He walked down the corridor and stopped at a door.

Pippin joined his a few seconds later.

There was a small click and the door opened. Paladin looked inside before entering. Pippin took a deep breath. Though he had been in battle where many bodies had been laying on the ground, he still was not used to the stillness of a person who had passed away. There was an unease about the room.

Pippin felt a chill as he stood there. Dolly was still lying in her bed, she looked very peaceful. Paladin wasted no time in walking up to her.

"Dolly?" he asked, making sure that she was not just asleep.

But there was no answer. Paladin took a deep breath as he gently picked up one of Dolly's hands. It was clear that Dolly's life had ended.

"What do we do now?" Pippin asked.

His voice was quiet, almost whispering.

"Well" Paladin said, gently placing Dolly's limp hand back on the bed.

"We need to sort her funeral out, do you know if she has any close family?" Paladin asked.

Pippin shrugged. He had no idea who Dolly's family were.

"I don't think she has" Pippin answered.

Paladin took a deep breath.

"Well, at least she had some good friends" he said.

Paladin remembered the births of all of his children. Pearl was the first to be born. Paladin and Eglantine were much younger then they were now.

"Excuse me dear" said a younger looking Dolly.

Paladin smiled as he watched his wife. Minutes felt like hours as Eglantine sat there.

"I think you're ready" said Dolly, smiling.

A small bag lay at her feet.

"I think you'll have to give us a moment or two"

Paladin nodded and rose from his seat. He walked over to Eglantine and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you" he said.

Eglantine gave a painful, yet loving smile. Paladin took a deep breath and walked out. He needed to settle his nerves.

The kitchen was the best place to do that. His mind was racing, his future now laying on whether Eglantine had given birth to a boy or a girl.

The house was unusually quiet. Though the painful moans from Eglantine echoed down the corridor. Paladin headed straight for a cupboard. He gave a smile as he reached in and took his faithful mug out.

Paladin walked into the cellar. At the back, there was a barrel laying on its side. A small tap had been hammered into the wood.

Paladin placed his cup on the floor, just below the tap, and started the torrent of ale. Paladin watched as the light from the candle reflected on the golden liquid.

After a minute, the mug was full. The tap was turned off, yet a few droplets escaped. Paladin smiled as, in one hand, he carried the candle and, in the other, he carried his ale.

Paladin sat at the table and started to drink. His nerves were shaken, partly due to excitement and partly with worry.

But, as the clock struck three times, a different sound echoed up from the corridor. Paladin knew that the time had come. A smile crossed his face as he rose from his seat.

His feet slapped on the tilted floor as he walked down to the spare room. He knocked three times on the door. A few moments later, Dolly opened it.

"She's here" Dolly told hm.

Paladin wondered what that meant. But he did not question it. His smile grew as he saw his wife. She was holding a small bundle in her arms.

Eglantine had a few beads of sweat running down her face and she looked very tired.

"Hello" she whispered.

The little new born had been wrapped in a large blanket. The baby had yet to be given a name.

"It's a little girl" Eglantine said.

This was not what Paladin wanted. He wanted a boy first so that his name would carry on for generations to come. But there was plenty more chances to have one.

"Well" said Dolly, standing next to paladin.

"What is her name?" she asked.


	124. Day Sixty, Part Two

Paladin and Eglantine had already thought of a few names.

"Well, we were thinking about Peregrin if it was a boy" Eglantine started, looking down at her daughter.

"But Pearl is a nice name, after my great grandmother"

Dolly smiled.

"That is a perfect name for her"

Many years past before Eglantine and Paladin had another child. Like before, Dolly came to help. And, just like before, Paladin was pardoned while the most difficult part of the birth came up.

Pearl was now old enough to know what was going on.

"Is it here yet?" she asked her father as he entered the kitchen.

Paladin smiled.

"Not yet, it will be soon"

Pearl and Paladin sat in the kitchen as Eglantine went through child birth for the second time. Both Pearl and Paladin were feeling the exact same thing.

Both were excited at the new arrival. But both were equally as worried at the process. Pearl had been told about her mother expecting another baby.

"And maybe, you'll even have a little brother"

Pearl knew many boys her age and she was very put off by them.

"I hope it's a girl" she said, smiling.

After three hours, eglantine had given birth. She smiled as she looked down at her second child. She knew that Paladin would be a bit disappointed, but love the baby as much as he could.

"Should I get Paladin and Pearl?" Dolly asked.

Eglantine took a deep breath.

"In a minute" she said, not looking up.

Her second child was very small, but still very precious to her. After a minute or two, Eglantine looked up.

"I think its time for them to meet her" she said.

Dolly nodded and walked to the door. As she opened it, the little baby began to cry. Eglantine found this very adorable.

A minute later, Dolly, followed by a little Pearl and Paladin, came into the room. Eglantine's smile widened as her oldest daughter scurried in.

"Hello mummy" Pearl said, her eyes darting from her mother to the small bundle.

"Is that the baby?" she asked.

Eglantine nodded.

"Yes, it's your new little sister"

Her little sister was yet to have a name.

"She's small" Pearl said, looking at her little sister's face.

Eglantine smiled. Pearl always came out with small random observations.

"Well, she'll grow up to be your size one day" Eglantine told her.

Pearl smiled.

"Then we can play together!"

This made Pearl very happy.

"Now, I have something very special for you to do" Eglantine said, making Pearl listen.

"Now, your little sister needs a name and mummy and daddy can not think of a suitable one, what do you think we should your little sister?" she asked.

Pearl thought for a moment.

"Pearl?" she asked.

Eglantine knew that her daughter would choose that name.

"Do you remember what plant grows near the river?" Eglantine asked.

Pearl's mind worked for a few seconds.

"Daisy?" she asked.

Eglantine shook her head.

"Umm" Pearl said, thinking again.

"Buttercup?"

Eglantine took a deep breath.

"It starts with the letter P, dear" she hinted.

"Ah, Pimpernel!"

Paladin smiled.

"Do you think we should call your sister that?" he smiled.

Pearl smiled and nodded. And, from that day on, that small baby was known at Pimpernel Took.

Gimli and Legolas were just a few days away from entered the Realm of Rohan. They were no strangers to its wildness, nor to the people that lived there. For the two had fought along side the peoples of Rohan in a bid to save their lands from a spreading terror.

But the elf and dwarf were not the only beings heading towards the gap. A man, who sat on a steed, galloped towards an old, abandoned town. There, a would use a bridge to enter Enedwaith.

The plains of Enedwaith were harsh. In summer, the sun would beat down on the land, stealing any small puddles of water. There were no large trees growing, save for one or two who was hardy enough to do so.

In winter, the land became even harsher. Hundred mile an hour winds would sweep the plain. Anyone caught out in it would surely die of starvation or become disoriented.

Many had been lost and never found. Some turned up many years later. Most that survived became mad and would often wonder back onto the plain.

Elnan had stocked up on food for his return journey to Minas Tirith. Elnan took a deep breath as he continued to ride ever onwards. His hands were numb, so were his feet. His old coat was dirty and wet, useless for keeping him warm. His bag had spots of mud clinging onto it.

His horse continued on without complaint. Elnan was surprised. He seemed more tired then the horse was. But, both were equally as hungry and both needed to stop for food.

"Whoa, whoa" Elnan said, pulling up the reigns.

His horse slowed down to a trot, then to a complete stop. Elnan patted his horse on the side of its large, thick neck before jumping off.

Elnan could see nothing but grey and white stretching off into the horizon for mile upon mile. Yet, there were a few spots of black sliding through the sky. They were the only other signs of life that Elnan could see.

But, the snow laying on the ground caught his eye. There was a set of foot prints in the snow, trailing away from him.

"I have seen no man" he thought.

The foot prints seemed to trail off into the distance.

"Lets just hope he had enough sense to pack food and keep warm"

Elnan remained standing as he took off his pack. He did not place it on the floor. Instead, he held it and searched through it.

"Ah ha!" he said finding the packet of bread.

He smiled as he propped the bag over his shoulder. His horse was busy grazing on what grass he could find. Elnan opened the packet and ripped off a bit of stale bread.

His horse had found some blade of grass hidden under the snow. Elnan smiled as his empty stomach slowly became full. The large piece of bread that he had ripped off had been eaten.

Elnan was just about to get more out when he stopped.

"No" he told himself.

"I can not eat all of it right away, there may not be an inn for many more miles"

Soon, the horse was pulled away from his hunt for grass. Elnan smiled as he patted the horses neck and the beast started to move. After a few minutes, Elnan and his horse were back up to full speed.

Pippin and Paladin returned to their homes. Pippin took a deep breath and closed the door behind him. Diamond, who had been laying on her bed for most of the day, heard Pippin walk past her room. A few seconds later, Diamond rose from her bed.

Tiredness had come over her as she lay there. But she was not alone. A small sleeping puppy was picked up and placed on her shoulder as she stood up. Origo gave a very small whimper, but did not wake.

Diamond opened the door while one hand held her puppy safely on her shoulder. Pippin took a deep breath as he stood there.

"Pippin?" asked a voice.

Diamond stood at the threshold. Her eyes glinted in the flickering candle light. Pippin looked up and gave a small smile.

"Oh, Pippin!" Diamond said.

A fresh bout of sadness came over her. Pippin and Diamond gave each other a large hug. Origo gave a loud whimper, he did not like being crushed.

"Oh, oh dear" Diamond said, seeing the little puppy raise his sleepy head.

"Sorry, pup"

Pippin and Diamond agreed that the hour of lunch had now come upon them.

"Maybe we should go down to the Dragon" Pippin suggested.

But Diamond did not like this idea.

"Well, we'll have to take Faramir with us and I don't want him around smoke" she told him.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"Well, I'm sure my sisters would love to look after him for a while" Pippin told her.

Diamond did not like the fact of leaving her precious son behind, even if it was with her husbands sisters. After a few seconds of thinking, Diamond knew that neither of them would put her Faramir in any sort of peril.

"And Origo could stay there too" Pippin said.

Diamond looked down at the puppy. His eyes were now open and he was looking around.

"Puppy?" Diamond asked, looking down at him.

Origo gave a small whimper.

"Do you want to see Abira and Pimpernel?" she asked.

Origo raised his small head and gave a small nod. Diamond smiled.

"Well, it looks like we're going to dragon"

Diamond smiled as she walked down to her room. She smiled as she placed the puppy on the large duvet. Origo curled up again, he was too sleepy to notice that he had been put down.

Origo watched as Diamond walked out of the room again. He wondered where she was going. A few minutes later, she returned. A large coat had been buttoned up. A large smile came over Diamond as she walked to the cot. Origo was rudely woken as Diamond picked up a sleeping Faramir. Faramir did not like being woken up and he told his mother about it.

"Oh I know sweetie" Diamond said as her son cried.

"Do you want to see auntie Pearl and auntie Pimpernel?" she asked.

Pippin had put his coat on as well. He knocked on the door and peeped in.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Diamond looked around and smiled.

"Yes, could you take Faramir for me?" she asked.

Pippin smiled and walked in. A few seconds later, Faramir left the arms of his mother and was now in the arms of his father. Diamond smiled as she looked back to the bed.

"Puppy, come on" she said.

Ori lazily stood up. The next second, he was picked up and wrapped in a warm blanket. Origo gave a happy whimper. Normally, he would have to suffer the coldness by walking.

"Lets get going" Diamond said.

She took a deep breath and led Pippin out of the room. The little family of four entered the coldness of the outside world.

The outside world was slowly being covered in a blanket of darkness as the sun fell behind the horizon. Pippin made sure that little Faramir was all wrapped up before setting off again. Diamond did the same with Origo.

Diamond did not see why Origo had to be wrapped up, if she had all that fur, she would have been nice and warm in this coldness.

A few minutes of walking later, the two of them reached Pearl's large round door. Pippin smiled as he raised his cold hand and knocked three times.

Pimpernel smiled as she opened her bedroom door and started to make her way down the corridor. Pimpernel reached the door and opened it. standing before her were two very precious people to her.

"Diamond, Pippin!" she said, a large smile coming over her.

"Do come in!"

Both entered the house as quickly as possible and the door was closed. Pearl, who had been secretly eating in the kitchen, walked down the hall way.

"Oh, I thought I heard some people down here"

A few minutes later and four hobbits walked down to the kitchen. The house had a different vibe coming from it. Diamond and Pippin's feeling seemed to transfer over to Pimpernel and Pearl.

"Nelly, Pearl" Pippin said, looking a bit glum.

"I have some bad news"

Pimpernel's eyes fixed on her younger brother.

"What is it?" Pearl asked.

Pippin took a deep breath and look at Diamond.

"Dolly"

Pippin took a split second to gather the words.

"Dolly past away last night" he said.

Pearl gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

"No!" she gasped, not believing her younger brother.

"It's true" Diamond said, her voice full of sadness.

Her eyes has started to fill up with tears.

"I… I walked in on her this morning"

Pippin had never found out why she had visited Dolly in the first place. But Pip dared to ask Diamond. For she was in a bad way at the moment and he didn't want to cause any more grief.

Thorin yawned as he sat in the long grass. The days walk had been a tough one. The sun had sank, but its warmth lingered in the air.

The dwarves had built a large fire in the middle of a grassless patch of land. There were many logs buried in the long, wild grass. But, even then, it did not take long for the dwarves to find enough wood for a fire.

Thorin and Frerin went searching for more food. Food was plentiful here. Small wild beasts roamed the land. Thorin, who was good at tracking, found out their paths.

The river they had crossed a few hours before was their main source of food for now. Thorin and Frerin spent an hour or two catching some fish.

Dis was one of the first to fall asleep. The sky above started to darken and show the stars that were hidden by the light of the sun.

Soon, the moon came into view over in the East. For now, it was juts a slither in the sky. But, over the coming weeks, the moon would become full in the sky. Its light, which is borrowed from the sun, would shine down on the land. Though the sun was much better at shedding light on the surroundings.

Thorin had taken his boots off and let his feet breath. For dwarven boots were not made for long and perilous journeys.

Thorin smiled as he laid back in the long grass. It was a much better bed then he had previously found. The hard bark of the tree seemed like rock compared to the grass he now lay in.

Crickets were the only annoyance that Thorin had to suffer. But soon, tiredness took a hold of the dwarf as lay there. The crickets were drowned out by a noiseless void. One only Thorin could see.

But the dark void turned into a fiery inferno. He could feel its heat. But the fire soon subsided. Smoke filled the large room he was in. A low rumble echoed around him.

"Where am I?" he asked himself.

Thorin suddenly knew what was in front of him and where he was.

"Smaug" he gasped.

The heat from the dragon was immense. But, out of the smokey darkness came a figure. It was a dwarf, like Thorin himself. She had lighter hair then he had. Thorin knew exactly who this was.

The two seemed to stand in the middle of an endless abyss.

"Your time is not done" she said, her voice echoing around the infant abyss.

Thorin did not know what this meant. He was too busy see his mother standing there.

"You have to retake the mountain, you have to take the throne"

Hours past in a blink of an eye for Thorin. The sun, which had set in the West, was now on the verge of rising in the East.

The blackness of night slowly slipped away. It was replaced by a sunrise that chased the night away. Birds could be heard singing out their morning song for miles around.

Thorin woke with sweat dripping from his forehead. The dream he had was fresh on his mind. For it had been so vivid and real to him.

Dis, his younger sister, was still asleep. Thorin lay in the long grass, his mind was racing with what he just saw.

"I can not let her down" he told himself.

He needed to keep is promise, even if it was just a dream, he did not want to fail. For hours, Thorin looked up at the sky. Clouds sailed over head, darkening the surrounds as they crossed over the sun.

soon, after what felt like many hours, the other dwarves started to wake. Many of them had had a better nights sleep then Thorin did.

Dis woke to a rumbling stomach. She had finally felt like she was alive for the first time in many days. Dis smiled as she looked over at her brother.

It was then that Thorin knew what he had to do.

"But, its too early for it"

Thorin knew that the time to retake the mountain needed come. For now, he needed to take care of his family. After all, he was first inline for the throne.

Hours past and the dwarves moved off. They, unlike elves, left a lot of mess. The fire that they had built over night was left to smoulder until it was dead. A small grey band of smoke rose gently into the wind.

Thorin was at the back of the small rabble of dwarves. The rest talked and laughed about the day that had risen around them. Their fears had been washed away with the good nights sleep.

Thrain was walking just a few meters in front of his son. His only daughter was talking with another one of the dwarves.

"Thorin?" asked Thrain as he dropped back a bit.

Thorin had been looking at the ground for a few minutes when he looked up. There was something different about his son. He was quieter and more held back.

"I saw her last night" Thorin said, his voice flat and unusually calm.

Thrain did not need an explanation. He had been holding back his true feelings.

"Did she say anything?" he asked.

Thorin took a deep breath and stopped. Thrain stopped as well. Thorin looked right into his father's eyes.

"She wants me to retake the mountain"

Diamond smiled as she looked down at the plate that had been set before her.

"Thank you" she said, sounding a bit stuffy.

The waitress felt a sadness radiating from this table.

"Something the matter?" asked the young girl.

Diamond looked up. Her eyes said more then she wanted to say. The young waitress instantly knew that look was.

"Oh my, I'm sorry"

Pippin watched as he scooped up some beans onto his fork.

"Would I know him?" the waitress asked.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"It's Dolly" Diamond simply said, looking away.

The waitress placed her hand over her mouth.

"Dolly?" she gasped.

On a table, near by, an elderly hobbit eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Did you hear that?" he asked another old hobbit.

The old hobbit listened.

"Don't be telling lies, you didn't hear anything!"

But it was the truth. Diamond and Pippin enjoyed their meal as news of Dolly's death circled around. Some of the hobbits retired back to their homes. There, the rumour spread deeper. But, the rumour changed with every person.

"Said that Dolly has been dead for weeks!" one said.

"I hear that Dolly was murdered!" said another.

"We should go to her home, just to see"

Many hobbits had that idea. A few of them were already waiting outside of Dolly's home. Some had come along because they saw the group standing at her gate.

"Maybe we should get Diamond and Pippin, they know what's going on"

A few other hobbits agreed and made their way down to the Green Dragon. Diamond and Pippin ate in silence. Diamond was feeling much better then she had been earlier.

But that was about to change with the opening of the door.

Pippin looked up, expecting to see one or two hobbits come in. but, a moment later, seven or eight had come in.

"Pippin?" one of the older hobbits asked.

His hair was greying and curly. Pippin looked up and saw his table had been crowded around.

"What's happening with Dolly?" asked a woman out of blue.

Pippin looked over at Diamond. She had stopped cutting through her sausage and looked down.

"Not now" Pippin said, looking up at them.

But this did not deter them.

"Is she dead?" a young hobbit girl asked.

Pippin took a deep breath.

"We are trying to eat dinner, would you please leave us alone for a few moments?" he asked.

The group of hobbit all agreed that they could wait for them outside. Pippin took a deep breath and look across at Diamond.

"News travels fast" Pippin told her.

Diamond suddenly lost her apatite.

"I think we should go home, we need to pick up Faramir and Origo"

Pippin took a deep breath. Pip had never left so much food. But, he needed to leave if Diamond did. Even before he had finished his sausages, Diamond rose from her seat.

Pippin placed his knife and fork down, his hunger had yet been touched.

Diamond buttoned up her coat and walked out. Pippin put his coat on and buttoned it up. But he did not leave empty handed as he picked up his last two sausages.

He smiled as he followed his wife out. The group of hobbits had been waiting outside. Diamond gave Pippin a look that he fully understood.

"What happened?" asked the hobbits again.

But Pippin did not want to explain. The group of hobbits followed them all the way up the shallow hill to Pearl's home.

Diamond did not like this attention. She knew that they had a right to know what had happened, but they did not want to revile it just yet.

Pippin smiled as he opened the gate. Diamond walked through and stopped at the large round door. Pippin clicked the gate shut and eyed the party of hobbits that had followed him.

The hobbits backed away.

"Maybe we can find out later" they said.

Pippin knew that they would not disrespect him. For he was first in line for the next Thain of the shire.

Inside, two little puppies were chasing an invisible fairy. Yet, this fairy wasn't fully invisible. She was only invisible to hobbits, humans and dwarves. Only elves and the animals that roamed the lands could see her.

"Almost" she giggled as she swooped closer to the two puppies chasing her.

Ivy giggled as she flew a little higher, tempting them to jump. Origo was leading his other puppy friend, Abira, into chasing Ivy.

Ivy knew that Origo would be the first to try and catch her. But, their game suddenly stopped as three knocks echoed down the corridor. Origo instantly stopped playing. Abira wagged her tail, she knew who it must be.

Just then, her Pimpernel walked out of the lounge. A smile instantly came over Pimpernel's face as she saw the two puppies in the hall way.

"I think Diamond is here, Ori" she said.

And she was right. Origo heard the door opened. He slowly wondered down the hall way and around the shallow bend. There, he could three large figures standing at the door way.

It was then that he saw his Diamond. Diamond smiled as her little puppy bound towards her.

"Oh, hello Ori" she said, her heart melting as his ears flopped as ran along.

Diamond picked up her pup and gave him a big cuddle.

"You are my Origo, aren't you?" she asked, remembering what happened last time.

Origo gave a nod and rested his head on Diamond's shoulders. Pippin and Diamond didn't take their coats off, for they were not staying long.

Pearl smiled as she looked up as Pimpernel, followed by Pippin and Diamond, walked in. Faramir was fast asleep. His blue eyes hidden from view.

"Hello" Pearl half whispered.

Diamond looked down at her sleeping son.

"Has he been a good boy?" she asked, smiling.

Pearl looked up.

"Oh no, he's been a very naught boy" she said, jokily.

Diamond smiled as she placed her puppy on the floor and picked up her son. Faramir gave a small whimper, but did not wake.

"Do you want to stay for some tea?" Pearl asked.

But, all Diamond wanted to do was to go home and go to sleep.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly, little Faramir needs to get to sleep and all" she answered.

Pearl smiled and nodded.

"I understand" she said, standing up.

Diamond now felt a bit guilty, but there was a lot to do at home.

"Maybe tomorrow?" Diamond suggested.

Pearl smiled.

"Tomorrow sounds good, Origo can come around again" Pearl said, looking down at him.

Origo did not like being on the floor. He gave a small whimper and looked at his Diamond. Diamond looked down to see her puppy looking at her.

"Oh puppy" she said.

Pippin was standing at the door way, waiting for Diamond to stop talking.

"Pippin?" Diamond asked, getting his attention.

Pippin looked around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Would you take Faramir, please?"

Pippin smiled and walked over to Diamond. Diamond delicately handed her son over to his father. Origo watched as Diamond turned back around.

"Come here, puppy" she said, bending down and scooping up the soft pup.

Origo gave a happy whimper and rested his head on his Diamond's shoulder. Diamond smiled as she held her puppy there.

"Do you want to go home?" Diamond asked her puppy.

Origo gave a small whimper and a little nod. Just then, the little party of puppies and hobbits walked down to the large front door. Everyone said their goodbyes, including Pimpernel and Abira, and went their separate ways. Diamond, Pippin, Origo and Faramir dived into the coldness of night. As they walked along, Origo started to shiver.

"We'll be home soon" Diamond said, trying to fight back the shivers.

Origo was whimpering and shivering. The few short minutes he was out in the coldness seemed like it would never end.

Diamond smiled as she walked up to the large door of her home. She opened the door and a wave of warmth fluttered past both Ori and herself.

Origo was set down on the floor as Pippin walked in. Diamond smiled as she closed the door, keeping the coldness out and the warmth in.

"Best get the little one off into his cot" Diamond said.

There was a slight awkward moment as Pippin handed Faramir over to his mother. For a split second, Pippin and Diamond's eyes met. Pippin took a deep breath as Diamond, who was much shorter then him, walked away.

"Will she ever love me again?" Pippin asked himself.

Pippin took a deep breath, hunger was slowly clawing away at him. But tiredness told him otherwise.

"Maybe just a small bite to eat and then I can settle down" he told himself.

Origo had followed his Diamond all the way to her room. He gave a small whimper as he stood by the bed. Diamond smiled as she looked around.

"Come on then" she said, picking him up and gently placing him on the bed.

"I'll be back soon" she said.

Origo watched as his Diamond walked out of the room. But he was too sleepy to wonder where she was going. He looked around. His little tail wagged as he saw Diamond large, warm pillow.

Diamond was only away for a few minutes. But, when she returned, she saw her little puppy had curled up on her pillow. She smiled as she changed into nightgown. She took a deep breath as she pealed back the duvet. Origo opened his eyes and looked over at his Diamond. She smiled as she picked Ori up and laid down next to him. A few seconds later, the large duvet was drawn over the pup.

A few seconds later, Origo's fluffy head emerged out of the duvet.

"Good night" Diamond said, kissing her puppy on his fluffy face.

Origo yawned and settled down. Soon, Origo's little eyes closed. Diamond yawned and closed her eyes too. She felt like she had only been asleep for a few minutes before she was woken.

Faramir had started to cry. Diamond took a deep breath as she opened her eyes. She smiled as she looked down at Origo. He was gently snoozing on her arm.

She gently moved him off, placing his head gently on the bed. Ori was sleeping too deeply to notice that his Diamond had gone to Faramir.

Origo was in a world of his own. The small pup had been through much in his life, being in the Shire was only the tip of the iceberg.

Diamond would never truly know where this puppy came from or why she felt so comforted by him. All she knew was that she needed to look after him.

Pimpernel felt the same way as she slept. Her pup was snuggled under the duvet, sleeping as well. But, in reality, neither of the little puppies were anywhere near Hobbiton.

In fact, both of them were in Rivendell. But both were not in their puppy form. A young looking girl with blonde, shoulder length hair slept under a large duvet.

Origo was gently sleeping within the warm duvet. But he was not alone. A small green fairy was snuggled up to the puppy as well.

The fairy was called Ivy. She was the reason that Origo and Mya had to leave the Shire. All three of them were many miles away from what they called home.

But, what made it even worse was the fact that Mya had broken her leg. Once again, it was due to Ivy. Ivy had accidently flown over a small ledge. The excitable puppy followed suit. But, unlike the fairy, Origo could not fly.

Gravity took over and the little puppy fell onto a ledge.

Ivy had regretted fluttering over the edge. But it was made even worse by the accident that Mya had. Her leg broke as she slipped down the little ledge.

Her plan of staying just a day or two now had to turn into three or four weeks. Only two beings resided in Rivendell. Elladan and Elrohir were sitting around a long table.

They talked for hours. The coldness was not felt by the brothers. Wind whistled through the empty, degrading buildings. The pillars of rock crumbled every so often.

Elladan stood at the edge of a ruined building. He looked down at the valley below. The river wound its way towards a distance sea.

"We need to leave this building, it is not safe" he told his brother.

Elves made now sound as they walked, unlike dwarves, men and hobbits. But, unlike elves, men, hobbits and dwarves were all asleep.

Diamond smiled as she placed her son back into his cot. She smiled as she heard a small whimper come from under her large duvet. But she was still not herself.

Dolly was still laying in her freezing home, waiting to be dealt with. Paladin knew that a lot of fellow hobbits would ask questions.

Diamond uncovered little Origo.

"Shush, puppy" she said, lifting him up.

Diamond smiled as, through the darkness, two little eyes glinted. Diamond couldn't see anything, be she knew that Origo was there.

The duvet was drawn over both of them. Before long, Origo had fallen back to sleep, safe in the knowledge that Diamond was there and will protect him.

Diamond, once again, fell into the only place that she knew she was safe. She saw wide open spaces, fields of the greenest grass she had ever seen. The sun was blazing and all was well.


	125. Day Sixty One, Part One

The inky blackness of night had barely slipped away when Diamond woke. Little Origo had slept for most of the night. And, surprisingly, Faramir had too. But, as soon as she woke, her small puppy seemed to have woken too.

"Good morning, puppy" she said, laying there.

Diamond yawned as she ticked her puppies ear. Origo yawned as well. It was too early for either of them to be up. But Diamond needed to start on her house work. The entire house needed to be cleaned and it would take her most of the day.

Origo was placed on his Diamond's shoulder as she stood up. Diamond kissed her little puppy on the head as he gave a small whimper.

Ori's eyes barely opened as they made their way down towards the kitchen. Diamond took a deep breath as she the cellar door. Origo's little brown eyes slowly opened. He could see shadows flickering on the walls. But, mostly, he could smell his breakfast.

The smell grew as stronger as Diamond picked up a bag of cooked, cut turkey for her little pup. Origo remained glued to his Diamond's shoulder as she got out a bowl. Origo heard the ripping of paper, meaning that his Diamond was getting his turkey ready.

Origo gave a small whimper. Diamond hand instantly held him in place.

"Shush, shush" she said.

Origo was gently placed on his four fluffy paws. He did not like the cold tiled floor. But the coldness would soon be pushed out of his mind as his little bowl of turkey was placed before him.

"Enjoy" Diamond said, smiling down.

Origo's tail wagged as he started to eat. Diamond smiled as she walked over to the cellar again. Origo was taken care of, now Faramir needed to be woken and fed.

A small bowl and glass bottle were taken out. Diamond smiled as she saw the amount of turkey in Origo's bowl had gone down.

A small vase of cold milk was taken out along with a packet of Faramir's food. A minute or two later, his food was place the bowl and his bottle was filled with milk.

Diamond placed the bowl and bottle on the table. She got out a small spoon and placed it in the bowl. Origo continued to eat as Diamond walked out of the room.

There was no signs that Faramir wanted to be woken yet.

"Maybe I should just leave him" she thought, looking down at him.

For now, only Diamond and Origo were the only ones up. But, elsewhere in the Hobbiton, mothers and fathers were waking. Children remained sleeping in their beds.

Rosie Gamgee yawned as she made her early morning walk to the kitchen. Samwise remained sleeping for a little while longer.

A small metal bucket of wood was set by the dying heath. Rosie bent down and placed a few of the bits of wood into the embers.

Rosie watched as the fire slowly took hold of the logs that lay there. The flames grew. As they did, small pops and crackles echoed around the kitchen.

Rosie lit all of the candles, shedding light on the kitchen.

Rosie lit the last candle and smiled. As she looked at the kitchen table, she could picture all of her children sitting around the table, eating their fill.

But, for now, everything was quiet. The wooden clock ticked and tocked as Rosie started to bring food out of the cellar. The cellar was much larger then others. For Rosie and Sam had extended it further into the hillside.

Rosie had placed all of the food in another room. Samwise had spent a few days digging his way through the soft soil. The door to the cellar was closed, making sure that no dirt would escape into the house.

A few candles flickered as Samwise put the soil into small bag. He took a deep breath, resting for just a moment before starting to dig again.

It took Samwise a week to shore up the newly excavated cellar. Samwise took a deep breath as he placed a pile of tiles for the back wall. A small bucket of strange gloop was made up. Samwise smiled as he made his way back inside.

Only Elanor, Frodo and Rose lived in the house. It was a much more peaceful time then what they were going through nowadays.

Rosie smiled as she placed the candle on a small ledge. Many packets of food had been taken out of the cellar. Pots and pans had been taken out too.

Just then, Samwise walked into the kitchen. He gave a tired smile.

"Good morning" he said, walking up to Rosie and pecking her on the cheek.

Rosie smiled.

"Good morning, how are you?" she asked.

Samwise gave a small humph, he would rather be in bed then up and about.

"I think the little ones should be getting up by now" Samwise said, looking at the clock.

Rosie smiled.

"Maybe they can get up in a few more minutes" Rosie said, picking up a small bit of cloth.

The kettle, which had been gently swinging over the growing fire. Rosie smiled as she turned on the tap on. A few moments later and the water started to pour in.

Little Elanor woke without her father's help. She smiled as she kept her eyes closed. But the popping and crackling of the fire kept Elanor from falling back to sleep again.

"Good morning" said a voice.

Elanor smiled as she opened her eyes and looked at the table. There, silhouetted against the whiteness of the window.

"Good morning, horsey" Elanor said.

She picked him up and let him roam around the bed. Elanor yawned as she watched her horse roam around the room.

"What are we going to do today?" the horse asked, standing on Elanor's lap.

Elanor had now sat up in her bed. Her back was resting on her pillow as she thought.

"Well, the snow has melted away, so we cant play snow hobbits anymore"

The horse hung his head. Winter was his favorite time of year. Though he rarely went outside, he loved watching the snow falling from Elanor's small round window.

"What about Gloria and her horsey?" he asked.

Elanor smiled. She like that idea already.

"Or, maybe we can go walking again, like we did in the summer" he pointed out.

Elanor knew that it would be very cold outside.

"I don't think that's a good idea horsey, daddy said that I could get ill if I stay out too long" she told him.

Half an hour later and the door slowly opened. Elanor looked over and saw her father poke his head around the door. Samwise got a surprise when his oldest daughter already up.

"Good morning, daddy" Elanor said.

Samwise smiled.

"Good morning" he answered.

Elanor's horse had returned to wood as she placed him back on her bedside table. She drew her duvet from her legs and felt the coldness of morning.

But the coldness soon seeped away as Elanor made her way down to the kitchen. Her younger siblings had been risen from their slumber and were now waiting for their food. Frodo was the only one not present. But, that soon changed as he came wondering into the kitchen.

Now, the whole family were seated around the table. Rosie smiled as she placed plate after plate on the table. Sausages, rashers of bacon and eggs had been prepared by Rosie. The smells made the children even more hungry.

"Tuck in" Rosie said as she placed the last bit of food on her children's plate.

Elanor smiled as she picked up her knife and fork and started to cut into the sausages that her mother had cooked. Silence fell on this normal bustling family. Even Rose and Merry, the most playful and loudest of the Gamgee's were silenced.

Origo had been given his turkey and was now ready to adventure around Rivendell again. Mya smiled as she watched Origo look around. Ivy was fluttering near by.

Mya did not want Origo to leave her sight, he was too precious to her. But she could not stop him.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked.

Origo looked up to see Ivy fluttering upside down in front of him. Ori gave a small whimper and looked out of the room. Ivy took a deep breath as she righted herself.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Ivy said, spotting that Mya was looking at them.

Origo gave an adorable little whimper. Ivy couldn't help but love this puppy even more. But that still did not change what she said.

"Oh, puppy" Ivy said.

"We can go on an adventure soon, how about what?" she asked.

Origo thought for a moment, his little brown eyes darted from side to side. Origo gave a small whimper and hung his head.

"I promise we'll go exploring soon"

But it would bee another few weeks before Mya was fully fit to move off again. The Mya and Ivy knew that their road would only get harder.

Mya knew that she needed to take the mountain pass. It would take her too long to walk to the Gap of Rohan. The High pass was very dangerous, especially in winter.

Snowstorms with hundred mile an hour winds blew through the deep, snowy ravines. Anyone that crossed it took their life in their own hands. Many had tried, near all had failed.

Elladan and Elrohir were two that had crossed it many times. Both knew how dangerous it could be.

"I suggest one of us track her movements, as a precaution" Elrohir said.

Elladan slowly nodded. He had his elbows on the table and his long fingers were intertwined with each other. Elladan took a deep breath. He knew that Mya did not need help. He was confident that she could make it through the mountain pass, but he still needed to make sure.

He knew that, if anything was to go wrong and either Mya or Origo got hurt, he would never live with himself.

"I shall go" Elladan said.

But Elrohir thought differently.

"I think we should both go" he suggested.

Elladan gave a small nod, thinking it over.

"That is an idea"

Rosie Gamgee smiled she cleared up dirty plates and bowls. The kitchen was now quiet, Samwise and the children had gone to get ready.

Elanor was first in the bathroom, but only just. Frodo, her younger brother, scurried along the corridor from behind. He was faster then his sister was.

Elanor reached the door just seconds in front of her brother. But Frodo was determined to get there first.

"No!" Elanor said as two hands on her shoulder.

A second later and Frodo, who was stronger then his sister, pulled her aside. Elanor watched as Frodo looked back and gave an evil grin before walking in.

But Elanor was having none of it. She quickly got up and, before the door closed, she put her foot in the way.

"Get out, Frodo!" Elanor said.

Samwise heard her voice echoed down the hall way. He knew that Frodo and Elanor did not get on in the best of times.

"What's going on here?" he asked, seeing Elanor at the bathroom door.

"Frodo pushed me out of the way when I was going into the bathroom!" Elanor told her father.

"No I didn't!" he argued as he looked out of the small gap.

Samwise took a deep breath and looked down at his daughter. Elanor was his oldest child. But Samwise knew that he did not know who was first to the bathroom.

"Come on, Elanor" Samwise said.

Elanor did not like her brother at all. She retrieved her foot from the door and was led away by her father. Frodo closed the door and gave a small smile.

"He's always mean to me" Elanor said glumly.

Samwise gave a small smile.

"Don't worry about it, little Elanor" he said.

Elanor took a deep breath as she returned to her room. Her day had been put on hold as she waited for her brother to come out of the bathroom.

The horse that stood on the table watched as Elanor sat on her bed.

"What's the matter?" he said.

Elanor gave a deep sigh.

"It's Frodo, he's always mean to me"

The horse tilted his head.

"Why is he mean to you?" he asked.

That was Elanor's problem. She did not know why he did.

"I don't know, I don't think I've done anything to him"

The horse could not understand how anyone would dislike her. For she was the most gentle, the most caring person he knew.

"And he always gets away with it"

Thorin took a deep breath as he stood on the edge of a grassy plain which stretched behind him for mile upon mile. The silver river had long since vanished behind the grey horizon.

Now, sitting on the Western horizon, was a line of mountains. Their snowy peaks were lit by a summer sun. Leafy trees started to increase in number. Thorin and the rest of the group of dwarves continued their journey to their new home land. Hunger and tiredness started to take hold of Thorin's younger sister, Dis.

She was one of the youngest dwarves that had escaped Smaug. Everyone had a different story to tell in how they escaped.

"It is too soon, Dis, maybe in a few years" Thorin said as he listened to her.

Dis took a deep breath.

"I thought it was a good idea, that's all" she said, looking down.

Thorin gave a small smile.

"It is a good idea, but our people need to mourn and recover"

But Dis' idea would never come into being. The day that Smaug came would live on for many, many years after even the youngest survivor had past on.

Diamond smiled as she picked up an empty bowl. Her little puppy had, like the many times he had before, finished his bowl of turkey.

"Good boy" she said, looking down at him.

Faramir was being fed by his father, Pippin, as Diamond made them breakfast. Many slices of bread were standing near a plate with egg on it.

In the pan, on the stove, sizzled two slices of egged dipped bread. Diamond smiled as she picked up the spatula and flipped the two pieces over. The side that had been facing down was now brown and the smell was delicious. But Diamond was not just going to make eggy bread, there were rashers of bacon, sausages, beans in her home made tomato sauce and, of course, mushrooms.

Diamond smiled as she moved the slices of cooked bread on two plates. Even more bread was dipped in the rest of the egg and placed in the pan.

A few minutes later, after both sides had been fried. Diamond smiled as she placed them on their plates.

"Breakfast is ready" she said, placing her plate on her place and Pippin's on his.

Pippin smiled. Diamond seemed to have forgotten about what Pippin had done in the past. For now, Pippin would not mention it.

"Thank you" he said.

Diamond took a deep sigh as she sat down at her place. Pippin smiled as he stood up. Nearby, Faramir's cot had been taken out of Diamond's room and, for now, placed in the kitchen.

Pippin gently lowered his son into his cot and took his hands away. Faramir gave a small whimper, but did not cry. Diamond smiled, knowing that she could start to trust Pippin again.

Diamond and Pippin ate in silence. Pippin's stomach welcomed the first meal of the day. He had not eaten anything since his small snack the night before.

Diamond smiled as she poked a few mushrooms with the end of her fork. A second later, she started to eat. They were just the way she liked them. She did not use oil in the pan, but butter.

Pippin smiled as cut of a sizeable piece of eggy bread and ate. Pippin continued to eat until all of the bread was gone. He ate much quicker then Diamond. Pip was already on his mushrooms while Diamond on her second to last piece of eggy bread.

Pippin finished first, as usual. He smiled as he picked up his mug of water and started gulping it down. But his hunger had yet to be tamed. Luckily, Diamond had thought of this.

"Would you like some more?" she asked as she finished her meal five minutes later.

Pippin smiled.

"Yes, please" he answered.

Diamond smiled as she looked stood up. A second later and a small whimper came from her large feet. Something small and fluffy had bumped into her leg.

"Oh, sorry puppy" she said.

Origo shook his head and looked up. Diamond knew that Origo would still be a little bit hungry. Origo watched as his Diamond walked back over to the cellar.

Pippin gave a large yawn as he waited for more food. But he did not have to wait long before Faramir started to whimper. His whimpering quickly turned into crying as Diamond turned.

"Oh dear" she said, looking into his cot.

"Does little Faramir want his daddy?" she asked.

Pippin smiled and stood up. Diamond placed a few more packets of food onto the worktop and placed the cooling pan back on the hot hob. The flames were relit and the pan started to heat up again.

Diamond took a deep breath as she picked up the bread knife. The loaf of bread become smaller as more thick slices were sawed off.

After a few minutes, Diamond placed uncooked rashers of bacon into the pan. The rashers sizzled and splashed hot spots of oil that seeped out of them.

At the same time, her attention was drawn to her furry puppy whimpering at her heals.

"More turkey?" she asked, looking down at him.

Origo's ears flopped adorably as he nodded. The bacon was left cooking as Diamond walking into the cellar. Origo didn't like the darkness and coldness of the cellar. He stayed at the edge of the cellar and peered in.

He could see the light from Diamond's candle lighting a small area of the cellar. Ori gave a small whimper, wanting his Diamond to come back quicker.

And she did.

Diamond emerged from the darkness holding a second bag of turkey for her pup.

"Good boy" she said, tickling the top of his head.

A few long, slow minutes past before Origo got what he really wanted. His Diamond had opened the packet of turkey and placed it in his bowl.

"Here you are" she said, placing it on the floor.

Origo instantly started to eat. He loved his Diamond's turkey. It was just right. The turkey had been based in honey and cooked for a few hours. Diamond loved nothing better to see that her puppy was happy.

But she knew that, in a short while, he would not be so happy.

Diamond smiled as she left Origo to his own devises and went back to cooking bacon. The slices of bread were buttered and the rashers were placed on top. Diamond placed the second buttered slices on top and placed the sandwiches on two separate plates.

"I think little Faramir needs to go back into his cot" Diamond said, hinting that the second breakfast was ready.

Pippin smiled as he stood up. The smell of bacon lingered in the kitchen. In fact, it had spread to nearly every room in the house.

Thirty minutes past before Elanor got washed and dressed. She and her horsey would have a very busy day today. Most of it would be spent either outside, playing with Gloria and her horsey or in her house.

"Daddy?" asked Elanor scurrying to the kitchen.

Samwise had a large mug of tea before him.

"Daddy, could I see Gloria?" little Elanor asked.

Samwise smiled.

"Of course you can" he answered.

Elanor smiled and scurried out again. But, as she made her way to her room, she stopped. Frodo was coming down towards the kitchen. Like most hobbits, one breakfast wasn't enough.

"Get out of the way, Smellienor!" he said and pushed his older sister.

Elanor scowled, looking just like her mother when she was angry. She didn't like her brother calling her Smellienor. Frodo grinned as he walked away. Elanor took a deep breath and continued her journey.

A minute or two later, she buttoned up her coat and opened the door. The coldness of the morning air hit her delicate cheeks. A few moments past before the large door was closed.

The snow had all but melted now, but the air was still cold enough for Elanor to see her breath rising and dispersing in the air.

Gloria smiled as three knocks echoed down the hall way. There was only one person who would knock this early in the morning.

"That must be Elanor!" Gloria said, getting up.

Her mother and father watched their daughter as she scurried out of the kitchen.

"Best get another plate out for Elanor" the old woman said, getting up.

She slowly walked to the cupboard and opened it up. A porcelain plate was taken out and placed in the space place.

The front door closed as Elanor was invited in.

"I'm just having breakfast if you want some" Gloria told her friend as she took her coat off.

Elanor smiled. She never once turned down an offer of a second breakfast and she would not today.

"Sure" she said, placing her coat on a spare hook.

A minute later, after walking down the long tunnel, the two girls reached the kitchen.

"Hello Elanor" said Gloria's mother.

Elanor smiled.

"Good morning" she said politely.

Gloria took her place on the opposite side of the table from Elanor. Gloria's mother smiled as she piled food onto Elanor's plate.

"There you go, dear" she said as she placed a mountain of mushrooms on her plate.

"Thank you" Elanor said.

Elanor looked at either side of her plate.

"Excuse me" she said, looking up at the old woman.

Gloria's mother looked up and smiled.

"Yes, dear?" she asked.

Elanor looked down at her plate.

"I don't have a knife or fork" she pointed out.

The woman rolled her eyes.

"Of course, I knew I had forgotten something!"

Elanor smiled as a knife and fork were given to her.

"Thank you" Elanor said.

She could finally start her second breakfast. The mushrooms were the first thing to go. Though they were not her mother's cooking, they were just as nice.

The bacon was not very crispy. Rosie always made her bacon the crispiest that she could. There were many fried eggs on Elanor's plate. She loved eggs and could eat them all day.

Thorin took a deep breath as the party of dwarves stopped. They had been walking almost all day. So long, in fact, that the sun had risen, travelled from horizon to horizon and was setting quickly.

"We should make camp for the night" said Thorin.

He was leading the group along with Thrain. Thrain had beads of sweat running down his old looking face.

"Yes, they are tired"

A few moments later and the dwarves were stopped. All apart from one.

"We will stop when we need to" said Thror.

Thorin, who had already taken his pack off, looked over at his grandfather.

"And we need to know" Thorin pointed out.

It was true. Thrain had also taken his pack off.

"When last I heard, Thror was King under the Mountain and Thorin was not" Thror said.

The whole group fell silent.

"Yet" started Thorin, taking a few steps forward.

"We are not under the mountain" he said.

"So your rule over us has ended"

Thror and Thorin looked at each other. Anger was flowing through his veins.

"Get out of my sight!" Thror shouted under his grey, waist length beard.

"You are banished from my sight!"

Thorin knew that his words meant nothing.

"I will not have my son banished from this group" said Thrain, looking over at his father.

"Without Thorin's knowledge, we would have never of made it through Mirkwood, let alone out of the mountain"

Thror could not believe what he was hearing.

"You are siding with him?" Thror asked.

"He is trying to supplant me and take the throne for himself, who knows what he is planning next"

Dis watched as her family fell apart. Thrain and Thorin were arguing with Thror. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. The two were on the brink of parting ways.

"He is planning nothing other then to help protect what's left of our great empire" Thrain told him.

Thror had changed his tune since Smaug had come. He witnessed his mountain become over run, he saw his people burn away.

Hundreds upon hundreds of golden artefacts had been stolen by the dragon. But he did not destroy them. Instead, he kept them for his own.

Before the event, Thorin and Thror were as close as any grandfather and grandchild could be.

"Ah, Thorin!" he said, welcoming him into his small cave.

Dwarven houses were dark, only being lit by a few flaming torches. An old looking bed stood in one corner of the large round room. The ceiling looked like it had been chiselled away over hundreds of years.

The threshold was made from precise cuts of rock. The old dwarfish language had been etched into the very surface.

Diamond Took looked over at the clock. Her hands were under very warm water. A few dishes were submerged in the dirtying water.

Diamond looked out of the window and took a deep breath. Thoughts were strong inside her head, as though someone was taking to her.

"And, its empty" it said.

Diamond's eyes darted from spot to spot.

"You could do it and you best be quick about it"

It was true, an empty home would be snapped up quite quickly.

"Yes" said Diamond, a small smile coming over her lips.

"Better see if there is a well as well"

The next second, Diamond took her hands out of the water and turned away. Small droplets of dirty water fell to the floor.

Origo, who had been laying by her feet, raised his little head. Diamond walked over the chair and picked up a small towel. She dried her hands and continued her journey to find Pippin.

Pippin was in his room. He had moved nearly all of his stuff into his home again. He smiled as he looked down at a heavy piece of armour that he received from Gondor.

Black stains dotted the metal amour. No matter how much Pippin tried to get rid of it, the stains would not vanish.

"Maybe I can leave it as a reminder" he thought.

And that's exactly what he did. He wanted to keep his time in Gondor alive. He smiled as he placed his armour back on the bed and took a deep breath.

Just then, a few knocks came from his door.

"Yes?" he asked, letting Diamond know that it was alright to come in.

The door opened. Diamond came in.

"Pippin, I need to ask you something" Diamond told him.

Pippin's eyebrows raised. Diamond hardly asked him anything anymore.

"What?" he asked, standing up.

Diamond looked away, trying to find the words.

"Do you think… Do you think that Dolly would have a will?" she asked.

Pippin had not thought about what would happen to her house.

"I'm sure she would have, but I'm not sure" he answered, standing up.

"Maybe we should go and see if she wrote her last wishes somewhere"

This was a good idea.

"Yes, we can and have a look" Pippin said.

Diamond hoped that it would say something about her and Pippin. For they were very close to her. In fact, Dolly felt like a second mother to them, having helped them in their darkest hour without a second thought.

A few minutes past before the small family was ready to venture out in the coldness.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said as she carried her child.

Origo had been left standing near the front door. He gave a small whimper, knowing what was coming next. Diamond took her son back from his father.

"I know, but its not far at all" Diamond told him.

Origo knew that he would not be allowed to stay. Pippin smiled as he opened the door. Diamond gave a small smile and nod as she walked out.

Origo was the last to leave the warmth. Pippin smiled as he shut the door behind them. Diamond had already reached the gate. With her free hand, she clicked the latch opened. The gate creaked as it opened.

Pippin and a very unhappy looking puppy followed a few seconds later. Diamond knew how cold little Origo was. But it would be no better in Dolly's home. For there was no one who could stoke the fires. The fires had all but burnt themselves out.

Origo reached the gate that lead up to Dolly's house. Peregrin was holding the gate as Diamond walked through. He almost left Origo behind, but managed to hold the gate open for him.

Diamond took a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst. She knew what was to come. But there was no way of stopping it.

The door creaked open. The usual warmth of a well maintained, welcoming home did not hit her. In fact, it was ice cold and dark.

Pippin followed Diamond in and closed the door behind them. The click seemed to echo for longer, searching every room for something or someone to listen.

But no one was around to hear it, save from small mice looking for morsels of food.

"How long will it take to find her will?" Diamond asked.

Pippin had no idea as he walked past a cold candle. The wax had trickled down the side of the thin metal dish and had now hardened like a stalactite.

Pippin shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to break the eerie silence. Only the slapping of their feet and the little tipper-tapper of Origo's paws broke the silence.

Diamond was first to reach the closed door of Dolly's room. There was a strange vibe coming from the door handle as she took a hold of it.

Pippin, who was carrying Faramir, watched as Diamond opened the door. Neither of the hobbits saw what happened next, but Faramir and Origo did.

A ghostly figure stood on the other side of the door. Origo saw the figure standing there.

All Diamond and Pippin saw was an empty room. Diamond closed her eyes as they fell on the figure in the bed.

"Best get this over with quickly" said Pippin.

"Here" he said, handing Faramir over to Diamond.

A tear ran slowly down her cheek as she turned away. Pippin took a deep breath as got to his hands and knees. There were a lot of boxes under her bed. They had many old books that were used no more. some were empty, some were full of writing done many years before.

"Ah" Pippin said, opening another box.

Pippin skimmed through the parchment and shook his head.

"No, this isn't it"

But, a few seconds later, he had found what he had been looking for.

"Diamond?" he slowly asked, reading the words on the parchment.

"Diamond, I think I've found it"

Diamond looked around. In his hand was a piece of old looking parchment. Pippin walked over to her and handed her the parchment. A tear was wiped away from her cheek as, in one hand, she held her son and in her other, held the parchment.

"I… I don't believe it" Diamond said.

For days, Mya, Pilith and Gollum wondered the plains of Gorgoroth. Pilith and Mya had just a little bit of food left.

"Needs food" said Gollum for the umpteenth time.

He growled, searching for anything to eat. Mya and Pilith were feeling very weak as they walked long. They had no food either.

"Maybe it was a mistake leaving them" Pilith said to Mya.

Mya looked over at him. She was feeling the exact same way. But then, they were out of that horrendous place.

"If only we had come food and water"

For day after day, the three of them grew ever closer to a row of steel black mountains.

"How are we going to get over them?"

Gollum knew that the only way was to go through them somehow.


	126. Day Sixty One, Part Two

"That could work, but going over means we can get out quicker"

At first, Gollum agreed to this. But, after another day, all of their options changed again as a road came into view.

"This might be a way out"

Mordor was largely uninhabited. Sauron had yet to gather his full strength and protect his land. But, there were still some orcs roaming around. They were laying down plans for an almighty surge of war. But, other then that, it was largely unprotected.

All three continued their journey towards Cirith Ungol. A few times, they had to stop and hide from battalions of blood thirsty orcs.

"Hurry" Pilith said.

Gollum followed suit and scampered away. They were just a mile or so from the pass when a large, black tower came into view. At the very top was a faint red glow, meaning that there was life.

"How are we going to get past this?" Mya asked.

Gollum knew that the only way was to get past the orcs. But it would be tricky.

"Maybe I could goes ahead and sees if there is a ways out" he croaked.

Pilith looked down at him.

Their eyes met.

For some reason, Pilith did not trust this creature. He still was not sure if this was a spy of Sauron leading them into a trap or a fellow escapee.

"Yes, that's a brilliant idea" Mya said before Pilith could say anything.

Gollum smiled and hopped off before either of them could stop him.

"Come on, lets get out of the road before we get seen"

Pilith took a deep breath, feeling that they would never see Gollum again. But he was wrong. Gollum had no reason to lie just yet. He had a plan and he wanted to manipulate these new people any way he could.

Pilith and Mya found what they thought was a safe place to sit.

"Why did you do that?" Pilith asked.

Mya sat with her back to a hard, jagged cliff of rock.

"Do what?" she asked, looking over at Pilith.

"That!" he said.

"Sending that creature away, do you know how dangerous he is?" he asked her.

Mya didn't understand what all the fuss was about.

"He isn't dangerous, you hardly know him"

Pilith shook his head.

"Mya, we don't know who or what could be out here, its Mordor!" he said.

Mya looked at him.

"Are you saying that he could be a spy?" she asked, slowly standing up.

Pilith nodded.

"Yes, he could be running off to warn the other orcs"

Mya and Pilith knew that they were now in trouble. But they could not find a way out.

"I think we should just wait until he…" Pilith sopped mid-sentence.

There were voices getting closer and closer. Without a word, Mya and Pilith hid behind a large boulder. A battalion of orcs were walking their way.

"Shush" Pilith said, looking over the boulder.

"Keep moving!" shouted the orc.

These were the newest members of Sauron's army. They were being trained in the art of endurance. They had been out in the wilderness of Mordor for seven days.

A crack of a whip soon made Pilith hide. He, unlike Mya, did not show how scared he was. If the orcs discovered that they were there, then they would certainly be killed.

Origo whimpers as he waited at the door. His Diamond stood in the hall way. Her eyes were darting from spot to spot. She could not believe what she had just read.

"Right" said Pippin, as he buttoned up the last button on his coat.

"Lets go home"

Diamond slowly opened the door. The coldness didn't bother her right now. For her mind was elsewhere. Origo gave a small whimper, he didn't like the coldness one bit.

A few minutes later, the small family arrived at their home. Pippin, like before, opened both the gate and the door. Diamond felt the warmth of her home. She also felt different, as though a summer fog had lifted from a beautiful spring day.

Origo trotted in and shook off the coldness. There was only one place that he wanted to be. Diamond, who had been holding her son, waited until Pippin had taken his coat off.

"Could you hold Faramir, please?" she asked.

Pippin smiled and took little Faramir from his mother. Diamond unbuttoned her coat, took her arms out of the sleeves and placed it on the hook.

"I'll start getting lunch ready soon" Diamond told Pippin.

Pippin nodded and followed his wife. But he did not follow her all the way down the hall way. Instead, he stopped and opened a door. This was to one of the spare rooms. For Diamond had yet to fully trust him again.

Faramir gave a little yawn as he was set down in his cot.

"Mummy will be back soon, Fara-moo" Diamond told him, kissing him on his forehead.

Faramir hardly ever complained when he was sleepy. His little eyes slowly began to close as he was left by himself. But there was a an equally small creature under Diamond's large duvet. Origo was just about to fall asleep when he heard dull noises through duvet.

"What is that?" he asked himself.

Faramir was laying there, all by himself. Though Diamond was just down the hall way. Neither one of them knew where Origo had gone to. Only Diamond had a vague idea of where he was nested.

Origo's small head popped out of the edge of the duvet. Faramir's babbling was much louder now. Origo tilted his fluffy head and stood up. The duvet fell off of him as he walked out. He trotted over to the bed where he stopped. He stood there for a while, listening to the baby.

A minute or two later, after Origo had sat down at the edge of the bed, his Diamond walked in. Origo's tail started to wag and he took to his paws.

"There you are" Diamond said smiling down at him.

Origo gave a happy whimper.

"Lunch is ready now" his Diamond told him.

Origo's tail seemed to wag even faster as he made his way down towards the end of the bed. Diamond watched as his little fluffy ears flopped as he traversed the duvet.

Soon, Origo's paws touched the cold tilted floor. He looked up at his Diamond, who had waited for him, and gave a small whimper.

"Good boy" Diamond said.

She smiled as she followed her puppy all the way to the kitchen. Pots, pans and packets of food had been set either on the hobs or the work top.

Diamond had a lot to do before they could eat. But it was best to get Origo and Faramir's lunch out of the way first. So, leaving her little puppy at the entrance to the cellar, she entered to get her food out.

Origo wagged his tail as Diamond came back out. A few minutes later, after the turkey had been warmed up a bit, Diamond severed him his turkey.

Diamond smiled as she suddenly thought of a new, better idea for what she could do with Dolly's home. For Dolly, in her will, had left everything to both Diamond and Pippin.

Dolly's last words circled around in her head over and over again.

Origo was left eating as his Diamond walked out. A minute or two later and a knock came at Pippin's door.

"Yes?" he asked, looking up.

Diamond walked in.

"Pippin, I have an idea on how we could use Dolly's home!" she said.

Days had past since Gollum had went to look on ahead.

"He isn't coming back" Pilith said, his mouth dry and his stomach was empty.

But that was not true. Gollum had been hiding in a small cave. He had a close call with orcs and it had spooked him. Only when he knew that no other orcs would come.

"Ah, there they are!" he said, looking over head.

Both Mya and Pilith jumped.

"Hurry, found a way out, I have" he said.

Mya took a deep breath. As much as she thought the creature wouldn't harm then, there was still a small bit of her that wanted to be more cautious.

Pilith took a deep breath and slowly got up. He did not know how much longer he last. But he was not worried about himself, he was worried for Mya.

The three of them made their way towards the distant tower. Gollum, unlike Mya and Pilith, crawled on all fours. He stopped every so often and looked back. In his mind, he had already formed a fool proof plan. He had found a way out that only he could use. Mya and Pilith were, unknowingly, being led to their death.

"Hurry, this way" Gollum said.

Gollum didn't stop. Instead, he started to make his was down the small gully that led towards the mountains. Pilith stopped and looked down at dark gully. There was a strange feeling coming from it, one that made Pilith stop.

"Mya" he said, standing there.

Mya and Gollum had already made their way down into the gully.

"What is it?" Mya asked as she stopped and looked around.

Pilith took a deep breath.

"There must be another way around these mountains" Pilith said.

Gollum knew that the two of them were unarmed and very vulnerable.

"Looked I has, no other ways!" Gollum said, he was perched on a rock.

Pilith and Mya were getting increasingly weak. A great strain was being put on them know. Ever since Gollum had joined them, the two of them had very different ideas on how to escape.

Pilith was confident that they could escape by themselves. But Mya knew that Pilith didn't have the faintest idea where to go.

"Pilith, we need to get going" Mya said, looking down at the darkness of the gully.

Pilith took a deep breath. There was no other way that he could to escape this land. So, being out numbered and not in the mood to argue, started to walk down the gully.

Soon, the gully opened up to a small round opening. The gully stopped and the two of them were faced with a wall of rock that was too high to climb over.

"This way" Gollum said.

Pilith took a deep breath. He knew that something bad had to happen. But it was just a feeling. Mya stopped at a small crack in the wall of rock.

Though it was daylight, the ash and soot from Mount Doom blocked it out completely. Pilith followed Mya into the small cave. It was then that Pilith saw the first signs of trouble.

Cobwebs from spiders were hung all around the small, dark tunnel. Many bodies had been caught in the webs. Some were small like birds and rats. Some were obviously orcs that had rotten beyond all recognition.

Neither Mya or Pilith had been concentrating on Gollum. He had slipped from their sight. His evil plan was now set in motion.

"What was that?" asked Mya, looking behind her.

Pilith stopped as well. He had heard something too.

"Come on, we need to get moving"

As he said this, he looked around.

"Gollum?" Pilith asked, looking around.

But all that came back was his own voice. Mya knew that something strange was going on. Gollum did not answer.

"What do we do now?" Mya asked, almost at a whisper.

Pilith took a deep breath. Gollum was the only one who knew where to go.

"I think…" started Pilith, looking around.

He had now two options. One was to go back and possibly get caught. The other was to go one and get lost in the maze of caves and dead ends.

"I think we should go this way"

Gollum hardly left any signs as he went through the caves. But he was not alone. A huge spider was following him. But the spider did not need to be told where they were. All of the webs were interconnected. Every time Mya or Pilith stepped or brushed along one, the spider could feel it.

Hours had past.

Origo had snoozing happily on his Diamond's pillow. But now, it was time to wake.

"Puppy?" asked a voice.

At first, Diamond could not wake her puppy. But, upon lifting him up, his little eyes opened. He gave a small whimper and curled up.

"Puppy, time to get up now"

Origo rested his head on his paws and tried to get back to sleep. But it was no use.

"Do you want to want to come and see Abira with me?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper and then a large yawn.

"What about we get you some turkey, would you come with us then?"

Origo's little ears flopped as he nodded. Diamond knew that Origo could not resist turkey, even when he was sleepy.

So, a few minutes later, Origo was set on the floor near a large bowl of turkey. Lunch had come and gone. Origo, who had eaten his breakfast and lunch, was now on his third bowl of turkey.

Diamond smiled as she first placed the puppy on the floor followed by the bowl of turkey.

"Eat up, then we can go and see Pimpernel and Abira"

Diamond was in a very good mood now. But her puppy was far from it. he was not feeling himself at all. All he wanted to do was sleep.

Origo took only a few mouthfuls of turkey before he was back to sleep. Diamond, who knew how long it took for her Origo to clean his bowl, looked down.

But there were no empty bowl. Origo, somehow, had managed to fall back to sleep in the middle of eating. His little face was resting in the bowl.

This melted Diamond's heart more then anything her puppy had done.

"Oh dear" she said, gently picking him up.

Origo gave a small whimper as he was held on his Diamond's shoulder. Suddenly, Ori gave two little sneezes.

"Oh dear" Diamond said.

It was the first little hint from Origo that something was wrong.

"Are you not well, puppy?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whimper. Diamond knew that her puppy was not feeling himself.

"Lets get you back off to bed then"

Origo whimpered softly as he was carried back to Diamond's room. Origo had just about fallen asleep again as Diamond placed him on her pillow. There was no need for a blanket, for the fire was burning and his warm coat would keep him warm.

"Good boy" Diamond said, kissing him on his warm, fluffy head.

Origo curled up and closed his eyes. He would rather sleep then eat, which Diamond found very strange. But there was nothing she could do.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, he had a bit of turkey left if he gets hungry"

The dwarves finally reached the opposite side of the grassy plain and were now within sight of the Misty Mountains.

"Me and Frerin can look on ahead, there must be many caves we could shelter in" he told Thrain, his father.

Thrain and the rest were seated on rocks or on the grassy ground.

"I want to go with them" Dis said.

She had had enough of waiting with the other dwarves while her brothers went away. Thrain took a deep breath. He knew that he could not have as much control over his only daughter as he would have liked.

But, the more he tried to pull her back to his side, the more times she would wonder off.

"Will you behave yourself?" he asked.

Dis gave a smile under her fine, black beard.

"Of course, I am a good fighter" she answered.

Thrain took a deep breath.

"And will you look after her?" he asked, looking at his boys.

Frerin nodded, so did Thorin. Thrain gave a small smile.

"Then yes, I give you permission to help in any way you can"

Dis hugged her father.

"Thank you" she said.

A few minutes later, after they checked they had enough food, the three of them wondered off. Thror slowly walked over to his son.

"Do you think that was wise?" he asked, taking him to one side.

Thrain did not understand what this meant.

"I trust them" he answered.

But Thror had different views.

"Thorin has been nothing but trouble, he is a menace to this company and to my people"

Thror and his son simply looked at one and other. The words coming out from his father's mouth were not of his own.

"There is no need for that" Thrain said.

There was a different glint in Thror's eyes. He was not warm or caring anymore. He had turned for the worse. Everything felt like it was against him.

"Of course there is need for it, Thorin is a disgrace" Thror said.

At that, Thror walked away. He huffed as he sat down. Thrain took a deep breath. It was better if his father did not speak.

Pimpernel smiled as she thought about the meeting that she had just had. Three unexpected, but not unwelcomed guests had been standing outside in the coldness.

"Diamond, Pippin, its good to see you, do come in" she said.

Pearl was busy in the kitchen making a large dinner for Pimpernel, Abira and herself. Abira came bounding down the hallway. She expected Origo to do the same. But, as she stopped, there was no sign of him.

Diamond look down at the brown eyed puppy.

"Ori isn't feeling at all well, I'm afraid" she said.

Abira looked up at her. A few seconds later, after her words had sunk in, Abira gave a small whimper and hung her head.

Pimpernel gave a small smile and picked her up.

"I'm sure he still wants to see you, how about we see him

tomorrow?" she asked.

Abira rested her head on her paws.

A few minutes later, the little group entered the kitchen.

"Hello, Diamond" Pearl said.

She had been busily pealing and cutting potatoes for their dinner. But she split away to give Diamond and Pippin a hug.

"Isn't he getting big now?" she asked, looking down at her little nephew.

Diamond smiled.

"I know, he's going to be just like his father"

Pippin gave a small smile and looked down. He took his seat and looked around. Life was boring without a good old smoke and a frothy pint of ale.

Diamond took a deep breath as she sat down. A small part of her wanted to know how Origo was. But she knew that he had enough turkey to last him until she got back.

"I guess you'll be staying for dinner?" Pearl asked.

Diamond looked over at Pippin. Diamond had thought about going back and preparing a meal, but she thought better of it.

"I'm sure Origo will be fine by himself"

Origo wondered through the house. He shivered as he reached the kitchen.

"Diamond?" he whimpered, unable to find her anywhere.

Origo hung his head.

"She doesn't love me" he whimpered.

It was then that had spotted something that would help. He trotted over and looked in his bowl. But, again, he whimpered. There wasn't enough for him, but he would never leave such an amount of turkey.

After a minute or two, he looked around.

"Still sleepy" he whimpered.

Just then, a little green glow caught his eye. He knew exactly who it was and where she was hiding.

"Ivy?" he barked.

Ivy smiled as came out of her hiding place.

"What are you still doing here, pup?" she asked, fluttering to him.

Origo hung his head. Ivy knew that he was not well.

"I'm sure Diamond will be back soon" Ivy told him.

Origo yawned and gave a small whimper.

"Come on" she said, taking to air again.

"Lets get you back to bed"

Origo gave a little nod and sauntered after his fairy. A few minutes later, Origo arrived back on Diamond bed. His little nest that he made was still there. Ivy watched as he snuggled back down inside it.

Pearl dipped a large spoon into some sticky honey. She smiled as she turned the twirled the spoon so that the honey would not fall off. A few seconds later, Pearl started to pour the small bit on honey onto cut, but uncooked, parsnips. She did this a few times before they were put in the oven.

The potatoes, which had been peeled and chopped, were put in another metal trey. Golden oil was poured all over them. A pinch of salt was added before they were subjected to the same fire as the parsnips were.

A large chicken had been cooked before had. It had been left on the worktop to cool for a while.

Ivy smiled as she watched Origo snuggled down under the duvet again. He gave a yawn. Tiredness slowly caught him. Ivy smiled as she cuddled up to him.

"Shush, shush" she said, her tiny hand running over his large, floppy ear.

Meanwhile, after another hour, everything was ready and waiting to be served up. The parsnips and crispy potatoes were placed into separate bowls. But Pearl had not only prepared parsnips and potatoes, but stuffing, sausages, rashers of bacon and, of course, mushrooms.

Pimpernel smiled a she waited for her dinner to be served.

"Now, how about a nice mug of ale to go with all of that?" she asked.

Pippin looked up. For a few second, his eyes were on his sister, but they changed direction. Diamond took a deep breath.

"I suppose so" she answered.

Pearl smiled as she turned and brought out four mugs.

"Oh, but water for me, I have to look after this little one" she said.

Pearl smiled and nodded. She took a few minutes to fill the goblets. Pippin, Pimpernel and pearl all had ale while Diamond had clear, cool water.

"Thank you" Diamond said as she picked up her mug with her free hand.

Pearl placed bowl after bowl on the table. Space was becoming rare. Spoons poked out of each of them.

"There we are" she said, placing a boat of gravy in the middle.

Without encouragement, the four of them started to pile food onto their plate. Diamond had the most trouble as she could not scoop up Pearl's lovely potatoes or parsnips.

"Would you like me to get some blankets for Faramir?" Pearl asked, spotting Diamond's struggle.

Diamond gave a small smile.

"If you don't mind" she answered.

A minute past before Pearl returned. She not only brought blankets, but a small wicker cot that she had in the spare room.

"Oh, thank you" Diamond said as she took the blankets.

Faramir's whole body was wrapped in another blanket. The second blanket that pearl had brought was placed in the small cot.

"There you are" Diamond said, placing Faramir in the cot.

Abira watched as Diamond stood back without her little bundle. Pimpernel smiled as she looked down at her pup. Abira shook her head and settled down again.

Diamond took a deep breath as the party ate in silence. But there needed to be words said, and important ones at that.

But Diamond couldn't get the words out. For nearly the entire meal, her eyes would wonder over to Pimpernel. A few times, their eyes met. But, not for long. For Diamond would look away.

Nearly all of the food was eaten. Only a small bit was left in each bowl. But there was one person would happily eat the last of it.

Pippin smiled as he saw the last few roasted potatoes, along with the last bit of nearly everything that had been left. The last thing that Pippin used up was the gravy. He poured it over near enough everything that was on his plate.

Diamond took a deep breath as she took gulp of her water. Her words for Pimpernel slowly gathered. To her, they made more and more scene.

It was just a moment of timing.

"Would you like a mug of tea?" pearl asked.

Diamond nodded and smiled.

"Yes, thank you" she said.

A few seconds later, Diamond, Pippin and Pimpernel all rose from their seats. Pimpernel waited until Diamond had Faramir in her arms before walking out.

Pippin had already made his way to the lounge when Diamond stopped pimpernel.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at Diamond.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"Me and Pippin went to Dolly's earlier today" she started.

Pimpernel look at Diamond.

"And?" she asked, wondering why they had been there.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"And, we found Dolly's will"

Diamond explained what Dolly had put down in her will and explained what she was thinking.

"And, I thought that you could have it" Diamond told her.

Pimpernel, who was holding Abira, didn't fully understand what Diamond was saying.

"Me?" she asked.

"You want me to have her house?" she asked.

Diamond gave a small nod. She too was holding something small, but it was not her puppy, but her son.

"You don't have to answer me right away, you could think about it for a while" Diamond told her.

A few minutes later, the two of them entered the lounge. Pippin was already sitting there, waiting for them. His mind was on one thing and one thing only.

Tobacco.

It had been many days since he had his last smoke. His head felt strange. There was an invisible vice gently pounding his head. No matter what he did, he could not get rid of it.

Pearl smiled as she wondered into the lounge.

"There you are" she said, carefully handing Diamond her tea.

Pimpernel smiled as she took her tea. Abira still reminded snuggled up to her Pimpernel. Her tea had no milk or sugar in it, just a large spoonful of honey.

She smiled as she listened to the conversation between Pearl and Diamond. Pippin was quiet, as usual around the girls.

Another hour past. The clock on the walk chimed nine times.

"Well, I best get back to Origo, he's not feeling too well and I need to see how he is"

At that, all four of them rose from their seats.

They walked down to the large front door where Faramir was handed to his father for just a moment. Diamond smiled as she buttoned up the last button of her deep red coat.

"Well, thank you for the meal, Pearl" she said, hugging her.

Pimpernel and a sleepy looking Abira were there as well.

"You'll think about what I said, wont you?" Diamond asked Nelly.

Pimpernel nodded and gave a small smile. Pearl looked over at her sister. She wondered what they had talked about.

"Yes, I'll tell you tomorrow" Nelly answered.

Diamond and Pippin left a few minutes later. Pimpernel smiled as she looked down at her puppy.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow" Pimpernel said, still holding a sleeping Abira.

"What did Diamond want?" Pearl asked as they walked away from the door.

Pimpernel took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you tomorrow"

Pearl took watched her sister walk away. She wondered what Diamond and Nelly had talked about, but it would have to wait until morning.

Pippin, Diamond and little Faramir arrived home. The warmth of their home was a welcome break from the harsh coldness of night.

Diamond did not have enough hands to take her coat off and hold Faramir at the same time. So, she left her coat on and walked down to her room.

She smiled as she entered the room and saw a small lump under her duvet. She knew that Origo would still be asleep.

"Maybe he's awake" she said, slowly lifting the duvet.

Origo gave a soft whimper as Diamond lifted the covers. Diamond smiled as his little eyes opened.

"Hello, pup" she said, lifting him out.

Origo was very hungry now. All he wanted to do was have another bowl of turkey and sleep. Diamond thought the same too.

"Come on, lets get you some turkey and lets get to bed"

Luckily, Ori did not have to wait long. All he had to do was wait until Diamond had emptied it into a clean bowl and heated it up a bit.

But, for a hungry puppy, this took longer then normal.

"It's ok, here it is" Diamond said, placing the bowl on the floor.

Origo instantly started to eat. Diamond smiled as she heard the bathroom door click shut down the hall way. Pippin had the same idea too.

Diamond smiled as she watched her puppy eat. Origo took only a few minutes to finish his bowl. Diamond smiled as she held her coat.

"I'll meet you in the bedroom, Diamond just has to get Faramir ready for bed too"

Origo nodded and followed his Diamond out. Both of them made their way to the bed room. Diamond smiled as she saw her pup jump onto the small box at the end of her bed.

Diamond took a deep breath as she gently picked up her little baby. She smiled as he gave a small whimper, but did not open his little eyes.

A few minutes past before they returned. Diamond placed Faramir back in his cot and got into her nightgown. Origo had already made himself comfortable.

"Shush, shush" Diamond said as she moved him over a bit.

Origo cuddled up to his Diamond and the duvet was drawn over. Diamond smiled as Origo's fluffy head popped out of the duvet. Within minutes, both Diamond and Origo had fallen asleep. Abira had been asleep for a good half an hour, unlike her Pimpernel. Like Diamond, she was thinking about what had been said at dinner.

"Maybe I should take it, then I could move in right away"

But there was a small issue with that. Her home had a very unique view. That was the reason she brought it. She could see the whole of the shire from her kitchen window. The Green Dragon, the lake and the party tree were only some of the things she could see out of her little round pane of glass.

The lands that lay beyond were green. The skies were blue and there was nothing to spoil it. Pimpernel remembered when her Hamson had moved in with her. She future had been bright and happy future ahead of her. She had planned what she was going to do and when she was going to do it.

But that all changed.

Pimpernel closed her eyes as she lay in her bed. The house was quiet, save from the gentle clicking of the clock and the small crackles of the fire.

Abira lay there, her head on her paws. Unlike Origo, she slept further down in the depths of the duvet. Her head did not break the covers.

Pimpernel's hand gently rested on her puppy. Every night, Pimpernel would cuddle her puppy until she fell asleep. Tonight was no different.

But, what was different were the dreams they were having. Pimpernel's dream was filled with colours while Abira's dream was full of darkness, spiders and danger.

Mya had not been in her puppy form for a long time. But now, her four legs would come in useful. Pilith was also in his puppy form.

He looked back to see if Mya was still following him. The next second, Mya saw Pilith dive into small hole. Pilith ducked his head and made his way as far in as possible. Mya dove in a split second later. If she had not, she would have been in the talons of large beast.

The spider's legs tapped the webs. But there was no sign of the small creatures anywhere. Pilith and Mya continued their journey towards the very end of the small cave.

It was big enough for them to fit in, but nothing bigger could get in. But Mya and Pilith were not alone. Smaller spiders crawled all over their fur.

Mya could not stand spiders. She shook her head and a spider fell on her fluffy face. She crossed her eyes and slowly moved back. But she could not move far. Little whimpers were coming from her.

Pilith knew that Mya had a great fear of spiders. A small paw came and swatted the spider away. Mya shook her head and pawed her own face.

Silence surrounded the two pups. The very large spider seemed to have given up on getting them. But that was not the case. It waited on the roof of the cave for the two creatures to come out.


	127. Day Sixty Two, Part One

Pimpernel felt like she had only just fallen asleep when she woke. The blackness of night had turned into the freshness of a new day. Pimpernel smiled as she lifted her duvet just a tad. There, curled up and sleeping, was her puppy.

This was the main reason why she loved waking up. She knew that her puppy would wake up and she needed a cuddle.

Abira gave a little whimper as she was lifted further up the bed. Two large hand held her as she broke the surface.

"Good morning, Puppy" Pimpernel said, looking at her sleepy pup.

Abira rested her head on her paws and gave a small whimper. Pimpernel's smile broadened as pimpernel kissed her puppy on the head.

"I think breakfast is a good idea, don't you?"

Abira gave another little whimper. She was very hungry indeed. Her last meal had been on the opposite side of the night past. And now, she wanted more.

Pearl had already risen. She had stoked the fires in her own room, the lounge and the kitchen. The candles, which had been lit, flickered as she went about her business.

She smiled as she heard the slapping of large feet and the delicate pitter-patter of little paws. Abira bound in, her little ears flopped over her head as she ran.

"Good morning, puppy" Pearl said she stood there.

Pimpernel arrived a few seconds later. She, like her sister, had blue eyes. Nelly gave her sister a smile as she took her place.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Pearl asked.

Pimpernel had taken her seat.

"Yes, I slept very well, how about you?" she asked.

Pearl had not had a solid nights sleep in a while. She would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night.

"Well, now that I'm up I might as well grab a drink"

She opened the door and walked down the kitchen. The fire was burning in a low light, crackling every so often. Pearl opened the cupboard and brought out a mug. A minute later and the mug was filled with cool water. The small vase that was used to store it was placed down and the mug was picked up.

Pearl took a deep breath before she downed the water. She gave a sigh as she finished her drink. Tiredness slowly sank back into her eyes as she stood there. The clock gently chimed four times.

Pearl placed the empty mug by the sink and walked out again. Her large duvet waited for her return. Pearl rubbed her eyes as she made the trip back down to her warm room.

The door was closed and the warmth gathered again. Pearl got back into her bed. It took but a few minutes to fall back to sleep. She would not wake 'til the morning.

"I slept well" Pearl answered, remembering her little trip to the kitchen.

Abira was snuggled down on her Pimpernel's lap, patiently waiting for her breakfast. Pearl smiled a she placed a pan on the hot fire. A small drop of oil was placed in the metallic pan.

A few minutes past before Abira lifted her little head up. She could smell the bacon now. Her little eyes could see Pearl working at the stove.

Pimpernel smiled as she tickled her puppy's ear as Abira waited. Abira gave a little whimper and looked up at her Nelly.

"I know, pearl is just making some for you"

A minute or two later and the little pup was placed on the floor.

"Careful, its hot"

Abira's little tail wagged as she waited for the rashers to cool down a bit.

"Go on then, pup" Nelly said, looking down.

Without a second invitation, Abira started to eat. Pearl smiled as she worked on getting their breakfast ready. More bacon was placed in the pan along with eggs, sausages and mushrooms to name but a few things that Pearl was cooking.

Thorin took a deep breath as he rose from his bed. His cave was warm, a small fire was flickering in the middle. But his mind had played an evil trick on him. He was not in his own cave, nor was he alone.

Dis was sleeping near by. Frerin, on the other hand, was not sleeping. He was sitting by the fire, his eyes fixed on the dancing flames.

Thorin slowly got up, trying not to disturb his sister. Frerin looked up as Thorin quietly walked over to him.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice softly echoed around the cave.

Frerin took a deep breath. He was holding a long stick, one end in his hand and the other in the fire.

"I am well" he said.

But Thorin knew his brother well enough to see that he was not well at all. Exhaustion had finally taken him. The momentum in which they had left the mountain and the events in the forest had now taken its toll.

"You can greave" Thorin said, sitting down.

Frerin looked over at his brother. Half of his face was lit by the fire, the other was shrouded in darkness. Thorin took a deep breath.

"We will stay here for a few days, gather our strength, then move on"

Dis had woken up. But she did not sit up. Instead, she was listening. Her brothers were talking about their grandfather, Thror.

"I have noticed that too, he has changed"

Thorin nodded.

"But we can not blame him, he had been through a lot" he said.

Thror had lost his home, his people and his wealth. He had seen his people fry from firry wrath of Smaug. Thror had escaped with his family, including his two brothers.

"I have heard what he had said about you, he is not the same as before"

Thorin gave a small nod.

"You are right" Thorin said.

Dis gave a large yawn and slowly sat up. Thorin gave a small smile. They were now all awake. But they would not be go anywhere today. Rain was pouring down outside.

The rest of dwarves were huddled under a large tree. But its canopy did not stop all of the small droplets of water fell to earth. Thrain sat with his back to the tree. His decorated helmet was sitting on his head.

The droplets of water falling from the heavens impacted on his head. He took a deep breath. The constant noise of rain drops was getting to him.

A fire could not be lit, for the dead wood on the floor was wet. The dwarves shivered as they fed on measly portions of food.

Each of them wished to be in the lonely mountain. Each wished for the rain to stop and a fire to be burning. Yet one of their wishes would come true.

The clouds slowly sailed away south. But, where Thorin and his siblings were, the rain seemed into intensify. They sat in a small cave accompanied by a small flickering fire. Neither of them talked much. They waited for the hours to pass, which did, but slowly.

Origo looked up. His little pink tongue hung out. Before him sat an empty bowl. His Diamond was standing just a few feet away from him. His little whimper caught her attention.

"Are you finished, pup?" she asked, knowing the answer.

Origo nodded his head, making his lazy ears flop.

"Good boy" Diamond said as she held a wooden spatula.

Her other hand held the handle of a hot pan. A large slice of bread was sizzling gently in the pan. On a near by plate lay yellow yoke from a few eggs that Diamond had cracked into it.

Small pieces of black were swimming around din the sticky yoke. They were small flakes of pepper. A pinch of salt had been added before the bread was dunked in the mixture.

The smell of bacon, eggs and mushrooms circulated around the entire house. Pippin's stomach was rumbling as he held his son. As Diamond made their breakfast ready, Faramir was being fed by his father.

A few times, Diamond would look around. Pippin seemed to be doing a very good job. Faramir looked up at his father. Normally, he would have preferred his mother to be looking down at him, but today, this person seemed nice enough. A few minutes later and Faramir's food had all gone.

"There we are!" Pippin said, placing the small spoon back in the empty bowl.

"You've eaten it all up!" he said.

Diamond looked around and smile. Pippin smiled as he stood up. He walked over to the cot nearby and placed little Faramir inside.

Origo had disappeared again. He was busy chasing a little green fairy on Diamond's bed.

"Almost, puppy" Ivy said, fluttering inches away from his small, but sharp, teeth.

Origo was getting excited now. His puppy friend, Abira, was expected to come over for lunch. But, to play with him was only a distraction. Diamond smiled as she plated up their food. Pippin had returned to his seat and smiled as his plate. It was bigger then Diamond's portion, for she knew that Pippin needed more food then she did.

Thirty minutes past before Elanor was ready to go out. Like the rest of her family, she had eaten a large and delicious meal.

Elanor had already buttoned up her deep red coat and grabbed her horsey. She scurried back down the house. She stopped as she rounded the shallow bend in her home.

She knew her father was busy, for the study door was closed. Through the door, she could hear small scratches of her father's quill. She took a deep breath and started to scurry down the hallway again.

Rosie was standing at the kitchen, a large pile of dishes and plates were stacked up near by. The water, now hot and steaming, was turned off.

"Mummy?" asked a little girl behind her.

Rosie looked around and saw her oldest daughter standing there.

"Can I go and see Gloria, please?" she asked.

Rosie smiled.

"What do you have to remember?" she asked, quizzing her daughter.

Elanor took a deep breath.

"To be back by lunch and not to go over the bridge" she said, rolling her eyes.

It was the same every time she wanted to go out. To her, it was getting very repetitive, but she knew her mother and father were just looking out for her.

Pimpernel, Pearl and Abira were all ready to go out in the coldness. Abira did not seem to make as much fuss about it as Origo did.

Pimpernel smiled as she picked up her fluffy puppy and wrapped her up in a large blanket. Abira snuggled down even further. Only the tip on her little paws and her little puppy face showed.

"Ready?" Pearl asked as she buttoned up her last button.

Pimpernel smiled and nodded. Pearl walked past and opened the large round door. The coldness instantly hit all three of them. The candles danced as they walked out. They stopped and stood still when the door closed behind them.

Despite the coldness, there were plenty of hobbits walking around. Some were heading to their friend or family's home. Some could be seen entering the Green Dragon.

As the two girls walked along, a small figure came scurrying up behind them.

"Hello, Elanor" said Pearl, looking around.

Nelly looked around too. The Gamgee family and the Took family were very close friends. They had been friends for a very long time.

"Hello" said Elanor, holding her little toy horse.

"How are you today, Elanor?" Pearl asked.

Elanor smiled.

"I'm alright, I'm going to see if Gloria is coming out" she answered.

Pearl smiled.

"Well, you two have fun and remember to be back home for lunch"

Elanor smiled and nodded.

"I will" she answered.

A few second past before Elanor continued on her journey Gloria's abode. Her horse was tucked under her arm as she clicked the gate open.

She smiled as she walked up to the door and knocked three times. The cold wind blew her hair across her face. She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the shivers.

Luckily, the door did not take too long to open. Standing on the other side was an old man. His curly hair was greying and thinning. He had large wrinkles criss-crossed his face. They were particularly large around either side of his mouth.

"Oh, hello Elanor" he said, opening the door a bit wider.

"Do come in, you must be cold"

Elanor smiled as she crossed the threshold. The warmth and the smell of Gloria's home hit her instantly. The door behind her clicked shut.

"Gloria's in her room" the old man told her.

Elanor smiled and nodded. Her horsey was placed on the floor as she unbuttoned her coat. A minute later, she placed her coat on a hook, picked up her little toy and walked down the hall way.

Gloria was sitting on her bed. She looked up as the sound of the door reached her.

"Oh, hello Elanor" she said, jumping off of her large bed.

"I didn't hear you knock" she said.

"Your daddy let me in" she said.

Gloria smiled.

"What are we doing today?" she asked, watching Elanor hop onto the bed.

Elanor's legs dangled from the bed as she thought for a moment.

"Well, we still need to save our horses" she answered.

Gloria smiled. Her little wooden horsey was picked up. The two girls were instantly transported into a darker, harsher world. Elanor led the way, for she knew what Mordor looked like. For she had been told many stories about it. Samwise would come into her room. He carried a very special book, one that Elanor could not even touch.

"Now, where were we?" Samwise asked as he flicked through the pages.

There were many pictures drawn on the pages. Sam's eyes darted over the page, reading what had been written. A few seconds past before he turned the page. A smile came over his face as he found where they had left off.

"Right" he said, before starting to read.

For a whole hour, Samwise read through one of his exciting chapters. But, half way through, Elanor had fallen asleep. Samwise gave a small smile. He slowly and silent stood up. He placed the chair back and walked over to his daughter's bed.

"Sleep well" he said, before gently kissing her on the forehead.

Elanor did not wake as he walked out. The house was now very quiet as he walked back down to his room. Rosie and Sam were the only ones awake. But both were planning on going to bed soon.

Rosie was sitting in the kitchen. A few minutes ago, Rosie had poured out two big mugs of tea. One was for herself while the other one sat before her husband's place.

Samwise took a deep breath as he walked in. His Red Book had been placed back in its box and slid back under the bed.

"Are they all asleep?" Rosie asked, placing her mug down.

Samwise nodded as he yawned. He picked up his large mug of tea and started to drink. The two of them sat mostly in silence. Rosie took a deep breath as she looked into her mug. At the bottom, what's left of the tea swirled around the sides.

She downed the tea and placed the empty mug on the table. She waited for her husband for finish. He did so a few minutes later.

"Thank you, dear" he said as Rosie took his mug.

Samwise rubbed his eyes and rose from his seat. The two of them walked down the hall way. In turn, they got washed and ready for bed. Finally, after thirty of forty minutes, both were ready for bed.

Frerin and Dis sat shivering in their cave. The wood that they had found had all but been used up. The rain outside was still crashing to the floor.

Thorin was not present. Instead, he was outside, in the rain. His hood had been drawn over his head to try and stop the rain, but it made little difference.

Frerin's bow and arrow had been taken out with him. Thorin knew where to find enough food for the three of them. He ventured further down into the valley. The rain made the going very tough.

He slipped every so often, only to save himself before he fell. His boots were covered in mud. Droplets of water were falling from his nose or collecting in his hair and beard.

Thorin took a deep breath as he stopped under a tree. The sound of distance thunder echoed in the clouds above him. Thorin looked up. He could hear the rumble getting nearer and nearer.

For the next hour, Thorin made his way deeper into the forest covered mountain side. The forest floor was very difficult to walk on. Thorin darted from tree to tree as he descended the side of the valley.

It was then, as the ground levelled out a bit, he saw movement. The dwarf hid behind a tree. He barely looked around the corner.

"Perfect" he said.

Thorin silently loaded his bow and took aim. The animal's ears pointed up. It knew that something was about to happen. But it had no time to react as an arrow flew towards it.

A few seconds later, the animal lay lifeless on the floor. Thorin took a deep breath and started to walk towards the animal. The arrow had gone right through its neck and out of the other side.

Thorin stood there for a few seconds, looking down at the creature before walking to get his arrow. He took it out of the ground and cleaned off the dirt and the blood before putting it back in its quiver.

An hour past before Thorin returned to the small cave. Dis looked up as she heard heavy boots hitting the hard rock outside.

Thorin ducked down and entered the cave. Dis smiled as she saw what Thorin had brought back. She was used to dead animals. For, back in the lonely mountain, she had helped her mother prepare magnificent feasts.

Dis was very good with food, which was one of the many traits that dwarves had. They were known for staying up until the next day, eating and drinking.

"It was the only thing I could find" Thorin said, placing the animal on the floor.

Dis took a deep breath. She knew that she could make a satisfying meal with what Thorin had brought back, but there was none of her cooking tools. They had all been handed over to the dragon that now settled in their mountain.

"I can not do anything with this" Dis said, looking at the animal.

Thorin took a deep breath.

"Well, we can try, we have to eat something"

So, Dis got down to work. She used what sharp shards of stones she could to cut through the meat. Very soon, her hands were blood red. A large chunk of meat hung off of the animal. Dis cut through the large piece and placed it on a few leaves that had been lain on the floor.

Thorin and Frerin had been stoking the fire. More and more sticks were added to the fire. For a moment, it threatened to smoke them out.

But the smoke found its way out of cave. Dis had been working on the carcass of the dead animal for a while. The fire was now ready. Most of the wood had been turned into white hot embers.

Diamond smiled as she held the handle of a hot pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. An apron had been wrapped around her front, protecting her lovely dress from the splatters of oil.

Faramir lay in the hands of one of his aunties. Pearl smiled as she looked down at the blue eyed baby boy. There was a very strong resemblance between Faramir and Pippin. In fact, Faramir was a miniature version of his father.

"Have you been a good boy for mummy?" Pearl asked.

Faramir gabbled and made funny sounds, trying to talk, but he couldn't. it would be a few more years before he would be able to talk and understand what was said to him.

Two empty bowls stood on the floor near by. Only small morsels of food had been left. One had housed a mountain of turkey, the other housed crisp rashers of bacon.

They were eaten by two small fluffy puppies. One, a boy puppy, ate nothing but turkey. He was Diamond's puppy. Diamond had been looking after him for a while now. But there was a small puzzle to solve.

Where had Origo come from?

It was a question that Diamond asked herself many times. But she never found a reason why this little puppy had come to her.

Origo and Abira scurried around the house. They wrestled in nearly every room. A small green fairy was involved in the fun. She fluttered near by. She loved watching the two puppies play. But, sometimes, she was centre of attention. Origo and Abira would chase her. Ivy knew that they were only playing, but her wings were precious to her.

"Almost" she said, fluttering away.

Origo would bark and try and catch his flying friend. Sometimes, Origo would come very close to catching her. But would never get her.

"Puppy, stop" Ivy said when she wanted to play normally.

Origo, being a stubborn puppy, would not listen. But, just as Ivy was about to flutter upwards, someone started to walk down the walk way.

"What's going on here?" asked a voice.

Abira's little tail wagged as she saw her Pimpernel. Nelly smiled as her pup bound towards her.

"Oh, hello puppy" she said.

Abira gave a little whimper and place her head on her paws.

"You sleepy?" Pimpernel asked.

Origo remained standing there. He was getting jealous. Pimpernel looked down to see another adorable puppy looking up at her.

"Come on, I think both of you are tired" Pimpernel said as her Abira yawned.

Origo watched as Pimpernel walked over to Diamond's bed. His little head tilted to the side.

"Come on, Ori" Pimpernel said, picking him up.

Origo gave a small whimper. Pimpernel's hands were cold. Abira was already snuggling down on the bed. Origo was placed on the bed too. Pimpernel smiled as she ruffled the fur on his head.

Origo couldn't understand why he was put on the bed. He wasn't sleepy. Pimpernel smiled as she walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?" whimpered a sleepy Abira.

Ori looked around.

"To my Diamond" he told her.

Abira gave a little whimper.

"But, I'm sleepy" Abira told him.

Origo now needed to make a choice. He needed a cuddle from his Diamond, but that means leaving Abira on her own.

"Maybe I can get a cuddle later" he thought.

Abira wagged her little tail as her Origo wondered back. Abira gave Origo's fluffy ear a gentle tug before he snuggled up next to her.

Down the hall way, in the kitchen, Pimpernel, Pearl, Diamond and Pippin had sat down to lunch. Bowls and plates and mugs had been set out. Pimpernel smiled as she picked up a large bowl full of roasted potatoes.

She placed the large bowl on the side of the table and scooped up some potatoes. She smiled as she placed them on her plate.

"Could you pass the potatoes, please?" asked Pearl.

Pimpernel smiled and scooped out one last potato before passing the bowl to her sister. Pearl smiled as she scooped out enough roasted potatoes.

"Thank you" said Diamond as she was handed the bowl.

Pippin had been filling his plate up with nearly everything that Diamond had prepared. His pile of chicken was larger then the girls that sat around the table. He had a large pile of parsnips, a few shire sprouts, a large spoon full of carrot and turnip.

Diamond had also made Pippin's favourite bit of the meal.

The stuffing.

Pippin smiled as he started to eat. The table fell silent as they all ate. The parsnips had been pasted in rich honey before being roasted in the oven. The chicken had been honey coated as well, but there were small herbs sprinkled on top.

The day had turned to night in the Misty Mountains. The light from the sun had vanished, but the rain and lightning did not cease.

Dis yawned as she rested on the wall of the cave. The lightning stopped her from sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes and was just about to drift off to sleep, a brilliantly white light lit up her eye lids.

A few moments after, the rolling thunder would echo around the mountains.

"Its getting closer" Frerin whispered.

Thorin took a deep breath and nodded. He wondered how the others were holding out. He wondered if they had found a safe placed to wait out the storm.

But they had not.

In fact, they had been sat beneath the same tree since they arrived. Some of the dwarves lay on the ground. Many of then had huddled up together, trying to get the most warmth that they could.

Thrain shivered as he slowly fell asleep. His head lent back on the tree he was sitting under. A few times, he would doze off to sleep, only to awoken when his head fell.

The hours past very slowly for the dwarves. Each hour seemed to become longer and longer. The sun seemed to hide away, tormenting them until it gave in. By this time, most of the dwarves had fallen asleep without knowing.

But, when they woke up, they seemed even more tired. There were no words said as the dwarves sat there. Their motivation and moral had sunk to an all time low.

Questions were asked.

Was Thror up to be the leader?

Would he lead them into danger?

But none of these questions were spoken out. There were murmurs that Thorin would be the one to trust.

"Thror seems to have lost his head" whispered one of them.

"We should have followed Thorin, he knows what to do"

The two others agreed, but fell silent when the realised Thror was in ear shot. But Thror was old and his hearing was not as good as it used to be.

"Maybe we should go and find him" said others.

Thror took a deep breath. He was thinking deeply about this situation. A small part of him knew that Thorin was a better leader then he was. But he was still here and, as far as he knew, Thorin would not take charge.

Dis finally woke to the sound of rain. She yawned as her eyes struggled to fully open. For a split second, she thought she was back at home. But the rain confirmed that she was nowhere near her warm bed.

The fire was running out of wood to burn. It was now just a small smouldering rubble of ash. Thorin and Frerin had had little sleep over the night.

Thorin smiled as he looked over at his young sister.

"Good morning" he said.

Dis gave a small smile and looked out of the opening in the cave.

"It's still raining" she said.

Thorin took a deep breath.

"Its been raining all night"

Frerin was sitting by the entrance of the cave. His eyes were slowly starting shut. Thorin and Dis saw this and did not do anything about it. For they were just as tired.

Elsewhere, the conversation of Thror and Thorin had reached a critical point.

"Maybe we should just go and find him" they said.

Many agreed. The group was now going to split into two groups. Some decided to stay with Thror, after all, he was their leader. The rest would break off to find Thorin.

Thrain looked around as he heard movement. A few of the dwarves had decided that now was a good time to find Thorin.

"Where are you off to?" asked Thrain as he slowly got up.

His old joints struggled to move. They had not been moved in the last few hours.

"We are going to find Thorin" one of them said.

Thrain had not been involved in the debate that had happened.

"Why?" Thrain asked.

Thror was sitting near by.

"Because we find him a better leader, he never once put us in harms way" they said.

Thror heard talking behind him. There was something about this conversation that made him suspicious. He slowly got up. The others knew that they would have to explain themselves to Thror.

"What is going on, why are you all looking like you are getting ready to move out?" Thror asked.

Thrain took a deep breath. Now was the time where he had to be truthful to his father.

"They are going to find Thorin" he said.

Thror did not believe what he was saying.

"Is this true?" he asked.

"Thorin is untrustworthy, he does not belong in the realm of dwarves"

But the others saw it differently.

"What do you mean?" they asked.

"Without Thorin, we would never have made it out of the forest"

Thrain stood by, listening to the conversation that was being had.

"That is a lie, I am the one who led you out!" Thror said.

Anger rose in Thror. all the while, Thorin and his brother and sister was sitting in a dry cave.

Origo had been asleep for many hours. He could have happily slept until the sun had gone down, but that was not the case.

Origo's little eyes opened up. There was something bothering him. His little Abira was not by his side.

"Where has she gone?" he whimpered sadly.

The house was quiet. Faramir's cot stood near by. Origo gave a small whimper, seeing if he was there. But there was no answer.

A minute later and Origo's little paws touched down on the cold tiled floor. This was the only part of waking up that he didn't like.

But, hunger drove him onwards. The door to his Diamond's room had been left ajar, someone had obviously been into the room.

As Origo wondered down towards the kitchen, his floppy ears caught sounds coming from the lounge.

"Maybe that's my Diamond" he thought.

So, the little pup made a bee-line towards the lounge. There, he caught his Diamond's scent. His little paws gently pitter-pattered as he entered the room.

"There's mister sleepyhead" Diamond said.

Origo's little tail wagged as he scurried over to his Diamond.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Diamond asked.

Origo gave a small nod. He looked over to see his Abira snuggled up to her Pimpernel. Pippin was the only one not present. He had locked himself away in his room.

Origo gave a small whimper as he was held to his Diamond's shoulder.

"You hungry?" she asked, tickling one of Origo's floppy ears.

Origo gave a small nod. She gave a big smile and slowly stood up.

"What about Abira, do you think she's hungry too?" she asked.

Pimpernel smiled.

"You hungry, girl?" she asked.

Abira gave a little whimper and raised her head. Pimpernel smiled and placed her on the floor. Abi gave a very adorable whimper.

"Follow Diamond and Origo, sweetie" she said while she remained seated.

Abira hung her head as she followed diamond.

"Come on, I'll make you some of my best honey roasted bacon" Diamond said.


	128. Day Sixty Two, Part Two

Abira wanted her Pimpernel to make it. But she could not turn down an offer of bacon. So, reluctantly, she followed Diamond and Origo to the kitchen. As diamond reached the kitchen, she placed her own puppy on the floor. Origo gave a sad whimper as his little paws hit the cold tiles.

Abira gave her Origo a little nudge. Origo gave a little whimper to let her know he was alright. Abira wagged her tail and looked up at Diamond.

Before long, the two puppies had their own bowl of food. Origo started to eat the turkey while Abira ate the rashers of smoked bacon that Diamond had just cooked.

Diamond smiled as she took her apron off. For a moment, she watched the two small creatures. Origo ate his turkey faster then Abira ate her bacon.

This always made Diamond smile. As the pups ate, Pimpernel walked in.

"Oh, there you are" she said.

Diamond looked over.

"We've drank our tea, is there any more?" she asked.

"Oh, of course" Diamond answered.

She felt very embarrassed. Normally, she would put out a pot of tea. But today, she had completely forgotten.

"There should be more water in the kettle"

Pimpernel looked over at the flickering heath. Flashes of the fire that ravaged her home came back to her.

"Maybe… maybe if you do it?" she asked.

It did not take Diamond very long to figure out what she had said.

"Sorry, Pimpernel" she said.

Diamond picked up a cloth and wrapped it around her hand. A few second later, after a hot blast from the crackling fire, the kettle as off of the hook.

"You go and wait in the lounge, I can bring it to you"

But there was something stopping Pimpernel from leaving.

"I've been thinking" she said, looking down.

Diamond looked over at her.

"About what?" she asked.

Pimpernel took a deep breath and focused on the small ornaments on the ledge above the fireplace. There were many old looking knives and pots that looked like they hadn't moved in many years.

"About taking Dolly's home" she finally answered.

Diamond stopped what she was doing. Pimpernel made split second eye contact with Diamond.

"I cant take it" Pimpernel answered.

Diamond took a deep breath and looked down. She knew that Pimpernel would not take it.

"Are you sure?" Diamond asked.

Pimpernel had her heart set on her old home. She loved it there. Hardly anyone walked near by as she was on the very end.

"Very, I'm very sure" she said.

Diamond took a deep breath.

"Oh, come here" she said.

Pimpernel and Diamond embraced in a big hug.

"I'm sorry" Pimpernel said as she wrapped her arms around Diamond.

Diamond broke away and looked at her sister in law.

"For what?" she asked.

Pimpernel took a deep breath. There were no words to express how grateful she was for Diamond. No one had ever been so nice to her.

"I miss Hamson" Pimpernel said, changing the subject.

Diamond took a deep breath. She knew how much Hamson meant to Nelly. Pimpernel loved him. But, after the fire, they had fallen apart.

"He'll come to his scenes soon" Diamond told her.

But soon wasn't soon enough. Pimpernel needed to be loved again. Her life had turned grey. Colours that once seemed to have been bright and beautiful were now dull and lifeless.

A few days had past since Thorin, Frerin and Dis had departed the small group of dwarves. But now, only a few had joined them.

"What are you doing here?" Thorin asked as dwarf after dwarf entered the cave.

The cave, which was already small, grew smaller and smaller as they came in. Dis, who had been comfortably sitting, was now very uncomfortable.

The dwarves dripped water on her or bumped into her. Dis gave an audible huff. The other dwarves looked down at her. They tried to make it look like they had not seen or heard her, but they did.

Dis could not see the fire anymore. Yet she was not as cold as she had been. The dwarves that had entered the small cave brought more warmth then the fire had.

"You think I am a better leader?" Thorin asked, listening to their story.

"Yes, Thror would have led us into even more danger"

Thorin was now thrust into the spot which was held by his grand-father.

But would he really want that kind of attention?

Thorin now had many lived in his hands. He could not protect all of them all of the time.

"You understand that I can not protect each and everyone of you" he said.

The dwarves, ranging from younglings to the elders all watched him.

"The road will be difficult and dangerous" he continued.

"If there is anyone not willing to help, say so now" he said.

The rain was the only thing that could be heard. Not a single dwarf spoke out. Thorin took this as a good sign.

"Very well" he said, looking around.

"We will rest, in the morning, we will find a bigger, safer place to stay"

The dwarves, as small as they were, seemed to take up the most room. Bags, cloaks, pots and pans that had been salvaged from the mountain were all placed down.

Dis was now very uncomfortable. Thorin seemed to have the most space, as he was the leader. But there was a small part of him that wanted these dwarves to return to Thror.

Origo gave a little whimper and a large stretch as he made himself comfortable. Diamond smiled as she looked down at her sleepy puppy.

"Shush, shush" she said.

Pimpernel and Pearl were sitting near by. Faramir lay asleep in his auntie Pearls arms. She smiled as she looked over at Pimpernel.

Abira gave a big yawn as she cuddled up on her lap. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she thought about Hamson. She had not seen him in a few weeks.

"I wonder what he is up to" she thought.

Hamson and his uncle had finished work for the day. The large machine had been turned off and all was quiet. He smiled for a bit, listening to his ears ring.

Hunger quickly came and moved him on. The candles were blown out and the building was left. Hamson shivered as he took a key from his pocket and locked the door.

It took him a minute or two to reach his uncles home. He raised a cold fist and knocked three times. Hamson's hair blew in the harsh wind.

A minute later and the door opened. Hamson gave a small smile as he stepped into a warm world. A small prickly mat lay on the opposite side of the threshold.

"Is it all locked up?" asked an old hobbit woman.

A once white apron was wrapped around her, protecting herself from the small splashes of oil and the accidents that may occur.

"Yes" Hamson said, giving a small sniff.

Just inside the hallway was a rack of coat hangers. There were no shoe racks unlike homes of men, for hobbits did not need shoes.

Hamson made sure his feet were as clean as possible before walking down to the kitchen. Dinner had already been set out. Bowls and plates had been set out.

A large amount of food had been prepared. Nearly every inch of the table had been covered with a bowl, mug or plate. A few flickering candles had been set out as well.

Hamson smiled as he took the only seat that was left. At each end of the table sat his aunt and uncle. They always sat at either end of the table.

Hamson took a deep breath as he looked down at his meal. Hamson was deep in thought as he cut up the first of his steaming hot sausage.

Things could have been so different if it were not for the fire. For one, Pimpernel would still have a home. Another difference would be that Hamson would have stayed in Hobbiton, instead of coming out to his aunt and uncles.

"Dinner is ready" said a beautiful hobbit.

Her dress matched her eyes and she had a royal red bow in her hair.

"I'll be there in a minute" said Hamson.

Pimpernel's home was beautifully decorated. It had some usual rooms, such as a lounge where they sat and talked, a dining room, a study for writing letters and a few bedrooms.

But, unlike other hobbit homes, there was a room just for Hamson. It was his work shop. Of course, none of the had existed before the fire, for it was just an idea.

Hamson smiled as picked up a heavy metal hammer. He smiled as he hammered the last bit of his creation into place. He smiled as he rubbed his hands.

The smell of dinner wafted through the house. As Hamson walked down the hall way, an excited little puppy scampered towards him.

Abira barked happily as she stopped.

"Oh, is dinner ready?" Hamson asked, smiling.

He didn't mind having a puppy around. Abira wagged her tail and barked again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" he said, following the pup.

Pimpernel had prepared a large meal for her and her Hamson. She would rarely let Hamson make a meal for her. Hamson even went to the trouble of making breakfast for her. But his clumsiness would spoil his surprise.

Hamson smiled as he sat down. The chair creaked under him. Pimpernel smiled as she flipped the last few rashers of bacon over.

But they were not for them, they were for her little puppy standing at her heals.

"There we are" Pimpernel said as she placed the last rashers in her puppies bowl.

"Be careful now, its very hot" she said.

Abira gave a small whimper. she didn't like it when it was hot. She liked warm bacon.

"Well, maybe if you wait a few minutes" Pimpernel said, placing the bowl back on the work top.

Abira gave a little adorable whimper. pimpernel took a deep breath, she couldn't resist this kind of begging.

"Fine" she said, picking up the bowl again and placing it on the floor.

Abira's tail wagged as she looked into the bowl. Before her was a large meal of bacon. The rashers had cooled down enough for her to eat.

Pimpernel smiled as she left her puppy and took her seat. There were mountains of food on the table. The darkness had settled outside. Now was best time to stay indoors and eat your fill.

Pimpernel loved where she lived. For there was no flickering lights or any large trees blocking her view of the surrounding countryside.

The two hobbits ate in silence. Only the sound of the crunching of crisp roasted potatoes and the coming together of metal and porcelain.

But, in reality, things were very different. Pimpernel lay on her bed, puppy-less and Hamson-less. Tiredness had slowly been sinking into her eyes. Her eyes slowly started to shut as she fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

The rain had stopped in the Misty Mountains. Only small droplets of water were falling from the canopy of the trees as the small group of dwarves made their way deeper and deeper into the mountains.

Thorin led the way, closely followed by his brother and sister. Mud clung to their heavy boots making them feel twice as heavy.

Thrain and Thror's group were now small in number. Only a few loyal dwarves stayed with their king. Their faith in Thror had not been changed.

Thror and his son had agreed to travel south. But there was a small conversation that Thrain needed to have with his father.

"We should take a rest" said Thrain, looking very tired.

Sleep had not come easy to the dwarves. Thror gave a small nod. He took off his pack and placed it on the ground. Thrain did the same. He took a deep breath as looked around.

"I need to talk with you" Thrain said to his father.

Thror looked up, having no idea of what he wanted.

"About what?" he asked.

Thrain looked up at the other dwarves, each were looking at him.

"In private" he said, looking back down.

But Thror remained seated.

"If you want to talk to me, you will have to talk in front of my people" Thror said.

Thrain took a deep breath. There was a slight hesitation, but that soon passed.

"I think we should find Thorin"

The whole group fell silent. They knew that Thror did not like Thorin very much.

"And why should we find him?" he asked.

Thrain knew that the two groups would soon join back together. But it would be a few days away.

"South is the best option we have, if Thorin is leading them, he will lead them to where he thinks they will survive the best" Thrain told him.

"He has more dwarves, he has more chance to survive"

Thror was a very stubborn dwarf. He knew that, in time, he would get his own way.

"We are not going south" Thror said, slowly getting up.

One of his loyal dwarves rushed over to help him up, but he was pushed away. Thror took a few more seconds to stand on his own two feet.

"Where do you suggest we go?" Thrain asked.

Pimpernel woke with a start. She had not realised that she had fallen asleep until a voice echoed around in the darkness in front of her eyes.

"Pimpernel?" it asked.

Nelly didn't wake at first. But, the second time her name was called, sleep truly ran away from her. Standing over her was Pearl.

"There she is" said another voice.

Diamond was sitting nearby, Origo still on her lap. Abira had fallen asleep like her Pimpernel did. Faramir was in the arms of his father and was still awake.

"What… what happened?" she asked, looking around.

Pearl gave a small smile.

"You fell asleep" she answered.

Pimpernel could feel her cheeks going red.

"I think its time to get the two little ones off to bed" Diamond said, tickling Origo's ear.

Soon, the part of hobbits all stood up. Origo was pleased that he didn't have to go out in the coldness. Abira gave a small whimper as she was placed on her Pimpernel's shoulder. But the puppy did not wake.

A few minutes later, Diamond, Pimpernel and Pearl were all standing by the front door. Origo was standing by his Diamond's heals.

"Good bye, little Faramir" said Pearl, holding the small bundle.

Diamond smiled as she was handed back her son.

"Could you hold Abira for me?" Pimpernel asked.

Pearl smiled. She already had her dark green coat on. Abi was gently handed over so that Nelly could put her coat on. She placed her arms down the sleeves.

"Thank you" she said, taking her puppy back.

A few minutes later, after Abira had been wrapped in a large blanket, the two girls exited the warm home into a freezing world.

Diamond could feel the coldness of the outside world tickle her cheeks.

"Take care" she said to the two girls.

Pimpernel smiled as she walked behind her sister. The ground was hard and the ice that had formed was gave off a crisp crunch as they walked down to the gate.

Icicles had formed over the small roves of the doors. The green grass seemed to been frozen in time. There were no signs of any animals around. In fact, it seemed that they were the only two hobbits out.

Chimneys were spewing black smoke into the crisp air. Pimpernel shivered. She could not wait to get back inside and warm up.

Elanor Gamgee had been home for many hours. She smiled as she remembered what she had played that day. A small book was lay on her pillow. A quill was held in her right hand.

She scribbled down the story that came into her head. The story that she had written down was now on its tenth page.

A knock came at her book.

"Come in" she said, stopping her writing.

Samwise came in and gave a large smile.

"Right" he said, looking at the book out on her pillow.

"Time to get to bed" he told her.

Elanor smiled and closed the book. She placed her little quill on the table and sat up. Samwise smiled as he brought over a chair and placed it by her bed.

Elanor opened the draw and place the little book, the quill and the ink pot inside. Samwise smiled as he sat down on the chair. In his hand was a very important book.

Its cover was red, it had numerous pages full pictures and writing. Elanor smiled as she threw the covers over herself and settled down.

"Right" Samwise said, opening a page.

A small piece of parchment slid down the page. Samwise smiled as he took it from the page. He read the first couple of lines before reading out aloud.

Elanor listened intensely. But she could not listen for long, for her eyes slowly began to shut. Samwise smiled as he stopped. His oldest daughter gently slept.

"That's enough for tonight" he thought.

He placed the piece of parchment back into the book and closed it. he gave his daughter a gentle kiss on the forehead before walking out.

Mya and Pilith were now stuck in a small hole. The entrance was guarded by a large, hungry spider. Both knew that it was still out there.

Gollum had led them into this trap and vanished. His plan had worked. He knew that the spider was hungry for it came after him when he had gone to find a way out.

"We have to get out of here" Mya's little puppy eyes said.

Pilith, also in puppy form, nodded. He slipped by Mya. Mya's heart was racing. She did not want to be in this situation, but there was no other way out.

Pilith slowly inched his way out of the small cave. There was no sign of the spider anywhere. Or that's what he thought.

"Come on, its not here" he whimpered.

Mya slowly inched out. The next second, everything changed. Pilith kept a look out when a large spike dug violently into the ground.

Pilith jumped out of the way. The massive spider had been waiting for them. Mya backed away again as Pilith went out of view.

The spider followed the puppy. But Pilith knew that he would surely be killed if he did not change. So, when he got far enough away, he changed.

The spider struggled through the thinner parts. This gave Pilith a few more precious seconds to get away. His mind did not return to Mya until the spider had come to a small crack that it could not get through.

Pilith looked around in the semi-darkness. A black band of metal lay on the floor next to a rotting corpse of an orc. Pilith slowly pick it up at the spider bore down on him.

With a sudden swing, the spider recoiled. The metal sword hit the spider. Its huge chelicerae tried to grab the sward from Pilith, but it only received another blow.

The spider gave off an eerie cry. Pilith knew it was scared to come near.

"Mya!" he shouted.

Mya was still in her puppy form when she heard the call.

"Mya!" said Pilith again, his voice echoing through out the entire winding caves.

Mya slowly inched out, afraid to come out. Cobwebs caught her head and floppy ears. After one more look around, the small puppy emerged from the hole in the cave wall.

A few seconds later and the puppy changed into a girl. Courage started to grow inside of her. She needed to find Pilith.

So, she started to walk as fast as she could. She felt eyes looking at her when the creepy corridor splinted off. She could feel the coldness of a cave that had not see any sunlight for a very long time.

Mya slipped a few times. In the darkness, she could hear the sound of rotted skulls rolling down a small embankment.

"Mya!" said a voice, even louder then before.

"Pilith!" she shouted back, her voice echoing back to her.

Mya did not know it, but she had gave herself away. The massive spider stopped attacking Pilith. It had heard Mya's calls.

The eight eyed spider turned and scurried off towards the voice. Pilith knew that it was going for Mya. So, he followed the spider.

A minute or two later, after Pilith had struggled to find his way, a scream echoed through the passages.

"Mya!" Pilith shouted at the top of his voice.

But there was no answer. Pilith felt fine cobwebs hit his face as he scurried along. But there was still no sign of either Mya or the spider.

Out of the darkness grew a scowling laugh.

"She's hungry" he said.

"Where is Mya?" asked Pilith.

Gollum laughed again.

"She's with her" Gollum said.

His plan had worked better then he had thought. That was, up to the point where Pilith stick the rusted orcish sword to his neck.

"Where is Mya?" he asked.

Fear rose in Gollum. He knew that Pilith would not take a seconds thought about plunging the sword into his neck.

"I… I can shows you, I will!" Gollum said, stuttering a bit.

Pilith knew that he should never have let Gollum come with them.

"Go" he said, taking the sword away and standing back.

Gollum hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly moved on. Pilith took a deep breath, the coldness of the caves were now getting to him.

A minute later, after Gollum had led Pilith through some very tight cracks in the walls of rock that surrounded them, they reached an opening.

In the middle was pile of white corpses.

"She puts them there, until she is hungry"

Pilith knew he had to find Mya quickly. So, he placed his sword down and started ripping open the cocoons of webs around the body. Pilith went through three lumps before finding his blond haired friend.

"Mya?" he asked.

Gollum saw the black sword laying on the ash on the ground. His hand slowly reached out to it. But he quickly retracted his hand as Pilith turned around.

"We have to get her out of here" he said.

Gollum nodded as Pilith turned around. Pilith picked up Mya, she was still wrapped in a tight web. Gollum looked around. He knew that the spider would soon return.

Pilith knew that the huge beast would return.

"Show me the way out" he said, holding Mya.

Gollum's eyes darted, he was thinking.

"Follow me, hurry" he said, finally making up his mind.

Pilith struggled to carry Mya through the small slits in the wall of rock. Soon, Gollum led them out. He perched on a small outcrop of rock.

"Very high up we are, yes" he said.

The wind was cold as Pilith lay Mya down on a small ledge. Pilith took a deep breath as he looked around. He was in the middle of jiggered mountain range. There was no greenness to his surrounds.

It was made all the more darker by the ash cloud that hung overhead. Pilith looked down on a sheer cliff face. Below him, a strange building.

"Very high up" Gollum said.

Pilith did not need this creature anymore.

"There is no need for you to be with us, you have helped us and heeded us, be gone" he said.

Gollum knew that he wasn't needed. In fact, he had important business elsewhere. Without a word, not even a goodbye, Gollum hopped off of the ledge and started to descend the cliff.

Hours seemed to pass before Mya started to come round. By this time, the constricting webs had been cut away. Mya gently moaned as the world slowly came back to her.

"Pilith?" she asked.

Pilith gave a small smile.

"What… What happened?" she asked.

Pilith and Mya were alone on the top of the cliff. Gollum had now climbed out of sight.

"The spider, where is it?" asked Mya, fear rising in her.

Pilith tried to calm Mya down. After a few seconds, she did so.

"What happened?" Pilith asked her.

Mya could not recall the whole event.

"Well, I cant really remember what happened, there was just a sharp pain"

There was a small hole in dirty dress. Blood had been soaked into her once snow-white dress. Mya took a sharp intake of breath as she touched the broken skin around it.

"We have to get to Minas Tirith" Pilith said, looking over the edge of the tall cliff.

Pilith knew that it would take a few hours to scale the cliff. So, he helped Mya up.

"Come on" he said.

Pilith was the first to start climbing down. He felt that the rock had a thin layer of moister clinging to it. Pilith's head ducked down Mya felt very tired. Her eyes were heavy and she kept on losing concentration.

Pilith stopped and watched Mya slowly lower herself down.

Pilith looked down and started to slowly descend the cliff face. Below them was a strip of road leading away from Mordor.

The sun above them seemed to get darker with every passing hour. But, at the same time, the two of them inched closer to the road.

It must have been in the small hours on the morning that Pilith and Mya finally hit solid ground. Mya stumbled as she hit the road. The wind was cold here.

Pilith took a deep breath as Mya lent of him. Pilith looked around at his dark surrounding. But there was something, emanating out of the darkness, that caught his eye.

A figure was walking towards them. Pilith watched as it grew nearer and nearer. He knew that if it was an orc, he could not defend either himself or Mya.

The being came closer and closer. But the figure stopped.

"Follow me" it said.

Pilith found this very strange. It was as if the figure was expecting them. Pilith knew that it couldn't have been Gollum, for he had not walked upright since they first met.

"Quickly" the figure said as it walked away.

There was no other option then to follow this strange being. Pilith took a hold of Mya. She could not longer hold herself up.

She rested her head on her Pilith.

"Come on" he said.

The being led the two of them down a small crack in the rocks. A few minutes later, after they put enough distance between them and the road, the being stopped.

"How did you escape?" it asked.

The being had a raspy voice. An old and wise tone could be hinted. This being had obviously been in Middle-earth for a very long time.

"Who are you?" Pilith asked.

Only the beings eyes glinted what light there was. Pilith could just about see the figure place his hand in his pocket. The next second, a small clunking sound echoed around.

A few seconds after that, a light started to illuminate the surrounding area. Pilith finally saw that this being meant no harm.

Gandalf stood there. His hat was sitting comfortably on his head. Greying hair flowed down past his shoulders.

"Tell me" he said, coming closer.

"How did you escape?"

Origo gave a small whimper as he felt a rush of coldness where there should have been warmth. There was also a strange sound where there should have been silence.

His small brown puppy eyes started to open. The sound grew louder and louder as the world flooded back to him. The covers, which he specifically remember as being over him, were now folded over.

"Oh dear" said Diamond to a crying Faramir.

"Looks like Mister Origo is up as well"

Origo gave a large yawn. His soft, fluffy ears hung over either side of his head. Faramir seemed to be getting most of the attention.

"Come on, lets get you some milk" Diamond said.

Origo raised his head and gave a small whimper.

"I'll be back soon, puppy" she said.

Diamond smiled as she walked into a quiet hallway. Faramir whimpered as Diamond entered the kitchen. There was a small box full of glass bottle standing on the worktop.

Diamond smiled as, with her free hand, she opened the box. It took a few seconds to find the bottle that she needed. It had a bit of white powder inside.

A few minutes later, a fresh bottle of milk was poured. A small amount of powder was put into the bottle. Diamond smiled as she looked down at her son. He did not seem at all sleepy.

"Come on, lets get back to bed" she said.

Origo had curled up in a little ball, trying to warm himself up. Soon, he heard his Diamond coming back. Faramir was now quiet. He could not make any noise when he was drinking.

Diamond smiled as she took the bottle away from him.

"That's enough for now" she said, placing him back in his cot.

The bottle of milk was placed on her bed side table. A small whimper came from the large bed.

"I know, I know" she said as she picked Origo up.

Origo gave a large yawn and rested his head on his Diamond. Diamond then got into bed, still with the puppy glued to her shoulder.

The duvet was drawn over, hiding the puppy from view. But Origo soon popped his head out the covers.

"See you in the morning, Ori" Diamond said, giving him a small kiss on his fluffy face.

Origo gave a small whimper and closed his eyes again, eager to get back to sleep. Diamond, too, wanted to get back to sleep. And this was easily accomplished by the warmth of her bed.

Neither Faramir, Origo or Diamond would wake until the had risen high enough in the sky to start their day.


End file.
